Sanctuary Advisory Council Meeting Topics Include Submerged Sovereign Lands Regulations and Everglades Management Plan Updates

April 07, 2009

Media Contact:

Karrie Carnes
305-809-4700 x236

 

Links:

Sanctuary Advisory Council

The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council (SAC) will meet April 21, 2009, at the Marathon Garden Club, 5270 Overseas Highway, Marathon beginning at 9:00 a.m.

Members of the public are encouraged to attend; there will be opportunities for public comment at 10:15 a.m. and 2:35 p.m. The meeting will feature reports from SAC Working Groups, as well as presentations by the scientific community.

At 10:40 a.m., Kent Edwards of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS), and Gus Rios of DEP will present upon regulations related to State of Florida Submerged Sovereign Lands.

Dan Kimball and Fred Herling of the National Park Service will provide an update of Everglades National Park General Management Plan and revised preliminary alternatives at 1 p.m.

A voluntary recognition program for dive and snorkel operators in the Keys will be the topic of a 2:15 p.m. presentation by Karrie Carnes of FKNMS, followed by a 3:30 p.m. talk by Debra Illes of the History of Diving Museum.

The SAC was established to provide the sanctuary, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the State of Florida advice on implementation of the sanctuary’s final management plan. SAC members also serve as liaisons to the community regarding sanctuary issues. SAC members relay the community’s interests, concerns, and management needs to the sanctuary.

The sanctuary was established in 1990 in recognition of the special resources found in and around the waters of the Florida Keys. NOAA and the State of Florida jointly developed a comprehensive plan to protect and manage sanctuary resources. For more information, visit the Sanctuary’s web site at http://floridakeys.noaa.gov. A current list of SAC members may be found at http://floridakeys.noaa.gov/sac/members.html.