Seagrasses and

Mangroves

Kevin Claridge

Director, DEP Florida Coastal Office

July 21, 2016

Presentation Overview

• DEP Florida Coastal Office Programs

• Statutes and Rules

• Management Plans

• Assessing and Studying Resource Changes

• Questions and Discussion

7/6/2016 2

Managed Areas and Offices

Office Locations:

1. Tallahassee2. Pensacola/Milton3. St. Joe4. East Point - Apalachicola NERR5. Crystal River6. Dunnellon7. Terra Ceia8. Ft. Myers9. Ft. Myers Beach10. Naples - Rookery Bay NERR11. Key West12. Key Largo13. Miami14. West Palm Beach15. Ft. Pierce16. Sebastian17. Sanford18. Marineland - Guana Tolomato Matanzas

NERR19. Ponte Vedra Beach - Guana Tolomato

Matanzas NERR

More than 4 Million Acres of Submerged Lands and Coastal Uplands

Florida Aquatic Preserves

• Chapter 258, Part II, Florida Statutes, Chapter’s 18-18, 18-20, and 18-23, Florida

Administrative Code

• Intent: “state-owned submerged lands in areas which have exceptional

biological, aesthetic, and scientific value. . . be set aside forever as aquatic

preserves . . . for the benefit of future generations.”

• 41 Aquatic Preserves = 2,219,139 acres managed on behalf of the BOT

• Managed and funded jointly by NOAA and Florida

• Restoration, management, education activities – e.g. regulatory assistance,

living shorelines, resource mapping, innovative techniques, etc.

• No further sale, lease, or transfer of sovereignty submerged lands shall be approved or consummated by the trustees except when such sale, lease, or transfer is in the public interest.

• …aquaculture is in the public interest and aquaculture leases may be authorized in aquatic preserves…

• No further dredging or filling of submerged lands shall be approved by the trustees except:

• Public navigation projects; creation and maintenance of marinas, piers, and docks and their navigation channels; public utility installation or expansion, …

• There shall be no drilling of gas or oil wells

• Structures may not be erected within the preserve, except:

• Criteria for private residential docks, private residential multislip docks, commercial docking facilities; structures for shore protection

• No wastes or effluents shall be discharged into the preserve

7/6/2016 5

Florida Aquatic Preserves

National Estuarine Research Reserves

• Florida has 3 of 28 NERRs

• Guana Tolomato Matanzas

(GTM)

• Rookery Bay

• Apalachicola

• Managed and funded jointly by the

NOAA and Florida

• Sovereign submerged lands and

coastal uplands

• Long-term research, water-quality

monitoring, education and coastal

stewardship

• Collaboration with Florida's National

Estuary Programs

http://nerrs.noaa.gov/

Education Centers

Coral Reef Conservation Program

• Manages the northern Florida reef tract from

Martin to Miami-Dade County (240,000 acres)

• Managed and funded jointly by NOAA and Florida

• Assists with vessel groundings/impacts under the

Coral Reef Protection Act, 403.93345 F.S.

• Southeast Florida Coral Reef Initiative - over 70

partners from local, state, and federal agencies,

NGOs, universities, private industry, and

stakeholder groups, etc.

• Our Florida Reefs - management options process

• Four priority focus areas: 1. Appreciation and Awareness

2. Fishing, Diving, and Other Uses

3. Land-based Sources of Pollution

4. Maritime Industry and Coastal

Construction Impacts

Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

• 1 of 14 in the nation

• Encompasses 2.3 million acres

(65% is State submerged lands)

• Including management of 2

Aquatic Preserves

• Managed jointly by NOAA &

DEP/FWC under BOT MOA

• Funded entirely by NOAA

• FKNMS & Protection Act -1990

• Research and monitoring

• Enforcement and zoning

• habitat protection, reducing threats to water quality, and minimizing human impact to delicate resources

• http://floridakeys.noaa.gov/

• Focuses on submerged lands seaward of state water boundaries

o 3 miles off Atlantic Coast

o 3 leagues (10.36 miles) off Gulf Coast

• Coordinates the state’s review, oversight, monitoring and response to Outer Continental Shelf activities

• Examples of offshore projects:

• Oil and Gas – Leasing, Exploration, Development and Production

• Geological and Geophysical Research

• Alternative Energy

• Pipeline Right-of-Way Permitting

• Sand and Gravel Use

• Artificial Reefs

• Military Operations

Offshore Program

Management Plans

• 18-20.013 Florida Administrative Code

• Development of Resource Inventories and Management Plans for Preserves• (1) The Board authorizes and directs the Division to develop a resource inventory and management plan for

each preserve.

• (2) The Division may perform the work to develop the inventories and plans, or may enter into agreements with other persons to perform the work. In either case, all work performed shall be subject to Board approval.

• Historical, Cultural, Ecological documentation

• Action Items for next 5 years

• Single or Multiple Managed Areas in one Management Plan

• Advisory Committee and Public Comments

• http://www.dep.state.fl.us/mainpage/programs/cama.htm

7/6/2016 11

Northeast District and GTM NERR Mangrove Workshops

• Mangrove Identification

• Ecological Importance of Mangroves

• Regulatory Framework

• Compliance

• Permits

• Proper Trimming and Alteration Demonstration

7/6/2016 12

5 workshops held with attendance from• Homeowners/HOAs• Permitting/Compliance Staff• Land Managers• Arborists and Landscapers• Developers/Real Estate/Marine

Contractors

7/6/2016 13

Salt Marsh – Mangrove Ecotone

http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/mmm4

FWC-FWRI Statewide Database

• Seagrass Mitigation Restoration Project Database

• Florida Coastal Management Program Grant

• State, Federal, Keys Sanctuary, County Permits

• 1990 – Present

• Includes location, mitigation type, monitoring, etc.

• Leading to Analysis of Mitigation Strategies

• Report is being finalized this summer

• Dr. Margaret Hall (Penny)

7/6/2016 14

Resource Assessments

• NOAA - CZMA funding for next 5 years

• Assessment of Existing Data

• Selection of key parameters

• Stakeholder engagement

• Database for decision-making

• Oyster, Coral, Seagrass Mapping and Restoration

7/6/2016 15

Florida Coastal Office

Questions?

Kevin Claridge Becky Prado

Director Assistant Director

kevin.claridge@dep.state.fl.us Rebecca.prado@dep.state.fl.us

850-245-2094

www.floridacoasts.org