Rethinking the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program: Challenges and Opportunities for Enhanced Ecosystem Restoration and Management Duane E. De Freese, Ph.D. Executive Director IRL Council IRLNEP [email protected]www.irlcouncil.org Acknowledgements - Kathy Hill (AdCom Director) - Belheim “Frank” Sakuma (COO)
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Rethinking the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program:
Challenges and Opportunities for Enhanced Ecosystem Restoration and Management
Very Complex System 3 Waterbodies Mosquito River Banana River Indian River
156 mi long High Biological Diversity Narrow/Shallow Poorly Flushed - 5 inlets to ocean Mostly Wind-Driven System
6 Counties/45 Cities 1.6 Million Residents Multiple Agency Oversight Economic Value ∼ $7.6 B (ECF &TC RPCs, 2016)
What We Know: Multiple Stressors
Habitat Destruction Habitat Fragmentation
Habitat Alteration Altered Watersheds
Stormwater Discharges Wastewater Discharges
Discharges to Groundwater Nutrient Loads Pollutant Loads Litter & Debris
Invasive Exotic Species Over Exploitation
Atmospheric Deposition Global Climate Change
Ocean Acidification Sea-level Rise
What We Know…
Map data from Penn Design Central Florida (2005) for myregion.org
Florida Will Continue to Grow
Analysis by the Late, Peter W. Harlem (2009) for the Space Coast Climate Change Initiative Southeast Environmental Research Center Florida International University
Global Climate Change and SLR will Complicate
Everything…
Current topography of Brevard County .
Image made from a DEM dataset from USGS (adequate at this scale).
For detail analysis LiDAR is a must.
Analysis by Peter W. Harlem
What We Know… In Northern & Central Lagoon
Chronic Issues & Stressors Driving System Change
Photo: Tim Kozusko. Haulover Canal, Indian River Lagoon. August 2012
We Know: Excessive Nutrients Fuel Algal Blooms
• 2011 Algal Superbloom • 2011 Secondary Bloom • 2012 Brown Tide • 2013 Brown Tide • 2013 Unusual Mortalities • 2015-2016 Green Bloom • 2016 Brown Tide • 2016 Extensive Fish Kill • 60% Loss Of Seagrass Beds
Blooms May Cause Fish Kills Low Dissolved Oxygen and/or Toxicity
2016/03/20 Fish Kill
Photo by Captain Alex Gorichky, Local Lines Charters
What We Know… In Southern Lagoon
Combination of Impacts
Chronic
Stressors ●
Acute Events ●
Connected Complex
Watersheds
Lake Okeechobee Seasonal Water Discharges
Billions of gallons discharged 1998, 2013 Lost Summer
2016 Lost Year
Bottom Line: Everglades Restoration is Connected to IRL Restoration
IRL-NEP Reorganization • IRL NEP Designated 1990 & Established in 1991.
o Host for 25 years - SJRWMD • 2011-2013 Events Drove Focus on IRL Water
Quality. • IRL County Collaborative (2013). • IRL Council created as a new Florida Special
District through Interlocal Agreement (Feb. 2015). • IRL Council Amended Interlocal Agreement (Sept.
2015) o Added Indian River Lagoon Coalition (formed May 2015 by
City of Sebastian, City of Fellsmere & City of Vero Beach). • IRL Council designated as new host of the IRL NEP
Program (January 8, 2016).
Leading Change - Network Governance
• Work across agencies, jurisdictions, and land ownerships.
• Exchange ideas, build relationships, identify common interests, explore options.
• Work together. • Solve problems of mutual
interest. • Recognize that we cannot
solve a particular problem or issue by working alone.
Modified from: Connecting people and places: the emerging role of network governance in large landscape conservation (Scarlett & McKinney. 2016. Front Ecol Environ 14(3): 116–125.
The scale & complexities of natural resource management require that individuals and organizations:
Government – Industry– Independent Sectors
IRL NEP Role Model for Network Governance
• EPA's National Estuary Program is a non-regulatory program established by Congress that works to improve the waters, habitats and living resources of 28 estuaries across the country.
• Each NEP consists of diverse local
stakeholders who develop and implement a long-term plan (called a CCMP) based on local priorities to guide their efforts.
• The NEPs use a collaborative and
consensus-building approach by involving community members in the decision-making process.
Council Interlocal Agreement – U.S. EPA ($600,000) – SJRWMD ($500,000) – SFWMD ($500,000) – FL DEP ($250,000) – Volusia County ($50,000) – Brevard County ($50,000) – Indian River County Lagoon Coalition ($50,000)
(Cities of Vero Beach, Fellsmere & Sebastian) – St. Lucie County ($50,000) – Martin County ($50,000)
• IRL License Plate Revenues
• To attain and maintain water and sediment of sufficient quality to support a healthy estuarine ecosystem.
• To attain and maintain a functioning, healthy ecosystem which supports endangered and threatened species, fisheries, commerce and recreation.
• To achieve heightened public awareness and coordinated interagency management of the Indian River Lagoon ecosystem; and
• To identify and develop long-term funding sources for prioritized projects and programs to preserve, protect, restore and enhance the Indian River Lagoon.
Committee interactions with the general community are for fact finding
and knowledge gathering only.
U.S. EPA FDEP SJRWMD SFWMD Volusia Brevard IR Coalition St. Lucie Martin
• Bob Ulevich (Chair Management Board)), Polymath Consulting Services, Inc.
• Jeff Beal, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission • Vanessa Bessey, FL Dep’t. Agriculture & Consumer Services • Blais, Quentin L. Hampton Associates • Bill Tredik, St. Johns River Water Management District • Tom Carey, Volusia County • Dr. Anthony Catanese, Florida Institute of Technology • Mark Crosley, Florida Inland Navigation District • Jim David, Citizen • Megan Davis, FAU/Harbor Branch • Stephany Eley, Space Coast League of Cities • Monte Falls, City of Vero Beach • Joseph Falzone, Financial Subcommittee • Chris Ferraro, FL Department of Environmental Protection • Layne Hamilton, USFWS, Merritt Island NWR • Clay Henderson, Stetson University • Linda Hudson, Treasure Coast League of Cities • Dianne Hughes, Martin County • Mitch Hutchcraft, SFWMD, King Ranch
• George Jones, Ocean, Research and Conservation Association • Bill Kerr, BKI, Inc. Consulting Ecologists • Kathy LaMartina, South Florida Water Management District • Vince Lamb, Citizen • Barbara Lenczewski, FL Department of Economic Opportunity • Mike Littell, US Sailing Center, Financial Subcommittee • Mike McCabe, Melbourne-Tillman Water Control District • Robert Musser, Canaveral Port Authority • Judy Orcutt, Citizen • Lynne Phillips, NASA/Kennedy Space Center • Marty Smithson (Vice Chair), Sebastian Inlet Tax District • Thomas Stratton, Financial Subcommittee • Laurilee Thompson, Brevard County Tourist Development Council • Charles Vogt III, Florida Department of Health • Joel Zwemer, Citizen, Financial Subcommittee • Captain Frank Catino (Chair) IRLNEP Citizens' Advisory Committee • Chuck Jacoby, SJRWMD, Chair, STEM Advisory Committee
IRL NEP Community Alliance Volusia County Brevard County Indian River County St. Lucie County Martin County
IRL Council/IRL NEP Staff
• Katie Tripp • Jessie Wayles • Billy Rotne • Dennis
Dickerson
• Leesa Souto • Keith Winsten • Frank Catino • Mike Coneen • Sam Lopez
• Ken Grudens • Gary Ritter • Heather
Stapleton • Cynthia Vande
Voorde Hall • David Brigida • Dave Carlson • Billy Gibson • Becky Bruner • Zack Jud • Crystal Lucas • Jim Moir
Innovators & Investors Network IRLI2
IRL NEP PRIORITY…
CCMP – Full Revision Begins 2016-2017
1989
1996 2008
2008 CCMP Action Plans
• Point Source Discharges • OSDS • Fresh & Stormwater Discharges • Marina and Boat Impacts • TMDL Action Plan • Biodiversity • Seagrass Protection, Restoration &
Management • Wetlands • Impounded Marshes (removed in 2008 CCMP
Update) • Land Acquisition and Protection • Rare, Threatened & Endangered Species • Fisheries • Biotoxins and Aquatic Animal Health • Climate Change • Invasive Fauna and Flora • Public Involvement and Engagement • IRL CCMP Implementation • Data and Information Management Strategy • Monitoring • IRL Scientific Research • Environmental Incident Assessment &
Response • Economic Analysis
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