Editor’s note: An administrative law judge today ruled the Indian River County Commission can go ahead with its plan for improvements to the Oslo Road boat ramp. The project is budgeted to cost $960,000. The County Commission had hoped to receive a matching grant from the Florida Inland Navigation District. FIND recently declined the County’s request until the judge had ruled. Now Chairman Peter O’Bryan says the project can be funded with sales tax revenue.
COMMENTARY
MILT THOMAS
That is the question under consideration as the field of battle over changes to the Oslo Road boat ramp moves to the County Administration Building on Tuesday, May 6. State Administrative Law Judge, D.R. Alexander will hear arguments from both sides before making a decision whether to allow the proposed changes. So if you have been news averse as the electric sale and hunt for Malaysian Air 370 drag on, here is what this is all about:
The argument in a seashell is over a critical fish habitat nursery and the effects these proposed changes to the ramp area will have on its future viability. There are currently four boat ramps in Southern Indian River County, two in Vero Beach by the Barber Bridge, one in Round Island Park close to the St. Lucie County line and the Oslo Road ramp. While most boat ramps are in proximity of parks, the Oslo Road ramp is stand alone with no facilities and up to now, most people don’t even know it exists.
With all the attention being given to the condition of the Indian River Lagoon, especially loss of sea grass beds, it may seem on the surface to be the wrong issue at the worst time. Sea grass is important because it provides food and natural protection from predators to many newborn fish species. Recreational fishing is a popular activity and destroying the sea grass means fewer fish. Many longtime local residents are well aware of the depleted fish stocks compared to 20-30 years ago. This is because much of the lagoon’s sea grass has been destroyed by pollution and development, but an area around the Oslo Road boat ramp is still thriving. That is because the area has been relatively undisturbed. Until now.
On the other side of the issue, the buildup of muck in the existing boat channel must be periodically removed, but this time the County also wants to upgrade the Oslo Road Ramp area by adding a dock, and paving the dirt parking lot and road that leads to it. Even with these improvements it would still be the smallest ramp area in Southern Indian River County.
The argument for dredging the channel seems to be independent of the logic behind upgrading the Oslo Road boat ramp at this particularly delicate time when so much concern is being raised about the Indian River lagoon locally and at the state level.
So, how come, folks? Is this another story within the story, the “within” having political overtones? At the January 27th County Commission meeting, Commissioner Bob Solari proposed tabling the Oslo ramp expansion for three to five years. His proposal was essentially ignored by the other four Commissioners and died for lack of a second.
It seems that everyone in the scientific and environmental community is uniformly opposed to the upgrade, while the decision-making, elected Commissioners are almost uniformly in favor of it, as well as the state’s St. Johns Water Management District. Where is the disconnect? Apparently it is somewhere between Vero Beach and Tallahassee, possibly even Washington.
Surely special interests are involved here and we all know special interests account for a lot of political overtones these days. The Pelican Island Audubon Society is certainly a special interest, just as private businesses who can benefit financially from an upgraded boat ramp. In this case though, private businesses are just as divided about the ramp as environmentalists and County Commissioners.
If this was a referendum issue, which it is not, how do you think the general public would vote? Well, it would depend on how it was worded, but on the face of it, the potential of doing further damage to our fragile lagoon in order to upgrade a little used boat ramp would probably be resoundingly defeated. Very few people could find justification given the concern we have about anything that would do further harm to the Lagoon. But if those “very few people” are politically well connected, their interests override the community’s.
This issue is not about good people versus bad people. It’s not the Mafia trying to control illegal activities by upgrading a boat ramp. Or Al Qaeda trying to establish a boat hold in America.
It’s really a question of doing what it right for everyone involved. We can build another boat ramp in an area where no sea grass beds exist or manatees congregate. For the past 50 years, while boat traffic on the Indian River has increased exponentially, Oslo Road has been the Maytag repairman of boat ramps, lonely, but probably very happy to keep it that way.
So, if you aren’t doing anything next Tuesday morning, May 6, beginning at nine o’clock in the morning, why not go over to the County Administration complex, Building A south, the second floor training room and let Judge D.R. Alexander know your feelings, either way. May the best argument win.
Across town at the Vero Beach City Council meeting next Tuesday morning, local architect, avid boater and fisherman and member of the Florida Inland Navigation District, Paul Dritenbas, will propose the city and county work together to build a public boat ramp just south of the Alma Lee Loy Bridge. There, increased access to the river could be offered without endangering the seagrass beds near Oslo Road.
Related Story: Expand Oslo Road boat ramp? Only fish and fisherman will suffer in the end.
Related Story: Oslo Road Boat Ramp: Interview with County Commission Chairman Peter O’Bryan
Indian River Guardian 
Milt,
Listening to Mark’s interview w/ Commissioner O’Bryan was instructive and answered all the questions I had from reading some of the anti views posted here. What I learned:
1. There is no change proposed to the existing ramp. And the existing ramp will only handle small, shallow-draft boats.
2. The existing channel will not be deepened, only muck removed from within part of the channel.
3. Paving Oslo will result in a significant reduction in silt runoff to the lagoon.
4. Restrictive parking will limit the traffic, now unlimited.
So I can’t see the doom, gloom and habitat destruction that many are claiming.I’d also point out that all of the ramps you note are on the barrier island. Oslo is used mainly by locals in the south county and provides the only lagoon access to those zip codes. Adding a viewing dock will provide visual access for wildlife and bird watching to that area and is needed.
If the permit is denied, the use of the mucked up channel will continue churning muck and silt and damaging the existing seagrass beds. Silt will continue to run off the unpaved road. What am I missing? There are important issues facing our habitat and especially the lagoon. Both would be better served if energy was directed at the real problems.
Apparently one or two alternate proposals are in the works, so the issue may resolve itself.
Many years ago I use to hunt and fish in this area, it was mostly swamp and canals. You needed a small boat because the channel was very shallow then. The mosquito control was the only building on the road, and you seldom saw anyone, it was peaceful. I was surprised to see an actual dock there, because the last time I was there in 1985 there was an old houseboat run aground where the dock is that had been cannibalized. This as I recall made it impossible to launch a boat, so it’s nice to see a small dock there today.
Keep it small, the last thing that area needs are larger high powered boats stirring up the bottom. What has been allowed to happen to the lagoon is criminal. It has been turned into a cesspool when it was once not so long ago thriving with wildlife. Fishing was good, gathering oysters were abundant, plenty of blue crab to be had.
Remember, if you build it they will come.