Item L10 Co �� � .�� , BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Mayor Craig Cates,District 1
The Florida Keys Mayor Pro Tem Holly Merrill Raschein,District 5
y Michelle Lincoln,District 2
James K.Scholl,District 3
David Rice,District 4
County Commission Meeting
FebPuary 15, 2023
Agenda Item Summary #11743
ADM) QN 1111['EM L,,,,,10
BULK ITEM: Yes DEPARTMENT: BOCC District 1
TIME APPROXIMATE: STAFF CONTACT: Amanda Leggett(305) 292-3430
no
AGENDA ITEM WORDING: Approval of resolution in support of Florida Fish and Wildlife and
its law enforcement officers, encouraging an increase in the number of FWC officers, and supporting
modernizing the requirement for photographic evidence by allowing for digital photography, as an
expanded enforcement tool for illegal fishing and harvesting, for the protection of Monroe County's
marine environment.
ITEM BACKGROUND: The Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission (FWC) is responsible for
protecting the environmental resources of a 2,900 square mile expanse of the Florida Keys'
nearshore waters, 240 miles of coastline, and one of the most diverse and active boating
environments in the State.
Not only is it a vast marine area to protect, but the special Keys environment a high level of
boating and fishing interests that result in a host of public safety and natural resource concerns
that require close monitoring and consistent enforcement.
The environmental and economic viability of the Florida Keys depends on the preservation of
our marine resources and the quality, tranquility and safety of our surrounding waters. The
provision and retention of FWC officers is vitally important to the ongoing protection of our
marine environment. This resolution encourages FWC to provide additional officer resources for
the Florida Keys.
Monroe supports additional tools that facilitate compliance and enforcement of protective
regulations. This resolution expresses support for the use of digital photography. Currently,
photographic evidence is required in investigations of illegally taken wildlife, freshwater fish and
saltwater fish law, but does not expressly include the use of digital photography. Expanding
photographic evidence to include digital photography gives law enforcement another tool.
Recommended statutory language is attached.
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION: n/a
CONTRACT/AGREEMENT CHANGES:
n/a
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
DOCUMENTATION:
FWC Resolution 2023
AIS for Leg Item FWC Support for more officers, use of digital photography
379.3381 -photograph evidence - language - 12.29.2022
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Effective Date:
Expiration Date:
Total Dollar Value of Contract:
Total Cost to County:
Current Year Portion:
Budgeted:
Source of Funds:
CPI:
Indirect Costs:
Estimated Ongoing Costs Not Included in above dollar amounts:
Revenue Producing: If yes, amount:
Grant:
County Match:
Insurance Required:
Additional Details:
none
REVIEWED BY:
Craig Cates Completed 02/06/2023 3:12 PM
Bob Shillinger Completed 02/06/2023 4:22 PM
Lindsey Ballard Completed 02/08/2023 8:30 AM
Board of County Commissioners Pending 02/15/2023 9:00 AM
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MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
MONROE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
RESOLUTION NO. -2023
A RESOLUTION BY THE MONROE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS IN SUPPORT OF THE FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE
CONSERVATION COMMISSION AND ITS LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICERS, ENCOURAGING AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF
OFFICERS, AND ALLOWING FOR THE MODERNIZATION OF
PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE OF ILLEGALLY TAKEN SPECIES BY
ALLOWING DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY TO AID IN ENFORCEMENT
EFFORTS IN MONROE COUNTY.
WHEREAS, Monroe County is home to the Everglades National Park, the Biscayne National
Park and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, each a national environmental treasure with
uniquely important and diverse natural resources; and
WHEREAS, Monroe County is also home to several refuges throughout the Florida Keys,
including but not limited to Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge,Great White Heron National
Wildlife Refuge, the National Key Deer Refuge, Key West National Wildlife Refuge and Dry
Tortugas National Park; and
WHEREAS, the Federal and state governments have authorized and appropriated significant
public investment in the restoration and preservation of Monroe County's ecosystem; and
WHEREAS, Monroe County continues to invest in and to work in partnership with state and
federal agencies to protect the health of its unique marine environment; and
WHEREAS, the sustained health and safety of Monroe's marine refuges and nearshore waters
are vital to the tourist-based Florida Keys economy; and
WHEREAS, Monroe County's marine environment provides an unparalleled boating,
attracting high numbers of recreational boaters, charter boats, commercial fishing vessels,
liveaboard vessels, transient boaters, dive boats, personal watercraft, and kayaks, all contributing
to the need for increasingly robust protective resources; and
WHEREAS, the highly active boating environment leads to a number of hazardous and
environmentally damaging impacts including:
1) Vessel groundings: more than 300 vessel groundings are reported in the Florida Keys
National Marine Sanctuary every year, with 80% of these impacting the fragile seagrass
habitat and damaging corals; and
2) Boating accidents: Monroe has the highest number of boating accidents in the State every
year; and
3) Derelict vessels: Monroe has the highest number of derelict vessels Statewide each year,
and is currently on track for the removal of 60 derelict vessels this year; and
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WHEREAS, our marine environment is a highly popular and productive fishing destination,
necessitating an important array of protective marine regulations related to the fishing, harvesting,
possession, and sale of a broad array of species from spiny lobster to coral; and
WHEREAS, Monroe County supports the committed and coordinated efforts of FWC, the
Monroe County Sheriff and the State Attorney for the 16th Judicial Circuit in their efforts to ensure
compliance with and enforcement of these important protective marine regulations and to pursue
violations; and
WHEREAS,to assist these enforcement efforts, Monroe County supports allowing for the use
of digital photography as an additional enforcement tool, enabling it to be used as the photographic
evidence that is required in investigations of illegally taken wildlife, freshwater fish or saltwater
fish, Monroe County; and
WHEREAS, FWC has the awesome responsibility for protecting the environmental resources
of a 2,900 square mile expanse of the Florida Keys' nearshore waters, 240 miles of coastline, and
one of the most diverse and active boating environments in the State; and
WHEREAS, the provision and retention of FWC officers is vitally important to the ongoing
protection of Monroe County's marine environment and its protected resource, and the safety of
Monroe's boating public; and
WHEREAS, without exception FWC provides excellent and highly professional law
enforcement service to Monroe County; and
WHEREAS, Monroe County has the highest cost of living in the State of Florida a well-
documented lack of affordable/workforce housing providing a significant affordability challenge
for local FWC officers; and
WHEREAS, the continued environmental and economic viability of Florida Keys depends on
the preservation of those environmental resources and on the continued protection of the quality,
tranquility, and safety of our surrounding waters; and
WHEREAS, the Florida Keys' unique marine environment is a highly valuable economic
engine in the State of Florida, generating over $225M in sales tax each year, and worthy of
increased State investment for its protection; and
WHEREAS, in consideration of the level of service needed for public safety and protection
of environmental assets within the Florida Key, Monroe County encourages the Florida Fish and
Wildlife Commission to direct increased resources for the protection of Monroe's marine
environment, and to implement strategies to aid in the recruitment and retention of its officers such
as sufficient pay consideration and/or housing allowance to account for the local high cost of
living, especially.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA:
Section 1. The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners expresses its strong support
for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission and its law enforcement officers, and encourages
the State of Florida and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission to consider directing additional
law enforcement resources to Monroe County; and
Section 2. The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners strongly supports the
enforcement of marine regulations that protect and conserve wildlife and marine species, and tools
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to aid in those enforcement efforts, including the use of digital photography as evidence in
investigations; and
Section 3. The Clerk is hereby authorized and directed to transmit certified copies of this
Resolution to Governor DeSantis, Senator Ana Marie Rodrigues, Representative Jim Mooney,
Interim FWC Executive Director Tom Eason, and FWC Commissioners Robert Spottswood,
Rodney Barreto, Steven Hudson, Gary Lester, Gary Nicklaus, Sonya Rood and Albert Maury.
Section 3. This resolution shall become effective upon adoption.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, Florida,
at a regular meeting held on the 15th day of February, 2023.
Mayor Craig Cates
Mayor Pro Teen Holly Merrill Raschein
Commissioner Michelle Lincoln
Commissioner Jim Scholl
Commissioner David Rice
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
BY
Mayor Craig Cates
(SEAL)
ATTEST: KEVIN MADOK, CLERK
AS DEPUTY CLERK
Approved as to form and legal sufficiency:
Robert B. Shillinger, Monroe County Attorney
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