| Update: January 2005 In May of 2004 the Lee County Board of County Commissioners approved Amendment AC-7-4 to the Lee County Administrative Code concerning derelict and/or abandoned vessels in the coastal waters of Lee County. This amendment made provisions to allow the County to remove abandoned vessels under FS. 705.103(2)(b). This new process can offer a quicker timeframe for removal of abandoned vessels than the State Derelict Vessel Removal process. Current List of Abandoned Vessels A derelict vessel (DV) is a boat which has been abandoned on or under the water. Once a boat has been determined to be derelict by the Florida Marine Patrol, they begin an investigation, attempting to contact the last known registered owner and have them remove the vessel. If, however, they are unable to find the owner and have them remove the vessel, it is turned over to the County for removal. |
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| Since 1989, there have been well over 380 documented derelict vessels in Lee County waters. Many of these vessels have been navigational and/or environmental hazards and require rapid deployment and removal. Others, which do not constitute an imminent threat, may sit for long periods of time, waiting for adequate funding sources to be procured. County staff works hard obtaining grant funds for the removal of these vessels, providing a tax savings to its' citizens. Since 1991, Lee County has received yearly grants from the West Coast Inland Navigation District and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for DV removal. However, in 2003, the Governor and Cabinet approved a budget that excluded funding for removal of derelict vessels in the State of Florida. Despite this, Lee County will still attempt to remove all documented derelict vessels from the local waterways. |
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