Okaloosa County BOCC — August 2, 2016 — LAARS Permit Renewal — agenda request

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AGENDA REQUEST DATE: August 2, 2016 TO: Honorable Chairman and Members of the Board FROM: Ed Schroeder SUBJECT: LAARS Permit Renewal DEPARTMENT: Tourist Development Department BCC DISTRICT: 2,4,5 STATEMENT OF ISSUE: Request approval to renew the LAARS (Large Area Artificial Reef Sites) Permit. BACKGROUND: Okaloosa County has received the LAARS (Large Area Artificial Reef Sites) permit renewal from the Army Corps of Engineers. It is valid through March 10, 2026. The pre- deployment waiting period has increased from 5 to 14 days. Private reef deployers must use a fathometer, fish finder, side-scan sonar, submersible video camera, or diver to assess bottom conditions before deployment. There must be a deployment buffer of at least 200 feet from any sea grasses, coral reefs, live bottom, archeological/cultural resources, sponges, sea fans, soft corals, etc. (however rare they may be). Private reef deployers must be prepared to send not only longitude and latitude, but also depths and approximate deployment configurations of reefs, assessed using a fathometer, depth sounder, or similar device. The County will conduct a fathometer scan once per year of a minimum of 10% of the artificial reef deployments made during the previous year. Monitoring verifies both location and condition of reefs. The report will be submitted to the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE). For example, if 20 private reef deployments are done in 2016, the County will be responsible for monitoring at least 2 of them in 2017. OPTIONS: Approve or Deny. RECOMMENDATION: Approve the LAARS (Large Area Artificial Reef Sites) Permit renewal, and authorize the Chairman to sign. RECOMMENDED BY: APPROVED BY: John Hofstad, County Administrator