Okaloosa County BOCC — November 4, 2014 — Action Item Printout

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AGENDA REQUEST DATE: November 4, 2014 TO: Honorable Chairman and Members of the Board FROM: Rick Owen SUBJECT: Letter of Support - Northwest Florida Estuaries Restoration Program Proposal DEPARTMENT: County Administrator BCC DISTRICT: ALL STATEMENT OF ISSUE: Staff requests the Board approve and authorize the Chairman to sign the letter of support for the Northwest Florida Estuaries Restoration Program Proposal and transmit the letter to Governor Rick Scott. BACKGROUND: The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (GCERC) has asked for water quality and habitat restoration projects to be funded from Pot 2 of the RESTORE Act. Pot 2 funding is controlled by the Council. The GCERC has asked each of the 5 Gulf of Mexico coastal States to submit 5 project ideas to the Council for funding consideration. After consultation among the 8 "disproportionately affected counties" (Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Franklin, Gulf, and Wakulla Counties) staff suggests that a regional application would have the highest chance of success and the most positive environmental benefits for the region. Both the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and the Council itself have indicated a preference for these types of large area or regional projects. The following are the goals (taken from the application) of this approach: 1. Develop a watershed-based plan founded on a unified, holistic vision for a healthy watershed and that identifies the most pressing environmental issues affecting the watershed and solutions that address the issues, regardless of political jurisdiction and funding source. 2. Develop a list of projects in each watershed that specifically addresses solutions to the identified issues and the root causes of the issues. The project list can be used to pursue project funding for RESTORE Act and non-RESTORE Act related funding programs (e.g., grants and Public Private Partnerships) by clearly documenting the need for the projects in the context of how they will address solutions to the identified watershed issues. 3. Provide a screening tool for the communities, FDEP, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund (NFWF GEBF) and the GCERC to use as they evaluate project priorities for potential funding.  4. Focus stakeholder efforts in each of the watersheds and across the regions to increase long-term coordination and maximize effectiveness of funding and efforts. If the Northwest Florida Estuaries Restoration Program Proposal is approved by the State of Florida as one of the 5 allowed applications, it will be forwarded to the GCERC for consideration. OPTIONS: Approve/Disapprove letter of support. RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff recommends the Board approve the letter of support for the Northwest Florida Estuaries Restoration Program Proposal and authorize the Chairman to sign and transmit the letter to Governor Rick Scott. RECOMMENDED BY: APPROVED BY: John Hofstad, Interim County Administrator