Item F
Dixie M. Spehar
Mayor, District One
500 Whitehead Street, Suite 102
Key West, FL 33040
305-292-3440 (Telephone)
305-292-3466 (Fax)
boccdisl @monroecounty-fl.gov
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BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Mayor Dixie M. Spehar, District 1
Mayor Pro Tem Charles "Sonny" McCoy, District 3
George Neugent, District 2
David P. Rice, District 4
Murray E. Nelson, District 5
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OctoberA"?, 2005
Mr. Sam D. Hamilton
Regional Director, Southeast Region
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
1875 Century Boulevard Northeast, Suite 400
Atlanta, GA 30345
RE: Habitat Conservation Plan for Big Pine Key
and No Name Key, Monroe County, Florida
Dear Mr. Hamilton:
On behalf of the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, I am asking once again for your
assistance regarding the Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) and Environmental Assessment for Big Pine Key
and No Name Key. The County staff has been told by u.s. Fish and Wildlife Service that the final document
is in the hands of the solicitors and should be ready for approval any day now.
As the County has been told this on numerous occasions and this is the third time the solicitors have had the
document, the Board is very concerned that further delays will occur before its approval. Every day without an
approved HCP is creating additional personal hardships and financial burdens for many property owners on
Big Pine Key and No Name Key.
The situation for property owners on Big Pine Key and No Name Key has been made even more difficult by
the recent Court ordered injunction on the issuance of federal flood insurance policies for new residential and
commercial development on environmentally sensitive lands in the Florida Keys. The County believes that an
approved HCP may enable this injunction to be totally lifted for Big Pine Key and No Name Key.
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The County Commission wants to thank you in advance for your assistance on expediting the approval of the
HCP by your agency. Should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact Mr. Timothy J.
McGarry, Growth Management Director at (305)289-2517 or me.
Sincerely,
D~2 ~/~
Mayor, Monroe County
cc: Honorable Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, u.S. House of Representatives
Board of County Commissioners
Mr. Torn Grahl, u.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Mr. Danny L. Kolhage, County Clerk
Mr. Thomas J. Willi, County Administrator
Mr. John R. Collins, County Attorney
Mr. Timothy J. McGarry, Growth Management Director
Ms. K. Marlene Conaway, Planning and Environmental Resources Director
Ms. Cathy Owens, FDOT
Ms. Rebecca Jetton, FDCA