Item M3 M3
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
COUNTY of MONROE �� i Mayor Holly Merrill Raschein,District 5
The Florida Keys Mayor Pro Tern James K.Scholl,District 3
Craig Cates,District 1
Michelle Lincoln,District 2
' David Rice,District 4
Board of County Commissioners Meeting
January 31, 2024
Agenda Item Number: M3
2023-2020
BULK ITEM: No DEPARTMENT: District 5
TIME APPROXIMATE: STAFF CONTACT: Lisa Tennyson
N/A
AGENDA ITEM WORDING: MAYOR RASCHEIN: Approval of a resolution expressing support
for the implementation of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Restoration Blueprint to protect
and conserve the unique and valuable resources of our marine ecosystem.
ITEM BACKGROUND:
Restoration Blueprint is a plan to designed to strengthen the resilience of the waters of the National
Marine Sanctuary to withstand the many challenges to the marine ecosystem's fragile natural resources,
like hurricanes, warming temperatures, diseases, vessel groundings, discharges and pollution, human
interactions, etc.
NOAA initiated this process under authority of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, which requires
periodic review and update of National Marine Sanctuary management plans and regulations. This is
the first comprehensive review of Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary's regulations and marine
zoning approach since they were established in 1997.
The plan includes a revised management plan, updated regulations, expanded and new protected areas,
and new management actions to reduce impacts of local- and regional-scale stressors and increase the
resilience of the ecosystem.
The plan has gone through extensive community consultation, and the FKNMS Advisory Committee
(SAC) led much of the local community working group process. Local in person public comment
meetings on the proposed plan were held throughout the Keys.
Having completed the rule-making process with formal public comment last fall, the Blueprint Plan
awaits implementation.
A similar resolution was discussed and approved by the FKNMS Advisory Committee on December 12,
2023, and that is also attached.
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PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION:
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION:
Resolution 203-2022 urging FKNMS to engage stakeholders in the Blueprint development process
INSURANCE REQUIRED:
No
CONTRACT/AGREEMENT CHANGES:
N/A
STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Approval
DOCUMENTATION:
Fl,'-NMS Blueprint Resolution Resolution.docx
Fl,'-NMS Resolution Addresses.docx
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
N/A
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RESOLUTION NO. -2024
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF
MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FLORIDA KEYS NATIONAL MARINE
SANCTUARY RESTORATION BLUEPRINT TO PROTECT AND
CONSERVE THE UNIQUE AND VALUABLE RESOURCES OF OUR
MARINE ECOSYSTEM.
WHEREAS, on November 16, 1990, Congress designated the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
(FKNMS); and
WHEREAS,the Sanctuary is jointly managed by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection(FDEP),
and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission(FWC),in partnership with Monroe County, and
other governmental agencies; and
WHEREAS, the FKNMS is a national treasure and protects 2,900 square nautical miles of unique and
nationally significant marine resources,including most of one of the world's largest barrier reef ecosystems, 1.4
million acres of seagrass beds, 1,800 miles of mangrove-fringed shoreline, and more than 6,000 species of
marine life,including sea turtles, manatees, and dolphins; and
WHEREAS,the FKNMS is part of a complex hydrological system that is influenced by waters from the
upstream Greater Everglades ecosystem, spanning from Lake Okeechobee and its headwaters, to the Everglades
Agricultural Area,Water Conservation Areas, Everglades National Park, Florida Bay, Biscayne Bay, Biscayne
National Park, and mainland South Florida; and
WHEREAS, the FKNMS is an important economic driver and contributes $4.4 billion annually to the state's
economy,with approximately 60% of the Florida Keys economy directly tied to marine-related activities; and
WHEREAS, the FKNMS resources,including coral reefs, seagrass beds, and some fish populations,have been
on the decline for decades due to impacts from increased use, marine debris,pollution, lack of freshwater
delivery to Florida Bay,intensifying storms, disease outbreaks, accelerated coral bleaching from rising ocean
temperatures, and ocean acidification; and
WHEREAS,FKNMS resources experienced a major marine heat wave in the summer of 2023 which catalyzed
a significant coral bleaching and mortality event for corals and other benthic species—of which the full extent
of impacts is currently being analyzed; and
WHEREAS,NOAA and FDEP's current management of the FKNMS is based on its 1997 final environmental
impact statement(EIS) and a 2007 revised management plan which implemented sanctuary-wide regulations
and established the nation's first comprehensive network of marine zones following years of planning, design,
and public input; and
WHEREAS, the "Condition Report 2011 for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary,"(2011 Condition
Report) the most recent document of its kind, classified Sanctuary water quality as "fair"or"fair/poor and not
improving,biologically structured habitats (e.g., coral reefs and seagrass beds) as"fair/poor" and declining,
biodiversity as "fair/poor" and declining, and key species (e.g., corals) as "poor" and not improving, and this
was before the onset of the devastating Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease in 2014 and 2023's heat wave
impacts; and
WHEREAS, the 2011 Condition Report supported the need for additional management actions that address the
degraded conditions of some key habitats and living resources in the FKNMS; and
WHEREAS, due to the 2011 Condition Report and its obligation to adaptively manage its resources, FKNMS
released the "Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary: A Restoration Blueprint" (Restoration Blueprint)in
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2019 to gather public input on management and regulatory options that could help counteract the decline in
resource conditions,reduce threats, and,where appropriate,restore coral reefs, seagrasses, and utilize artificial
reefing to augment other important habitats; and
WHEREAS, the FKNMS released the updated Restoration Blueprint, also known as the Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking, the "proposed rule"or the "draft rule,"on July 12, 2022,with proposed actions to protect critical
natural areas,improve zoning and marine management, and build ecological resiliency in conjunction with
ongoing restoration efforts as well as sustainable uses; and
WHEREAS, the Monroe County Commission recognizes the biological,recreational, and commercial
importance of the marine resources of the FKNMS, and that protecting FKNMS resources is valuable not only
for the environment but also for the economy; and
WHEREAS, the Monroe County Commission recognizes that the special marine resources of the region,which
led to the area's designation as a National Marine Sanctuary, contribute to the high quality of life for residents
and high quality visitor experiences, and that without these unique marine resources,both quality of life and the
economy of the Keys would decline; and
WHEREAS,the Monroe County Commission recognizes that coral bleaching and coral disease impacts in the
FKNMS are being exacerbated by more severe marine heat waves and rising ocean temperatures; and
WHEREAS,the management and regulatory changes in the Restoration Blueprint will help FKNMS resources
be more resilient during and after future marine heat waves and coral bleaching events; and
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County,
Florida, as follows:
Section 1. The Board supports the rule and management plan as proposed by the FKNMS,including expanding
sanctuary boundaries, strengthening protections for corals and other sensitive habitats, and addressing ongoing
stressors to make the ecosystem more resilient.
Section 2. The Board urges NOAA, FDEP, and FWC prioritize the Restoration Blueprint and allocate the
necessary funding and resources to review,publish and finalize the rule and management plan expediently.
Section 3. The Board directs the Clerk of the Board to transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the
Governor, the Secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Executive Director of
the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission.
Section 4. This resolution shall be effective upon adoption.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, Florida at a regular
meeting of said board on the 31 st day of January,2024.
Mayor Holly Merrill Raschein
Mayor Pro Teen James K. Scholl
Commissioner Craig Cates
Commissioner Michelle Lincoln
Commissioner David Rice
(SEAL) BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Attest: Kevin Madok, Clerk OF MONROE COUNTY,FLORIDA
By By
As Deputy Clerk Mayor Holly Merrill Raschein
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FKNMS Blueprint Resolu?on Sec?on 3 Addresses
Office of Governor Ron DeSan?s
State of Florida
The Capitol 400 S. Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001
Secretary Hamilton
Florida Department of Environmental Protec?on
3900 Commonwealth Blvd. M.S. 49
Tallahassee, FL 32399
Execu?ve Director Roger Young
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conserva?on Commission
620 South Meridian St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1600
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