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Resolution 405-2015 f • Mayor Pro Tern Neugent RESOLUTION NO. 405 -2015 A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA REGARDING THE ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND RESTORATION NEEDS OF EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK AND FLORIDA BAY; URGING THE SOUTH FLORIDA ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION TASK FORCE AND THE STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS TO EXPEDITE FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF PLANNED RESTORATION PROJECTS; REQUESTING RE- INITIATION OF THE BI-ANNUAL FLORIDA BAY SCIENCE CONFERENCE; AND INVITING THE SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT TO BRIEF THE COMMISSION ON ISSUES RELATED TO THE IMPACTS OF THE CURRENT CRISIS IN FLORIDA BAY AND TO OUTLINE A PLAN MOVING FORWARD FOR THE CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF CRITICAL RESTORATION PROJECTS THAT WILL HELP TO PREVENT SIMILAR CATASTROPHES FROM OCCURRING IN THE FUTURE. WHEREAS,the waters of the Florida Keys are connected to and dependent on the Everglades landscape as the primary source of fresh water that serves as the foundation of the nearshore estuarine environment; and WHEREAS, Monroe County's coast line encompasses Florida Bay, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and Everglades National Park; and WHEREAS,Florida Bay is within the vitally important ecosystem located between the mainland and the Florida Keys, with approximately 20% of Florida Bay within the boundaries of the FKNMS and approximately 80% of Florida Bay within the boundaries of Everglades National Park; and WHEREAS,the ecological health of the coastal and marine resources of Monroe County is inextricably linked to that of Florida Bay and Everglades National Park; and WHEREAS,Florida Bay comprises a significant portion of the coastal Everglades recreational fishing industry worth$880 million annually and commercial shrimp and stone crab fisheries worth more than$80 million annually; and WHEREAS,the ecosystem of the Florida Keys including Florida Bay attracts over 4 million visitors and over$4.5 billion in economic activity annually, generating$192 million in sales tax revenue for the State of Florida each year; and Page 1 of 3 • 1 Mayor Pro Tern Neugent WHEREAS,the health of Florida Bay is vital to the multi-billion dollar fishing and ecotourism industry of South Florida, including commercial and recreational fishing, snorkeling, diving,boat and equipment rentals, and other related businesses; and WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County recognizes that the restoration of America's Everglades is critical to the long-term sustainability of South Florida's economy, quality of life, and environment; and WHEREAS, these restoration projects are funded by the federal and state government with goals of restoring wetlands, ecosystems, national parks and wildlife refuges and protecting threatened and endangered species; and WHEREAS, lack of freshwater flow, coupled with unseasonably low rainfall over the past year, have led to high salinity in Florida Bay which has contributed to resultant mass seagrass die-offs that may continue to worsen; and WHEREAS, scientists caution that a harmful algal bloom in Florida Bay is possible as a result of the widespread sea grass decomposition that could lead to further habitat loss for a number of species, a disaster from which it would take many years to recover; and WHEREAS,the dire situation in Florida Bay is a symptom of a larger water crisis plaguing Florida whereby northern coastal estuaries are being inundated by Lake Okeechobee discharges while the Everglades National Park and Florida Bay are starved for freshwater due to lack of infrastructure for treatment and storage of water and restoration of flow; and WHEREAS, in years past the agencies involved in management of Florida Bay and Everglades restoration projects held a bi-annual Florida Bay Science Conference, which was a productive gathering of scientists and managers that synthesized current conditions, science and management of Florida Bay; NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County that: 1. The state and federal agency partners that implement South Florida restoration projects (the South Florida Water Management District, Department of Environmental Protection and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) are urged to expedite full implementation of planned restoration projects, and operate them in a manner designed to maximize restoration goals and ecological benefits to Everglades National Park and Florida Bay without delay or minimization. 2. The bi-annual Florida Bay Science Conference be reinitiated to promote a deeper understanding of the current conditions, science, and management of Florida Bay. Page 2 of 3 .. Mayor Pro Tern Neugent V { 3. We invite the South Florida Water Management District to attend a Commission meeting to discuss issues related to the impacts of the current crisis in Florida Bay and to outline a plan moving forward for the construction and operation of critical restoration projects that will help to prevent similar catastrophes from occurring in the future. PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County Florida, at a regular meeting of said Board held on the 9th day of December, 2015. Mayor Heather Carruthers Yes Mayor pro tem George Neugent Yes Commissioner Danny L. Kolhage Yes Commissioner David Rice Yes Commissioner Sylvia Murphy Yes (SEAL) � `�;, , �;MY HEAVILIN, CLERK BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSERS;OF MONROE COU , " -O ' DA yiY Ate o �I1. " SUY1 • BY: All 3, _.� <,> Cler Ma or He.Cher Carruthers --^ e..1. c.CY- �i �2 v ;�� M P k COU ATTO"',NEY tLI plavED S" f) 'trim vo co L'- c.D j Date Page 3 of3