As most of you who have played at the Ocean Deck lately know, we are currently in the middle of Turtle Nesting Season (May 31st - October 31st). The rules set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) state that there must be a clear path to and from the ocean to the dunes from sunset to sunrise. There are volunteers who walk the beach in Volusia County every morning to mark turtle nests and to verify that these rules are being followed.
I have spoken directly with the Volusia County representative and the Director of Beach Services regarding our volleyball net systems on the beach and they have agreed that we can keep them in place as long as we abide by the rules stated above.
The problem is... the court lines have been left out overnight twice already. This is unacceptable and if it continues to happen, we will certainly be in jeopardy of loosing permanent volleyball nets on the beach in Volusia County.
This is not the opinion of a single person, but the collective opinion of county officials that have agreed to abide by a set of rules created and managed by a Federal Agency.
If you enjoy playing volleyball on the beach and you wish to continue doing so - please remember to pick up and return the court lines to their designated storage area.
I am currently working on getting permission to increase the number of permanent nets and we are making progress. I would hate for all this work to be wasted because a few players were forgetful or too lazy to pick up the court lines after playing a few games. If this happens again, I will be forced to keep the lines personally and players who are interested in playing on a court with lines will need to purchase their own set of lines. Not ideal, but I am willing to sacrifice the few for the benefit of the many.
Thanks to everyone for understanding and helping with the cause. Best Regards, Jeffrey