HomeMy WebLinkAbout17-254RESOLUTION NO. 2017-254
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF
ST. LUCIE COUNTY PERTAINING TO INDRIO SAVANNAHS
PRESERVE AND RELATING TO THE GOPHER TORTOISE
RELOCATION RECIPIENT SITE PERMIT ISSUED BY THE FLORIDA
FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION (FWC)
PURSUANT TO APPLICATION NUMBER 23132; INTENDING TO
MEET AND PROVIDE THE FINANCIAL ASSURANCE FOR LONG TERM
MAINTENANCE OF THE SITE AS REQUIRED BY THE FWC GOPHER
TORTOISE PERMITTING GUIDELINES; PROVIDING FOR APPROVAL
AND COMPLIANCE WITH THE HABITAT MANAGEMENT PLAN;
PROVIDING FOR LONG TERM MAINTENANCE THROUGH ANNUAL
BUDGET APPROPRIATIONS AS NECESSARY; PROVIDING FOR
ENFORCEMENT RIGHTS BY FWC; AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, St. Lucie County owns the property known as Indrio Savannahs Preserve,
encompassing 402.44 -acres, located at 5275 Tozour Road, Fort Pierce, Florida 34951,
which is depicted in attached Exhibit A; and
WHEREAS, the County has submitted permit application #23132 to the Florida Fish and
Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), to establish a Gopher Tortoise Relocation
Recipient Site for Public Conservation Lands on a portion of the Indrio Savannahs
Preserve property as depicted -nd described on attached Exhibit B; and
WHEREAS, the County has established and approved the Indrio Savannahs Preserve
Gopher Tortoise Management Plan for the Indrio Savannahs Preserve Gopher Tortoise
Recipient Site, attached as Exhibit C, in compliance with FWC regulations and permit
requirements; and
WHEREAS, a condition precedent to the issuance of the Indrio Savannahs Preserve
Gopher Tortoise Recipient Site permit, FWC is requiring St. Lucie County to execute a
Memorandum of Agreement (attached as Exhibit D) to establish an agreement between
the parties to provide mutually beneficial support in their respective efforts to establish
a gopher tortoise public conservation lands recipient site within the Indrio Savannahs
Preserve and provide FWC with financial assurance regarding the long-term
management and maintenance of the recipient site; and
WHEREAS, the FWC Gopher Tortoise Permitting Guidelines, as revised January 2017,
allows St. Lucie County to meet its financial assurance obligation by providing evidence
of a "general appropriation or allocation approved by a public governing body for
habitat management"; and
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WHEREAS, the County understands and agrees that it is responsible for the long term
maintenance, management, and monitoring of the Indrio Savannahs Preserve Gopher
Tortoise Recipient Site in accord with the permit approvals issued by the FWC and fully
intends to annually appropriate the funds necessary to properly discharge its
responsibility; and
WHEREAS, FWC has agreed to accept St. Lucie County's commitment to provide the
necessary funds via annual appropriations to meet the financial assurance requirement
and provide for the maintenance, management, and monitoring of the Indrio Savannahs
Preserve Gopher Tortoise Recipient Site as contemplated by the FWC permit to be
issued in response to permit application #23132, along with the Indrio Savannahs
Preserve Gopher Tortoise Habitat Management Plan and the required Memorandum of
Agreement (collectively hereafter "Indrio Savannahs Preserve Permit Documents"); and
WHEREAS, the County finds that it is in the best interest of the citizens of St. Lucie
County to provide financial assurance to FWC in the manner contemplated by this
Resolution.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of County Commissioners of St. Lucie
County, Florida:
1. This Board accepts and approves the findings set out above.
2. This Board approves the Memorandum of Agreement attached as Exhibit 'D'
and authorizes the Chairman to sign the Memorandum of Agreement.
After motion and second, the vo`e on this resolution was as follows:
Chris Dzadovsky, Chairman AYE
Tod Mowery, Vice -Chairman AYE
Commissioner Linda Bartz AYE
Commissioner Frannie Hutchinson AYE
Commissioner Cathy Townsend AYE
PASSED AND DULY ADOPTED this 7T" day of November, 2017.
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ATTEST
ffeputy Clerk
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FLORIDA
BY
Chair an
APPROVN AS TO FO
AND CORRIEGTWESS.
County
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