Permit Procedures and Adaptive Management

Changing environmental conditions and new activities occurring in the sanctuary that were not anticipated when the original Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary management plan was written in 1997 led the Sanctuary Advisory Council to review proposed changes to regulations and permit procedures. Proposed changes are based on lessons learned from fifteen years of implementation and in response to public scoping comments. The goal is to clarify and streamline regulations, ensure consistency with other sanctuaries and authorities (e.g., state of Florida), and address new issues and activities that are occurring within the sanctuary. In addition, certain resource management issues including climate change, resilience, weather, disease, invasive species, or specific impacts from human activity may require rapid management response. Implementing an adaptive management framework is intended to allow more rapid and flexible response to threats impacting sanctuary resources.

The advisory council discussed options for updating regulations and permit procedures and ways to implement adaptive management at the February 19 and August 20, 2013 meetings, and passed a motion on permit procedures and adaptive management at the October 21, 2014 meeting.

Workplan Objectives

  1. Identify potential resource threats needing rapid management responses not available in the existing regulatory framework.
  2. Develop, modify, or insert regulatory language to better respond to management challenges or resource protection issues.
  3. Develop research and monitoring component to feed adaptive management measures.
  4. Allow greater flexibility in modifying zones to address changing resource management needs (e.g. standards for sunset).
  5. Analyze incorporating existing management areas identified in the FKNMS Management Plan (i.e. Key Largo and Looe Key Existing Management Areas) into FKNMS zoning plan.

For advisory council meeting archives visit: Current Year or Previous Year Archives.

Presentations on Permit Procedures and Adaptive Management

February 19, 2013 Presentation: Permit Procedures & Adaptive Management (652 kb)

August 20, 2013 Presentation: Permit Procedures & Adaptive Management -- Update (2,131 kb)

October 21, 2014 Presentation: SAC 2012 Work-Plan Items: Actions for Review and Recommendation (210 kb)

October 21, 2014 Pre-Meeting Packet: Sanctuary Advisory Council Regulatory and Zoning Alternatives Development Work-Plan Actions for Review and Recommendation (4,464 kb) -- permit procedures are discussed in Section 1.0 (pp 17-18) and adaptive management in Section 1.2 (pp 19-21).

Motion

The following Motion was passed unanimously at the October 21, 2014 meeting: Resolution of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council Addressing Permit Procedures and Adaptive Management for Analysis in a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (pdf, 103 kb)