Resolution 135-2016RESOLUTION NO. 1 -2016
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA IN
SUPPORT OF EXPEDITING AUTHORIZATON,
APPROPRIATION, IMPLEMENTATION, AND
COMPLETION OF EVERGLADES RESTORATION
PROJECTS, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT ENHANCE
WATER STORAGE AND CONVEYANCE TO RESTORE
WATER FLOW TO THE FLORIDA BAY WHICH IS
NECESSARY TO PROTECT THE ECOLOGICAL
HEALTH OF THE FLORIDA BAY, A CRITICAL PART OF
THE EVERGLADES ECOSYSTEM.
WHEREAS, Monroe County is part of the vast Everglades ecosystem that covers much
of South Florida; and
WHEREAS, Monroe County's coastline encompasses Florida Bay, the Florida Keys
National Marine Sanctuary ( "FKNMS ") and Everglades National Park; and
WHEREAS, the waters of the Florida Keys are dependent on the health of the
Everglades ecosystem as the primary source of fresh water and foundation for the nearshore
estuarine environment and Florida Bay that provides a unique and critical habitat for numerous
plants and animals, including 15 federally protected, endangered and threatened species and state
special concern species, such as the bottlenose dolphin, Florida manatee, smalltooth sawfish,
green sea turtle, hawksbill turtle, spoonbills, pelicans, egrets, piping plover, and the American
crocodile; and
WHEREAS, Florida Bay comprises a large portion of Everglades National Park, and is
a main receiving water body of flows from the central and northern Greater Everglades
Ecosystem, heavily influenced by changes in quality, quantity, timing and distribution of
freshwater flows into the southern end of the Everglades system; and
WHEREAS, the construction of water control structures and facilities within the
Everglades throughout the 20th century has altered the natural hydrologic patterns of water in the
region. Over time, this has a resulted in a greater than 50% reduction in flows through the
central Everglades and a dramatically altered distribution of flows into Taylor. The reduction
and redistribution of freshwater into Florida Bay has reduced the critically needed flow of
freshwater into Taylor Slough, a natural feature of the Everglades that flows southwest into
numerous tributaries that eventually empty into Florida Bay, harmed the health of the Bay and
other connected coastal regions; 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 both dependent on clean and adequate water flows; and
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WHEREAS,Florida Bay isvital to the multi-billion dollar fishing and ecotourism
industry of South Florida, including commercial and recreational fishing, snorkeling, diving,
boat and equipment rentals, hospitality and other related businesses. 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 $200million in
sales tax revenue for the State of Florida each year; and
WHEREAS,current ecological conditions in Florida Bay are approaching the conditions
of 1987-1990,when Florida Bay experienced an ecological collapse fromhypersaline conditions
that led to massive sea grass die off and devastating algal blooms that clouded the crystal waters
of the Florida Bay.Due to lack of freshwater flowand drought conditionsin 2015Florida Bay is
once again experiencing high salinity contributing to significant seagrass die-off zones currently
estimated at 50,000 acres, approaching the levels of 1987-1990 when approximately 67,000
acres of Florida Bay experienced some degree of seagrass die off die off;and
WHEREAS, while recent rainfall has helped the hypersaline conditions, it does not
ameliorate the recent seagrass die-off that has occurred or the harmful algal blooms that are
likely to result from that die off thisupcoming summer and fall ,furtherdamaging the
environment and economy requiring multi-year recovery. Asan early indicator, nesting for
Spoonbills and other species of birds has been poor this season due to adverse conditions in
Florida Bay; and
WHEREAS, thisdire situation in Florida Bayis a symptom of a larger need to restore
theEverglades ecosystem by constructing projects for conveyance, water quality treatment and
storage of water as outlined intheComprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP); and
WHEREAS, the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners urges all of the
responsible entities--the Federal government, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), the
State of Florida(State), and South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) --to expedite
the completion of CERP, including the authorization of and appropriations for all CERP projects,
as well as the completion of foundational projectsauthorized prior to CERP(“pre-CERP”); and
WHEREAS, the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners urges theexpedited
authorization, appropriation, and completion of the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP),
a subset of CERP projects that includesboth water quality treatment and conveyance projects
thatwillsignificantly improve restoration of the Evergladesby providingand conveying
freshwater flows from Lake Okeechobee to the central Everglades estimated at 210,000 acre-feet
per yearand restoring sheet flow to the Florida Bay; and
WHEREAS, the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners requeststhat the
Federal government, the Corps,the State, and SFWMDto prioritize and expedite the completion
of CERP and pre-CERPprojectsin the southern end of the systemthat are already planned and
authorized but have not yet been completedincluding Modified Water Deliveries, the C-111
South Dade Project including contracts 8 and 9, C-111 Spreader Canal Western project, along
with all operational actions that can be taken now to improve water flow to the Florida Bay; and
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WHEREAS, the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners supports expediting
the CERP planning project for additional EAA storage ( "EAA Storage & ASR/Decomp Phase
2 ") and combining this planning effort with the planning for the Lake Okeechobee Watershed
project; and
WHEREAS, the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners requests that the
Federal government, the State of Florida and SFWMD expedite the acquisition of all lands in the
EAA south of Lake Okeechobee, the Kissimmee, Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie River basins,
and system -wide, which are determined to be necessary for the implementation of CERP
projects; and
WHEREAS, to address the likelihood of additional water storage being necessary after
the completion CEPP, the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners asks that the State
consider the options recommended by the University of Florida Water Institute providing land
area for additional opportunities to store, convey and treat water south of Lake Okeechobee
including "1) purchase of private land in the Everglades Agricultural Area (including the current
U.S. Sugar land purchase option on land from other willing sellers) to use or trade for deep
and/or shallow storage and treatment opportunities, 2) develop a cost sharing program for on-
farm or sub - regional multi -farm shallow storage and treatment opportunities, and 3) use existing
state owned wildlife management areas" (compatible with the restoration goals of those areas);
and
WHEREAS, the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners urges that the Corps
and SFWMD aggressively study, identify and implement operational measures that will enhance
water flows into Florida Bay, such as the emergency operations in 2015 -2016, and supports the
SFWMD's current South Dade Investigation that is exploring the full range water management
options south of Tamiami Trail. Monroe County strongly urges that options be evaluated to
optimize restoration opportunities for Florida Bay and specifically to identify short-term
operational measures and conveyance to specifically deliver freshwater to the Florida Bay; and
WHEREAS, the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners strongly requests that
SFWMD expedite the development and implementation of a recovery strategy to address the
exceedances and violation of the Minimum Flow and Level (MFL) Rule for Florida Bay,
outline and report to Monroe County its measures to prevent future exceedances and violations,
and given the likelihood of another large algal bloom, outline contingency plans to protect
Florida Bay from a complete collapse of the system or threat to human health, and that the
SFWMD make compliance with the MFL Rule for Florida Bay a top priority; and
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Monroe County Board of County
Commissioners that:
1. The above recitals are hereby incorporated into this resolution as restated herein
constitute the legislative findings and intent of the Board of County Commissioners
of Monroe County, Florida.
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2. Monroe County strongly requests that South Florida Water Management District and
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers look for all opportunities to improve the quantity,
quality, timing and distribution of water flows into Florida Bay and immediately
implement an MFL recovery strategy; and
3. The South Florida Water Management District and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
expedite the on -going Everglades restoration projects such as: Modified Water
Deliveries, the C -111 South Dade Project, C -111 Spreader Canal Western project,
Tamiami Trail Next Steps, Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP), along with
all operational actions that can be taken now to improve water flow to the Florida
Bay; and
4. The South Florida Water Management District and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
expedite water storage planning south of Lake Okeechobee, such as the EAA Storage
& ASR/Decomp Phase 2 (Component G, GG of the Integrated Delivery Schedule for
CERP) in an effort to look for new water to add to the freshwater flow to Florida Bay;
and
5. The County's federal and state lobbying teams advocate for acquisition of all lands in
the EAA south of Lake Okeechobee, the Kissimmee, Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie
River basins, and system -wide, which are determined to be necessary for the
implementation of CERP and CEPP projects; and
6. The Clerk for this Board shall furnish copies of this resolution to:
• U.S. Senator Bill Nelson
• U.S. Senator Marco Rubio
• U.S. Representative Carlos Curbelo, District 26
• Florida Governor Rick Scott
• Florida Senate President Andy Gardiner
• Florida Senate President -elect Joe Negron
• Florida House Speaker Steve Crisafulli
• Florida House Speaker -elect Richard Corcoran
• State Senator Dwight Bullard, District 39
• State Senator Anitere Flores, District 37
• State Representative Holly Raschein, District 120
• U.S. Army Assistant Secretary for Civil Works Jo -Ellen Darcy
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District Commander Col. Jason Kirk
• U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell
• Chair, South Florida Water Management District Governing Board, Daniel
O'Keefe
• Executive Director, South Florida Water Management District Peter Antonacci
• Secretary, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Jon Steverson
7. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon adoption.
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PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County
Florida, at a regular meeting of said Board held on the 20
day of July, 2016.
Mayor Heather Carruthers
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Mayor pro tem George Neugent
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Commissioner Danny L. Kolhage
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Commissioner David Rice
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Commissioner Sylvia Murphy
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VILIN, CLERK
Clerk
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By:
ayorgeat)ler Carruthers
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