Okaloosa County BOCC — March 18, 2014 — reading text

fish havens, the interstitial spacing between reef patches will be range between 350 and 450 ft. The outer perimeter of the rubble-mound base will primarily comprise massive concrete material that will contain large and small concrete rubble pieces built into a conical shape to an approximate height of 15 – 20 feet, not to exceed the maximum height allowed by the permit. This simple design configuration will provide opportunity for recreational fishing and diving as well as provide shelter for targeted marine life. The materials in the proposed concrete rubble reef offer outstanding environmental complexity. The stacking and locking of the large concrete materials creates varying sizes of interstitial spaces, or void space, and provides a variety of species shelter from currents and predators. The variety of surface areas created by the random placement of varying shape concrete material will achieve a desirable simulation of natural habitat characteristics. Attachment 11 includes additional details of the reef design and material placement. The attachment highlights the habitat complexity and aims to achieve the ecological diversity of regional natural hardbottom through incorporation of experience and research. Stability and Durability Attachment 12 demonstrates the stability and durability of the proposed clean concrete construction materials. Historical evidence and research presented in the attachment provides confirmation that the proposed materials are sufficiently massive to remain in place and are structurally capable of performing as an artificial reef well beyond the required 20-year life. As proven with the 30+ year-old Destin Bridge Rubble site, the proposed construction will provide long-term ecological and economic benefit to the region. Okaloosa County FWC Construction Grant Supplemental Information Packet Pg. 636  7 of 11 Project Planning and Management (Attachments 13 –18) Project Timeline and Construction Schedule Attachment 13 outlines the projected project timeline and construction schedule of the proposed construction activities. The County expects project completion and submittal of close out documentation within approximately 24 weeks of receiving the executed grant contract from FWC. Administrative and Field Management Okaloosa County personnel from the Purchasing Department, Finance Department, County Extension Office, Information Services, and Public Works work together to ensure the project meets all grant requirements. Expertise beyond or complimentary to County resources can be accessed through an array of contracts with private consulting firms. Attachment 14 contains a more detailed discussion of Administrative and Field Management resources. Okaloosa County currently has sufficient staff to execute the terms of the grant and is currently adding an additional staff member to spearhead artificial reef construction and monitoring efforts. Artificial Reef Monitoring and Assessment Plan In 1999, the Okaloosa County Artificial Reef Committee prepared an Artificial Reef Plan (Attachment 15), which serves as a living document that is continually updated. Appendix II of the Artificial Reef Plan shows the previous iteration of the Artificial Reef Monitoring Plan, and it differs slightly from the monitoring plan shown in Attachment 15. The Plan established a prioritized set of monitoring actions based on the ability of the Committee to generate resources to adequately monitor and assess all of the publicly funded reefs. Our records indicate public reefs were first deployed in June 1988 and there are currently hundreds of sites that are qualified for the monitoring program. The Okaloosa County Artificial Reef Monitoring Plan ranks several "Levels" of artificial reef monitoring in terms of importance and feasibility. While the long-term goal of the Artificial Reef Program and Monitoring Plan may be to perform all levels of monitoring, fiscal and operational constraints may restrict monitoring activities to those deemed necessary or important. The County intends to maximize the use of volunteers to monitor its artificial reefs. The County will also proactively involve motivated local businesses and organizations in data collection regarding the physical condition, human use, and biological monitoring. Five Year Local Artificial Reef Management Plan Attachment 16 contains the Okaloosa County Artificial Reef Plan, which the OCARP updated in 2011. The County is currently updating the plan to address the comprehensive activities of the program through 2019. Within the past two years, Okaloosa County has significantly increased the budget allocated to artificial reef planning and construction. OCARP has continually identified the importance of artificial reef management and is currently adding an additional staff member to spearhead new artificial reef efforts. Okaloosa County FWC Construction Grant Supplemental Information Packet Pg. 637  8 of 11 In addition to planning the Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, and Echo sites, OCARP has been proactive in the expansion of artificial reef deployment areas. In January 2014, the County received FDEP permits for Fish Havens 17, 18, and 19. The future Fish Havens 17 – 19 are ¼ nautical mile square deployment areas available for multi-reef construction efforts that will increase the presently low reef site density in the western portion of the County. Marine Advisory Board The Okaloosa County Marine Advisory Board (MAB) is in a state of transition. The current MAB is being reconfigured to include other organizations involved with marine-related functions other than artificial reefs. This transition, facilitated by the Okaloosa County Extension Office Sea Grant representative, will be called the Okaloosa/Walton Marine Science Extension Advisory Committee. Attachment 17 presents a current roster of membership. Permits As noted previously, the two tables below indicate the status of permits for the five deployment locations. All four sites located in reef deployment areas within State waters have been permitted by the FDEP and are projected for approval by the USACE in early 2014. FDEP Reef Area FDEP Permit Number Expires Fish Haven 13 46-0309090-002-EG 3/8/2017 Fish Haven 14 46-0309090-003-EG 3/8/2017 Fish Haven 15 46-0315101-001-EG 1/25/2018 Fish Haven 16 46-0315102-001-EG 1/25/2018 LAARS A * NA NA *Located in Federal Waters NA – Not Applicable USACE Reef Area USACE Project Number USACE Permit Number Expires Fish Haven 13 SAJ-2011-03485 SAJ-2011-03485(SP-SWA) 3/10/2024 Fish Haven 14 SAJ-2013-02668 SAJ-2013-02668(SP-SWA) 3/10/2024 Fish Haven 15 SAJ-2012-03221 SAJ-2012-03221(SP-SWA) 3/10/2024 Fish Haven 16 SAJ-2012-03222 SAJ-2012-03222(SP-SWA) 3/10/2024 LAARS A * NA 199603565(IP-DH) March 31, 2013** ** Extended in 6-Month Increments until Reauthorization Approval is Granted. NA – Not Applicable Attachment 18 contains USACE permit 199603565(IP-DH), under which the County will deploy any material in Federal Waters (LAARS Site A) within the funding constraints or material that could not be placed within the Fish Haven reef sites in State waters. Attachment 18 also contains FDEP permits for Fish Havens 13 – 16, which contain reef sites Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and Delta. Okaloosa County FWC Construction Grant Supplemental Information Packet Pg. 638  9 of 11 Local Demand and Public Access (Attachments 19 – 20) Public Support Attachment 19 includes emails and letters of public support from municipalities, businesses, and individuals for the continued construction and monitoring of the artificial reef program in Okaloosa County. All of these documents of support have been collected in the recent past. Public support of the program is not limited to the past six months but is a perpetual support of OCARP goals and activities such as reef construction/maintenance in general. Presence of a Navigable Inlet Attachment 20 contains figures depicting the relative location of the proposed reef sites to the nearest navigable inlet access point — East Pass, Destin, FL. The County assumes that the successful contractor candidate will use this inlet for transport of all materials proposed for deployment for this effort. East Pass provides ample access to the proposed reef sites. Material Transport and Ownership (Attachments 21 – 23) Material Logistics Attachment 21 includes the logistics plan for the materials proposed for deployment in this effort. Two primary transport operations will occur — terrestrial transport from the material location to the staging area and marine transport from the staging area to the proposed reef sites. Whether the materials are staged or loaded directly onto the marine transport will be at the discretion of the successful contractor candidate. Availability of Materials The USAF has donated the primary material designated for this effort. The USAF decided to repurpose the material over two years ago but has not been able to move forward with use due to lack of funds. A USAF material inventory in February 2014 indicates a steadily growing stockpile of clean concrete suitable for artificial reef construction. The Fort Walton Beach material was also obligated for this effort over two years ago and is currently staged at a County facility. Attachment 22 includes the inventory of both the USAF and FWB material. OCARP has consulted with the USAF for its continued support and the USAF both supports this effort and will work closely with OCARP in the management of this effort. Proof of Ownership Attachment 23 provides written confirmation that the material has been committed to this effort from the USAF by the USAF Research Laboratory senior staff responsible for the construction and use of the targets as well as the ultimate disposition after its intended use. Project Practicality (Attachments 24 – 26) Estimate of Handling and Transportation Cost Attachment 24 — Due to insufficient availability of applicable estimates of cost for transport for materials such as those being donated from the USAF Research Lab, OCARP will rely on the result of responses to a Request for Proposals (RFP) to determine the cost of handling and transportation. Okaloosa County FWC Construction Grant Supplemental Information Packet Pg. 639