Item B3BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
Meeting Date: __March 16, 2011_______ Division: ____BOCC______________________
Bulk Item: Yes ____ No XX Department: ___Mayor Heather Carruthers_____
Staff Contact /Phone #: _Carol Schreck________
305-292-3430
AGENDA ITEM WORDING:
ITEM BACKGROUND:
See attached proclamation
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION:
CONTRACT/AGREEMENT CHANGES:
__________________________________________________________________________________
STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
TOTAL COST: INDIRECT COST: _______0______BUDGETED:
0 Yes No _____
DIFFERENTIAL OF LOCAL PREFERENCE: _______________________________________
COST TO COUNTY:SOURCE OF FUNDS:
0 ___________________
REVENUE PRODUCING:AMOUNT PER MONTHYear ____
Yes No 0
APPROVED BY:
County Atty OMB/Purchasing Risk Management ____
DOCUMENTATION:
Included x Not Required____
DISPOSITION:AGENDA ITEM #
Revised 7/09
SEAGRASS AWARENESS MONTH
MARCH 2011
WHEREAS
, the seagrass community of South Florida is the largest seagrass meadow in the
world and has helped create and sustain the world class fishing in the Florida Keys; and
WHEREAS
, many commercial fishery species rely on seagrass habitat during some part of
their life cycles including pink shrimp, lobster, red fish, snapper, and stone crab; and
WHEREAS
, seagrass is less glamorous than corals but equally important, seagrasses provide a
multiplicity of functions that contribute to a healthy and viable marine ecosystem; and
WHEREAS
, in 2010 alone, seagrass communities in Monroe County supported an estimated
harvest of roughly $13.9 million for six commercial species of fish and shellfish; and
WHEREAS
, while there are 1.5 million acres of seagrass in Monroe County, Florida over
30,000 acres in South Florida have propeller scars; and
WHEREAS
, seagrass stabilizes bottom sediments and helps to absorb the excess nutrients
from land run-off which can further damage the quality of our waters; and
WHEREAS
, the seagrass community supports hundreds of species of fish at various stages of
their development; and
WHEREAS
, awareness of the problems facing this vital natural resource will help to create an
understanding of the ways seagrass damage can impact both the economic and ecological value of our
marine resources.
NOW, THEREFORE
, by virtue of the power vested in me as Mayor of Monroe County,
Florida, I, Heather Carruthers, do hereby proclaim the month of March 2011 as
SEAGRASS AWARENESS MONTH
and urge all citizens to boat carefully in the shallow waters of the Keys to help protect seagrass
meadows so vital to the economy and ecology of the Keys.
Dated this 16 day of March 2011
____________________________________
Heather Carruthers, Mayor