[From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                                                                                                                               C






                                              ST JOSEPH BAY


                              AQUATIC PRESERVE MANAGEMENT PLAN








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             4Q5









                  QH                                                      1992
                  90.75
                  T6
                  11-5
                   1992                       DEFRRTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES













                                        ST. JOSEPH BAY


                           AQUATIC PRESERVE MANAGEMENT PLAN


                                           ADOPTED


                                       JANUARY 22, 1992












                                     VIRGINIA WETHERELL


                                        Executive Director


                             Florida Deparcment of Natural Resources





                                  This plan was prepared by the
                            Bureau of Submerged Lands and Preserves
                                      Division of State Lands











         Funds for this management plan were provided by the Department of Environmental
         Regulation, Office of Coastal Management using funds made available through the
         National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under the Coastal Zone Management
         Act of 1972, as amended.


                                               qX9

                               This document was printod on recycled popel.










                                                EXECUTIVE SUMMARY



           The St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve is located on the southwest coast of Gulf County
           in northwest Florida near the city of Port St. Joe. Formed by a narrow spit of land
           extending out from Cape St. Blas it is the only embayed body of water in the eastern Gulf
           of Mexico not influenced by the inflow of fresh water. The preserve encompasses
           approximately 73,000 acres, including all tidal lands and islands, sandbars, shallow banks,
           submerged bottom, and land waterward of the mean high water to which the state holds
           title. Sportfishing and recreational shellfish harvesting are important tourist attractions
           throughout the year. This aquatic preserve provides food and habitat for numerous fish,
           reptiles, marine mammals, birds, and benthic invertebrates. Several designated species
           are known to occur in the preserve, including the Peregrine falcon, Southern bald eagle,
           Leatherback turtle, Atlantic ridley turtle and the Atlantic loggerhead turtle.

           Submerged lands are selected as aquatic preserves based upon their outstanding
           biological, aesthetic, and/or scientific values. St. Joseph Bay was designated an Aquatic
           Preserve in 1969 for the primary purpose of preserving the biological resources in the bay
           and maintaining them in an essentially natural condition.

           In early 1990, the salt marsh surrounding the bay began showing signs of stress with the
           dying off of the cordgrass. In the summer of 1991 attempts by the Department of Natural
           Resources to restore the cordgrass by transplanting healthy, nursery-grown plants into
           the bay have met with failure; all of the transplanted grasses died by the end of the
           summer. Seagrasses provide habitat and refuge from predators to many juvenile
           populations of commercially important species of fish and invertebrates. In St. Joe Bay,
           they cover one-sixth of the bay bottom, and are vital to the coastal ecosystem not only
           for their associated food webs, but for their ability to recycle nutrients, stabilize sediments,
           and buffer the wave energy of storms.

           The main objective of the management plan for St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve is to
           protect the preserve's natural resources for the benefit of future generations. On site
           management activities include actions by field personnel to protect plant communities,
           animal life, geologic features, archeological sites, and water resources of the preserve.
           Management activities will also focus on cumulative impacts and encroachments.

           St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve has been divided into several management areas. The
           classification of each management area is based on the resource value of submerged
           lands associated with existing future land uses on the adjacent uplands. The intent of
           the plan in designating these management areas is to make potential development
           activities and uses of the preserve compatible with resource protection goals. The major
           uses of this preserve are recreational fishing and shellfishing, boating, snorkeling,
           swimming, commercial navigation, adjacent land uses and their.attendant facilities (e.g.,
           docks). Maintaining the continued health of the preserve involves minimizing adverse
           impacts from all uses within and adjacent to the preserve.








            This management plan outlines the relationship between the Department of Natural
            Resources' central office and field staff. Criteria for the review of specific development
            proposals within the preserves' boundaries are also provided. Public and private uses
            that are allowable pursuant to the statutory direction and other applicable authorities of
            the aquatic preserve are discussed. These uses are subject to the approval of the Board
            of Trustees or their designee. Approval is normally predicated upon demonstration that
            the proposed use is environmentally sound, and in the opinion of the Board, necessary
            for the public.

            Various federal, state, regional, and local organizations oversee laws and regulations
            which apply to all of the lands and waters within the aquatic preserve. One of the aquatic
            preserve management program's objectives, therefore, is to complement agency
            programs whenever it is in the preserve's interest. Both field personnel and central office
            staff will coordinate extensively with many agencies to;3ssure effective management and
            protection.

            To enhance management and protection of the aquatic preserve, research and education
            programs will be developed. These programs will operate in close coordination with
            similar programs established in the area. Research and education needs for the aquatic
            preserve are defined.

            The management of     the preserve and protection of the resources included within its
            boundaries will be enhanced by continually identifying and resolving specific program
            needs. Meeting these needs, which may include legislative support, administrative rule
            changes, resource protection capabilities, and funding and staffing needs, will relieve
            some stress on the resources or personnel involved in the management of the preserve.
            In the future, the field staff will develop and submit a status report that summarizes the
            program's needs and suggests measures to be taken to resolve these needs.










                                           TABLE OF CONTENTS




             CHAPTERI                    INTRODUCTION                                     1



             CHAPTER 11                  MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY                             9
                                         Background                                       10
                                         Administrative Rules                             10
                                         Relation to other applicable plans & programs    13



             CHAPTER III                 RESOURCE DESCRIPTION
                                         Physiography and Geology                         15
                                         Climate                                          21
                                         Hydrology                                        22
                                         Biota and Habitat                                23
                                         Cultural Resources                               28



             CHAPTERIV                   HUMAN USES & ASSOCIATED IMPACTS                  31



             CHAPTER V                   SITE SPECIFIC MANAGEMENT ISSUES                  45
                                         Management Initiatives                           51



             CHAPTER VI                  MANAGEMENT AREAS
                                         Introduction                                     53
                                         Management Area Classification                   54
                                         Minimum Criteria for Allowable Uses              56
                                         Management Areas                                 61


             CHAPTER VII                 MANAGEMENT ACTION PLAN                           69
                                         Resource Management Program                      70
                                         Resource Protection Program                      74
                                         Research and Monitoring Program                  76
                                         Environmental Education/information
                                         Program                                          80










            CHAPTER VIII              MANAGEMENT COORDINATION NETWORK
                                      Federal Agencies                             83
                                      State Agencies                               85
                                      Regional Agencies                            89
                                      Local Government                             90




            CHAPTERIX                 STAFFING AND FISCAL NEEDS                    95



            CHAPTER X                 RESOURCE AND ACTIVITY MONITORING
                                      PROGRAM                                      99
                                      Resource Monitoring                          99
                                      Activity Monitoring                          100
                                      Accomplishments and Progress Monitoring      100


            CHAPTER X11               REFERENCES                                   101










                                    LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES




             FIGURE 1. Florida Aquatic Preserve System                               5


             FIGURE 2. Boundaries of the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve             7


             FIGURE 3. Bathymetry of St. Joseph Bay                                  17


             FIGURE 4. Bottom sediments of St. Joseph Bay                            19


             FIGURE 5. Seagrass beds of St. Joseph Bay                               25


             FIGURE 6. Shellfish harvesting classifications for St. Joseph Bay       33


             FIGURE 7. Future land use map                                           37


             FIGURE 8. Proposed St. Joseph Bay buffer acquisition through the
                          CARL program                                               47


             FIGURE 9.    Management. areas within the St. Joseph Bay
                          Aquatic Preserve                                           67




             TABLE 1. Trace metal levels in clams in St. Joseph Bay and throughout
                          the state                                                  41



             TABLE 2.     Estimated budget for the first two years for St. Joseph
                          Bay Aquatic Preserve                                       97












                                       LIST OF APPENDICES






            APPENDIX A.        Administrative Codes                        107


































            Copies of the legal description of the St. Joseph Aquatic Preserve, as well as
            copies of Chapters 253 and 258, F.S., and Chapter 18-21, F.A.C., may be obtained
            from:



                              Bureau of Submerged Lands and Preserves
                                   Department of Natural Resources
                                      3900 Commonwealth Blvd.
                                           Mail Station 125
                                      Tallahassee, Florida 32399











                                                  CHAPTERI


                                               INTRODUCTION



              St. Joseph Bay in Gulf County, Florida covers about 73,000 acres along the
              northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico. It was designated an aquatic preserve by the
              Governor and Cabinet in 1969 and is one of 42 such preserves in Florida (Figure
              1). The boundaries of the preserve (Figure 2) include all tidal lands and islands,
              sandbars, shallow banks, submerged bottom, and lands waterward of mean high
              water (MHW) to which the state holds title.

              St. Joseph Bay is an important natural resource to Gulf County in terms of
              commercial and recreational fishing. The bay. is unique in being the only sizable,
              embayed body of water in the eastern portion of the Gulf of Mexico not markedly
              influenced by the inflow of fresh water. Species harvested commercially within the
              aquatic preserve include bay scallops, mullet, hard-shell clams, blue crabs, and
              shrimp. The commercial harvesting of bay scallops has proven to be controversial
              since it competes with recreational harvesting of scallops. Sportfishing is an
              important form of tourism throughout the year. Major species sought through
              recreational fishing include spotted seatrout, king and spanish mackerel, flounder,
              bay scallops, hardshell or quahog clams, and sunray venus clams.

              The St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve is located on the southwest coast of Gulf
              County in northwest Florida, near the community of Port St. Joe. Its boundaries
              encompasses only the state-owned sovereignty submerged lands occurring below
              mean high water. Uplands and man-made canals are excluded from the preserve.
              Other excluded areas include a linear band of privately owned submerged lands
              and marsh running along the eastern shore of St. Joseph Bay, six private in-
              holdings occurring along the southern and western shore, the bay area located
              north of the Port St. Joe navigation channel, and the immediate area of the channel.
              Through the Conservation and Recreation Lands (CARL) program, the state of
              Florida is pursuing acquisition of these areas.

              The goal of the Florida Aquatic Preserve Program as specified in Section 258.36,
              Florida Statutes (F.S.), is to set aside forever state-owned submerged lands which
              have exceptional biological, aesthetic, or scientific value for the benefit of future
              generations. Aquatic preserves include only lands or water bottoms owned or
              leased by the state and lands owned by other governmental bodies specifically
              authorized for inclusion in the preserve. Any publicly owned and maintained
              navigation channel or other public works project authorized by the United States
              Congress and designed to improve or maintain commerce and navigation are
              excluded from the aquatic preserve boundaries.




                                                        1









                It was the intent of the Florida Legislature that aquatic preserves be maintained in
                an essentially natural or existing condition. Therefore, the Department of Natural
                Resources (DNR) develops and oversees implementation of the management
                program to better assure that the overall goal of setting aside aquatic preserves for
                future generations is realized. This management plan outlines this program. As
                more information is learned about the preserve, management strategies outlined in
                this plan may need to be modified.

                Specific goals included for the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve are: 1) to conduct
                those resource management actions necessary to conserve or enhance the natural
                resource oriented values of the preserve for future generations; 2) to assure that
                all laws, rules, ordinances, and permit conditions relating to the protection of natural
                resources are complied with; 3) to have the necessary research and monitoring
                activities conducted so that t     'he ecological functioning of the preserve is
                understood, so that preserve can be managed and used in an ecologically sound
                and wise manner, and so that the preserve can be maintained in its natural
                condition for future generations; and, 4) to educate people so that they will use the
                environment in ways that conserve it, consider environmental issues when planning
                and making decisions which could affect the environment, and take part in
                decisions affecting nearby natural resources.

                Fourteen management plans, covering 21 of the 42 designated aquatic preserves
                in the state, have been adopted by reference into the existing aquatic preserves
                rule, Chapter 18-20, F16rida Administrative Code (F.A.C.). This management plan
                will be subsequently incorporated into rule following its approval by the Board of
                Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund. As such, the special criteria in
                this plan will carry the same authority as current rule criteria.

                Previous management plans were designed to be generic in nature, with policies
                and management guidance generally applicable to all aquatic preserves. This plan
                and all future aquatic preserve management plans, however, will be designed to be
                more site-specific and contain policy guidance and directives applicable to an
                individual preserve.

                Implementation of this plan relies heavily on authorities and activities existing
                outside the Aquatic Preserve Program per se. Aquatic preserves were intended to
                be managed to emphasize maintenance and enhancement of natural resources.
                Section 18-20.004(2)(a), F.A.C., states that proposed development projects and
                lease requests to utilize sovereign bottoms in less developed aquatic preserves,
                such as St. Joseph Bay, shall be subject to a higher standard than similar projects
                in the more developed preserves. As more information is learned about the
                preserve and ambient conditions analyzed, efforts to restore or enhance the
                productivity of the bay may be undertaken, if necessary.




                                                           2









             This management plan is divided as follows: Chapter 11 cites authorities upon which
             this management program and plan are built. Chapters III and IV discuss the
             resource, man's usage of the resource, past problems associated with usage of the
             resource, and status and content of applicable local government comprehensive
             plans. Chapter V focuses on site specific management issues and needs and
             Chapter VI discusses management areas. Chapter VII provides a management
             action plan for the aquatic preserve. Chapter VIII the management coordination
             network. And, Chapters IX and X the staffing and budgetary needs and resources
             and activity monitoring program.







































                                                      3




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           AQUATIC PRESERVES ARE ESTABLISHED
             BY THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE AND
                INCLUDE ONLY STATE OWNED
              SOVEREIGNTY SUBMERGED LAND&                                                                                     ROMR,-,
          THE GOVERNOR AND   CABINET SITTING
              AS TRUSTEES OF THE INTERNAL
              IMPROVEMENT TRUST FUND ARE
               MANAGERS OF THESE AREAS.

              FOR MORE INFORMATION REGARDING
                AQUATIC PRESERVES CONTACT,

          DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

           DIVISION OF STATE LANDS
              BUREAU OF AQUATIC PRESERVOS                                                                                                          Jv

                 3900 COMMONWEALTH BLVD                                                                                            Q
                 TALLAHASSEE.FLORIDA 32303                                                                                      r9
                    c"ATEDw CAROL A. KNOX
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   kIGURE 1               FLORI  .DA AQUATIC PRESERVE SYSTEM




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                                                                                                          ST JOSEPH BAY AQUATIC PRESERVE
                                                                                                                 (AQUATIC PRESERVE NO 17)
                                                                           CAPE SAN 8L S
                                                                                                                        GULF COUNTY, FLORIDA
                                                                                                                               CREATED BY

                                                                                                                        STATE OF FLORIDA 80ARD OF
               PREPARED BY CA KNOX                       1   05    0           1         2              TRUSTEES OF THE INTERNAL IMPROVIAENT TRUST FUND
               BUREAU OF HISTORICAL AND                                                                                    OCTOBER 21,1969
               ENVIRONMENTAL LAND MANAGEMENT                      SCALE IN MILES                                 RESOLUTION ADOPTED OCTOBER 28,1969
               MARCH.1986


             FIGURE 2. St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve

                                                                                         7




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                                                   CHAPTER 11


                                         MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY



              The primary laws providing management authority for aquatic preserves are
              Chapters 253 and 258, F.S. These statutes establish the proprietary role of the
              Governor and Cabinet, sitting as the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement
              Trust Fund as trustees over all sovereignty submerged lands. They also empower
              the Trustees to adopt and enforce rules and regulations for managing all
              sovereignty submerged lands, including aquatic preserves.

              The jurisdiction of the Florida Aquatic Preserve Program relates        to the use of
              sovereign submerged lands within the boundaries of the aquatic preserve.
              Activities which cannot be controlled directly through an aquatic preserve
              designation include use of the adjacent uplands, federal navigation projects-within
              an aquatic preserve, commercial fishing, water uses (e.g., boat speeds, wake
              zones, etc.), and water quality. Although the Aquatic Preserve Program does not
              directly control water quality, by virtue of the aquatic preserve designation the
              waterbody has been declared an Outstanding Florida Water (OFW) and therefore,
              ambient water quality at the time of the designation is the water quality standards
              for the estuary.

              The principle differences between submerged lands designated as aquatic
              preserves and other submerged bottoms within the state are in regard to activities
              which would disturb the submerged bottoms such as in the drilling of oil and gas
              wells, excavation of minerals, construction of seawalls, the placement of rip rap, the
              construction of docks and boat-houses, dredging and filling, and the placement of
              utilities. In addition, a public interest test must be met within aquatic preserves,
              whereas on other sovereign lands no public interest test exists except in regard to
              the sale of sovereign land.

              Sections 258.35-258.42, F.S., enacted in 1975 comprise the Florida Aquatic
              Preserves Act. These sections set forth a standardized set of management criteria
              for all designated aquatic preserves and represent the primary laws governing use
              of sovereignty submerged lands within aquatic preserves.

              Management responsibilities may be fulfilled directly by the Governor and Cabinet
              or indirectly by staff of the Division of State Lands through delegations of authority
              from the Board of Trustees. Staff of the Division of State Lands, Bureau of
              Submerged Lands and Preserves serve as on-site managers for the Board of
              Trustees and review requests for uses affecting state-owned sovereignty
              submerged lands within the aquatic preserves. Project assessments and reviews
              are evaluated in accordance with the criteria in Sections 258.35-258.42, F.S.,
              (Florida Aquatic Preserves Act), and Chapter 18-20, F.A.C.


                                                         9










                BACKGROUND

                The laws supporting aquatic preserve management are the direct result of the
                public's awareness of the importance of preserving Florida's coastal environment
                resulting from the rampant dredge and fill activities in the late 1960s.

                In 1967 the Randall Act (Chapter 67-393, Laws of Florida), established procedures
                regulating previously unrestricted dredge and fill activities on state-owned
                submerged lands. That same year the Legislature provided statutory authority
                (Section 253.03, F.S.) for the Board of Trustees to exercise proprietary control over
                state-owned lands. Also in 1967, government focus on protecting Florida's
                productive estuaries from development led to the Board of Trustees establishment
                of a moratorium on the sale of submerged lands to private interests. In the same
                year, an Interagency Advisory Committee (IAC) on submerged lands was created.
                In late 1968, the committee issued a report recommending the establishment of
                twenty-six aquatic preserves. Also in 1968, the Florida Const     itution was revised,
                declaring in Article 11, Section 7, the state's policy of conserving and protecting the
                natural resources and scenic beauty. That constitutional provision also established
                the authority for the Legislature to enact measures for abatement of air and water
                pollution.
                On October 21, 1969, the Governor and Cabinet acted upon the recommendations
                of the IAC and adopted by resolution eighteen of the waterbodies as aquatic
                preserves, including St. Joseph Bay. Other preserves were similarly adopted at
                various times through 1971. Prior to the October 1969 action, the legislature had
                created the Boca Ciega Aquatic Preserve. Subsequent legislation in 1972, 1973,
                and 1974 created the Pinellas County, Lake Jackson and Biscayne Bay Aquatic
                Preserves, respectively.

                In 1975, the Legislature established the Florida Aquatic Preserve Act (Chapter 258,
                F.S.), bringing all. existing preserves under a standardized set of maintenance
                criteria. Subsequent acts added Cockroach Bay in 1976, Rookery Bay in 1977 and
                Gasparilla Sound-Charlotte Harbor in 1978 to the Aquatic Preserve Program.

                In June, 1985, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 762 which expanded the
                boundaries of the Rookery Bay, Banana River, Indian River-Malabar to Vero Beach,
                Loxahatchee River-Lake Worth Creek, and Wekiva River Aquatic Preserves, and
                created the Guana River Marsh and Big Bend Seagrasses Aquatic Preserves.
                Lemon Bay and Rainbow Springs were added as aquatic preserves by SB 607 in
                1986.



                ADMINISTRATIVE RULES FOR AQUATIC PRESERVES


                Chapters 18-20 and 18-21, F.A.C., are rules adopted by the Board of Trustees
                designating the allowable uses of aquatic preserves and other submerged lands.


                                                          10









               Chapter 18-20, F.A.C. (Appendix A), addresses the aquatic preserves specifically
               and derives its authority from Sections 258.35, 258.36, 258.37, and 258.38, F.S.
               The general rules in Chapter 18-20, F.A.C., are supplemental to the rules in Chapter
               18-21, F.A.C., in the regulation of activities in the aquatic preserves. The intent of
               this Chapter is found in Section 18-20.001, F.A.C., which states:

                       "(1)    All sovereignty lands within a preserve shall be managed primarily for
                       the maintenance of essentially natural conditions, the propagation of fish and
                       wildlife, and public recreation including hunting and fishing where deemed
                       appropriate by the board and the managing agency.

                       (2) The aquatic preserves which are described in 73-534, Laws of Florida,
                       Sections 258.39, 258.391, 258,392, and 258.393, Florida Statutes, future
                       aquatic preserves established pursuant to general or special acts of the
                       legislature, and in Rule 18-20.002, Florida Administrative Code, were
                       established for the purpose of being preserved in essentially natural or
                       existing condition so that their aesthetic, biological and scientific values may
                       endure for the enjoyment of future generations.

                       (3) The preserves shall be administered and managed in accordance with
                       the following goals:

                               (a) To preserve, protect, and enhance these excep-tional areas of
                               sovereignty submerged lands by reasonable -regulation of human
                               activity within the preserves through the development and
                               implementation of a comprehensive management program;

                               (b) to protect and enhance the waters of the preserves so that the
                               public may continue to enjoy the traditional recreational uses of those
                               waters such as swimming, boating, and fishing;

                               (c) to coordinate with federal, state, and local agencies to aid in
                               carrying out the intent of the Legislature in creating the preserves;

                               (d) to use applicable federal, state, and local management programs,
                               which are compatible with the intent and provisions of the act and
                               these rules, and to assist in managing the preserves;

                               (e) to encourage the protection, enhancement, or restoration of the
                               biological, aesthetic, or scientific values of the preserves, including but
                               not limited to the modification of existing manmade conditions toward
                               their natural condition, and discourage activities which would degrade
                               the aesthetic, biological, or scientific values, or the quality, or utility of
                               a preserve, when reviewing applications, or when developing and
                               implementing management plans for the preserves;


                                                             11








                                   to preserve, promote, and utilize indigenous life forms and
                              habitats, including but not limited to: sponges, soft coral, hard corals,
                              submerged grasses, mangroves, salt water marshes, fresh water
                              marshes, mudflats, estuarine, aquatic and marine reptiles, game and
                              non-game fish species, estuarine aquatic, and marine invertebrates,
                              estuarine, aquatic, and marine mammals, birds, shellfish and
                              mollusks;

                              (g) to acquire additional title interests in lands wherever such
                              acquisitions would serve to protect or enhance the biological,
                              aesthetic, or scientific values of the preserve;

                              (h) to maintain those beneficial hydrologic and biologic functions, the
                              benefits of which accrue to the public at large."


               Chapter 18-21, F.A.C., controls activities conducted on sovereignty submerged
               lands in general and is predicated upon the provisions of Sections 253.03 and
               253.12, F.S. The stated intent of this administrative rule is:

                       "(1) to aid in fulfilling the trust and fiduciary responsibilities of the Board of
                      Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund for the Administration,
                       management, and disposition of sovereignty lands;

                       (2)   to insure maximum benefit 'and use of sovereignty lands for all the
                       citizens of Florida;

                       (3) to manage, protect, and enhance sovereignty lands so that the public
                       may continue - to enjoy traditional uses including, but not limited to,
                       navigation, fishing, and swimming;

                       (4) to manage and provide maximum protection for all sovereignty lands,
                       especially those important to public drinking water supply, shellfish
                       harvesting, public recreation, and fish and wildlife propagation and
                       management;

                       (5) to insure that all public and private activities on sovereignty lands which
                       generate revenues or exclude traditional public uses provide just
                       compensation for such privileges; and,

                       (6) to aid in the implementation of the State Lands Management Plan."






                                                           12










              RELATION TO OTHER APPLICABLE PLANS AND PROGRAMS


              The State Comprehensive Plan, established by Chapter 187, F.S., provides long-
              range policy guidance for the orderly social, economic, and physical growth of
              Florida. As such, it provides direction for management of physical resources within
              the state. The goals, objectives, and policies set forth in this aquatic preserve
              management plan are designed to be consistent with those of the State
              Comprehensive Plan.

              The Conceptual State Lands Management Plan, adopted on March 17, 1981, and
              amended by the Board of Trustees on July 7, 1981 and March 15, 1983, contain
              specific policies concerning spoil islands, submerged lands leases, "Outstanding
              Native Florida Landscapes", unique natural features, seagrass beds, archaeo-logical
              and historical resources, and endangered species. These policies provide some
              of the fundamental direction for formulating management plans and policies for the
              Aquatic Preserve Program.

              A Local Government Comprehensive Plan (LGCP) for Gulf County is required by
              Section 163.3161, F.S. This plan is intended to guide the future development in the
              city and county and is required by law to conform to criteria, policies, and practices
              listed in their comprehensive plan. The Division of State Lands reviews these local
              plans to assure their compliance with submerged land policies of the state and of
              the Aquatic Preserve Program. Aquatic preserve management plans provide
              management guidance for state sovereign lands which are beyond the jurisdiction
              of the Local Government Comprehensive Planning Act. Therefore, if coordinated
              properly the management plan for an aquatic preserve can serve as the waterward
              extension of the County's Local Government Comprehensive Plan. Gulf County's
              plan has been reviewed by Bureau staff, as well as from other state agencies. It
              was submitted to the Department of Community Affairs in June 1990 and is
              currently awaiting final approval and adoption by the state. In March 1990, the
              Beach Restoration Management Plan was adopted by the Governor and Cabinet
              for Gulf County. The Aquatic preserve management plan is consistent with the
              beach management plan for the area.














                                                        13




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                                                 CHAPTER III


                                          RESOURCE DESCRIPTION



              To manage and protect the resources of an aquatic preserve it is essential to
              understand the physical and biological resources of the preserve, how they function
              and interact within the preserve boundaries, and how the resources within the
              preserve interact with the larger natural system of which they are part.


              PHYSIOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY


              St. Joseph Bay is formed by a narrow spit of land extending out from Cape San
              Blas. The bay owes its existence to the Cape San Blas shoals and the historical
              migrating of the Apalachicola River (Stewart, 1962). Before sea level rise, these
              shoals are believed to have been a barrier island system (Schnable and Goodell,
              1968). The shoals extend about 10 miles into the Gulf of Mexico and are marked
              by a series of broad ridges and troughs. They have caused wave action to deflect
              littoral drift, which in turn has resulted in the emergence of the St. Joseph spit or
              peninsula north of Lighthouse Bay. The Cape San Blas portion is the result of the
              westward migration of the mainland.

              St. Joseph Say is unique in being the only sizable, embayed body of water in -the
              eastei@n portion of the near-shore gulf coast not markedly influenced by the inflow
              of fresh water. The bay has a mean depth of 21 feet, with the deepest parts being
              about 35 feet near the northern tip of the spit. Figure 3 shows the bathymetry of
              St. Joseph Bay. Below the five-foot level salinity values are essentially identical to
              those in the open gulf.

              Bottom sediments are predominantly quartz sand, with localized areas of clayey silt,
              sandy silt, clayey sand, and gravel-sand mixtures (Stewart, 1962). Figure 4 maps
              the sediment types in St. Joseph Bay. Present day sedimentation in St. Joseph
              Bay may be attributed to the coastal transport of sand from the east and biological
              activity within the bay itself.    Since the spit enclosed the bay, the rate of
              sedimentation has been slow. Therefore, the central portion of the bay has a depth
              and gradient which is in close agreement with that of the offshore slope. The large
              accumulation of clay in the central portion of the bay has led to the conclusion that
              these fine sediments represent a relic surface. produced by the discharge of an old
              distributary of the Apalachicola River (Stewart and Gorsline, 1962).

              St. Joseph Bay lies on an offshore extension of the Gulf Coastal lowlands
              geomorphic province. The onshore terrain consists of a flat, frequently swampy
              plain sloping gently towards the coast. Near-surface sediments are Pleistocene and
              Holocene deltaic and marine sands which are generally over 100 feet thick. These


                                                        15









                overlay Upper Miocene limestones, clays, and shell beds (Schmidt, 1978). Relict
                marine bars, dunes, and spits, formed during high Pleistocene sea level stands, are
                superimposed on the otherwise flat landscape. Land slope near the coast
                averages 2 to 3 feet per mile. Offshore, the submarine plain slopes seaward at a
                rate of 4 to 5 feet per mile for at least 10 miles.

                St. Joseph spit is connected to the mainland by a 3 mile long arm extending
                eastward from Cape San Bias. The spit bends sharply at the Cape and extends
                about 15 miles northward in a gentle convex-seaward arc. Width of the spit is
                generally less than one-mile. Eagle Harbor, midway up the spit, forms a natural
                cove on the bay side. This feature may represent an ancient pass which once
                divided the spit into two islands (Stapor, 1973).

                An analysis of the coastal sand budgets for northwest Florida suggest that the
                region has shifted from historically having an excess of sand to a current shortage
                (Stapor, 1973). The beaches of Gulf County are about 100 to 200 feet in width and
                are backed by dunes reaching to about 40 feet in height. They have experienced
                a balance of erosion and deposition over the last 100 years. Some sections have
                experienced long-term recession and have contributed sand to other areas that
                have a history of accretion (BSRC, 1985). Cape San Bias and St. Joseph spit have
                been lengthening from sand eroded from their western shore. The primary causes
                of beach and dune erosion in Gulf County are periodic storm events and long term
                sea level rise (DNR, 1990).

                According to the DNR's Beach Restoration Management Plan (DNR, 1990), the
                coast along the 17 mile reach extending from St. Joseph Point south to Cape San
                Bias is eroding (Stapor, 1971; Tanner, 1975; Balsillie, 1985; Clark, 1989), with the
                exception of the northern 2.17 miles (Balsillie, 1985).

               .In the northern ten miles of this eroding portion of the St. Joseph peninsula, the
                historical erosion rate increases from 0 to -3.75 ft/yr, while in the southern five miles
                the erosion rate increases from -4.1 to -30.7 ft/yr (Balsillie, 1975). The latter is the
                largest historical long-term erosion rate recorded in Florida. Tanner (1975) has
                noted that a lighthouse located just over one mile north of Cape San Bias has been
                relocated six times to eastern sites since its original construction. Clark (1989),
                however, describes these erosion rates as noncritical on the basis that there are
                few or little coastal man-made structures to be threatened. Erosion along a 500
                foot segment of beach at Stump Hole threatens county road C30 and is designated
                as critical erosion.


                A longshore drift divide has been    identified along the southern one-third of the St.
                Joseph peninsula (Stapor, 1971; 1973b; 1974; U.S. Army, 1971). St. Joseph point
                is accreting and migrating northward due to erosion north of the divide and
                longshore transport of eroded material to the north. Progradation of the point has
                been described as slight (Tanner, 1975). The majority of the eroded material is


                                                           16









                                                           SOURCE: STEWART & GORSLINE, 1962.


                         850130'                                              85-@O'





                                                                        NAUTICAL MILES

                                                                      1     0     1     2




                                               -P

















                 04



                                                                                     PORT
                                                                                       T JOE






                                                                 30






                                                                   Z5


                        BOTTOM

                     TOPOGRAPHY







                                                                                2Jr
                   CONTOUR INTERVAL 5FT.      35                     AN BLAS      30

                   BOAT CHANNEL




                  FIGURE 3. Bathymetry of St. Joseph Bay


                                                           17




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                                                     SOURCE: STEWART & GORSLINE, 1962.


                       --130'


                              100
                              A
                           GRAVEL
                              90
                                                                 NAUTICAL MILES

                                                               1     0    1     2
                           0133"
                         0-1L-90
                    SAND              SI LT
                     100              100


                              100
                              A
                            CLAY
                              90


                                10
                           10'33"

               b          9       9
               in   SAND      10-    SILT
               im     100             100




                                                                             PORT
                                                                              ST. JOE















                           SAND


                           SHELL GRAVEL


                           SANDY GRAVEL
                       772 GRAVELLY SAND
                       ELI

                           GRAVELLY SILTY SAND


                           SILTY CLAYEY SAND
                04
                           SANDY CLAYEY SILT             CAPE SAN BLAS

                           CLAYEY SILT




                FIGURE 4. Bottom Sediments of St. Joseph Bay


                                                       19




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              moving south and is accreting in shoals south of Cape San Blas (Tanner 1960a;
              1961; Stapor, 1971; 1973; 1974; Stauble and Warnke, 1974). Stapor (1971)
              suggests that the southerly longshore transport may be due to strong southerly
              winds near the Cape.

              The nine miles of shoreline from Cape San Blas east to Indian Pass is stable to
              accreting. Very high historical rates of accretion from 61.4 ft/yr near the Cape to
              5.0 ft/yr several miles eastward strongly suggest a significant net eastward
              movement of Cape San Blas shoal material, controlled mainly by wave refraction
              due to shoal configuration.      Such a conclusion is strongly supported by
              physiographic evidence of backbeach dune ridge formation (DNR, 1990). The
              beaches of the mainland of Gulf County north of the city of Port St. Joe are for the
              most part accreting (Balsi.1lie, 1985). Between 1860 and 1935 the shores migrated
              seaward about 200 to 300 feet (BSRC, 1985).

              Although the St. Joseph spit is lined with dunes facing the Gulf of Mexico, these
              dunes almost without exception show signs of severe scarp erosion. Blowout
              conditions exist in some of the high dune areas on the spit, where the landward
              migrating dune material has breached the dune line and buried trees to their tops
              further inland. The topography is also low in the areas north and east of the cape.
              Therefore, in an event of 100 year frequency storm or hurricane, most coastal areas
              of Gulf County are subject to flooding (BSRC, 1985).

              The shallow nearshore gulf in the region is a drowned alluvial plain grading into a
              limestone plateau to the east and south (McNulty et al., 1972). The north gulf coast
              sedimentary province contains relict sand west of the Apalachicola delta. Water
              movement along the shallow west Florida shelf is primarily due to tides, although
              wind effects are evident, especially in winter when Cold fronts move through the
              area. The high salinity coastal waters are well-mixed except during winter months
              when a thermocline separates the colder bottom waters from the surface waters
              (Livingston, 1984).



              CLIMATE


              St. Joseph Bay is located in. a transitional climatic zone between the semi-tropical
              climate of peninsular Florida and the subtropical climate of the southeastern United
              States. Average annual rainfall is about 60 inches. Maximum rainfall occurs during
              the summer and fall months, with September being the wettest. The dry season
              occurs from October through December.           Convection type storms are the
              predominant source of rainfall in the summer and frontal storms are the typical
              source in the winter.


              The climate of Gulf County is largely determined by its proximity to the Gulf of
              Mexico, the northern continental land mass, and its temperate latitude. Generally,


                                                      21









                the warm waters help create warm, humid summers and mild winters. Wind
                conditions are generally north through the winter and southerly during the summer
                months. Hurricane and tropical storms occasionally influence the late summer and
                fall weather of the region, bringing extremes in wind, rainfall, and tide. Over a 500
                year period it is estimated that a total of 90 land falling hurricanes will occur within
                a distance of 270 nautical miles of Gulf County (Dean and Chiu, 1985). In 1985
                hurricane force winds were experienced twice within the aquatic preserve
                boundaries.



                HYDROLOGY


                The gulf coast falls within a moderate energy coastal area (Tanner, 1960), with
                average breaker heights of 4 to 20 inches. Waves traveling northward through the
                Gulf of Mexico are refracted clockwise around the Cape San Blas shoals in such
                a manner as to arrive nearly parallel to the beach. This results in a bi-directional
                littoral drift system which runs northward along the northern half of the spit and
                southward along the southern portion (Tanner, 1966).

                St. Joseph Bay lies in the transition zone between the semi-diurnal tides of the big
                bend area and the diurnal (daily) tides to the west. One study has found that
                predicted and actual tides in St. Joseph Bay are not concurrent (Rudloe, 1985).
                The bay exhibits chiefly diurnal tides with a single high and low stage each day.
                The average tidal range is 1.4 feet. Daily ranges decrease to less than 0.2 feet
                during equatorial tides (when the moon is over the celestial equator) and increase
                to 1.5 to 2.5 feet during tropic tides (when the moon is over the Tropic of Cancer
                or Tropic of Capricorn) (Barnett and Gunter, 1986).

                Currents in St. Joseph Bay show a response to the tidal cycle of ebb and flood.
                In general, during the flood tide a moderately strong flow sweeps around the point
                and into the lagoon. A counter-clockwise circulation pattern is established in the
                central portion of the lagoon. This movement is disrupted only during the maximum
                flood tide. At ebb tide, currents flow from the lagoon and outer basin via the
                channel at the point and across the- shoal in the vicinity of the boat channel.
                Current movement is essentially on the surface throughout a major portion of the
                bay, diminishing rapidly below the 5 foot depth contour. In the shallow south end
                of the bay current movement is negligible. Circulation is also believed to be limited
                in the deeper portions of the bay (Stewart, 1962).

                Numerous small bayous, creeks, and ditches drain into St. Joseph Bay. The
                principal sources of freshwater into the bay include rainfall, overland drainage and
                the Gulf County Canal (a man-made canal dug by the U.S. Army Corps of
                Engineers). During periods of high river stage on the Apalachicola River, a small
                percentage of the Apalachicola River's flow may be diverted westward and exit the
                Canal via Lake Wimico and the Intracoastal Waterway.


                                                           22











              BIOTA AND HABITAT


              The ecology of near-shore coastal areas is defined by both the salinity regime and
              nutrient budget.    As noted above, the salinity regime of St. Joseph Bay is
              essentially identical to that of the gulf. In most of the extensive shallow reaches of
              the lower bay there is no appreciable current except for the daily tide. Therefore,
              this most productive area of the bay functions largely as a closed system (Stewart,
              1962). Consequently, the nutrient budget and food web of the bay are dependent
              upon the primary productivity of the bay itself.

              Salt marshes and seagrasses play an important role in the food web of St. Joseph
              Bay. Salt marshes generally develop along low-energy coasts under stable or
              emergent conditions. Salt marshes constitute an extremely productive ecosystem.
              Salt marsh communities are typically low in species diversity and dominated by a
              few species. The dominant species in salt marshes of St. Joseph Bay-are black
              needlerush (Juncu roemerianus) and smooth cordgrass (Spartin alterniflora).
              The ecological significance of salt marshes to the bay is that they serve as a
              foundation for detrital based food chains. Marsh detritus produced by biological
              decomposition and mechanical breakdown of dead plant material is reported as a
              rich and abundant food source for estuarine organisms (de la Cruz, 1975). Recent
              studies, however, question the long-held belief that marshes serve as nutrient pools
              and primary sources of detritus for the food chain (Stout, 1984). Very few
              comprehensive studies have addressed the functional role of salt marshes in the
              estuarine ecosystem, and even less information is available on gulf coast Juncus
              marshes.


              Other important functions of salt marshes include: serving as the exclusive habitat
              of a few species of algae and seed plants, of a large variety of invertebrates, of a
              large number of birds, and of a few reptiles and mammals; providing protection to
              adjacent low-lying uplands from saltwater intrusion, coastal erosion, and in
              expansive marshes, from salt spray; and, serving as important nursery grounds and
              refuges for important commercial and sport species (Wolfe et al., 1988).

              Virtually the entire rim of the bay is bordered by salt marsh. This marsh is a narrow
              band along much of the spit, but widens near Pig Bayou and is a prominent feature
              of the shallow areas of the southern and southeastern portions of the bay.
              Extending into the bay for up to hundreds of feet, this interti.dal zone also includes
              tidal mud-flats. In a few places along the eastern shore the salt marsh is influenced
              by tidal creeks which supply some fresh water to the bay. In early 1990, the salt
              marsh surrounding St. Joseph Bay began showing signs of stress and dying off.
              Whether the cause of this stress is due to a natural phenomena or to- man has not
              yet been determined. Evidence suggests that mortality is due to a chronic stress
              rather than a single acute episode of stress. At this time the reason for the dieoff
              is being studied by the Department of Natural Resources.



                                                        23








                Seagrasses are the equivalent of an underwater salt marsh in terms of net
                productivity. The physical structure provided by seagrass blades and rhizomes
                increases available habitat surface area for surrounding organisms as much as 15
                to 20 times compared to unvegetated bottoms. In addition, they offer refuge from
                predators to many large juvenile populations of commercially important species of
                fish and invertebrates (Wolfe et al., 1988). Two types of food webs are associated
                with seagrass communities: (1) a grazing food chain component comprised of
                herbivores that feed on living plants (the seagrass blade itself and associated algae)
                and their predators; and, (2) a detrital food chain component comprised of
                herbivores that feed on dead material, together with their associated predators.

                In St. Joseph Bay they cover about one-sixth of the bay bottom. They are found
                in the shallower areas where the sun can penetrate to the bottom. Figure 5 shows
                the location of seagrass beds in St. Joseph Bay. The areal coverage of bay bottom
                by seagrasses was stable during the 1970s because of the relatively unpopulated
                nature of the area (Savastano et al., 1984; Livingston, 1987).

                Five species of seagrass are found in the bay: Cuban shoal grass (Halodul
                wrighti), manatee grass (Syrinciodiumfiliforme), turtle grass (Ihalassi testudinum),
                widgeon grass (Rupl2i maritima), and star grass (Halophil engelmanni). Shoal
                grass is recognized as the pioneer species in the successional development of
                grassbeds in the gulf and Caribbean (Zieman and Zieman, 1989). It can tolerate
                exposure and is therefore found in the shallow areas. Manatee grass is found in
                areas deeper than those colonized by shoal grass and is typically interspersed with
                other seagrass species. Turtle grass is by far the most predominant species of
                seagrass in the bay. Star grass is patchily distributed throughout the bay and
                widgeon grass occurs in a few small, isolated populations on the eastern side of
                the bay. A recent monitoring of seagrass beds along the north Florida coast found
                the richest and most abundant concentrations of marine grasses in St. Joseph Bay
                (Williams, 1981).

                Seagrasses are vital to the coastal ecosystem because they form the basis of a
                three-dimensional, structurally complex habitat. The importance of seagrass beds
                extends beyond their geographical limits because of the distribution of seagrass
                detritus, and their ability to cycle nutrients, stabilize sediments, provide habitat and
                shelter to juvenile fish and invertebrates, serve as a food source, and buffer wave
                energy in a storm (Zieman, 1982; Dawes, 1987; Virnstein, 1987). Seagrass beds
                in St. Joseph Bay are important habitat for such commercially and recreationally
                important marine species as the bay scallop (Argogecten irradians concentricus),
                blue crabs (Callinectes sapidu ), penaeid shrimp (Penaeu spp.), mullet (Mugi
                cel2halus                                                  I
                         J, spotted. seatrout (Cynoscio nebulosus) - and redfish (Sciaenop
                ocellatus).

                Although seagrasses do not grow below 15 to 20 foot depths, detrital matter from
                the beds is transported to this level and is available to deeper dwelling marine


                                                           24







                                                            SOURCE: SAVASTANO et al., 1984.


                        85*1 30'
                                                                        85*'20'







                                                                   NAUTICAL MILES

                                                                       0    1     2




















                04



                                                                              PORT
                                                                                t JOE



















                04


                                                         CAPE SAN BLAS



                        SUBMERGED VEGETATION



                FIGURE 5. Seagrass Beds of St. Joseph Bay



                                                        25




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               organisms including the commercially dredged hardshell clams and shrimp. There
               are some questions in regard to the impacts of commercial scallop harvesting on
               seagrass beds in St. Joseph Bay. As the bottoms are dragged to catch the
               scallops, seagrasses are cut or uprooted. Anecdotal evidence suggest the
               recovery of seagrasses is slow (Zieman, 1982). Turtle grass beds are especially
               affected since this species does not spread its rhizome mat very rapidly. Propeller
               cuts can be persistent features, lasting three or more years (Wolfe et al., 1988;
               Eleuterius, 1987).

               Important species found in the sand bottoms of the bay include flounder
               (Paralichlys spp.), hardshell clams or quahog clams (Mercenaria mercenaria),
               Venus sunray clams (Macrocallista nimbosa), and the pygmy octopus (Octopu
               aoubin). Organisms found in the near-shore areas of the gulf are part of a
               temperate sand community.

               .To the west of Cape San Blas the continental shelf is narrow and numerous pelagic
               species are found relatively close to shore. Important commercial and recreational
               species in this region include brown shrimp (Penaeu aztecus), white shrimp (P.
               setiferu ), pink shrimp (P. duoraru ), grouper (Myctero-perc spp.), greater
               amberjack (Serioil dumerilli), Atlantic bonito (Sard sarda), crevalle jack (Caran
               hipp ), sharks, spot (Leiostomus xanthurus), Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias
               undulatus), sand seatrout (Cynoscio arenarius), gulf menhaden (Brevoorti
               patronu ), bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix), Spanish mackeral (Scomberomorus
               maculatus), king mackeral LS. @avalla), @nd the bilifishes, blue marlin (Makair
               nigrican ), white marlin (jetrapturus albidus), and sailfish (Istiophorus plalypterus)
               (Wolfe et al., 1988).

               The marine sandy beaches along the peninsula are composed of fine q        uartz grains
               with a medium diameter of 0.1 to 0.2 millimeters (Salsman and Ciesluk, 1978). The
               aerobic zone (i.e.,depth of oxygenated sediment) in beach sediments is very deep
               because of tidal flushing and the relatively large interstitial pore spaces. This allows
               organisms to live far down within the sediment and escape the pounding of waves.
               The majority of beach organisms tend to be suspension feeders, using the rushing
               water to constantly carry food in and waste material away (Wolfe et al., 1988).

               The land area surrounding the aquatic preserve is an important stopover during the
               gulf coast fall and spring bird migrations. St. Joseph Bay lies between the
               Mississippi and east coast flyways, and therefore receives birds from both the
               midwest and Atlantic seaboard which use the Gulf of Mexico and peninsular Florida
               during migration. In season, the Cape and peninsula are concentrated with
               thousands of migratory birds including warblers, vireos, tanagers, and grosbeaks.
               Hawk migration in the fall is particularly striking, for the St. Joseph peninsula draws
               hawks from much of the North American land mass. Riding autumnal cold fronts,
               several species of hawks and falcons follow the land as far south as possible,



                                                         27









                culminating in a great assembly over the peninsula. Estimates of 3,000 to 5,000
                hawks per year may be seen during the month of October.

                A number of species found either within or in close proximity to the St. Joseph Bay
                Aquatic Preserve are of special interest because of their scarcity or declining
                populations. Separate lists which formally designate species for special protection
                are kept by both the state and federal governments. These lists designate a
                species as either "endangered" or "threaten-ed", depending upon the degree of
                scarcity or the threat to their continued existerice as a species. The state list also
                includes an additional early cautionary category called "species of special concern",
                while the federal government lists such species as "under review".

                Species either found within or in close proximity to the aquatic preserve which have
                legal status on the state or federal list published in September 1987 (FGFWFC,
                1987) are:

                Endangered: peregrine falcon (Falc peregrinu tundrius) (state), Southern bald
                eagle (Haliaeetu leucocephalu ) (federal), Leatherback turtle (Dermoche!ys
                coriacea) (state and federal), and Atlantic ridley turtle (Lepidoche!Ys kemp)(state
                and federal). Threatened: Atlantic loggerhead turtle (Careft caretta caretta) (state
                and federal), American alligator (Alligato mississippiensis) (federal), Southern bald
                eagle (state), peregrine falcon (federal), Southeastern kestrel (Falc sparveriu
                gaulu ) (state), Cuban snowy plover (Charadrius alexandrinus tenuirostris) (federal),
                and least tern (Stern antillarum) (state). Species of Special Concern or Under
                Review: American alligator (state), Gopher tortoise (Gopheru polyphemus) (state
                and federal), Cuban snowy plover (federal), little blue heron (E-grett caerulea)
                (state), snowy egret (Egrett thula) (state), reddish egret (Egrett rufescens) (state
                and federal), Louisiana heron (Egrett tricolor) (state), a nd eastern brown pelican
                (Pelecanus occidentalis) (state).

                Species not included above which also have legal protective status through the
                Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of Wild Fauna
                and Flora are the osprey (Pandio haliaetus) and marsh hawk (Circu gyaneu


                CULTURAL RESOURCES


                The Division of Historical Records, Department of State, has identified nine
                archaeological sites in the immediate coastal area of St. Joseph Bay. They include
                four shell middens, three old house or settlement sites, the Confederate salt works,
                and the Cape San Blas lighthouse. Due to the moderate energy nature of the
                coastline, most relict indian sites were probably either buried by sand or destroyed
                .by wave action.




                                                         28









             Notable among the cultural sites is Richardson Hammock, a large, well preserved
             shell midden site representative of the Deptford, Swift Creek, Weeden Island, and
             Fort Walton cultural periods (ca. 500 B.C. to A.D. 1500). The site is known to
             contain human burials. The site is believed to be one of the largest and best
             preserved archaeological sites of its type in the northwest Florida gulf coast region.










































                                                    29




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                                                  CHAPTERIV


                                HUMAN USES AND ASSOCIATED IMPACTS



              To develop a management program for the resources of the St. Joseph Bay
              Aquatic Preserve it is essential to understand how humans use the resource in
              addition to the biology and ecology of the Bay. The major uses of the aquatic
              preserve area include commercial and recreational fishing and uses of the adjacent
              uplands.

              Typical of the counties of northwest Florida, Gulf County, with a population of
              11,600 in 1986, is one of the less populated counties in the state. It has a mean
              population density of 20.7 people per square mile, 56th among the 67 counties in
              the state. On  -ly seven counties in the state are growing at a slower rate (BEBR,
              1987). A principle factor leading to the slow growth rate within Gulf County has
              been the significant out-migration of residents, especially younger, working-age
              people, because of the limited job opportunities. This slow growth is expected to
              continue into the near future.


              The major source of income in Gulf County is manufacturing, with the St. Joe
              Forest Products Company being the principle employer. The paper company's
              plant is located just north of the city of Port St. Joe, adjacent to St. Joe Bay and
              currently employs about half the county's work force. Other major sources of
              income in the county include transportation, government, and the marketing of
              seafood. Although the county has no organized economic development plan,
              future economic development options for the county appear directed toward
              shipping and port use, the fishing and shellfishing industry, tourism and recreational
              activities, and the development of second homes on the coast (Larry Wells, pers.
              COMM).

              Commercial shipping and port use center around the St. Joseph Ship Channel and
              the Gulf County Canal which connects the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf Intracoastal
              Waterway (GIWW). The ship channel is maintained at 35 x 300 foot dimensions,
              while both the GIWW and the canal are maintained at 12 x 125 foot dimensions.
              The ship channel is used by both commercial fishing boats and the St. Joe Forest
              Products Company. Since the GIWW provides access to the western Gulf of
              Mexico all the way to the Mexican border via protected waters, it can potentially
              lead to some future economic development opportunities. Efforts have been made
              to have a seafood industrial park constructed along the canal. As noted earlier,
              Section 258.40 (2), F.S., specifically exempts any publicly owned and maintained
              navigation channel from an aquatic preserve.

              The port of Port St. Joe is located on St. Joseph Bay at the city of Port St. Joe and
              consists of property owned by the city of Port St. Joe, St. Joe Forest Products


                                                        31








                Company, Hess Petroleum, and McKenzie Tank Lines. In recent years, the port
                has not been an active waterborne cargo port, although the Port of St. Joe Master
                Plan clearly shows a desire by the county to revitalize the port. Products which
                have passed through the port include cotton, timber, petroleum, chemicals, paper,
                rosin, turpentine, and various agricultural commodities (Baskerville- Donavan, 1990).

                The St. Joseph Ship Channel consists of an entrance channel, turning basin, and
                south channel. Channel maintenance is the responsibility of the Corps of Engineers
                and dockside depth maintenance is the responsibility of dock owners. According
                the Port of St. Joe Master Plan, the Corps of Engineers is trying to obtain approval
                for. reclassifying the interim offshore disposal site to a permanent site to assure
                long-term disposal of the Port's existing navigational channels and turning basin.
                The majority of the finer grained inner-bay sediments can likely be disposed of at
                this offshore site. Any sediments, however, which contain excessive metal or
                nutrient levels or are extremely fine-grained, may have to be disposed of in an
                approved upland site (Baskerville-Donavan, 1990).

                Species harvested commercially within the aquatic preserve include bay scallops,
                mullet, hardshell clams, blue crabs, and shrimp. The primary species of shellfish
                harvested is the hard shell clam or quahog. The sunray venus clam are also
                available in the bay, but not in commercial quantities. Hardshell clams congregate
                in large numbers buried in firm mud and sand substrates. They are harvested by
                permitted dredging from the central portion of the bay. There is no closed season
                for clamming. Figure 6 shows the present shellfish harvesting classification for St.
                Joseph Bay. The approved harvesting area for clamming in St. Joseph Bay has
                expanded since the 1970's (Barnett and Gunter, 1986).

                As of 1986 there were no wet storage facilities or shellfish propagation leases
                located in St. Joseph Bay, eleven mechanical clam harvesting permits had been
                issued, and there were six certified shellfish processing plants in Gulf County.

                The commercial harvesting of bay scallops has proven to be a controversial aspect
                of the marine harvest since it competes with recreational harvesting of scallops.
                This issue was manifested locally in the early 1980s through a petition by county
                residents to their Board of County Commissioners to stop commercial harvesting.
                The Board responded by requesting the Department of Natural Resources.(DNR)
                ban commercial scalloping in St. Joseph Bay. A compromise was eventually
                reached in which commercial scalloping is banned in the earlier part of the scallop
                season and on weekends until Labor Day, and with a limit placed on recreational
                harvesters.


                Sport and shellfishing is the most active form of tourism through-out the year.
                Major species sought include spotted seatrout, king and spanish mackerel,
                flounder, bay scallops and sunray venus clams. Other important recreational
                activities include beach-oriented activities, nature watching, and hiking. A major


                                                         32






                                                  SOURCE: SheRfish Environmental Assessment (SEAS) 1990.



                               ST. JOE POINT








                                                                                      0    0.5   1


                                                                                     SCALE OF IM











                                                                              PORT--.@
                                                                              ST JOE 2)



                   0
                   -1






                     C
                                                                                                         9



                                   UG
                                       R


                                                       ST. JOSEPH BAY














                                                  P1 B u


                                                       57, VDXMN
                                                       NAMN" WaMIUMM
                       LEGEND                          kMG9


                       APPROVED


                       PROHIBITED


                       UNCLASSIFIED






               FIGURE 6. Shellfish Harvesting Classifications for St. Joseph Bay

                                                                      33




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              focus of the on-land recreation activities is the T.H. Stone State Park on the St.
              Joseph peninsula. A review of boat registrations, visitation records at the state
              park, and violation citations issued by the Marine Patrol all suggest that recreational
              use of the aquatic preserve area is increasing.

              Increased use of the aquatic preserve for recreation and visitation also results in
              increased development pressure on the peninsula. This in turn results in increased
              potential to degrade water quality through stormwater runoff and septage as well
              as providing public beach and bay access problems.

              Public boat access to St. Joseph Bay is currently limited to: the Port St. Joe city
              pier, two private fish camps on the eastern shore of the bay, and two launching
              areas at Eagle Harbor in the state park. The Gulf County Pomprehensive Plan
              noted that there is no short-term needs in the county for additional marina facilities.

              In regard to residential land use, it is important to note that Gulf County has
              historically had no zoning or special ordinances relating to land use disturbances.
              The county is, however, in the process of developing their Local Government
              Comprehensive Plan (LGCP) pursuant to the requirements of Florida Statutes. After
              adoption the county will have zoning for the first time. Figure 7 shows the Future
              Land Use Map from the LGCP for the land surrounding the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic
              Preserve.


              Historically, limitations have been placed on development densities in the upland
              area surrounding the aquatic preserve by state restrictions on septic tank densities.
              There are currently two areas served by centralized sewer systems on the uplands
              adjacent to or near the aquatic preserve: the Barrier Dunes subdivision on St.
              Joseph's spit and the city of St. Joe's system. All other areas are served by septic
              tanks. In accordance with Chapter 1OD-6, F.A.C., the maximum residential
              densities in areas serviced by septic systems is 2 units per acre if a centralized
              water system is not available and 4 units per acre if a centralized -system is
              available.


              The Gulf County LGCP states that the Soil Conservation Service found the soil
              types in Gulf County as having at best moderate to severe limitations for septic tank
              drain fields. The majority of the county is classified as severe,and the lands on
              Cape San Bias and on the spit are classified as having very severe limitations. The
              LGCP further states that septic tank use on barrier islands should be unacceptable
              under all conditions and that requirements be made that septic tank drainfields be
              situated in such a way that the bottom of the drainfield is at least 36 inches above
              the water table.     Based on this situation and the limits it imposes on the
              development potential for the St. Joseph peninsula and Cape San Bias, the LGCP
              recommends that centralized wastewater facilities be constructed on St. Joseph spit
              and between Indian Pass and Cape San Bias. This recommendation, however,
              ignores the fact that these facilities would lie in the Coastal High Hazard Area and


                                                        35








              would therefore not be eligible for public subsidies according to establi  shed policy
              in both the State Comprehensive Plan and the Apalachee Regional Policy Plan.
              The LGCP also states that 75% of the county's growth over the next five to seven
              years is expected to occur on St. Joseph spit and in the Cape San Blas/Indian
              Pass area. Since 1973, municipal and industrial wastes generated near the city of
              Port St. Joe have been treated by a single treatment facility. About 97% of the
              inflow into the city's sewage treatment plant comes from the St. Joe Paper
              Company. And, the effluent discharge from the sewage treatment plant goes
              directly into the Gulf County Canal, which drains into St. Joseph Bay.

              As shown by Figure 7, the land use designations surrounding St. Joseph Bay on
              the Future Land Use Map include conservation, recreation, agriculture, industrial,
              incorporated, residential, mixed commercial/residential, and public. As noted
              earlier, circulation is limited in the shallow reaches of the lower bay and that there
              exists a counter-clockwise circulation pattern in the upper bay. Therefore, areas
              where land use is of special concern relative to the long-term protection of the
              aquatic resources of the bay are the peninsula and the lower bay. Designated land
              uses in these areas include: conservation in the state park portion of the peninsula
              and Pig Island (which is part of the St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge); public in
              the area owned by Eglin Air Force Base; recreation at the William J. Rish Park
              facility; agriculture in an area at the southwest corner of the bay; and, the
              remainder is zoned mixed commercial/residential.

              Both the St. Joseph peninsula and Cape San Blas south of the state park have
              been erratically subdivided and developed since 1975. Parcel sizes range from
              one-half acre to five acres in size, with little discernible pattern of subdivision.
              A. unified townhouse, Barrier Dunes subdivision, has been constructed adjacent to
              the state park. Elsewhere single family and duplex beach homes are mixed
              irregularly with townhouses (up to eight units per acre) and undeveloped lots. Most
              of this development has been for second homes. Other land uses include four
              small convenience stores and a handful of docks. There has been a trend toward
              more bayside development.in the past few years (Larry Wells, pers. comm.).

              The Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services operates a facility, for the
              disabled on the peninsula and their are two federally owned facilities nearby. One
              is Pig Island which is a part of the St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge and the other
              is an Air Force radar tracking facility covering several hundred acres. At the base
              of the cape and the mainland the county owns a 40-acre tract with frontage on both
              the gulf and the bay. This tract is currently used as a solid waste disposal facility.

              Continuing north along the mainland bay shore is a 3 mile stretch of land under one
              ownership, where- a single townhouse development is being constructed. Then a
              small scattered cluster of older homes lies in the vicinity of a fish camp. Nearby is
              the County Country Club and some associated single family units on one-half acre
              lots.



                                                        36








                                                       SOURCE: Gulf County Comprehensive Plan, 1990.


                           85* 30'   .... .... .                                 85*@o'





                                                                            NAUTICAL MILES

                                                                                0     1     2





















                  04











                                                                                          Ag
                                                P/C

                                  Preservation/
                                  Conservation

                                  Mixed Commercial/
                                  Residential

                                                                                         9
                                  Unincorporated
                                  Residential                   P/C

                                  Agriculture                       Ag


                                  Industrial


                                  Recreation



                                  Public




                  FIGURE 7. Future Land Use Map


                                                           .37




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             A portion of the eastern shore of the bay is excluded from the aquatic preserve
             since it has been conveyed into private ownership. A small number of islands
             occur just outside of the aquatic preserve boundary, but the largest island, Black's
             Island is within the boundary. On the island is a small group camping facility.

             Not far north of the fish camp the land is owned by a timber company and is
             undeveloped up to the junction of County Road 30A and US-98. At this point the
             urban area of Port St. Joe begins. The residential area extends to the junction with
             State Road 71 (where the city pier is located). This is followed by a commercial
             district and an extensive industrial area which continues across and along the Gulf
             County Canal. North of the canal lies the residential community of Highland View,
             which extends to Palm Point. Next, a 4 mile stretch of undeveloped beach exists
             before residential development begins again in an area referred to as St. Joe Beach
             and Beacon Hill. At present, this is the most rapidly developing part of the county
             (Larry Wells, pers. comm.).

             Coastal storms and hurricanes are a factor which must be accounted for in coastal
             development both in regard to potential property damage and estimated evacuation
             time. Over a 500 year period it is estimated that a total of 90 land falling hurricanes
             will occur within a distance of 270 nautical miles of Gulf County (Dean and Chiu,
             1985). In 1985 hurricane force winds were experienced twice within the aquatic
             preserve boundaries. There is a possibility that a large storm or hurricane could
             breach the narrow portion of St. Joseph spit at Stump Hole (DNR, 1990). DNR
             (1990) recommends that studies should be conducted to determine the potential
             for a permanent breakthrough at this location and to evaluate the alternative
             solutions to allowing breakthrough to occur. Because the bay is a salt water
             embayment and not an estuary per se, the ecological implications of a
             breakthrough may be limited.

             Since many of the roads to be used for evacuating the cape and spit have low
             elevations, they would be flooded well before a hurricane makes landfall.
             Consequently, evacuation of this area is already considered a problem and it would
             only be exacerbated by additional development (Apalachee Regional Planning
             Council, 1984). However, the fact that this area consists mostly of second homes
             could absolve some of the evacuation problems.

             On Cape San Blas and the spit, flood insurance is not available because this area
             has been declared undeveloped under the federal Coastal Barriers Resource Act.
             While this could be interpreted as a barrier to further development, the actual limits
             of the flood zones allow construction to occur above the zone without the need for
             flood insurance.


             Recent changes to the State Coastal Construction Control Line are believed to have
             significantly affected development trends on the cape and spit (Larry Wells, pers.
             comm.). The history of the shoreline of the St. Joseph spit indicates that it is


                                                       39








               eroding. Because a 1 00-year frequency storm/hurricane would overtop and flood
               much of the coastal areas in Gulf County, it has been concluded that coastal
               development in Gulf County carries with it a high risk factor (BSRC, 1985).
               Consequently, the State Coastal Construction Control Une was revised recently.
               With the reestablishment of a coastal construction control line in 1986 and with the
               adoption and enforcement of local coastal building codes, impactive and imprudent
               coastal development has been substantially curtailed along the Gulf County coast.
               A 30-year erosion project prohibition for major structures, other than qualifying
               single-family dwellings, impo S*es large setback requirements in erosion stressed
               areas. With any new development proposals, adherence to dune preservation is
               essential (DNR, 1990).

               The primary cause for beach and dune erosion in Gulf County include periodic
               storm events and long term sea level rise. Although the very high historical rate of
               erosion along the southern St. Joseph peninsula and the west shore of Cape San
               Bias are not completely understood, it is speculated that shoreline alignment and
               shoal geometry affect wave refraction and energy levels in the area.

               Only one coastal construction device has been constructed in Gulf County. The
               device, installed in 1986 following Hurricane Kate, is a rubble mound revetment
               about 200 feet in length constructed by the federal government near Cape San Bias
               to protect a road (DNR, 1990).

               Storm water management in these highly permeable soils does not present as
               major an obstacle to development as does potable water and sewage disposal.
               Nevertheless, the creation of impermeable surfaces in place of natural contours and
               vegetation will increase runoff, which can ultimately have a deleterious affect on the
               seagrasses within the aquatic preserve,

               A survey of biological aspects of St. Joseph Bay associated with water quality in
               1979 found the bay to have excellent macroinvertebrate diversity and. only
               occasional high bacteria counts (FDER, 1979). Neither of the two stations tested
               in the bay during this study showed signs of pollution degradation during the study
               period. The 1990 Florida Water Quality Assessment (Hand et al., 1990) states that
               water quality in St. Joe Bay is good. This report does note that in the vicinity of
               where the Gulf County Canal enters St. Joe Bay, a site roughly two miles outside
               of the aquatic preserve boundary, bottom sediments are mucky instead of sandy
               and seagrass coverage is decreased due to the poorer transparency of the waters.
               Because of the circulation patterns in St. Joe Bay, Hand et al. (1990) noted that the
               effluent was relatively quickly dispersed and unless samples were collected directly
               in the plume, the water column quality remained quite good.

               Barnett and Gunter (1986) provide a summary of water quality data collected in St.
               Joseph Bay between 1981 and 1984 by the Department of Natural Resources for
               the purposes of 1) identifying, recording, and evaluating point and non-point


                                                        40









              pollution sources, 2) determining if the area is properly classified for shellfish
              harvesting based on pollution sources and water quality, and 3) assessing the
              possibility of classifying an unclassified area north of St. Joseph Bay. Survey
              results indicated that fecal coliform levels in the presently approved area met ISSP
              standards. The survey also led to reclassification and expansion of shellfish
              harvesting areas. The report further notes that as development along the St.
              Joseph Bay shoreline continues, the bay will be subjected to increased sewage and
              runoff pressures necessitating continued evaluation. The Department of Natural
              Resources intends to continue monitoring 22 stations throughout the bay for fecal
              coliform levels, water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and pH.
              Monitoring will be conducted at least quarterly during varying meteorological and
              hydrographic conditions.

              Barnett and Gunter (1986) included an assessment of trace metals and pesticides
              found in clams harvested from St. Joseph Bay. Table 1 summarizes data for clams
              collected from the presently approved area of St. Joseph Bay and for clams
              collected from nine approved or conditionally approved areas throughout the state.
              This table shows that in general, the values compared favorably. The assessment
              of pesticide levels in clams found that pesticide levels were below the detection limit
              for all pesticides tested. All values are listed in parts per million per wet weight per
              whole organism per composite sample.



                                                     TABLE 1


                           TRACE METAL LEVELS IN CLAMS IN ST. JOSEPH BAY
                                         AND THROUGHOUT THE STATE


                            St. Joseph Bay      (n=4)                   Florida (n=36)
              Trace      Mean      Maximum Minimum                Mean        Maximum     Minimum
              Metal
              AL         18.38     23.05        7.50              11.69       52.65        0.50
              AS          7.93      9.00        6.49              4.59        9.49         1.04
              CD          0.12      0.19        0.10              0.35        1.10         0.05
              CR          0.47      0.53        0.37              0.30        1.28         0.06
              CU          1.32      1.90        0.50              1.48        4.70         0.50
              FE         27.42     37.80        17.00             38.63       86.30        15.00
              HG          0.03      0.04        0.02              0.02        0.04         0.00
              MN          2.93      5.20        1.65              7.06        26.10        0.80
              NI          2.01      2.61        1.40              0.72        2.61         0.06
              PB          0.56      1.33        0.05              0.67        6.50         0.05
              SE          0.35      0.47        0.20              0.45        1.00         0.18
              ZN         12.50     14.00        12.00             12.14       25.00        1.00


                                   Source: Barnett and Gunter (1986)


                                                         41








              Since 1972 the city of Port St. Joe has voluntarily monitored the 16 stations within
              proximity of the discharge from their central wastewater treatment facility. About
              97% of inflow from the city of Port St. Joe's wastewater treatment plant comes from
              the St. Joe Forest Products Company. The effluent from the wastewater plant goes
              into the Gulf County Canal, which drains directly into St. Joseph Bay. Stations are
              located in the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway, the Gulf County Canal, and the near-
              canal area of St. Joe Bay. In 1987, the DER incorporated this voluntary program
              into the discharge permit for the city's facility. Overall, the results of the city's
              monitoring program show no trend of water quality degradation. More specifically,
              long-term average temperatures demonstrated no significant difference between
              receiving water temperatures and those downstream of the WWTP outfall.

              Discharge of freshwater effluent appears to have not affected ambient salinity levels.
              BOD5 levels in St. Joe Bay were quite low and well within the range encountered
              in estuarine waters. BOD5 loading has shown no measurable effect on dissolved
              oxygen concentrations in the Gulf County Canal or in St. Joe Bay. No consistent
              dissolved oxygen sag was evident at the first station below the outfall. Since the
              WWTP effluent is highly colored and contains fine particulates which do not settle
              out of suspension easily, visible turbidity plumes exist in the Gulf County Canal in
              the immediate vicinity of the outfall. Localized impacts to water column productivity
              might occur due to reduced light penetration, and benthic habitat smothering might
              occur if rapid solids deposition occurs.

              The U.S. EPA and the paper industry conducted a cooperative dioxin screening
              study about the formation and distribution of 2,3,7,8-TCDD and 2,3,7,8-TCDF in
              bleached kraft mills (NCASI, 1988). Although the initial screening study was based
              on only five mills around the country, it showed that the bleach plant was the most
              significant source of these compounds and that molecular chlorine use was a major
              factor influencing their formation. As a follow-up, the paper industry voluntarily
              entered into another study with EPA to measure the export of TCDD and TCDF
              from all 104 mills in the United States that practice chlorine bleaching, including the
              St. Joe Forest Products mill at Port St. Joe. TCDD levels in the pulp at the Port St.
              Joe mill were. reported to be 2.2 parts per trillion and TCDF levels in the pulp were
              reported to be 5.7 parts per trillion. TCDD and TCDF levels in the effluent from the
              mill were reported to be 21 parts per quadrillion and 60 parts per quadrillion,
              respectively (NCASI, 1990).

              Prior to the EPA/Paper Industry Study (NCASI, 1990), the city of Port St. Joe had
              conducted dioxin monitoring of its treatment plant outfall. In 1989, the city reported
              that extensive testing of the wastewater treatment plant effluent samples was
              conducted and that no dioxin was found.

              On the following page is a table summarizing the dioxin and furan data collected
              from the city of Port St. Joe.



                                                        42







                                          Summary of Dioxin and Furan Data f or Effluent
                                          Samples Collected from City of Part St. Joe
                                          Industrial Wastewater Treatment Plant Outfall,
                                          June 1988 through October 1989



          Samoa                         Dinin                                    Ru@
          2 Wt                         2-3.17.3.-TCDD                         2.3.7.3-TCD                              Data Soum



          inne (1.), im                   21 PM                                   60 ppq                       EPA 1044MM Study Data an
                                                                                                               of June 21 1989 M

          AM 5-91 1999                 ND a 3 ppq                              ND Q 8.9 ppq                    ALA 5-day Composite
                                                                                                               -309- Sample. In Ronnd

          Sept. 3-9, 1989              IND a 3.6 ppq                           ND 0 3.2 ppq                    ALA 5-day Campos"
                                                                                                               *308- Semple, Z'ad Round (2)

          Sept. 13.19, im              ND Q 3.3 ppq                            ND 0 3-3 ppq                    ALA .14-hr. Composite
                                                                                                               nspecial StUdya SaIpple

          Sept. 13-20, IM              ND Q 6.3 M                                 10 ppq                       ALA 3-day Composite
                                                                                                               OSpecial. 9ndy' Sample

          Sept. W.2,1999               IND Q 4.4 ppq                           IND a 3.6 ppq                   ALA 5-day Composite
                                                                                                               -Special study- Sample

          Oct. 3-41 1999               IND a 3.9 ppq                           ZND a 6.4 ppq                   ALA .14-hr. Composite
                                                                                                               "Special study, Sample

          OcL -LS, "0                  NDQ 3S pM                                ND a 6.1 ppq                   ALA J-day Composite
                                                                                                               09pecial Studya Semple

          Oct. 3-71 IM                 ND Q 4.L pM                              ND Q 4.4 qpq                   ALA S-day Composite
                                                                                                               'Special Study* Samoa

          OCL 3-91 im                  ND Q 6.1 pM                              ND 0 5.7 p"                    ALA 7-day Composite
                                                                                                               'Special Study' Sample


          (1) EPA ramift were them Amerwas Papw InsdintaMPA coopei ad, study of diom in effbamm in 104 paW mills nationwide.
          Resnift reported were for sample collected by EPA in jone 198L
          (Z) Data not comaplady QAIQC cbecited by ENM

          m      partz per quadrillion; I'M - none detected
          EPA     U.& Ezv@iromzemaai Protectim Agency
          ALA     AAvnvz, Lehman & Associates. Iac- Gamm"Me. Florida
          *3U" Sample - sample collected during EPA-mandated dioxin studies under Section 308 of Yedermi Clean Water Act
          *Speciai Studina - sample collected by ALA in special studies initiated by SL Joe Forma Ps       Company

          Notr.      1)     Laboratory ana0sis of ad samples were by Musca rucarporated. California Analytical Laborawry, West
                            SNWMRGND. California
                     21)    Tam mabods for cb1ormamdAk- and f6ran analyze followed NCASI Tachmcai B-fletut 531. mile= odierwise
                            noted
                     3)     QA/QC data for ALA samples na yet compiled

          Compiled by- Alvares. Lah-an Jc Associates. Inc.. 1"0 (updated 1/V91)










                                                                             43








               The estuarine water column is an important transition zone in the geochemical cycle
               because of increases in pH and ionic strength associated with the change from
               freshwater to sea water. These increases change the solubility of substances, and
               may also enhance the flocculation and precipitation of materials. Many substances
               may be removed from the water column to the sediments when waters are mixed.
               For example, toxic organics such as petroleum hydrocarbons (e.g., PCBs and
               pesticides) have low solubilities, and accumulate in sediments shortly after being
               introduced to estuarine waters. Therefore, estuarine sediments act as a sink for
               some constituents, so that the pollution status of an estuary is reflected better in
               the sediments than in the water column (Ryan et al., 1984; Schropp and Windom,
               1988). The historic emphasis of environmental quality assessment has been
               through water column sampling. In estuaries water quality data can provide an
               understanding- of the impacts of individual pollution events, but are of little value in
               understanding long-term trends, assessing ambient background conditions, or
               assessing the degree of environmental stress.                       a                                I
               Sediment grain-size is an important qualitative predictor of sediment chemistry
               (Ryan et al., 1984). Fine-grained sediments usually contain elevated concentrations
               of metals and hydrocarbons, while lower levels are observed in coarse-grained
               sediments. Fine-grained sediments have greater concentrations because they are
               more enriched in organic and clay materials, and because they have greater
               surface areas which provide more binding sites.

               Because of the naturally high abundance of aluminum (in a relative sense) and the
               relatively small inputs of aluminum from human-sources, aluminum-to-metal ratios
               can be used to determine if heavy metal levels in sediments are from natural or
               human sources, (Schropp and Windom, 1988). In reviewing the aluminum-to-metal
               ratios for sediment data collected by the Department of Environmental Regulation
               in 1983 relative to the interpretation tables found in Schropp and Windom (1988),
               only 1 of 10 stations in St. Joseph ship channel showed evidence of enriched metal
               levels in bottom sediments. which could be attributed to human sources. This
               station was in the Gulf County canal which is located outside the boundary of the
               preserve. At this station sediments showed enrichment in copper, lead, and zinc.














                                                         44











                                                   CHAPTER V


                                   SITE SPECIFIC MANAGEMENT ISSUES



              In the preceding chapter, uses of the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve area and
              impacts associated with these uses were reviewed. Impacts on marine resources
              from adjacent land uses may result from either the direct use of the marine
              resources through such structures as docks, piers, and marinas or through effects
              from upland activities through means such as stormwater runoff and septic tank
              drainage. In the first part of this chapter, site specific management issues which
              relate to accomplishing the long-term goal of the Florida Aquatic Preserve Program
              of setting aside the natural resources of designated bodies for the benefit of future
              generations are reviewed. And, in the second part of the chapters policy g1jidelines
              are established that will address these issues.



              ISSUE 1: No Manager:

              Although St. Joseph Bay has been designated an aquatic preserve since 1969, it
              has never had a full-time manager. At the present time, management of the St.
              Joseph Aquatic Preserve is accomplished by the manager of the Alligator Harbor
              Aquatic Preserve, and for permit application reviews, by district staff in the
              Pensacola branch office. As should be expected, this situation has resulted in only
              limited implementation of the provisions of the program. As is noted in Chapter IX,
              the management program for the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve discussed in
              this plan cannot be effectively implemented without adequate funding, staffing, and
              equipment. It is initially estimated that to effectively implement a management
              .program in St. Joseph Bay one full-time employee dedicated solely to the St.
              Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve and a part-time OPS assistant are necessary. This
              estimate does not include staff-time or expenses by Department of Natural
              Resources (DNR) and other state agency employees involved intermittently in the
              various tasks necessary to manage and conserve the natural resources of the
              aquatic preserve (i.e., permitting, shellfish monitoring, enforcement of fishing rules,
              etc.).

              The provision of staff to the Aquatic Preserve Program is the responsibility of the
              Florida Legislature. The Division of State Lands is pursuing additional positions to
              staff aquatic preserves through annual appropriation requests to the Legislature.
              Other possible means of getting a manager for the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic
              Preserve include transferring a position from another aquatic preserve or hiring a
              manager on a temporary basis until a career-service position is allocated by the
              Legislature. In -the interim, the St. Joseph Aquatic Preserve will continue to be
              managed on a part-time basis by the manager for the Alligator Harbor Aquatic
              Preserve and field staff in the Pensacola District Office.


                                                         45










               ISSUE 2: Control of Ugland Development Activities:

               The regulation of upland development activities is the responsibility of local
               government and the Department of Community Affairs (DCA), not the Bureau of
               Submerged Lands and Preserves. Nevertheless, upland development activity has
               'the potential to have a significant adverse impact on the natural resources of the
               aquatic preserve.

               The best avenue for the staff associated with the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve
               to control upland development activities is to work closely with the local
               government. The Local Government Comprehensive Plan (LGCP) for Gulf County
               has already been prepared. It is not too late, however, for staff associated with the
               Aquatic Preserve Program to be actively involved in the preparation of land
               development regulations and local ordinances necessary to implement the goals,
               objectives, and policies of the LGCP. Aquatic preserve staff could also, through a
               formalized agreement, work cooperatively with the county on monitoring the
               implementation of the policies of the LGCP which relate to protecting and
               conserving the natural resources of St. Joseph Bay.


               ISSUE 3: Private Submercled Holdinas:


               Much of the mainland shore of St. Joseph Bay and part of      the peninsula shore is
               in private ownership and therefore, not within the boundaries of the St. Joseph Bay
               Aquatic Preserve (see Figure 2, page 7). Although these areas are no less
               important to the functioning of the aquatic ecosystem, they are subject to less
               stringent criteria regarding the construction of docks and piers, marinas, dredge
               and fill operations, and other uses of the submerged bottoms within the jurisdiction
               of the Aquatic Preserve Program. Development activities on these submerged
               bottoms also do not have to meet a public interest test.

               The Bureau of Submerged Lands and Preserves has no juris-diction to include
               these areas within the aquatic preserve boundaries. Through the Conservation and
               Recreation Lands Program (CARL), the State of Florida is pursuing the acquisition
               of a buffer around St. Joseph Bay. On the 1990 CARL list, this acquisition was
               ranked 23rd on a statewide basis. Figure 8 shows the acquisition boundaries of
               'the St. Joseph Bay buffer included in the CARL proposal. Considering current
               funding levels for land acquisition programs, the current ranking of this proposal,
               and the funding requirements for acquisition projects with a higher acquisition
               priority, it is not likely that any acquisition through the CARL program will occur
               before the fall of 1991.


               Section 258.40(l), F.S., provides that arrangement can be made between the Board
               of Trustees and the owner of a private submerged parcel for that parcel to be-


                                                        46








                                                                                  SOURCE: DNR, 1990


                           85030'                                                85'@O'






                                                                           NAUTICAL MILES

                                                                               0            2





















                                                                                        PORT
                                                                                          T JOE





                                                                                        V.














                  cm              Buffer Boundary

                                                                CAPE  SAN SLAS





                  FIGURE 8. Proposed St. Joseph Bay Buffer Aquisition Through
                              The CARL Program


                                                              47




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              included within the boundaries of an aquatic preserve. Section 18-20.008(3),
              F.A.C., further provides that the appropriate instrument to include a private parcel
              in an aquatic preserve shall be either a dedication in perpetuity or a lease. It further
              provides that a lease shall contain the following conditions:

                     1. The term of the lease shall be for a minimum of ten years;

                     2. The Board of Trustees shall have the power and duty to enforce the
                     provisions of each lease agreement, shall additionally have the power to
                     terminate any lease if the termination is in the best interest of the aquatic
                     preserve system, and shall have the power to include such lands in any
                     agreement for management of such lands; and

                     3. The Board of Trustees shall pay no more than $1 per year for any such
                     lease.



              ISSUE 4: Cuttina of Submeraed Aquatic Vegetation by Power Boats:

              There are some lingering questions in regard to the impacts of commercial and
              recreational scallop harvesting on seagrass beds in St. Joseph Bay. As the
              bottoms are dragged to catch scallops, seagrasses are cut or uprooted. Similarly,
              extensive operation of motors in shallow areas can lead to significant cuffing of
              seagrasses. Anecdotal evidence suggest the recovery of seagrasses is slow.
              Turtle grass beds are especially affected since this species does not spread its
              rhizome mat very rapidly. Propeller cuts can be persistent features, lasting three
              or more years. This problem is not restricted to St. Joseph Bay and has been
              addressed as a concern in many parts of the state.

              Potential means of dealing with this issue include restricting the use of power boats
              in certain parts of the bay and/or restricting portions of the bay from dragging.
              Prior to addressing the issue, however, it is essential that better documentation be
              established regarding the extent and significance of damage to submerged
              vegetation.


              ISSUE 5: Do Present Water and Sediment Quality Monitoring Efforts Adequately
              Portray the Status of Water Qualfty in the B@)L.

              Current DER water quality and sediment monitoring stations are located in the
              vicinity of the St. Joseph ship channel and the city of Port St. Joe. Consequently,
              these stations do not monitor water quality in the productive southern end of the
              bay. The DNR's Shellfish Environmental Assessment Section does test fecal
              coliform levels and basic water quality parameters over the entire bay.
              Nevertheless, not all of the potential pollutants in-the bay are monitored. Sediments


                                                        49









               are assessed on a regular basis only in close proximity to the port and its
               navigation channel.


               ISSUE 6: Close Coordination Between the Coun!y and the Aquatic Preserve
               Proaram:

               The best  way to effectively integrate the authorities and jurisdictions regarding
               submerged land vested in the Aquatic Preserve Program and the authorities and
               jurisdictions regarding upland land use vested in local government is to have the
               two entities work closely together. Furthermore, several policies in the preserve's
               Management Action Plan (Chapter VII) promote preserve staff working closely with
               local government.      Likewise, policies in Gulf County's Local Government
               Comprehensive Plan promote coordination between the Aquatic Preserve Program
               and county government.

               A good means to assure close coordination between aquatic preserve staff and
               local government is to include in the preserve manager's job description a
               requirement that the manager -closely coordinate with local government and attend
               both planning and zoning and county commission meetings whenever there is an
               appropriate issue on the agenda.        And, when a manager is hired, county
               government should make efforts to involve the staff person in appropriate issues.


               ISSUE 7: Dying off of marsh grass:

               In the early part of 1990, residents and users of St. Joseph Bay began noticing that
               the marsh grass surrounding the bay was dying off. Initial comparisons of historical
               acreage in Spartina to current acreage suggests significant loss of habitat. Metals
               and pesticide analyses of sediments and water comparing affected and not affected
               areas have not suggested any trends.            Analyses of. sulfide and alcohol
               dehydrogenase data indicate the potential presence of another environmental
               stress: either natural or anthropogenic (Leslie, 1991).

               Because of the importance of the marshes to the ecological productivity of the bay,
               the Department of Natural Resources has initiated an effort to discover the reason
               for this die-off. Included in this effort are 1) an analysis of aerial photos to
               determine historical changes in salt marsh acreage in the bay; 2) ground surveys
               of existing salt marshes both within and in proximity to St. Joe Bay; 3) an analysis
               of affected marshes for fungal pathogens; 4) an analysis of associated faunal die-
               offs; 5) toxicity testing of sediments; 6) transplant experiments to determine the
               relative influence of elevation, 'sediment quality, and water quality on Spartina
               growth and survival; and 7) lead-210 analyses of sedimentation rates. At this time,
               none of these tasks have been completed (Carlson, 1991).



                                                        50










              MANAGEMENT INITIATIVES

              The following is a list of management initiatives to address resource management
              issues applicable to the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve. Adoption of these
              initiatives will provide specific direction on addressing issues not covered directly
              by statute or rule.

              1.     Encourage acquisition of privately owned submerged bottoms within St.
                     Joseph Bay and an upland buffer strip adjacent to the bay.

              2.     Seek full-time staffing of the preserve as outlined in Chapter IX of this plan.

              3.     In coordination with the local community, review, update, and revise as-
                     appropriate, the tasks and programs in the management plan at a minimum
                     of once every 2 years.

              4.     Develop a resource inventory and map natural habitat types within the
                     aquatic preserve.

              5.     Research and monitor to document the extent and significance of damage
                     of seagrasses by props and dragging for scallops.

              6.     RegVlarly monitor the health and areal coverage of seagrass beds and
                     marsh grass areas.

              7.     Protect, and where possible, enhance the habitats of species threatened,
                     endangered, or of special concern within the aquatic preserve.

              8.     Give a high priority toward the research and monitor erosion and its
                     causative factors, with a special emphasis being placed on the critically
                     eroding segment at Stump Hole.

              9.     Coordinate with federal, state, and local government in implementing the
                     aquatic preserve management plan, especially in the areas of protection of
                     natural and cultural resources, and in the enforcement of applicable resource
                     laws and ordinances.


              10.    Develop a cooperative working relationship with adjacent landowners to
                     develop and implement management criteria conducive to the long-term
                     protection of both upland and submerged habitats.

              11.    Require in the job description for the manager of the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic
                     Preserve that the manager closely coordinate with local government and
                     attend working relationship with county government and attend both



                                                        51









                      planning and zoning and county commission meetings whenever there is an
                      appropriate issue on the agenda.

               12.    Require that the manager closely coordinate with county and city
                      government on the preparation, adoption, and enforcement of land
                      development regulations which will protect the natural resources of the
                      aquatic preserve.

               13.    Upon staffing, the Preserve shall provide an annual report to the Board of
                      County Commissioners of Gulf County and to the city of Port St. Joe which
                      assesses the status of environmental health in the St. Joseph Bay aquatic
                      preserve.

               14.    Encourage the placement of docks and piers in locations that transverse the
                      least amount of salt marsh and seagrass beds.

               15.    Encourage property owner associations to incorporate the communal use
                      of an individual private residential single dock or a private residential multi-
                      slip dock, within their community, as opposed to the building of numerous
                      personal docks.

               16.    In coordination with local interests and with the scientific community,
                      establish a prioritized list of research and monitoring needs for the aquatic
                      preserve. This list should be updated at a minimum of every 2 years.

               17.    Obtain and serve as a repository for all past monitoring dam, scientific
                      literature, government reports, historical accounts, and available maps and
                      photos relevant to the aquatic preserve. A copy of all material should be
                      provided to the Gulf County library.

               18.    Assure that information from historical and ongoing research and monitoring
                      activities in the aquatic preserve are considered in resource management
                      and use decisions.

               19.    Provide assistance to en* vironmentally oriented education programs at public
                      and private schools at all grade levels from kindergarten through university
                      classes and to the community at large.










                                                         52











                                                   CHAPTER VI


                                             MANAGEMENT AREAS



              INTRODUCTION

              This chapter divides the aquatic preserve into separate management areas where
              general or special rule criteria and allowable uses are defined for each area. The
              management areas are classified and delineated based on the types and locations
              of existing and planned uses of the adjacent uplands, as well as on the types,
              occurrence and characteristics of the natural and historical resources on the
              submerged lands. The various management areas delineated may be classified
              similarly or differently as these factors vary within the preserve.

              The intent of this chapter is three-fold: 1) to provide a better understanding of
              general and special rule criteria designed to preserve and protect resources and
              habitat; 2) to identify the types of allowable uses on state-owned submerged lands
              within the aquatic preserve; and, 3) to provide local planners with a guide for land-
              use decisions. In summary, the intent of this chapter is both to afford both habitat
              protection and to clearly delineate allowable public and private uses in the aquatic
              preserve.

              Prior to providing the criteria for specific resource management areas, it is
              important that the intent, jurisdiction, and limitations of Florida's Aquatic Preserve
              Program be reiterated. Section 258.36, F.S., states that "it is the intent of the
              Legislature that state-owned submerged lands in areas which have exceptional
              biological, aesthetic, and scientific value... be set aside forever as aquatic preserves
              or sanctuaries for the benefit of future generations." The program has jurisdiction
              over the use of state sovereignty submerged lands within the boundaries of a given
              preserve. Activities which are not within the boundaries of the aquatic preserve
              (i.e., adjacent upland land uses) or which do not directly affect the sovereignty
              submerged bottom (i.e., regulation of commercial fishing or water quality) are not
              within the jurisdiction of the Aquatic Preserve Program.

              There are a number of differences between the rules governing uses of state-
              owned submerged lands within an aquatic preserve relative to those not within an
              aquatic preserve. The principle difference is that submerged lands within an
              aquatic preserve must be managed with the intent of protecting them for future
              9 enerations. Consequently, any proposed use must be shown to be in the public
              interest before it can be authorized and an applicant must demonstrate that no
              other alternative exists which would allow the proposed activity to be constructed
              or undertaken outside the boundaries of the aquatic preserve.




                                                         53










                MANAGEMENT AREA CLASSIFICATIONS

                A key component of the management program for an aquatic preserve is the
                division of the preserve into management areas. The classification of management
                areas in an aquatic preserve is based upon both resource value of submerged
                lands within the preserve, and the existing and anticipated future land use on the
                adjacent uplands as designated in the Local Government Comprehensive Plan. As
                in the delineation of upland land uses through zoning, the intention of delineating
                a preserve into management areas is to guide development activities on the state-
                owned submerged lands to areas where it is more appropriate, and to provide
                standards with which proposed uses and activities must comply. The intent of
                these management area classifications is to make potential development activities
                compatible with resource protection goals.

                Designated land uses  'are incorporated into the classification of management areas
                because use of the adjacent uplands has a direct bearing on the intensity of
                demand for uses of state-owned submerged bottoms. The Aquatic Preserve
                Program has no jurisdiction over the designated use of the adjacent uplands. The
                incorporation of the designated land use into the management area classification
                is primarily an acknowledgement of how local government has chosen to have a
                certain area developed; however, this upland designation also serves as a tool in
                designating compatible uses of the submerged lands in accordance with upland
                uses. Specific land use categories to be incorporated in the classification of
                management areas include:

                       Agriculture (AG): This category represents by state-owned submerged
                       lands adjacent to land designated on an approved future land use map for
                       a county and/or municipality as agriculture. It is intended to accommodate
                       private areas with sparse populations used primarily for- agricultural and/or
                       forestry purposes.

                       Single-Family (SF): This category represents state-owned submerged
                       lands adjacent to land designated on an approved future land use map for
                       a county and/or municipality as single-family residential. It includes areas
                       using the adjacent portion of the aquatic preserve solely for private activities.
                       For purposes of the St. Joseph Say Aquatic Preserve the shoreline areas on
                       Cape San Blas and the peninsula and Black's Island which are classified as
                       mixed commercial/ residential are included under this category.

                       Multi-Family (MF): This category represents state-owned submerged lands
                       adjacent to land designated on an approved future land use map for a
                       county and/or municipality as multi-family residential. It is intended to
                       include areas where more than one private residence is using the adjacent
                       portion of the aquatic preserve solely for private activities. The associated
                       residences include townhouses, trailer parks, condominiums, apartments,


                                                           54









                     and any other group of multi-family dwellings. They may also include a
                     group of single-family property owners, as in the case of a homeowners
                     association, that desires to construct any of the above-mentioned structures
                     for the mutual benefit of the group.

                     Commercial-industrial (Oh          This category represents state-owned
                     submerged lands adjacent to land designated on an approved future land
                     use map for a county and/or municipality as commercial or industrial. The
                     category is also intended to incorporate uses associated with structures that
                     charge fees or generate revenue. Examples of commercial uses includes
                     marinas that charge fees; yacht clubs that charge membership fees; private
                     businesses such as fish houses; and, establishments such as restaurants.

                     Public Recreation (PR): This category represents state-owned submerged
                     lands adjacent to land designated on an approved future land use map of
                     a county and/or municipality as public usage or preservation and which is
                     utilized for the purposes of public recreation. It is intended to include both
                     areas where structures used by the general public at no charge and federal,
                     state, county, or municipal parks that charge a nominal fee. Military
                     structures, while not always open to the public, are considered in this
                     category since the military serves the public. Therefore, the land on Cape
                     San Bias owned by Eglin Air Force Base and the U.S. Coast Guard are
                     included under this category.

                     Preservation _(Rj@ This category represents state-owned submerged lands
                     adjacent to land designated on an approved future land use map of a county
                     and/or municipality as preservation or conservation. Upland ownership can
                     be either public or private.

                     Open-water (OM: This category represents state-owned submerged lands
                     within an aquatic preserve which are of a distance of greater than 500 feet
                     from land.



              Classifications of management areas are also derived from the resource value of
              the state-owned submerged lands adjacent to the upland property. Each of the
              land use classifications noted above is assigned a second code letter to define the
              resource value of its submerged bottoms. The methodology used for determining
              resource value shall be consistent with the latest procedure approved by the
              Bureau of Submerged Lands and Preserves. An area within the preserve is
              designated as a primary resource protection area (PRPA), then will be assigned
              a resource value of "11". A PRPA essentially combines Resource Protection Areas
              1 and 2, as defined in Section 18-20.003 (31), and 18-20.003'(32), F.A.C.




                                                       55








               Submerged areas that are characterized by the absence of the above resource
               attributes will be designated as a secondary resource protection area (SRPA),
               and will be assigned a resource value of "2". A SRPA is essentially a Resource
               Protection Area 3 as defined by Section 18-20.003 (33), F.A.C.

               As stated previously, resource values are to be incorporated into the classification
               of management areas. For example, if an area within the preserve is determined
               to have be a primary resource protection area, and if its adjacent land is zoned as
               a single-family residential neighborhood, it would be classified as SF/1
               management area.

               Minimum criteria has been outlined for a number of uses and activities that can
               occur in the aquatic preserve. The minimum criteria provided in Chapter 18-20,
               F.A.C., applies to the uses and activities allowed for each management area.

               In the next section of this chapter, the minimum criteria in Chapter 18-20, F.A.C.,
               is provided. Then in the following section, the management areas are delineated
               providing boundaries, descriptions, and designated uses for each area. Any
               specific criteria for special management areas and a rationale for these criteria are
               also provided. Finally, Figure 9 provides a map of the management areas within
               the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve. The intention of providing this map is to give
               a general guidance and understanding of where management areas lie within the
               aquatic preserve.      However, specific determination of what management
               classification provided to a specific site will be based on the definitions above. In
               the event that a site visit concludes that the management area for a specific site is
               different from that shown on the illustrations in Figure 9, the determination made
               during the site visit will be judged as the correct determination.



               MINIMUM CRITERIA FOR ALLOWABLE USES

               Chapter 18-20, F.A.C. (Appendix A), provides the minimum standards in regard to
               utilization of the state-owned submerged lands within an aquatic preserve. These
               minimum standards are reviewed below by designated use.


               Private residential single docks:

               Section 18-20.004(5)(a), F.A.C., provides that all docks within an aquatic preserve
               shall meet the following standards and criteria.

                      1. No dock shall extend the lesser of 500 feet waterward of the mean or
                      ordinary high water line or 20% of the'width of the water body at that
                      particular location.



                                                        56









                     2. Areas of significant biological, scientific, historic, and/or aesthetic value
                     require special management considerations. Modifications to docks in these
                     areas may be more restrictive and are determined on a case-by-case
                     analysis.

                     3. The number, lengths, drafts, and types of'vessels allowed to utilize the
                     proposed facility may be stipulated.

                     4. Where local governments have more stringent standards and criteria for
                     docking facilities, the more stringent standards for protection and
                     enhancement of the aquatic preserve shall prevail.

              in addition, Section 18-20.004(5)(b), F.A.C., provides that private residential single
              docks shall conform to the following specific design standards and criteria:

                     1. An access"dock must have a maximum width of 4 feet.


                     2. Must be designed and constructed to ensure maximum light penetration.

                     3. May extend from the shoreline to a maximum depth of -4 feet mean low
                     water (MLW).

                     4. When the water depth is -4 feet MLW at an existing bulkhead, the
                     maximum dock length from the bulkhead shall be 25 feet, subj6ct to
                     modifications accommodating shoreline vegetation overhang.

                     5. Wave break devices s      hall be designed to allow for maximum water
                     circulation and built in such a manner as to be part of the dock structure.

                     6. The maximum size of the -terminal platform shall be 160 square feet.

                     7. New dredging is strongly discouraged.


              Private residential multi-slip docks,

              In addition to meeting the standards for all docking facilities noted above, Section
              18-20.004(5)(c), F.A.C., provides that private residential multi-slip docks shall
              conform to the following specific design standards and criteria:

                     1. The area of sovereignty submerged land preempted by the docking
                     facility shall not'exceed the square footage amounting to ten times the
                     riparian waterfront footage of the affected water body of the applicant, or the
                     square footage attendant to providing a single dock in accordance with the
                     criteria for private residential single docks, whichever is greater.           A


                                                        57









                      conservation easement or other such restriction acceptable to the Board
                      must be placed on the riparian shoreline, used for the calculation of the 10: 1
                      threshold,   to    conserve ' and     protect    shoreline    resources     and
                      subordinate/waive any further riparian rights of ingress and egress for
                      additional docking facilities.

                      2. Docking facilities and access channels     shall be prohibited in Resource
                      Protection Areas 1 and 2, except as allowed pursuant to Sections 258.42
                      (3)(e)(1), F.S., while dredging in Resource Protection Areas 3 shall be
                      strongly discouraged.

                      3. Water depths adjacent to and within the facility shall have a minimum of
                      one foot of clearance between the deepest draft of a vessel and the bottom
                      at MLW.

                      4. Main access docks and connecting or cross walks shall not exceed 6
                      feet in width.


                      5. Terminal platforms shall not exceed 8 feet in width.

                      6. Finger piers shall not exceed 3 feet in width and 25 feet in length.

                      7.   Pilings may be utilized as required to provide' adequate mooring
                      capabilities.

                      8. Specific provisions of Section 18-20.004(5)(d), F.A.C., for commercial
                      industrial, and other revenue generating/ income related docking shall also
                      apply to private residential multi@slip docks.


               Commercial-Industrial docking facilities and marinas:

               Section 18-20.004(5)(d), F.A.C., provides that commercial, industrial, and other
               revenue generating/income related docking shall conform to the following specific
               design criteria and standards:

                      1. Docking facilities shall only be located in or near areas with good
                      circulation, flushing, and adequate water depths.

                      2. Docking facilities shall not be located in Resource Protection Area 1;
                      however, main access docks may be allowed to pass through Resource
                      Protection Area 1 that are located along the shoreline, to reach an
                      acceptable Resource Protection Area 2, provided that such crossing will
                      generate minimal environmental impact.



                                                         58









                    3. The siting of docking facilities shall take into account the access of the
                    boat traffic to avoid marine grassbeds or other aquatic resources in the
                    surrounding area.

                    4. The siting of new facilities within the aquatic preserve shall be secondary
                    to the expansions of existing facilities when such expansion is consistent
                    with other standards.


                    5. The location of new facilities and expansion of existing facilities shall
                    consider the use of upland dry storage as alternative to multiple wet slip
                    docking.

                    6. Marina siting will be coordinated with local governments to insure
                    consistency with local plans and ordinances.

             Exceptions to the standards and criteria for any docking facility may be considered,
             but only upon demonstration that such exceptions are necessary to ensure
             reasonable riparian ingress and egress.



             Piers:


             No specific standards are addressed in the current Rule 18-20, F.A.C., to regulate
             construction of piers; therefore these guidelines will be followed. Follow standards
             of private residential single docks or private residential multi-slip docks in
             accordance with the appropriate dock requirement for each management area's
             designated uses. In-addition, the following applies to all piers:

                    (a)    no temporary or permanent vessel mooring shall be permitted; at
                           least one well displayed "no docking" sign shall be placed and
                           maintained on each side of the pier; and, railings shall be placed
                           around the entire perimeter of the pier; and,

                    (b)    dredging is strictly prohibited when associated with pier construction
                           or maintenance.



             Ramps:

             No specific standards are addressed in the current Rule 18-20, F.A.C., to regulate
             construction of boat ramps; therefore these guidelines will be followed. May be
             permitted on a case-by-case basis, after site inspection to assess the type and
             amount of shoreline and amount and type of benthic habitat that would be
             impacted; the amount of filling of submerged lands that would be required; and the
             accessibility to the ramp from both the water and land.


                                                       59









               Lease or transfer of lands, (Private Leases):

               Section 18-20.004(l)(b), F.A.C., provides that there shall be no further lease or
               transfer of sovereignty lands within an aquatic preserve unless such transaction is
               in the public interest. Section 18-20.004(2), F.A.C., specifically defines the public
               interest test (see Appendix A for a copy of Chapter 18-20, F.A.C.). Section 18-
               20.004(l)(e), F.A.C., states that lease, easement, or consent may be authorized for
               only the following activities: a public navigation project; maintenance of an existing
               navigation channel; installation or maintenance of navigation aids; creation or
               maintenance of a commercial/ industrial dock, pier, or marina; creation or
               maintenance of private docks; minimum dredging of navigation channels attendant
               to docking facilities; creation or maintenance of shore protection structures;
               installation or maintenance of oil and gas transportation facilities; creation,
               maintenance, replacement, or expansion of facilities required for the provision of
               public utilities; and, other activities which are a public necessity or which are
               necessary to enhance the quality or utility of the preserve and which are consistent
               with the Florida Aquatic Preserves Act (Section 258.35, F.S. through Section 258.46,
               F.S.). Section 18-20.004(1)(f), F.A.C. provides that structures to be built in, on, or
               over sovereignty lands are limited to those necessary to conduct water dependent
               activities.



               Utility Easements:.

               Section 18-20.004(3)(c), F.A.C., provides that utility cables, pipes, and other such
               structures shall be constructed and located in a manner that will cause minimal
               disturbance to submerged land resources such as oyster bars and submerged
               grassbeds and do not interfere with traditional uses. In St. Joseph Bay Aquatic
               Preserve, utilities will be encouraged along existing utility easements, to the extent
               possible.


               Spoil Disposal:

               Section 18-20.004(3)(d), F.A.C., provides that spoil disposal within an aquatic
               preserve shall be strongly discouraged and may be approved only where the
               applicant has demonstrated that there is no other reasonable alternative and that
               the spoiling activity may be beneficial to, or at a minimum, not harmful to the quality
               and utility of the preserve.








                                                         60


OCLC: 26478819		Rec stat:  n
Entered:  19920825	Replaced:    19950607		Used:  19921223
$ Type: a		Bib lvl: m		Source:  d 		Lang: eng
Repr:			Enc lvl: I		Conf pub: 0		Ctry: flu
Indx: 0		Mod rec:		Govt pub: s		Cont: b
Desc: a		Int lvl:		Festschr: 0		Illus: b
			F\B:  0		Dat tp: s		Dates: 1992,   %
$ 1 040 	FBA 'c FBA %
$ 2 043     n-us-fl % 
$ 3 092     574.9759 '2 20 %
$ 4 090     'b %
$ 5 049     NOAM %
$ 6 245 00  St. Joseph Bay aquatic preserve management plan : 'b adopted
January 22, 1992 \ 'c prepared by the Bureau of Submerged Lands and Preserves,
Division of State Lands. %
$ 7 260 [Tallahassee] : 'b Dept. of Natural Resources, 'c [1992]. %
$ 8 300 116 p. : 'b maps ; 'c 28 cm. %
$ 9 504  Includes bibliographical references (p. 101-105). %
$ 10 651 0 Saint Joseph Bay (Fla.) %
$ 11 650 0 Bays 'z Floridia. %
$ 12 650 0 Aquatic resources 'z Floridia 'z Saint Joseph Bay. %
$ 13 650 0 Marine parks and preserves 'z Floridia 'z Saint Joseph Bay 'x
Management. %
$ 14 710 1   Floridia 'b Bureau of Submerged Lands and Preserves. %
$ 15 710 01  Saint Joseph Bay aquatic preserve management plan. %










              MANAGEMENT AREAS


              This section defines the management areas for the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic
              Preserve (Figure 9). Boundaries, descriptions, and allowable uses are listed for
              each area. In reviewing these management areas it must be recognized that the
              Bureau of Submerged Lands and Preserves has authority only over submerged
              lands not otherwise deeded. Due to changes that will occur from rezoning of
              adjacent uplands, and conditions on submerged lands, the final decision on
              approving, modifying, or denying uses of the submerged lands within the preserve
              will be made based on field surveys and assessments of project sites.

              In addition to what is listed as allowable uses, certain activities are generally
              allowable in all management areas, in accordance with general rules. These
              include shoreline stabilization, maintenance dredging, and the maintenance of
              channel markers.


              The determination of management area classifications have been based on
              information presented earlier. In the event that a -site visit concludes that the
              management area for specific site is different from that shown in Figure 9, the
              determination made during the site visit will be judged as the correct determination.



                                         MANAGEMENT AREA AGL1

                                 (agricu Itu re/ primary resource protection area)

              Bound*aries: The southwest corner of the bay.

              Description: The submerged lands adjacent to the southwest corner of the bay are
              characterized by salt marshes grading into dense seagrass beds. The parcel on
              the adjacent uplands is owned by a single-owner, is included in a proposed CARL
              acquisition, and is currently in a natural, undeveloped state. The submerged area
              adjacent to the mainland shore is characterized by a strip of salt marsh grading into
              patchy beds of seagrasses. The submerged lands adjacent to the mainland shore
              area are in private ownership and therefore not within the aquatic preserve
              boundaries. This upland parcel adjacent to this area is presently in single
              ownership, undeveloped, and -used for forestry. It is also included in a proposed
              CARL acquisition.

              Allowable Uses: Private residential single docks; piers; utility easements (in
              designated corridors).





                                                        61









                                        MANAGEMENT AREA ffLI

                               (single-family/primary resource protection area)

              Boundaries: The entire southern portion of the bay which is not designated either
              preservation, recreation, or agriculture. Black's Island is included under this
              classification.

              Description:  The submerged lands adjacent to this area are typified by a band of
              salt marsh which grades into seagrass beds. The salt marsh is widest in the
              southern and south-eastern portions of the bay, extending into the bay several
              hundreds of feet in some locations. Seagrass coverage varies from sparse along
              the central portion of the eastern shore, to dense in some areas in the southern
              and western portion of the bay. The submerged bottoms along the eastern portion
              of the bay and one site on the western portion are in private ownership and
              therefore not included within the aquatic preserve boundaries. The adjacent
              uplands are divided into multiple ownerships, some of which contain single-family
              homes, some of which are actively being- developed, and some of which are in an
              undeveloped state. The upland parcels along the eastern portion of the bay are
              included in the proposed CARLacquisition. The submerged bottoms off of Black's
              Island are characterized by salt marsh and dense seagrass beds on the eastern
              side and sand bottoms with patchy seagrasses on the western side. The island is
              utilized as a camp facility.

              Allowable Uses: Private residential single docks; piers; utility easements (in
              designated corridors).



                                        MANAGEMENT AREA ffL2

                             (sing le-fam i ly/secondary resource. protection area)

              Boundaries: Portions of the Gulf shore of the peninsula.

              Description: The submerged bottoms along the gulf shore are typical of the sandy
              beaches along this portion of the gulf shore consisting of fine quartz grains of
              medium diameter; The adjacent uplands are used primarily for single family
              second-homes or duplexes and other multi-family units which are used both by the
              owners and for rental purposes.

              Allowable Uses: Private residential single docks; piers; utility easements.





                                                     62









                                          MANAGEMENT AREA MFL2

                               (multi-family/secondary resource protection area)

               Boundaries: Gulf shore adjacent to the state park.

               Description: This area encompasses the Barrier Dunes subdivision.                 The
               submerged bottoms along the shore are typical of the sandy beaches along this
               portion of the gulf shore consisting of fine quartz grains of medium diameter.

               Allowable Uses: Private residential multi-slip docks; piers; utility easements.



                                          MANAGEMENT AREA PR11

                              (public recreation/primary resource protection area)

               Boundaries: The peninsula shore of St. Joseph Bay south of Eagle harbor, and the
               bay shore of the William J. Rish Park facility.

               Description: The submerged lands adjacent to these areas are typified by a band
               of salt marsh which grades into seagrass beds. The salt marsh in the'vicinity of
               Eagle Harbor is patchy, along W.J. Rish park is a narrow band, and' in the
               southeast corner of the bay is much broader. Seagrass coverage is dense along
               most of this area. The W.J. Rish park has facilities developed, for use by physically
               and/or emotionally handicapped people.

               Allowable Uses: Public docks (constructed or repaired in a manner to minimize
               impact on submerged lands resources);- ramps; utility easements Jin designated
               corridors).



                                          MANAGEMENT AREA PR12

                             (public recreation /secondary resource protection area)

               Boundaries: The gulf shore of the William J. Rish park facility and the gulf shore
               of Air Force and Coast Guard property near Cape San Bias.

               Description: The submerged bottoms along the shore are typical of the sandy
               beaches along this portion of the gulf shore consisting of fine quartz grains of
               medium diameter. The adjacent uplands at the W.J. Rish park contain housing
               facilities for physically and/or emotionally disturbed people. The gulf shore of the


                                                        63








               Air Force and Coast Guard facility is currently undeveloped, but is proposed to be
               developed into a spaceport.

               Allowable Uses: Public docks (constructed or repaired in a manner to minimize
               impact on submerged lands resources); ramps; utility easements.



                                          MANAGEMENT AREA P11

                                (preservation/primary resource protection area)

               Boundaries: The northern end of the St. Joseph peninsula to Eagle Harbor and
               Pig Island.

               Descr iption: This area is characterized by a narrow band of salt marsh and patchy
               to dense stands of seagrasses. The adjacent uplands is left in a natural state.

               Allowable Uses: A single two-slip dock built in accordance with standards and
               criteria for private residential single docks.



                                          MANAGEMENT AREA PL2

                              (preservation/secondary resource protection area)

               Boundaries: The Gulf of Mexico shore of the St. Joseph peninsula to the area
               south of Eagle Harbor.

               Description: The submerged bottoms along the       shore are typical of the sandy
               beaches along this portion of the gulf shore consisting of fine quartz grains of
               medium diameter. The adjacent uplands are left in a natural state.

               Allowable Uses: A single two-slip dock built in accordance with standards and
               criteria for private residential single docks; piers; utility easements.



                                         MANAGEMENT AREA OW11

                                (open water/primary resource protection area)

               Boundaries: Areas in the southern portion of the bay.



                                                       64









              Description: The submerged bottoms in this open water areas are characterized
              as being covered in seagrass beds ranging from dense to patchy.

              Allowable Uses: utility easements (in designated corridors).



                                       MANAGEMENT AREA QW12

                              (open water/secondary resource protection area)

              Boundaries: Open-water areas in the central and northern portions of the Bay and
              on the Gulf of Mexico coast.

              Description: The submerged bottom in this open water area is characterized by
              its lack of coverage by seagrasses. Figure 4 (page 15) shows the bottom sediment
              types in open water areas within the aquatic preserve.

              Allowable Uses: Private leases; utility easements; spoil disposal.





























                                                     65




                                        I
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                    66
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                                                                               SOURCE: DNR, 1990



                           8501 30'






                                                                          NAUTICAL MILES

                                                                       1     0     1     2
















                                            OW2


                   C4



                                                                                     "PORT
                                                                                        T. JOE





                                                      Pi.           OW2

                                            OW2
                       OW open Water
                                                            SH
                       SF Single Family

                       MF Multi-FamlIV
                                                           0-      IBLACKS ISLA
                       PR Public Recreation
                                                              SF1
                       P   Preservation
                                                               Pi
                       Ag  Agriculture
                                                OW2
                       1   Primary protection
                           area                                       SF
                                                                      SF
                       2   Secondary protection
                           area
                           Excluded area                       CAPE SAN BLAS

                           Submerged & Emergent
                           Vegetation


                  FIGURE 9. Management Areas



                                                              67




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                    68
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                                                 CHAPTER VII


                                        MANAGEMENT ACTION PLAN



               The objective of this chapter is to establish guidelines which allow for the
               management and protection of the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve's natural
               resources for the benefit of future generations (Section 258.35, F.S.). Many of the
               authorities needed to manage and protect natural resources in an aquatic preserve
               are vested to entities outside the Bureau of Submerged Lands and Preserves.
               Therefore, coordination is a key component of the implementation program for
               managing aquatic preserves. For instance, the regulation of land use practices on
               adjacent uplands is critical to the long-term protection of the aquatic resources of
               the preserve and no authority is vested in the program to manage growth. Instead,
               this authority is centered in county and city government and is guided by Gulf
               County's and the city of Port St. Joe's Local Government Comprehensive Plans.

               It would improve the chances of the management goals and concepts of this
               management plan being attained if they are consistent with the local plan. Policy
               1.2.1 of the Coastal Management Element of the draft Gulf County Comprehensive
               Plan states that development on St. Joseph spit, Cape San Blas, and in the Coastal
               High Hazard Area south of Port St. Joe shall be consistent with the policies of the
               currently adopted St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve management plan. As noted
               earlier, the jurisdiction of the Aquatic Preserve Program does not extend into
               uplands in the Coastal High Hazard Area.

               To effectively manage a natural resource, one must be knowledgeable about how
               the resource functions and what composes the re    source, be able to transmit this
               knowledge to people who use and/or can potentially affect the resource, and be
               willing to take necessary actions to manage and protect the resource. Therefore,
               the management strategies for an aquatic preserve must consist of a variety of
               programs including direct hands-on management of resources, resource protection,
               environmental education, and research. The emphasis of the Aquatic Preserve
               Program in resource management is to conduct management activities and to
               coordinate the network of federal, state, regional, and local agencies with the
               authority to manage and protect natural resources. Through both of these
               strategies a cohesive management program that leads to the long-term
               conservation of the natural system may be attained.

               For all of the following goals, objectives and tasks, the Department of Natural
               Resources will, when appropriate and practical, participate with other agencies and
               organizations dedicated to protecting the local resources. . In order to avoid
               duplication of effort the Department will initiate programs only when they do not
               overlap or compete with programs operated by other governmental agencies or
               non-profit corporations.


                                                       69









               RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.

               The role of the Aquatic Preserve Program in resource management includes: 1)
               serving as an informed source on the ecological components and cultural
               resources within the aquatic preserve; (2) overseeing those activities that affect the
               natural resources within the aquatic preserve; 3) ensuring that accurate information
               is used in resource-related permitting, management, and planning decisions; 4)
               ensuring that all laws and rules regarding the natural resources are obeyed and
               that violations are enforced by the appropriate authorities; 5) conducting on-site
               surveys for specific activities; 6) coordinating with other resource management and
               enforcement agencies; 7) coordinating with other educational programs to inform
               the public on the inherent values associated with natural resources; 8) conducting
               or cooperating with other entities to conduct pertinent research projects; and 9)
               developing, and periodically updating, a comprehensive management program. In
               conducting resource management activities, the focus of preserve staff should be
               on both the impacts of an individual action as well as the cumulative impacts of all
               changes and actions on the natural system.

               Specific activities conducted by aquatic preserve staff in regard to resource
               management will include collecting and storing resource data and inventories;
               mapping the natural resources; monitoring of natural resources; identifying resource
               restoration needs and implementing a resource restoration program; and providing
               technical input and comments into environmental permitting and land-use planning
               decisions.


               In regard to data collection and inventories the predominant role of the aquatic
               preserves program will be to organize. and review data collected by other state and
               federal environmental agencies, other programs within DNR, universities, and other
               research entities. To the fullest extent possible, information will be stored in
               computers in a format defined. by the central office and at a location accessible by
               the residents of Gulf County. Staff will conduct an assessment of ongoing
               monitoring activities to assess its adequacy in monitoring the environmental climate
               of the preserve. Whenever possible, staff will conduct additional monitoring
               activities to augment existing monitoring programs conducted by other agencies.

               Resource Management Goal:

               To conduct those resource management actions necessary to conserve or enhance
               the natural resource oriented values of the preserve for future generations.

               Resource Manaciement Ob'ective 1:

               Initiate implementation of a broad-b  ased management program at the St. Joseph
               Bay Aquatic Preserve which focuses on the management and protection of natural
               resources, environmental education, and research.


                                                         70










                      Task 1-1:
                      Obtain the necessary staff and funds to implement all of the tasks listed in
                      this resource management master plan.

                      Task 1-2:
                      Review, update, and revise as appropriate the tasks and programs in the
                      management plan at a minimum of once every 2 years.


               Resource Manaciement Obiective 2:

               Establish and maintain close communication and coordination with all federal, state,
               regional, and local governmental agencies which have authority in natural resource
               Management decisions that can affect the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve.

                      Task 2-1:
                      Assure that all state, federal, regional, and local government agencies which
                      have authority in resource management decisions in the aquatic preserve
                      are aware of the goals of the Aquatic Preserve Program, its authorities, and
                      what actions are considered acceptable and not acceptable within or in
                      close proximity to the aquatic preserve.

                      Task 2-2:
                      To understand the authorities of the various federal, state, regional, and local
                      agencies in regard to resource management and determine which staff
                      people in these agencies are responsible for activities within or in close
                      proximity to the aquatic preserve.

                      Task 2-3:
                      Serve as a regular liaison for agencies with resource management authority
                      and report any problems to specific agencies with jurisdiction to deal with
                      the problem.

                      Task 2-4:
                      Coordinate closely with the Florida Department of State, Division of Historical
                      Resources on all issues relating to historical and archaeological resources
                      within the aquatic preserve.

                      Task 2-5
                      Develop a Memorandum of Understanding with all government entities
                      having jurisdictional authority in natural resource management decisions
                      which can affect the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve.





                                                          71









              Resource Management Objective 3:

              Be actively involved in all resource management decisions which can potentially
              affect the natural resources of St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve.

                     Task 3-1:
                     Review and provide comments for all permits relating to construction
                     activities on sovereign submerged lands within the aquatic preserve.

                     Task 3-2:
                     Review and provide comments on all upland land-use actions including
                     comprehensive plans, county or municipal ordinances, or specific
                     development proposals which have the potential to impact the natural
                     resources of the aquatic preserve.

                     Task 3-3:
                     Provide technical comments on any administrative rules developed by state
                     resource management agencies or the Marine Fisheries Commission
                     regarding the protection and management of the natural resources of the
                     aquatic preserve.

                     Task 3-4:
                     Review and provide comments on all permit applications that could
                     potentially impact the natural resources of the aquatic preserve such as but
                     not limited to the maintenance dredging of an existing navigation channel,
                     modification of this channel, or the creation of new channels.


              Resource Management Objective 4:

              Provide increased management and protection emphasis to areas within the St.
              Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve which either are integral to maintaining the
              productivity of the aquatic preserve, contain outstanding resource values, are in
              need of restoration or special management programs, or are important habitat to
              state and federally designated species.

                     Task 4-1:
                     Delineate any areas within the aquatic preserve where increased
                     management emphasis is necessary, and develop specific program to
                     add ress the needed additional emphasis.







                                                      72










                Resource Manaaement Obiective 5:

                To regularly monitor and inventory the natural and historical resources within the
                St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve.

                       Task 5-1:
                       Prepare and regularly update a map of natural habitats within and adjacent
                       to the aquatic preserve.

                       Task 5-2:
                       Identify and regularly monitor designated species and their associated
                       habitats within or in close proximity to the aquatic preserve.

                       Task 5-3:
                       Evaluate water quality monitoring data whigh is collected by state and federal
                       resource management agencies and through other research and monitoring
                       efforts.


                       Task 5-4:
                       To monitor traditional uses of the aquatic preserve including commercial and
                       recreational fishing,. boating, and beach going to define extent of use and
                       foresee any potential problems.

                       Task 5-5:
                       Annually prepare a report describing the state of the environment of the
                       aquatic preserve. This report should discuss the findings of the resource
                       monitoring program; most recent water quality data and any trends in water
                       quality; any changes in resource community boundaries; status of
                       designated species within the aquatic preserve; permit applications within the
                       preserve; land development trends on adjacent uplands; and any
                       enforcement actions necessary.



                Resource Manaciement Ob*ective 6:

                To focus on the impacts of resource        utilization at the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic
                Preserve from a cumulative perspective as well as from the impacts of an individual
                action.


                       Task 6-1:
                       To utilize tools such as the local comprehensive plan to foresee future uses
                       of the aquatic preserve.





                                                           73










                     Task 6-2:
                     To encourage the development of predictive tools to assess cumulative
                     impacts of various development scenarios.

                     Task 6-3:
                     To consider the use of mitigative or restoration actions in association with
                     any development activity that will degrade the natural resources of the
                     aquatic preserve.


               Resource Managementbb8ective 7:

               To implement those on-site management actions determined as necessary to
               maintain resource values of St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve for future generations.

                     Task 7-1:
                     As necessary, prepare and implement plans to restore disturbed sites within
                     the aquatic  preserve.

                     Task 7-2:
                     As necessary, develop and implement specific programs to remove or
                     eradicate undesired exotic animal and plant species.




               RESOURCE PROTECTION PROGRAM

               The role of the Bureau of Submerged Lands and Aquatic Preserves in resource
               protection includes enforcement of state laws and rules; coordinating with other
               enforcement staff in the Division of State Lands and other divisions and agencies
               having enforcement authority; and, reviewing and commenting on permits. In
               regard to direct enforcement, the Bureau has regional staff to deal with enforcement
               issues concerning aquatic preserves. If these staff are unavailable, the option of
               using Marine Patrol staff also exists. Any prosecution actions will be handled by
               DNR legal staff. On site staff are intended to serve only as technical support on
               enforcement issues. Violations of Chapter 18-20, F.A.C. are violations of civil law
               and as such are subject to all civil penalty limitations.

               In serving as technical support, staff is expected to evaluate development proposals
               in aquatic preserves in regard to adverse impacts on natural and cultural resources
               and consistency with established laws and rules; conduct field assessments and
               prepare comments and recommendations to appropriate agencies; maintain good
               communication with local, regional, state, and federal environmental regulatory
               agencies; and, notify appropriate authorities of violations and illegal activities.



                                                        74









                Other agencies with enforcement authority which can be used to protect the natural
                resources of an aquatic preserve include the Department of Natural Resources, the
                Department of Environmental Regulation, the Game and Fresh Water Fish
                Commission, and local law enforcement officers.


                -Resource Protection Goal:

                To ensure compliance with all laws, rules, ordinances, and permit conditions
                relating to the protection of natural resources.


                Resource Protection Objective 1 1

                To assure that all violations of federal, state, and local laws, rules, ordinances, and
                permit conditions in the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve are responded to in a
                timely manner.

                        Task 1 -1:
                        The preserve manager will coordinate with agencies that have enforcement
                        authority in the aquatic preserve area for natural -resource related issues and
                        develop a network of communication and coordination among these
                        agencies.

                        Task 1-2:
                        To establish a scheduled program in coordination with other agencies with
                        enforcement authority to systematically monitor the aquatic preserve for
                        resource-oriented violations which could potentially affect the natural
                        resources of the aquatic preserve. Any violations spotted in this effort
                        should be immediately reported to the appropriate enforcement entities.

                        Task 1-3:
                        To regularly monitor all permitted actions within the aquatic preserve during
                        their construction phase to assure compliance with permit conditions. Once
                        construction is completed a letter shall be sent to the permitting entity stating
                        that the project was completed and whether it is in compliance with the
                        agreed upon permit conditions.

                        Task 1-4:
                        Provide technical support to federal, state, or local entities involved in
                        resource-oriented enforcement actions within the aquatic preserve.






                                                           75










              RESEARCH AND MONITORING PROGRAM

              Marine research conducted within the DNR is normally the responsibility of the
              Division of Marine Resources. Nevertheless, because of the nature and purpose
              of aquatic preserves, some management related research projects should also be
              associated with this program. The two key components of a research program are
              research and monitoring. Research is the systematic collection and analysis of
              experimental and/or field observations that produce knowledge. And, monitoring
              is the systematic sampling and measurement over time of variables which describe
              the abundance and distribution of biological resources, the distribution and
              concentrations of physical, geological or chemical properties, or the location and
              rates of significant processes.

              Research and monitoring conducted through the Aquatic Preserve Program shall
              focus on management solutions specific to a site or to the program in general. The
              overall program's involvement with research can vary from actually conducting a
              research project to providing in-kind support to certain research projects to
              contracting an outside entity to donecessary research.

              The role and emphasis of a specific preserve. in research and monitoring is
              contingent on the classification of the preserve. Preserves established for either
              biological or scientific purposes should emphasize research and monitoring
              activities much greater than preserves designated for aesthetic purposes. St.
              Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve was established for biological /scientific purposes.
              *Research conducted within aquatic preserves must be compatible with protection
              of natural resources and receive the clearance of aquatic preserve field staff and
              the central office staff.


              Research and monitoring associated     with an aquatic preserve will emphasize either
              providing a better understanding of the functioning and interrelationships of the
              preserve's natural systems; monitoring the status of the preserve over time; or,
              providing information to allow for the wise use and management of the preserve.

              Staff of each preserve will keep close coordination with all research projects and
              monitoring activities ongoing within the preserve, as well as outside research
              conducted by universities, the Division of Marine Resources, or research entities
              which are pertinent to the preserve. Efforts will also be taken by the Central Office
              to assure that research funding for aquatic preserves under state programs such
              as Sea Grant and the Surface Water Improvement and Management Act are
              consistent with previously identified and approved research needs for the preserve.

              Much of the existing research in St. Joseph Bay was done either by graduate
              students or professors from Florida State University. These past research projects
              have focused mainly on fisheries, seagrasses, and the geology of the bay and
              offshore area. There are no known ongoing research projects in St. Joseph Bay.


                                                        76









                The research needs in St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve include documenting the
                long-term impacts of powerboat propellers and commercial scallop dredging on the
                seagrass beds and the ecological productivity of the bay and establishing a means
                to evaluate the cumulative impact of development activities on adjacent uplands.

                The other entities currently known to be involved in environmental monitoring in St.
                Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve are the DER, DNR, and the city of Port St. Joe's
                Water Pollution Control Department. The DER has two stations in St. Joseph Bay
                which have been monitored since 1971. These stations are located on the eastern
                side of the bay about one-half mile above the state park boundary and on the
                western side of. the bay off the city of Port St. Joe. Ideally, additional stations which
                are closer to the more productive south end of the bay should also be established.
                The University of Florida, Department of Environmental Engineering is about to be
                initiating a water and sediment monitoring effort in the bay. The Bureau of Coastal
                Pata Acquisition, DNR, is conducting long term beach and offshore profile
                monitoring within the aquatic preserve. DNR has eighty-five monitoring stations
                located along the gulf shoreline of the preserve, as well as obtaining aerial videos
                of the coast. The city's Water Pollution Control Department has monitored the bay
                since 1973 and currently monitors water, sediment, and fish.

                The St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve is located adjacent to the Apala        chicola Bay
                National Estuarine Research Reserve. This Reserve is operated by both the
                National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and DNR. The research
                programs at the rzstuarine Research Reserve and the aquatic preserve will be
                closely coordinated. St. Joseph Bay is also located within 40 miles of Florida State
                University's Turkey Point Marine Institute.


                Research and Monitorinci Goal:

                To have the necessary research and monitoring activities conducted so that the
                ecological functioning of the preserve is understood, so that the preserve can be
                managed and used in an ecologically sound and wise manner, and so that the
                preserves can be maintained in it's natural condition for future generations.


                Research Obiective 1

                Promote the scientific investigations    and monitoring activities necessary in St.
                Joseph Bay to understand the status and basic functioning of the bay, enhance the
                management of its natural resources, and guide the wise management and
                utilization of those resources.







                                                           77










                      Task 1-1:
                      Establish and maintain communication and coordination links between the
                      aquatic preserve staff and existing research and monitoring entities including
                      Florida's state university system, DNR's Marine Resources Laboratory, the
                      Florida Department of Environmental Regulation, the U.S. Environmental
                      Protection Agency, the city of Port St. Joe's Water Pollution Control
                      Department, and any other entity involved in research and monitoring in or
                      near the preserve.

                      Task 1-2:
                      In coordination with the scientific community, establish a prioritized list of
                      research and monitoring needs for the aquatic preserve. This list should be
                      updated at a minimum of every 2 years.

                      Task 1-3:
                      By offering assistance either through logistical support or funding (as
                      available) encourage the conducting of priority research projects.

                      Task 1-4:
                      As available funds and staff time and expertise permit, conduct priority
                      research and monitoring activities.


               Research Oblective   2:


               Staff should be knowledgeable about the ecological components of the bay and
               .how they function by obtaining a basic understanding of all past and ongoing
               research projects and monitoring activities done within St. Joseph Bay Aquatic
               Preserve or in other areas whose results are applicable to the management and
               protection of the preserve.

                      Task 2-1:
                      To obtain and serve as a repository for all past monitoring data collected
                      within the aquatic preserve. Copies of this information should be kept at
                      both the DNR office and the Gulf County library. The existing monitoring
                      programs should be assessed in regard to parameters monitored, sampling
                      methods, sampling frequency, and station location in coordination with the
                      scientific community to assure that they accurately portray the environmental
                      climate of the preserve. If necessary, means of modifying or expanding the
                      existing monitoring program should be examined.

                      Task 2-2:
                      To obtain, review, and serve as a repository for all existing scientific
                      literature, government reports, historical accounts, and available maps and



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                      photos of the aquatic preserve. Copies of this information should be kept
                      at both the DNR'office and the Gulf County library.

                      Task 2-3:
                      To regularly review the scientific literature relevant to the ecological
                      processes within as well as the protection and management of the aquatic
                      preserve.


                      Task 2-4:
                      To establish a library containing information on plant and animal species and
                      communities found within the aquatic preserve. Copies of this information
                      should be kept at both the DNR office and the Gulf County library.


               Research Objective 3:

               To coordinate the use of research findings into both management decisions and
               resource education programs.

                      Task 3-1:
                      Staff should serve as a link between historical and ongoing research and
                      monitoring activities in the preserve and current resource management and
                      use decisions. Staff should make key scientific information available to
                      decision-makers.


                      Task 3-2:
                      Staff should serve as a link   between historical and ongoing research and
                      monitoring activities in the   preserve and resource education programs.
                      Materials used in resource     education programs relating to the preserve
                      should be reviewed by staff for accuracy and updated periodically to reflect
                      current research findings.


               Research Objective 4:

               To coordinate with DER and the Northwest Florida Water Management District on
               the status of water quality in the preserve.

                      Task 4-1:
                      Maintain a file, and periodically assess data received from DER on water
                      quality within the preserve. If water quality is declining, consult with DER to
                      determine sources of degradation and evaluate possible actions to stop or
                      reverse the trend. If water quality is improving, steps should be taken to
                      document the reasons for the improvement.



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                     Task 4-2:
                     Coordinate with the local mosquito control district or programs to review
                     arthropod control plans submitted in compliance with Section 388.4111, F.S.,
                     and to monitor arthropod control activities for compliance with the
                     management plan.



              ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION JIN FORMATION PROGRAM

              The role of the Aquatic Preserve Program in environmental education is mainly to
              coordinate and augment existing programs conducted out of the local school
              system(s), the Florida Department of Education, or other state agencies. Education
              programs are conducted at aquatic preserves in an effort to meet the overall
              program goal of maintaining aquatic preserves at their current level of
              environmental quality for future generations. The target population of education
              programs at St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve includes nearby upland landowners
              and developers, commercial and recreational resource users, students at all grade
              levels, organized groups, and local, regional, and state government agencies.

              The involvement of aquatic preserve staff in public education will focus on the
              development of both programs in the school system and to the public at large.
              Specific areas of involvement may include developing informational pamphlets,
              brochures, or booklets*, conducting interpretive tours; conducting lectures or
              classes; development of public service announcements for television and radio;
              and, development of video programs and other teaching aids that can be used by
              public school systems in their daily instruction to students. Two DNR publications,
              Environmental Education in Florida: Needs and Goals and A Guide for
              Environmental Education, serve as important resource documents for environmental
              education programs in aquatic preserves.


              Environmental Education jInformation Goal:

              To educate people so that they will use the environment in ways that preserve it,
              consider environmental issues when planning and making decisions which could
              affect the environment, and- take part in decisions affecting nearby natural
              resources. In general, the intent of aquatic preserve education programs is to
              make the public informed and responsible users of natural resources.


              Education Obiective 1:

              To provide assistance to environmentally oriented education programs at public and
              private schools at all grade levels from kindergarten through university classes.


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                       Task 1 -1:
                       In coordination with staff of the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research
                       Reserve prepare classroom units relating to -the natural resources of St.
                       Joseph Bay.

                       Task 1-2:
                       To periodically lead or assist in classroom field trips into the aquatic
                       preserve.


                       Task 1-3:
                       To develop a specimen collection of species commonly found in the
                       preserve to be used by public and private schools in their environmental
                       education programs.

                       Task 1-4:
                       In coordination with staff of the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research
                       Reserve participate in programs designed to educate environmental
                       education instructors.


                       Task 1-5:
                       To develop a reference library of material relevant to the natural resources
                       of St. Joseph Bay in Gulf County and make the contents available to
                       educators.



                Education Obiective 2:

                To provide and/or assist in environmental education programs to the community
                at large.

                       Task 2-1:
                       To conduct or assist in seminars, forums, or classes for public discussion
                       of relevant resource management, utilization, and regulation issues.
                       Seminars should involve both commercial and recreational resource users
                       and should seek to involve resource users.


                       Task 2-2:
                       Develop brochures, pamphlets, and/or booklets in coordination with staff of
                       the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve for public
                       dissemination which describes both the purpose of and the activities
                       conducted at the aquatic preserve and the functional importance of the
                       Preserve's ecosystem.






                                                          81










                     Task 2-3:
                     Develop a network of signs to be placed at strategic access points to the
                     aquatic preserve designed to educate the general public about ecological
                     significance of St. Joseph Bay, the role of the general public in conserving
                     natural resources, and the Aquatic Preserve Program.

                     Task 2-4:
                     Periodically prepare newspaper articles or radio announcements designed
                     to educate the general public about the ecological significance of the
                     preserve and/or topical resource management, utilization, and regulation
                     issues. Through this vehicle the findings of recent research efforts should
                     be disseminated to the public at large.

                     Task 2-5:
                     Provide reference material to nearby public libraries regarding the
                     description, management, and utilization of the natural resources of the
                     aquatic preserve. Efforts should be made to encourage public libraries to
                     have a special section relating to local natural resources.

                     Task 2-6:
                     To conduct and/or sponsor cultural events including aft and photography
                     exhibitions, storytelling sessions, and musical events relating to the
                     management and protection of natural resources.

























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                                                     CHAPTER Vill


                                   MANAGEMENT COORDINATION NETWORK



                This chapter provides an overview of the federal, state, regional, and local agencies
                that have jurisdiction or hold interest in the management of the St. Joseph Bay
                Aquatic Preserve. Much of the authority necessary to protect and manage the
                natural resources within and adjacent to the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve exists
                outside the Bureau of Submerged Lands and Preserves. Therefore, the preserve's
                management action plan (Chapter 7) includes several objectives and tasks which
                direct staff to coordinate with entities which have the necessary jurisdiction.
                Resource Management Objective 2 provides that the aquatic preserve staff should
                establish and maintain close communication and coordination with all federal, state,
                regional, and local governmental agencies which have authority in natural resource
                management decisions that can impact the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve.
                Resource Management Objective 3 further provides that staff "be actively involved
                in all resource management decisions which can potentially impact the natural
                resources of St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve. And, Resource Protection Objective
                1 provides that staff should assure that all violations of federal, state, and local laws,
                rules, ordinances, and permit conditions in the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve are
                responded to in a timely manner.


                FEDERAL AGENCIES


                Many federal agencies have property interests, land and wildlife management
                programs, research activities, construction activities; and regulatory programs
                existing or potentially existing within the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve. Listed
                below are the major federal agencies and their program involvement within the
                preserve.


                        U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service


                        The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) administers three programs
                        which directly affect the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve. The Division of
                        Ecological Services, headquartered in Panama City, reviews dredge and fill
                        requests and other federal level permitting under the Fish and Wildlife
                        Coordination Act. The USFWS is also charged with the protection and
                        recovery of endangered species and bird rookeries. Field personnel could
                        become involved in using available recovery techniques.

                        Under a provision in the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, the USFWS must
                        be consulted before the Corps of Engineers can submit a plan for



                                                            83









                       congressional approval which relate to water diversion, channel deepening,
                       or modifications to streams or other bodies of water.


                       U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

                       The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) regulates activities in waters and
                       wetlands under four separate, but related laws and their subsequent
                       amendments: Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, Federal Water Pollution Act
                       of 1972, Clean Water Act of 1977, and Marine Protection, Research, and
                       Sanctuaries Act of 1972.


                       The COE's major responsibilities which relate to the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic
                       Preserve are the maintenance of federally authorized navigation channels,
                       pollution abatement, maintenance of water quality, and enhancement of fish
                       and wildlife.  The COE also provides technical guidance and planning
                       assistance for development of the nation's water resources. Under Section
                       404 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Acts Amendments of 1972, the
                       COE has regulatory authority over dredge and fill activities in coastal
                       wetlands.


                       In December, 1982 a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between DNR,
                       DER and the COE was executed. The MOU established a process whereby
                       the proprietary concerns of the Trustees, stated in Chapter 253, F.S., is
                       integrated into the DER/COE joint permitting process.

                       U.S. Environmental Protection Agengy

                       The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for the
                       control and abatement of six types of pollution: air, water, noise, solid waste,
                       toxic waste, and radiation. The DER is the state agency responsible for
                       pollution control in Florida in conjunction with the federal program.

                       Coast Guard


                       The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) is charged with the protection of the nation's
                       coastline. In the preserve, the Coast Guard is involved in the regulation of
                       boating safety, search and rescue, the surveillance of narcotics contraband,
                       and plays a primary role in spill control in coastal areas. -Additionally, the
                       Coast Guard regulates the construction of structures, such as bridges,
                       causeways, and aerial utilities, which may pose navigation hazards, and
                       oversees safety issues associated with commercial navigation.






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                       National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

                       The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of
                       Coastal and Resource Management, administers the National Estuarine
                       Research Reserve Program which includes the Apalachicola Bay National
                       Estuarine Research Reserve (see discussion under Department of Natural
                       Resources). NOAA's Office of Oceanography and Marine Assessment,
                       Ocean Assessment Division (OAD) conducts research, assessment, and
                       monitoring activities on environmental quality issues in estuaries. Through
                       its National Status and Trends Program, OAD is conducting a nationwide
                       monitoring program to assess chemical contamination in estuaries
                       throughout the country. Through its National Coastal Pollutant Discharge
                       Inventory, OAD determines the sources and analyzes the quality of
                       discharged pollutants in estuaries. OAD also has a National Estuarine
                       Inventory which characterizes the physical and hydrological features of the
                       nation's estuaries and coastal areas. NOAA also operates the weather
                       station in Apalachicola, Florida and collects tidal data from four stations
                       within or near the preserve.

                       National Marine Fisheries Service


                       The National Marine Fisheries (NMFS), U.S. Department of Commerce
                       records commercial fish landings, enforces national fishery laws, and
                       protects vital fishery habitats. The Environmental Assessment Branch of
                       NMFS comments on permit applications, at the federal level, which may
                       adversely impact fishery habitats. NMFS also has enforcement officers
                       checking for illegal fishing activity.

                       Degartment of Defense (U.S. Air Force)

                       The U.S. Air Force owns several 100 acres adjacent to the aquatic preserve
                       at which it operates a radar tracking facility.

                       Spaceport Florida Autbgrijy

                       The Spaceport Authority is currently activating a former Air Force missile test
                       site on Cape San Blas for research-oriented sounding rocket launches.




               STATE AGENCIES


               Many state agencies have property interests, land and wildlife management
               programs, research activities, regulatory authority and construction activities within



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               the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve. The interactions of these programs with the
               management of the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve are outlined below:

                      Department of Natural Resources

                      The Division of Marine Resources has several programs relevant to aquatic
                      preserves. The Marine Research Laboratory in St. Petersburg has several
                      projects including resource protection area mapping and fishery habitat
                      utilization studies which generate valuable resource management
                      information.


                      The Division of Marine Resources also administers a permitting program for
                      the collection of certain marine species and the use of certain chemicals.
                      The Bureau of Submerged Lands and Preserves receives notification of
                      issuance of permits within aquatic preserves.

                      The Division of Marine Resources' Shellfish Environmental Assessment
                      Section (SEAS) is responsible for the classification and management of
                      shellfish harvesting areas. A SEAS field support office and the laboratory
                      support facility are located in Apalachicola. SEAS performs four primary
                      tasks: conducting shoreline surveys to locate and evaluate potential pollution
                      sources; establishing and monitoring water quality monitoring stations; red
                      tide monitoring; and, managing shellfish harvesting areas for the purpose of
                      protecting public health.

                      The Division of Law Enforcement's Marine Patrol, District 2 has a
                      detachment located in Carrabelle, Florida. The detachment includes 22
                      people. The Marine Patrol regulates and enforces safe boating laws and
                      enforces all commercial and recreational fishing laws.

                      The Division of State Lands, in addition to the work related to aquatic
                      preserves., is charged with overseeing uses, sales, leases, or transfers of all
                      state-owned lands. The Bureau of Submerged Lands and Preserve staff
                      interact with other staff of State Lands in all transactions concerning
                      Submerged lands within the preserve including education, research, and
                      acquisition of privately titled submerged lands or contiguous uplands
                      important to the integrity of the preserve.

                      The Division of Resource Management is responsible for the management
                      of aquatic plants, mineral resources, oil and gas exploration, and geologic
                      studies. It also supervises state Navigation Districts and Canal Authority.

                      The Division of Beaches and Shores is responsible for managing erosion
                      control, hurricane protection, coastal flood control, shoreline and offshore



                                                        86









                       rehabilitation, and the regulation of work and activities likely to affect the
                       physical condition of the beach and shore.

                       The Division of Recreation and Parks oversees operations at the T.H. Stone
                       State Park on the St. Joe peninsula.

                       Marine Fisheries Commission


                       The Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) has been delegated rule making
                       authority with respect to marine life, and regulates the harvesting of all
                       marine life (except designated species), subject to final approval by the
                       Governor and Cabinet. Their authority covers gear specifications, prohibited
                       gear, bag limits, size limits, species that may not be sold, protected species,
                       closed areas, quality control codes, harvesting seasons, special
                       considerations related to egg-bearing females, and oyster and clam relaying.
                       The MFC is required to make annual recommendations to the Governor and
                       Cabinet regarding marine fisheries research priorities, which can in turn
                       directly influence research efforts and priorities at the preserve.

                       *Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission


                       The Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission (FGFWFC) has several
                       programs directly related to resource management at the preserve. The
                       Office of Environmental Services (with staff in Tallahassee and Apalachicola)
                       reviews projects which may affect local fish and wildlife habitat. FGFWFC is
                       the state coordinator of the Non-Game Wildlife and Endangered Species
                       Program in Florida. The Division of Wildlife is also responsible for
                       designating Critical Wildlife Management Areas to protect designated
                       species. And, the FGFWFC has law enforcement officers working in the
                       area.


                       Department of Environmental Rggulation

                       The Department of Environmental Regulation (DER) has the authority to
                       regulate air, water, noise, wastewater, stormwater, and hazardous waste
                       pollution through a permitting and certification process. An interagency.
                       agreement between DNR and DER provides an avenue for prior DNR staff
                       review and comment on projects with potential environmental impacts in the
                       preserve.

                       DER is the state contact for the initiation of dredge and fill applications in
                       conjunction with the COE and DNR. The permitting process is a key
                       management tool for the protection of the preserve. In December 1982, a
                       Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between DER, DNR, and the COE
                       established a process whereby the proprietary concerns of the Board of


                                                         87









                     Trustees, stated in Chapter 253, F.S., are integrated into the DER/COE joint
                     permitting process.

                     The DER also oversees the Outstanding Florida Waters (OFW) program and
                     enforces water quality regulations for the state. As an aquatic preserve, St.
                     Joseph Bay was automatically designated an Outstanding Florida Water.
                     Through this designation, ambient conditions become the water quality
                     standard for the preserve, thereby providing a legal means of preventing any
                     degradation to the preserve's water quality.

                     The DER Office of Coastal Management is charged with coordinating
                     activities related to coastal management and reviewing federal actions for
                     consistency with the State Coastal Management Program. . The Office of
                     Coastal Management also awards grants for research and management
                     planning.

                     Department of Communi!y Affairs

                     The Department of Community Affairs (DCA) is responsible for coordinating
                     Developments of Regional Impact (DRI), designating Areas of Critical State
                     Concern (ACSC), and overseeing the local planning process.

                     DRI's are major developments that may affect more than one county and
                     require regional review from neighboring local governments the regional
                     planning council, and state agencies. The ACSC program is intended to
                     protect areas of the state where land development has, or may potentially
                     endanger natural resources.

                     The DCA also oversees the development of Local Government
                     Comprehensive Plans for counties and municipalities. Local governments
                     are required to adopt land development regulations which are consistent
                     with the adopted local comprehensive plan within one year after submission
                     of their plan for review and approval by the DCA.

                     Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

                     The Department of Agriculture and          Consumer Services (DACS) is
                     responsible for regulating pesticide usage, overseeing forestry operations,
                     and overseeing designated plant species.

                     Department of Transportation

                     The Department of Transportation (DOT) is responsible for the planning and
                     construction of state roads in Gulf County. The DOT also updates a state-
                     wide aerial photographic survey every four years.


                                                       88









                       Department of State

                       The Department of State, Division of Historical Resources (DHR) has
                       responsibility for protecting archaeological and historical sites. This includes
                       cultural resources located on state-owned sovereignty submerged lands.

                       Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services

                       The Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services (HRS) administers
                       septic tank and mosquito control programs at a state level. Although
                       mosquito control serves a useful public function, the effects of pesticides in
                       the waters-of the preserve can be a primary concern. DNR staff are involved
                       in the management programs developed by the Florida Coordinating Council
                       on Mosquito Control, and subsequent policy recommendations resulting
                       from this group will be evaluated for their potential effects on the aquatic
                       preserve.

                       Office of Plannina and Budaetina'

                       The Office of Planning and Budgeting in the Executive Office of the Governor
                       is responsible for administering project reviews applicable to Florida's
                       Coastal Management Program and the Federal consistency program in
                       conjunction with DER. This process incorporates all projects in the state that
                       involve federal permitting, federal assistance, or direct federal activity. Each
                       project must undergo this additional review to determine if the project is
                       consistent with the established programs, policies, and rules of the state.

                       Florida Sea Grant


                       Florida Sea Grant is a State University System program with administrative
                       offices at the University of Florida.       By using seminars, workshops,
                       demonstrations, publications, and personal contacts, Marine Extension
                       Agents working for Sea Grant inform the public of current issues of the sea
                       and coast.




                REGIONAL AGENCIES


                In addition to state and federal agencies, two regional agencies have a major role
                in the use and management of the preserve: The Northwest Florida Water
                Management District and the Apalachee Regional Planning Council.





                                                          89









                      Northwest Florida Water Management District

                      The Northwest Florida Water Management District (NWFWMD) administers
                      permitting programs for consumptive water use, management and storage
                      of surface water well drilling and operation, regulation of artificial recharge
                      facilities, and works of the district. This includes withdrawal of water from
                      rivers, streams, and wells. The types of water uses permitted by the
                      NWFWMD which could affect the St. Joe Bay Aquatic Preserve includes
                      public water supply.

                      In 1987 the Florida Legislature directed water management districts through
                      the SWIM act to develop and implement plans to improve the water quality
                      and related aspects of the state's surface waters. The SWIM program has
                      no activities ongoing or planned which relate to the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic
                      Preserve.


                      Agalachee Regional Planning Council

                      The Apalachee Regional Planning Council (ARPC) serves as a regional
                      planning body for the local government of Gulf County. Among its duties,
                      the ARPC : aids local governments with planning expertise; is the regional
                      representative for the DRI review process; serves as a clearinghouse for
                      state and federal projects and programs; conveys information from the local
                      governments to the state and federal levels; assists local governments in
                      getting grant aids; and prepares and administers the Regional Policy Plan.

                      The DRI review of projects which affect the preserve will be reviewed by both
                      the central office staff and field personnel. DRI's for marinas, subdivisions
                      adjacent to the preserve, and commercial or industrial developments will be
                      reviewed closely for their potential impact on the preserve.




               LOCAL GOVERNMENT


               The St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve is contained entirely within Gulf County. The
               city of St. Joe lies in close proximity to the preserve's boundary. The city of Port
               St. Joe is the regional water pollution control in closest proximity to St. Joseph Bay.
               The city is the owner and operator of the area's regional wastewater treatment
               plant. The city has acted as the major water pollution control authority in the region
               since 1973. The key area of interaction between county and/or municipal
               government and the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve is in the area of land use on
               the adjacent uplands and its associated impacts on and uses of the aquatic
               resources of the preserve. To this end, there are two basic areas of concern: local
               government comprehensive plans and local ordinances and regulations.


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                      Local Government Comprehensive Plans

                      Local (municipal and county) governments are required by the Local
                      Government Comprehensive Planning Act of 1975 (Section 163.3161, F.S.),
                      (as amended by Chapter 85-55, Laws of Florida, to the Local Government
                      Comprehensive Planning and Land Development Regulation Act) to develop
                      and adopt comprehensive plans to guide their future development. The
                      plans are to be composed of elements relating to different governmental
                      functions (i.e., housing, physical facilities, conservation, land use, coastal
                      zone protection, etc.). These plans must meet the approval of state agencies
                      and be consistent with minimum standards set in Chapter 9J-5, F.A.C.

                      The coastal management element of the Local Government Comprehensive
                      Plan, along with the land use and conservation elements, establishes long
                      range plans for orderly, and balanced development, with particular attention
                      to the identification and protection of environmental resources in the
                      planning area. Conformance with the criteria, policies, and practices of a
                      local government comprehensive plan is required for all development within
                      the local government jurisdiction.

                      Local Ordinances and Procirams

                      (personal communication from Larry McArdle, Manager, city of Port St. Joe
                      Wastewater Treatment Plant)

                      There are two local ordinances (one municipal and one            county) which
                      directly relate to local government control over St. Joseph Bay, including the
                      portions which are part of the aquatic preserve. The municipal ordinance
                      is a pretreatment ordinance adopted by the city in accordance with Federal
                      Clean Water Act requirements. The city's pretreatment ordinance regulates
                      what industries can put in wastewater influents to the city's wastewater
                      treatment plant. The county ordinance is one which regulates airboat and
                      aircraft traffic on St. Joseph Bay.

                      The city of Port St. Joe has a water pollution control department which
                      operates and maintains the city's regional industrial wastewater treatment
                      plant. The city's plant was financed, constructed and operated with help
                      from local industries in 1973. By developing one large regional facility, the
                      city and its industries were able to eliminate three outdated facilities, and
                      have achieved high quality treatment of the wastewaters generated by the
                      city and its systems users. The city's collection and treatment system has
                      eliminated approximately 90% of the pollutant loads discharged directly to
                      St. Joe Bay prior to 1973.




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                      Port Authori!y Master Plan

                      (personal communication from Larry McArdle, Manager, city of Port St. Joe
                      Wastewater Treatment Plant)

                      The Port of St. Joe dates back to 1701 with a Spanish outpost in St. Joe
                      Bay. The United States purchased Florida in 1819 from Spain, and by 1839
                      Port St. Joe ranked with the ports of Mobile, New Orleans and Apalachicola.
                      Most of the currently existing Port of Port St. Joe facilities were developed
                      by 1960-70. The existing port and facilities, by current comparison could be
                      termed small or minor with respect to expansive gulf ports such as Tampa,
                      Mobile and New Orleans. All existing deepwater port facilities are outside of
                      the state aqyatic preserve, but water portions lie adjacent to it.

                      The management of the Deepwater Port of Port St. Joe is by the Port
                      Authority established under Section 215.431, Florida Statutes. The Authority
                      is an independent public agency composed of five commissioners appointed
                      by the Governor. They are authorized to own and acquire property,
                      construct, maintain and operate Port and all other harbor facilities. The Port
                      Authority prepared a master plan for Florida Department of Community
                      Affairs and the Florida Department of Natural Resources in December 1988.
                      Several goals, objectives and policies of the plan relate to the portion of St.
                      Joe Bay which have historically been used as a port and for navigation,
                      adjacent to the aquatic state preserve.

                      Local Development Codes

                      The local development and zoning codes (e.g., building codes) provide the
                      major local regulation that defines what an owner can do on a particular
                      parcel of property. The zoning prescribes the allowable uses and the
                      intensity of those uses'. Certain land uses and land use intensities adjacent
                      to an aquatic preserve can lead to profound impacts on the resources of the
                      preserve.

                      Within one year after the approval of their Local Government Comprehensive
                      Plan, local governments are required to amend their land development
                      regulations to be consistent with the provisions of the plan.



               PRIVATE CONCERNS

               In addition to coordinating and working closely with governmental entities, the
               aquatic preserve manager should also coordinate with private entities including St.
               Joe Bay Protection Committee, Friends of St. Joe Bay, representatives of. St.


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              Joseph Forest Products Company, representatives of the commercial and
              recreational fishing industries, and other groups related to the protection or
              utilization of the natural resources of the bay.











































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                                                    CHAPTER IX


                                          STAFFING AND FISCAL NEEDS



                Historically, the Aquatic Preserves Program has been largely dependent on federal
                coastal zone grant funds for both its operation, and as a result, the funding of both
                field positions and central office positions has been limited.
                In order for 'the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve to be managed in accordance
                with goals, objectives, and tasks set forth in this plan, adequate funding, staffing,
                and equipment is essential. Currently there is no legislative funding for staffing at
                the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve. Instead, management is conducted on a
                part-time basis by the manager of the Alligator Harbor Aquatic Preserve and
                permitting is handled by District staff in Pensacola. It is anticipated that the above
                program can be implemented with one full-time employee for the most part to the
                St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve and a full-time secretarial assistant which would
                also assist staff of the Alligator Harbor Aquatic Preserve. This estimate does not
                include staff-time or expenses by DNR and other state agency employees involved
                intermittently in the various tasks necessary to manage and conserve the natural
                resources of the aquatic preserve. An annual review of the accomplishments of the
                program relative to the tasks listed in Chapter VII will help to determine if the initial
                staffing estimate is adequate to meet the legislative intent of the program.

                A budget covering projected staff time, equipment, travel, and other expenses for
                this area is found in Table 2. The budget is required to fulfill the short-range needs
                of the preserve as described in this management plan, and accomplish the
                Department of Natural Resources goal of on-site management of all aquatic
                preserves by 1991, as expressed in the      Agency Functional Plan.


















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                                                      TABLE 2


                           ESTIMATED BUDGET FOR THE FIRST TWO YEARS FOR
                                     ST. JOSEPH BAY AQUATIC PRESERVE







               SALARY                                      FIRST YEAR           SECOND YEAR




                      ES 11 (including benefits)           $32,010              $32,970
                      Secretary Specialist                   16,324               16,814
                      Subtotal                             $48,334              $49,784





               OPERATING CAPITAL OUTLAY

                      Vehicle                              $15,000
                      Boat/ M otor/Trailer                  17,5o6'
                      Office Equipment                      3,500
                      Computer                              2,600
                      Subtotal                             $38,600





               OPERATING EXPENSES


                      Office Rent, Gas, Phone              $19,000              $21,000





               TOTAL COST                                  $105,934             $70,784









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                                                  CHAPTER X


                           RESOURCE AND ACTIVITY MONITORING PROGRAM



               To ensure that this management plan is effectively implemented, on-site staffing is
               imperative. The position of a preserve manager will be necessary in order to
               institute programs targeted at (1) monitoring the status of natural resources, (2)
               monitoring usage of the aquatic preserve, and (3) tracking progress and
               accomplishments that are directed at retaining the original integrity and value of the
               preserve.



               RESOURCE MONITORING


               In managing an aquatic preserve it is important to regularly review whether the
               efforts of the Aquatic Preserve Program and other federal, state, and local
               programs to protect the natural resources are meeting their objectives. Therefore,
               the status of the natural resources in the preserve will be monitored on a regular
               basis. Features which should be monitored include, but should not be limited to,
               trends in water and sediment quality (including monitoring point or non-point
               sources of pollution), areal coverage, location, and health of salt marshes and
               seagrass communities, recreational and commercial harvesting of marine
               resources, and development trends on adjacent uplands.                 As Resource
               Management Task 5-5 of the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve Management Action
               Plan (Chapter VII) provides, the preserve manager shall annually prepare a report
               describing the state. of the environment of the aquatic preserve. This report will be
               the heart of the resource monitoring program. It should discuss the findings of the
               resource monitoring program; most recent water quality data and any trends in
               water quality; any changes in resource community boundaries; status of designated
               species within the aquatic preserve; permit applications within the preserve; land
               development trends on adjacent uplands; and any enforcement actions necessary.

               To monitor changes in the natural resources, use of a regional geographic
               information system (GIS) is highly recommended. A GIS is a computer-based
               system that is used to capture, edit, display, and analyze geographic information.
               The first GIS programs were developed about 20 years ago to manage large
               collections of natural resource and environmental information.            Since their
               development, they have been used in other areas such as utilities mapping,
               inventory management, and land use planning; however, their most important
               function continues to be natural resource management.

               Future use of a GIS system at the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve could include
               the periodic inventory, compilation, and analysis of temporal and spatial data
               concerning the present state of the natural resources within the preserve. Historical


                                                        99








               aerial photography could be computerized for comparison with later data to
               conduct a temporal analysis of resource abundance. Detailed monitoring of any
               re-vegetation or restoration efforts could also be computer analyzed. The on-line
               access to these natural resource data bases will facilitate informed management
               decisions concerning the use and protection of submerged lands and their
               resources. Cooperation and file sharing is possible with other agencies handling
               data with identical or similar systems.



               ACTIVITY MONITORING


               As human interaction in and around the aquatic preserve increases, additional
               pressures are to be expected in the form of recreational and development activities.
               Monitoring the type of use of activities and their compatibility, their frequency of
               occurrence, as well as proven and expected detrimental effects on the preserve's
               natural resources, will provide a foindation to amending the policies of the aquatic
               preserve to protect its natural resources.



               ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND PROGRESS MONITORING


               For this mana  gement plan to be effectively implemented, it is necessary to monitor
               the accomplishments of the on-site program on a regular basis. Therefore as
               noted above, staff of the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve will be required to
               annually submit a report to the main office, the Gulf County Commission, and the
               City of Port St. Joe on the state of the natural environment of the aquatic preserve,
               what was done in the previous year toward the tasks listed in Chapter VII, and what
               are needs and directions of the aquatic preserve for the coming year. This report
               should be closely keyed to the tasks listed in Chapter VII and will serve as the basis
               for judging the adequacy of staffing and funding estimates listed in Chapter IX

               Specific information which should be included in the annual state of the preserve
               report includes any noted change in acreage or health of seagrasses and salt
               marshes; numbers of permits applied for, issued, and denied; whether any
               exemptions to standards were granted; number of structures built adjacent to the
               preserve; any changes in water quality within the preserve; and whether any
               violations were uncovered.













                                                         100











                                                   CHAPTER X11


                                                  REFERENCES



               Apalachee Regional Planning       Council. 1984. Apalachee regional hurricane
                       evacuation study: technical data report.

               Apalachee Regional Planning Council. 1987. Apalachee Regional Comprehensive
                       Policy Plan. (Rule 29L-50001). Florida Planning District Two.

               Barnett, E.L. and J.S. Gunter. 1986. Comprehensive shellfish harvesting survey
                       for St. Joseph Bay, Gulf County, Florida. Florida Department of Natural
                       Resources, Shellfish Environ-mental Assessment Section.

               Balsillie, J.H. 1985. Long-term shoreline change rates for Gulf County, Florida: a
                       first appraisal. Florida Department of Natural Resources Beaches and
                       Shores Special Report No 85-3.

               Baskerville-Donavan Engineers, Inc. 1990. Gulf County comprehensive plan. Vol
                       11. Support Documents, Chapter V, Coastal Management Element/Port
                       Master Plan.
              -Beaches and Shores Resource Center, Institute of Science and Public Affairs,
                       Florida State University. 1985. Coastal construction control line review and
                       reestablishment study for Gulf County, Florida. submitted to the Division of
                       Beaches and Shores, Florida Department of Natural Resources.

               Bureau of Economic and Business Research, University of Florida. 1987. Florida
                       statistical abstract. A.H. Shoemyen, editor.

               Carlson, P. 1991. February 5, 1991 Internal Department of Natural Resources
                       memorandum to Pam McVety, Director of the Division of Marine Resources.

               Clark, R.R.     1989.   Beach conditions in Florida: a statewide inventory and
                       identification of the beach erosion problem areas in Florida.            Florida
                      -Department of Natural Resources Beaches and Shores Technical
                       Memorandum No. 89-1.


               Dawes, C.J. 1987. The dynamic seagrasses of the Gulf of Mexico and Florida
                       coasts. In Proceedings of the symposium on subtropical-tropical seagrasses
                       of the Southeast United States. M.J. Durako, R.C. Phillips, and R.R. Lewis
                       III, editors, Florida Marine Research Publication 42, p. 25-38.




                                                         101










               de la  Cruz, A.A. 1973. The role of tidal marshes in the productivity of coastal
                      waters. ASB Bull. 20(4):147-156.

               Dean, R.G. and T.Y. Chiu. 1985. Combined total storm tide frequency for Gulf
                      County, Florida. Beaches and Shores Resource Center, Institute of Science
                      and Public Affairs, Florida State University. Submitted to the Florida Depart-
                      ment of Natural Resources.


               Department of Natural Resources. 1990. Florida's Beach Restoration Management
                      Plan for Planning Districts 1, 11, and V.

               Eleutrius, L.N. 1987. Seagrass ecology along the coasts of Alabama, Louisiana,
                      and Mississippi. In Proceedings of the symposium on subtropical-tropical
                      seagrasses of the South-east United States. M.J. Durako, R.C. Phillips, and
                      R.R. Lewis III, editors, Florida Marine Research Publication 42, p. 11-24.

               Flemer, D.A., T.C. Malone, H.M. Austin, W.R. Boynton, R.B. Biggs, and L.E. Cronin.
                      1983. How should research and monitoring be integrated? In, Ten Critical
                      Questions for Chesapeake Bay in Research and Related Matter, L.E.
                      Cronin, editor. Chesapeake Research Consortium, Publication No. 113, p.
                      125-139.


               Florida Department of Environmental Regulation. 1979. Biolo-gical aspects of
                    . water quality in Florida, Part 1. edited by L.T. Ross and D.A. Jones.

               Florida Department of Natural Resources. 1987. St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve
                      Management Plan.

               Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission.                1987.    Official lists of
                      endangered and potentially endangered fauna and flora in Florida.

               Hand, J., V. Tauxe, M. Friedemann, and L. Smith. 1990. 1990 Florida water quality
                      assessment: 305(b) technical appendix.              Florida Department of
                      Environmental Regulation

               Leslie, A.J. 1991. February 7, 1991 Internal Department of Natural Resources
                      Memorandum to Jeremy Craft, director of Resource Management,
                      Department of Natural Resources.

               Livingston, R.J. 1984. The ecology of the Apalachicola Bay system: an estuarine
                      profile. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service FWS/OBS-82/05.





                                                        102









              Livingston, R.J. 1987. Historic trends of human impacts on seagrass meadows in
                     Florida.   In Proceedings of the sympo-sium on subtropical-tropical
                     seagrasses of the Southeast United States. M.J. Durako, R.C. Phillips, and
                     R.R. Lewis 111, editors, Florida Marine Research Publication 42, p. 139-152

              McNulty, J.K., W.N. Lindall, Jr., and J.E. Sykes. 1972. Cooperative Gulf of Mexico
                     estuarine inventory and study, Florida: Phase 1, area description. NMFS
                     CIRC-368, U.S. Department of Commerce.

              National Council of the Paper Industry for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc. 1988.
                     U.S. Environmental Protection Agency/Paper Industry cooperative dioxin
                     screeening study. NCASI Technical Bulletin No. 545.

              National Council of the Paper Industry for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc. 1990.
                     U.S. Environmental Protection Agency/Paper Industry cooperative dioxin.
                     study: the 104 mill study. NCASI Technical Bulletin No. 590.

              Rudloe, A.E. 1985. Variations in the expression of lunar and tidal behavioral
                     rhythms in the horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus. Bull. of Mar. Sci.
                     36(2):388-395.

              Ryan,  J.D., F.D. Calder, and L.C. Burney. 1984. Deepwater ports maintenance
                     dredging and disposal, manual. Office of Coastal Management, Florida
                     Department of Environmental Regulation.

              Salsman, G.G. and A.J. Ciesluk. 1978. Environmental conditions in coastal waters
                     near Panama City, Florida. Nav. Coastal Syst. Cent. Tech. Rep. No. TR337-
                     78.

              Savastano, K.J., K.H. Faller, and R.L. Iverson 1984. Estimating vegetation
                     coverage in St. Joseph Bay, Florida with an airborne multispectral scanner.
                     Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing, Vol. 50, No. 8, p. 1159-
                     1170.


              Schmidt, W. 1978. Environmental geology series, Apalachicola sheet. Florida
                     Bureau of Geology Map Series no. 84.

              Schropp, S.J. and H.L. Windom (editors). 1988. A guide to the interpretation of
                     metal concentrations in estuarine sediments.        Florida Department of
                     Environmental Regulation, Coastal Zone Management Section.

              Schnable, J.E. and H. Goodell. 1968. Pleistocene- Recent stra-tigraphy, evolution,
                     and development of the Apalachicola coast: Florida. Geol. Soc. Amer.,
                     special paper no. 112.



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               Stapor, F.W. 1971. Sediment budgets on a compartmented low-to-moderate
                      energy coast in northwest Florida. Marine Geology. 10:Ml-M7.

               Stapor, F.W. 1973. Coastal sand budgets and Holocene beach ridge plain
                      development, northwest Florida. Fla. State Univ. PhD Dissertation.

               Stapor, F.W. 1974. The "cell: concept in coastal geology. Sediment Transport in
                      the Near-Shore Zone. Florida State University. Chapt. 1: 1 -11.

               Stauble, D.K. and D.A. Warnke. 1974. The bathymetry and sedimentation of Cape
                      San Blas shoal and shelf off St. Joseph Spit, Florida. Jour. of Sed. Pet.
                      44(4):1037-1051.

               Stewart, R.A. 1962. Recent sedimentary- history of St. Joseph Bay, Florida. Fla
                      State Univ. M.S. Thesis.


               Stewart, R.A. and D.S. Gorsline. 1962. Recent sed.imentary    history of St. Joseph
                      Bay. Sedimentology. 1:256-286.

               Stout, J.P.   1984.    The ecology of    irregularly flooded salt marshes of the
                      northeastern Gulf of Mexico: a community profile. U.S. Fish and Wildlife
                      Service, Biological Report 85(7.1).

               Tanner, W.F. 1960. Florida coastal classification. Gulf Coast Association of
                      Geological Societies Transactions, vol. 10, p. 259-266.

               Tanner, W.F. 1960a. Expanding shoals in areas of wave refraction. Science.
                      132(3343):1012-1013.

               Tanner, W.F. 1961. Offshore shoals in areas of energy deficit. dour. of Sed. Pet.
                      31(l):87-95.

               Tanner, W.F. 1966. Late Cenozoic history and coastal morphology of the
                      Apalachicola River region, western Florida., In, Deltas and their geologic
                      framework, M. Shirley editor, p. 83-97.

               Tanner, W.F. 1975. Historical beach changes, Florida "Big Bend" Coast. Trans.
                      Gulf Coast Assoc. of Geol. Soc., Vol. XXV, p. 379-382.

               U.S. Army. 1971. National shoreline study, regional inventory report, South
                      Atlantic: gulf region, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. U.S. Army Engineer
                      South Atlantic Division.







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               Virnstein, R.W.    1987.    Seagrass-associated invertebrate communities of the
                      southeastern USA: a review.         In Proceedings of the symposium on
                      subtropical-tropical seagrasses of the Southeast United States. M.J. Durako,
                      R.C. Phillips, and R.R. Lewis III, editors, Florida Marine Research Publication
                      42, p. 89-116.

               Wells, R.L., personal communications, Gulf County administrative assistant.

               Williams, D.R. 1971. Marine grass bed inventory, North Florida coast, October
                      1980, Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory, Office of Research and
                      Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. TS-AMD-8099.

               Wolfe, S.H., J.A. Reidenaur, and D.B. Means. 1988. An ecological characterization
                      of the Florida panhandle. USFWS Biological Report 88(12).

               Zieman, J.C. 1982. The ecology of the seagrasses of south Florida: a community
                      profile. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Biological Services Rept.
                      82/25.

               Zieman, J.C. and R.T. Zieman. 1989. The ecology of the seagrass meadows of
                      the west coast of Florida: a community profile. USFWS Biological Report
                      85(7.25).


























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APPENDIX A

Administrative Codes                                                                                    (R. 3/87)
V.9, p. 692-20                                                                                          18-20.002

CHAPTER 18-20									(c) To coordinate with federal, state, and local
FLORIDIA AQUATIC PRESERVES                                        agencies to aid in carrying out the intent of the
18-20.001	Intent.								(d) To use applicable federal, state, and local
18-20.002 	Boundaries and Scope of the 					management programs, which are compatible with
            Preserves.								the intent and provisions of the act and these rules,
18-20.003 	Defintions                                            and to assist in manging the preserves;
18-203.004	Management Policies, Standards				(e) To encourage the protection, enhancement
            and Criteria.  							or restoration of the biological, aesthetic, or 
18-20.005 	Uses, Sales, Leases, or Transfer of 			scientific values of the preserves, including but not
            Interests in Lands, or Materials,				limited to the modification of existing manmade
            Held by the Board. (Repealed)					conditions toward their natural condition, and 	
18-20.006	Cumulative Impacts.						discourage activities which would degrade the 
18-20.007	Protection of Riparian Rights.				aesthetic, biological, or scientific values, or the 
		(Repealed)							      quality, or utility of a preserve, when reveiwing
18-20.008	Inclusion of Lands, Title to Which				applications, or when developing and implementing
		Is Not Vested in the Board, in a				management plans for the preserves;
		Preserve.								(f) To preserve, promote, and utilize indigenous
18-20.009   Establishment or Expansion of					life forms and habitats, including but not limited to:
		Aquatic Preserves							sponges, soft coral, hard corals, submerged grasses,
18-20.010	Exchange of Lands.						mangroves, salt water marshes, fresh water
18-20.011	Gifts of Lands							marshes, mud flats, esuarine, aquatic, and marine
18-20.012	Protection of Indigenous Life					reptiles, game and non-game fish species, esuarine,
		Forms.								aquatic and marine invertebrates, estuarine,
18-20.013	Development of Resource						aquatic and marine mammals, birds, shellfish and
		Invensories and Management					mollusks;
		Plans for Preserves.						(g) To acquire additional title interests in lands
18-20.014	Enforcement								wherever such acquistions would serve to protect or
18-20.015	Application Form. (Repealed)					enhance the biological, aesthetic, or scientific values
18-20.016	Coordination with Other						of the preserves;
		Governmental Agencies						(h) To maintain those beneficial hydrologize and 
18-20.017	Lake Jackson Aquatic Preserve.				biologic functions the benefits of which accrue to
Library References: Riparian rights in navigable waters,		the public at large.
I. Henry Dean 55 Fla. Bar J. 247, 250 (Mar., 1981).			(4) Nothing in these rules shall serve to
											eliminate or alter the requirements or authority of
18-20.001 Intent.									other governmental agencies, including counties
(1) All sovereignty lands within a preserve shall			and municipalities, to protect or enhance the 
be managed primarily for the maintainence of				preserves provided that such requirements or
essentially natural conditions, the propragation of			authority are not inconsistent with the act and this
fish and wildlife, and public recreation, including			chapter.
hunting and fishing where deemed approiate by				Specific Authority 120.53 258.43(1) FS. Law
the board,and the managing agency.						implemented 258.35 258.36 258.37 258.39 258.393 FS.
(2) The aquatic preserves which are described in			Chapter 80-280 Laws of Floridia, History -New 2-23-81.
73-534, Laws of Floridia, Sections 258.39, 258.391,			Amended 8-7-85, Formerly 16Q-20.01, Transferred from
258.392 and 258.393, Floridia Statutes, future				16Q-20.001.
aquatic preserves established pursuant to general or			
special acts of the legislature, and in Rule				18-20.002 Boundaries and Scope of the 
18-20.002, Floridia Administrative Code, were				Preserves.
established for the purpose of being preserved in an			(1) These rules shall only apply to those
essentially natural or existing condition so that their		sovereignty lands within a preserve, title to which is 
aesthetic, biological and scientific values may				vested in the board, and those other lands for which
endure for the enjoyment of future generations				the board has an appropiate instrument in writing,
(3) The preserves shall be administered and				executed by the owner, authorizing the inclusion of 
managed in accordance with the following goals:				specific lands in an aquatic preserve pursuant to
(a) To preserves shall be administered and				Section 2(2) of Chapter 73-534, Laws of Floridia
exceptional areas of soverignty submerged lands by			Sections 258.40(1) and 258.41(5), Floridia Statutes
reasonable regulation of human activity within the			future aquatic preserves established through
preserves through the development and					general or special acts of the legislature and
implementation of a comprehensive management				pursuant to Rule 18-20.008 Floridia
program;										Administrative Code. Any publicity owned and
(b) To protect and enhance the waters of the 				maintained navigators channel authorized by the
preserves so that the public may continue to enjoy			United States Congress or other public works
the traditional recreational uses of those waters such		project to improve or maintain commerce and
as swimming, boating, and fishing;						designed to improve or maintain commerce and
											navigation shall be deemed to be excluded from the 
									107






                               (R. 3/7)
                               18-20.002                         INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT TRUST FUND                                       V. 9, P. 692-2P

                               provisions of this chapter, pursuant  to Subsection            181, pages .363-366, and In the Official Records of
                               258.40(2), Florida Statutes. Furthermore, all lands            Flagler County in Book 33, pages 131-134.
                               lost by avulsion or by artificially Induced erosion                4.  Tomoka Marsh Aquatic Preserve, as
                               shall be deemed excluded from the provisions of this         described in the Official Records of Flagier County
                               chapter pursuant to Subsection 258.40(3), Florida              in Book 33. pages 135-138, and in the Official
                               Statutes.                                                      Records of Volusia County in Book 1244, pages
                                  (2) These rules do not apply to Boca Ciega Bay,             615-618.
                               Pinellas County or Biscayne Bay Aquatic                            5. Wekiva River Aquatic Preserve. as described
                               Preserves.                                                     in Section 258.39(30). F.S.
                                  (3) These rules are promulgated to clarify the                  6.  Mosquito Lagoon Aquatic Preserve as
                               responsibilities of the board in carrying out its land         described in the Official Records of Volusia County
                               management functions as those functions apply                  in Book 1244, pages 619-623, and in the Official
                               within    the    preserves.     Implementation         and     Records of Brevard County in Book 1143, pages
                               responsibility for environmental permitting of                 190-194.
                               activities and water quality protection within the                 7. Banana River Aquatic Preserve, as described
                               preserves are vested in           the Department of             in the Official Records (if Brevard County  in Book
                               Environmental Regulation.        Since these rules are         1143, pages 195-198. less those lands dedicated it)
                               considered Cumulative with      other rules, a person         the U. S. A. prior to the enactment of the act, until
                               planning an activity within the preserves should               such time as the U.S.A. no longer wishes to
                               also consult the other applicable department rules             maintain such lands for the purpose for which they
                               (Chapter 18-21, Florida Administrative Code, for               were dedicated, it which time such lands would
                               example) as well as the rules of the Department of             revert it to the Board. and he managed as part of the
                               Environmental Regulation.                                      preserve.
                                  (4) Thew rules shall not affect previous actions                8.  Indian River - Malabar to Sebastian
                               of the board concerning the issuance of any                   Aquatic Preserve, as described in the Official
                                                                                             Records (if Brevard County in book 1143 pages
                               casement or lease; or any disclaimer concerning                
                               sovereignty lands.                                             199-202,and in the Official Records is Indian
                                  (5) The intent and specific provisions expressed            River County in     Book 368 pages 5-8.
                               in 18-20.001(e) and (f) apply generally to all                     9. Indian River - Vero Beach to Fort Pierce
                               existing or future aquatic preserves within the scope          Aquatic Preserve as described in the Official
                               of this chapter. Upon completion of a resource                 Records of Indian River County in Book 368, pages
                               inventory and approval of a management plan for a              9-12, and in the Official Records or St. Lucie
                               preserve, pursuant to 18-20.013, the type                       County in Book 187, Pages 1083-1086.
                               designation and the resource sought to be preserved                10. Jensen Beach to jupiter Inlet Aquatic
                               may be readdressed by the Board.                              Preserve, as described in the Official Records of St.
                                  (6) For the purpose of clarification and                    Lucie County in Book 218, pages 2865-2869.
                               interpretation, the legal description set forth as               11. North Fork, St. Lucie Aquatic Preserve. as
                               follows do not include any land which is expressly             described in the 0fficial Records of Martin County
                               recognized as privately owned upland in a                     in Book 337, pages 2159-2162 and in the Official
                               pre-existing recorded mean high water line                     Records of St. Lucie County in Book 201, pages
                               settled  agreement between the board and a                 1676-1679.
                               private owner or owners. Provided, however, in                     12. Loxahalchee River - Lake Worth Creek
                               those instances wherein a settlement agreement was             Aquatic Preserve, as described in the Official 
                               executed subsequent to the passage of the Florida              Records of Martin County in Book 320, pages
                               Coastal Mapping ACL, the determination or the                  193-196, and in the Official Records of Palm Beach
                               mean high water line shall be in accordance with the           County in Volume 1860, pages 806-809.
                               provisions of such act.                                            13. Biscayne Bay - Cape Florida to Monroe
                                  (7) Persons  interested in obtaining details or               County Line Aquatic Preserve, as described in the
                               particular preserves should contact the Bureau of              Offcial Records of Dade County in Book 7055,
                               State Lands Management, Department or Natural                  pages 852-856, less, however, those lands and
                               Resources,       3900       Commonwealth             Blvd.,    waters as described in Section 258.165, F. S.,
                               Tallahassee, FL 3Z303 (telephone 904-488-2297).                (Biscavne Bay Aquatic Preserve Act of 1974), and
                                  (a) The preserves are described as follows:                 those lands and waters within the Biscayne
                                  1. Fort Clinch State Park Aquatic Preserve, as              National Park.
                               described in the Official Records or Nassau County                 14. Lignumvitae Key Aquatic Preserve, as
                               in Book 108, pages 343-346, and in Book 111, page             described in the Official Records of Monroe County
                               409.                                                           in Book 502, pages 139-142.
                                  2. Nassau River - SL Johns River Marshes                        15. Coupon Bight Aquatic Preserve, as
                               Aquatic Preserve, as described in the Official                 described in the Official Records Official  Monroe County
                               Records of Duval Countv in Volume 3183, pages                  in Book 502, pages 143-146.
                               547-552, and in the Official Records or Nassau                    16. Cape Romano - Ten Thousand Islands
                               County in Book 108, pages 223-237.
                                                            .                                 Aquatic Preserve, as described in the Official
                                  3. Pellicer Creek Aquatic Preserve, as described            Records of Collier County in Book 381, pages
                               in the Official Records of St. Johns County in Book             298-301.


                                                                                             108
 


V.9,p.692-2Q   FLORIDA AQUATIC PRESERVES            (R.3/87)18-20.003

17. Rookery Bay Aquatic Preserve, as described in Section 258.39(31),Fs.18. Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve as described in 
Section 258.39(28),Florida States.19 Pine Island Preserves as described in the Official Records of Lee County in Book 648, 
pages 732-736.20. Matlcha Pass Aquatic preserve, as described in the Official Records of Lee County in Book 800, pages 725-
728.21.Gasparilla Sound- Charolotte harbor Aquatic Preserve as described in Section 258.392, F.S. 22.Cape Haze Aquatic 
Preserve , as described in Section 258.39(29).F.S.23. Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve, as described in Section 258.391 F.S.
24. St. Martins Marsh Aquatic Preserve, as described in the Official Records of Cirus County in Book 276, pages 238-241.
25.Alligator harbor Aquatic Preserve, as described in the Official Records of Franklin County in Book 46, pages 82-85.26. 
Apalachicola Bay Aquatic Peserve, as  described in the Official Records of Gulf County in Book 46 page 77-81, and in the 
Official Records of Franklin County in Volume 98,pages 102-106.27.St. Joseph bay Aquatic preserve, as described in the 
Official Records of Gulf County in Book 46, pages 73-76.28.St. Andrews State Park Aquatic Preserve, as described in the 
Official Records of bay County in Book, 379 pages 547-550.29.Rocky bayou State Park Aquatic Preserve,as descibed in the 
Official Records of Santa Rosa County in Book 593, pages 742-745.30. Yellow River marsh Aquatic Preserve, as described in the
Official Records of Santa Rosa County in Book 206, pages 568-571.31.Fort Pickens State park Aquatic Preserve, as described in 
the Official Records of Santa Rosa County in Book 220, pages 60-63, in the Official Records of Escambia County in Book 518, 
pages 659-662, less the lands dedicated to the U.S.A. for the establishment of the Gulf Islands National Seashore prior to 
the enactment of the act, until such time as th U.S.A. no longer wishes to maintain such lands for the purpose for which they 
were dedicated, at which time such lands would revert to the board and be managed as part of the preserve.32. For the purpose
of this section the boundaries of the Lake jackson Aquatic Preserve, shall be the body of water in Leon County known as Lake 
Jackson in Sections 1,2,3,5,10,11 and 14, Township 1 North,Range 1 West and Sections 11,12,13,14,15,21,22,23,26,27,28,29,32,
33,34,and 35, Township 2 North, Range 1 West lying below the ordinary high water line.Such lands shall include the submerged
bottom lands and the watercolumn upon the lands, as well as all publicly owned islands,within the preserve.Any privately held
upland within the boundraries of the preserve sahll be deemed to be excluded therefrom;provided that the Board may negotiate
an arrangement with any such private upland owner by which such land may be included in the preserve.33.Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve 
as described in Section 258.393, Florida Statutes.34.Future aquatic preserves established pursuant to general or special 
acts of legislature.Specific Authority 120.53,258.43(1) FS law Implemented 258.39,258.391,258.392,258.393,258.40,258.41
258.42,258.43,258.45 FS History- New 2-23-81, Amended 8-7-85. Formerly 16Q-20.02,Transferred from 16Q-20.002.18-20.003 Definition 
When used in these rules the following words shall have the indicated meaning unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
(1)"Act" means the provision  of Section 258.35 through 258.46,F.S.,the Florida Auatic Preserve Act.(2)"Activity"means 
any project and such other human action within the preserve requiring board approval for the use,sale,lease or transfer of intrest
in sovereignty lands or materials, or which may require a license from the Department of Enviromental Regulation.(3)"Aesthetic
values" means scenic characteristics or amenities of the preserve in its essentially natural state or condition, and the
maintenance thereof.(4)"Applicant" means any person making application for a permit, license,conveyence of an interest in state 
owned lands or any other necessary form of governmental approval in order to perform an activity within the preserve.(5)
"beneficial biological functions" means interaction between flora, fauna and physical or chemical attribute of the environment
which provide benefits that accur to the public at large,including,but not limited to;nutrient,pesticide and conversion to biomass;
nutrient recycling and oxygenation.(7)"Beneficial hydrological functions" means interactions between flora, faunas and physical 
gewological or geographical attributes of the environment, which provide benefits that accure to the public at large,including
,but not limited to:retardation of storm water flow; storm waterretention;and storm water storage, and periodical release;
(7)"Biological values" means the preservation and promotion of indigenous life forms and habitats including,but not limited to :spoonges
,soft corals,hard corals,submerged grasses,mudflats,marine,estuarine,and aquatic reptiles,games and nongame fish species
marine,estuarine,and aquatic mammals , marine , estuarine, and aquatic invertebrates,birds and shellfish.(8)"Board" means the Governor
and the Cabinet sitting as the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvment Trust Fund.(9)"Channel" means a trench, the bottom 
of which is normally covered entirely by water, with th upper edges of its sides normally below water. 

  
      







                               (R.3/87)

                               18-20.003                          INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT TRUST FUND

                                 (10) "Commercial, industrial and other revenue                  (22) "PRESERVE" MEANS ANV AND ALL OF THOSE AREAS
                               generating/income related docks" means docking               which are exceptional areas of sovereigniv lands
                               facilities for an activity which produces income.              and the associated water body designated in 
                               through rental or any other means, or which serves              Section 258.39. 258.391. and 258.392 F.S..
                               as an accessory facility to other rental, commercial            including all sovereignty lands, title in which is
                               or industrial operations. It shall include. but not be          vested in the board, and such tither lands as the
                               limited to docking for: marinas, restaurants, hotels,           inward in may require approve for inclusion, and the
                               motels, commercial fishing, shipping, boat or ship              water column over such lands. which have been set
                               construction, repair, and sales.                                aside to be maintained in an essential natural or
                                 (11) "Department" means the State of Florida                  existing condition of indigenous flora and fauna and
                              Department of Natural Resources, as administrator                 their supporting habitat and the natural scenic
                               for the board.                                                  qualities;and amenities thereof.
                                 (12) "Division" means the Division of State                      (23)Private residential single dock means a
                               Lands, which performs all staff duties and functions            dock which is used for private, recreational tar
                               related to the administration of lands title to which           leisure purposes. for a single family resinericc.
                               is. or will be, vested in the board. pursuant to section       cottage or father such single dwelling antiquated which
                               253.002- F.S.                                                   is designed to moor no more than two baiats.
                                 (13) "Dock" means a fixed or floating structure.                  (24) - Private resident multi-slip dock means
                               including moorings, used for the purpose of                     a  docking facility which is used- for private
                               berthing buoyant vessels either temporarily or                  recreational or leisure purposes for multi -unit
                               indefinately.                                                  residential dwellings which shall include but is not
                                 (14) "Essentially natural condition" means                   limited to condominiums. townhouses. subdivisions
                               those functions which support the continued                     and tither such dwellings or residential areas and
                               existence or encourage the restoration of the diverse           which is designed it) moor three or more boats.
                               population of indigenous life forms and habitats to             Yacht      clubs     associated      with       residential
                               the extent they existed prior to the significant               developments. whose memberships or utilization of
                               development adjacent to and within the preserve.                the dunking facility requires some real
                                                                                                                                                 property
                                 (15) "Extreme hardship" means a significant                 interest in the residential area. shall also he
                               burden, unique to the applicant and not shared by               .included.
                               property owners in the area. Self-imposed                          (25) -Public interest" means demonstrable
                               circumstances caused to any degree by actions of any             environmental, social, and economic bebefits which.
                               person subsequent to the enactment of the Act shall           would accrue  the public at large as a result (if a
                               not be construed as an extreme hardship. Extreme                propiosed action, and which would clearly exceed all
                               hardship under this act shall not be construed to               environmental, social, and economic
                               include any hardship which arises in whole or in                costs of the proposed  action. In determining the
                               part from the effect of other federal, state or local           public interest in a request for use, sale, lease. or
                               laws. ordinances, rules or regulations. The term                transfer or interest in sovereignty lands or severance
                               may be inherent in public projects which are shown                of materials from sovereignty lands, the board shall
                               to be a public necessity.                                       consider the ultimate proposed and purpose in be
                                 (16) -Fill- mans materials from any source,                   served by said use, sale, lease. or transfer of lands or
                               deposited by any means onto sovereignty lands,                   materials.
                               tither for the purpose of creating new uplands or for              (26) "Public navigation project" means a project
                               any other purpose, including spoiling of dredged                primarily for the purpose of navigation which is
                               material.s. For the purpose of this rule, the                   authorized and funded by the United States
                               placement of pilings or riprap shall not be                      Congress or by port authorities as defined by
                               considered to be filling.                                       Section 315.02(2). F.S.
                                 (17) "Lease" means a conveyance of interest in                   (27) "Public necessity" means the works or
                               Lands, title to which is vested in the board, granted in        improvements required for the protection of the
                               accordance with specific terms set forth in writing.            health and safety of the public, consistent with the
                                 (18) "Marina" means a small craft harbor                      Act and these rules, for which no other reasonable
                               complex used primarily for recreation.                           alternative exists.
                                 (19) "Oil and gas transportation facilities"                     (28) "Public Utilities" means those services,
                               means those structures necessary for the movement               provided by persons regulated by the Public Service
                               of oil and gas from the production site it) the                  Commission, or which are provided by rural
                               consumer.                                                       cooperatives, municipalities, or Other governmental
                                 (20) "Person" means individuals, minors,                      agencies, including electricity, telephone, public
                               partnership corporations, joint ventures, estates				water and wastewater services, and structures
                               trusts, syndicates, fiduciaries, firms and all other          reserved for the provision (if these services.
                               associations and combinations, whether public or                   (29) "Quality of the preserve" means the degree
                               private, including governmental entities.                       of the biological. aesthetic and scientifc values of the
                                 (2812) "Pier" means a structure in, on, or over                 preserve necessary for present and future enjoyment
                               sovereignty lands, which is used by the public                  (if it in an essentially natural condition.
                               primarily for fishing, swimming, or viewing the                    (30) "Resource ,amage,emt agreement "means a contractural agreement

                               preserve. A pier shall not. include a dock.     				a contractual agreement between the board and one                                                    				
														
														110	




                               V.9, P. 692-25                           FLORIDA AQUATIC PRESERVES                                                  (R.3/87)
                                                                                                                                                  18-20.004
 or more parties which does not create an interest in			water and where the use of the water or sovereignty			
 real property but merely authorities conduct of 			lands is an illegal part of the activity.
certain management activities on lands held by the			Specific Authority 258.43 (1) FS. Law implemented
board.										258.37.258.43 (1) FS. History-New 2-25-81. Amended
(31) "Resource Protection Area (RPA) 1"- 					8-7-85. Formerly 16q-20.03  Transferred from 
Areas within the aquatic preserves which have				18-20.004 management Policies, Standards
resources of the highest quality and condition for			and criteria.  The following management policies,
that area.  These resources may include, but are not			standards and criteria are supplemental to Chapter
limited to corals; marine grassbeds; mangrove 				18-21, Florida Administrative Code (Sovereignty 		
swamps: salt water marsh; oyster bars; 					Submerged Lands Management0 and shall be
archaeological and historical sites; endangered or			utilized in determining whether to approve.
threatened specied habitat; and, colonial water bird			request for activities on soverignty lands in 
nesting sites.									aquatic preserves.
(32) "resource Protection Area 2" - Areas 				(1) GENERAL PROPRIETARY
within the aquatic preserves which are in transition			(a) In determining whether to apprive or deny
with either declinig resource protection area 1				any request the Board will evaluate each on a 	
resources or new pioneering resources within 				case by case basis and weigh any factors relevant	
resource protection area 3.							under Chapter 253 and/or 258. Florida Statutes.
(33) "Resource Protection Area 3"-Areas					The Board, acting as Thustiees for all state-owned 
within the aquatic preserve that are characterized			lands, reserves the right to approve, modify or rejec5t
by the absence of any significant natural resource			any proposal.
attributes.										(b) There shall be no further sale, lease or
(34)"Riparian rights" means those rights					transfer of sovereignty lands except when such sale,
incident to lands bordering upon navigable waters,			lease or transfer is in the public interest (see Section
as recognized by the courts of this state and common			18-20.004(2) Public Interest Assessment Criteria).
law.											(c) There shall be no construction of sewalls 	
(35) "Sale" means a conveyance of interest in 				waterward of the mean or ordinary high water line
lands, by the board for consideration.					or filling waterward of the mean or ordinary high
(36) "Scientific protection structure" means a type			water line except in the case of public road and
and promotion of certain qualities or features which			bridge  projects where no reasonable alternative
have scientific significance.							exists.
(37) "Shore protection structure" , means a type			(d) There shall, in no case, be any dredging
of coastal construction includes sany work				waterward of the mean or ordinary hogh water line
effect on existing coastal conditions or natural shore		for the sole or primary purpose of providing fill for
processes.										any area landward of the mean or ordinary high 
(38) "Soverignty lands" means those lands					water line.
lncluding, but not limited to: tidal lands, islands, 			(e) A lease, easement or consect of use may be 
sandbars, shallow banks, and lands waterward of				authoriized only for the following activities:
the ordinary or mean highwater line, to which the			1. a public navigation project;
State of Florida acquired title on March 3, 1945, by			2. maintenance of an existing navigational
virtue of statehoodk and of which it has not since			channel;
divested its title interest.  Fir the purposes of this		3. installation or maintenance of approved 
rule sovereignty lands shall include all submerged			navigational aids;
lands within the boundaries of the preserve, title to			4. creation or maintenance of a
which is held by the board.							commercial/inductrial dock pier or a marina;
(39) "Spoil"  means  materials  dredged  from                     5. creation or maintenance of private docks for
sovereignty  lands  which  are  redeposited  or                   reasonable ingress and egress of reparian owner;
discarded by any means, onto either sovereignty                   6. minimum dredging for navigation channels
lands or uplands.                                                 attendant to docking facilities;
(40) "Transfer" means the act of the board by                     7. creation or maintenance of a shore protection
which any interest in lands, including easements,                 structure;
other than sale or lease, is conveyed.                            8. installation or maintenance of oil and gas
(41) "Utility of the preserve" means fitness of                   transportation facilities;    
the preserve for the present and future enjoyment of              9. creation, maintenance, replacement or
its biological, aesthetic and scientific values, in an            expansion of facilities required for the provision of
essentially natural condition.                                    public utilities; and
(42) "Water dependent activity" means an                          10. other activities which are a public necessity
activity which can only be conducted on,in,over,or                or which are necessary to enhance the quality or
adjacent to, water areas because the activity                     utility of the preserve and which are consistent with
requires direct access to the water body or                       the act and this chapter.
sovereignty lands for transportation, recration,                  (f) For activities listed in paragraphs
energy production or transmission, or source of                    18-20.004(1)(e)1.--10.above,the activity shall be

                                                          111         
																
											
										

(R. 3/87)
18-20.004                        INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT TRUST FUND                V.9, P. 692-2T

designed so that the structure or structure to be
built in, on or overs sovereignty land sare limited to
structures necessary to conduct water dependent
activities.
	(g) For activities listed in paragraphs
18-20.004(1)(e)7..8..9. and 10. above, it must be
demonstrated that no other reasonable alternative
exists which would allow the proposed activity to be
constructed or undertaken outside the preserve.
	(h) The use of state-owned lands for the purpose
of providing private or public road access to islands
where such access did not previously exist shall be
prohibited. The use of state-owned lands for the 
purpose of providing private or public water supply
to islands where such water supply did not
previously exist shall be prohibited.
	(i) Except for public navigation projects and 
maintenance dredging for existing channels and
basins, any areas dredged to improve or create
navigational access shall be incorporated into the
preempted area of any required lease or be subject to
the payment of a negotiated private easement fee.
	(j) Private residential multi-slip docking
facilities shall require a lease.
	(k) aquaculture and beach renourishment 
activities which comply with the standards of this
rule chapter and Chapter 18-21, Florida
Administrative Code, may be approved by the 
board, but only subsequent to a formal finding of
comaptibility with the purposes of Chapter 258.
Florida Statutes and rule this chapter.
	(l) Other uses of the preserve, or human activity
within the preserve, although not originally
contemplated, may be aproved not originally
contemplated, may be approved by the board, but 
only subsequent to a formal finding of compatibility
with the purposes of Chapter 258, Florida Statutes,
and this rule chapter.
	(2) PUBLIC INTEREST ASSESSMENT
	CRITERIA
	In evaluating requests for the sale, lease or
transfer of interest, a balancing test will be utilized
to determine whether the social, economic and/or
environmental benfits clearly exceed the costs.
	(a) GENERAL BENEIFT/COST CRITERIA
	1. any benefits that are balanced against the
costs of a particular project shall be realted to the
affected aquatic preserve;
	2. in evaluating the benefits and costa of each
request, specific consideration and weight shall be
given to the quality and nature of the specific
aquatic preserve. Projects in the less developed,
more pristine aquatic preserves such as 
Apalachicola Bay shall be subject to a higher
standard than the more developed urban aquatic
preserves such as Boca Ciega Bay; and,
	3. for projects in aquatic preserves with adopted
management plans, consistency with the 
management plan will be weighted heavily when
determining whether the project is in the public
interest.
	(b) BENEFIT CATEGORIES:
	1. public access (public boat ramps, boatslips,
etc);
	2. provide boating and marina servies (repair,
pumpout, etc);
	3. improve and enhance public health, safety,
welfare, and law enforcement;
	4. improve public land management;
	5. improve and enhance public navigation;
	6. improve and enhance water quality;
	7. enhancement/restoration of natural habitat
and functions; and
	8. improve/ protect
endangered/threatened/unique species.
	(e) COSTS:
	1. reduced/degraded water quality;
	2. reduced/degraded natural habitat and function;
	3. destruction, harm or harassment of
endangered or threatened species and habitat;
	4. preemption of public use;
	5. increasing navigational hazards and
congestion;
	6. reduced/degraded aesthetics; and
	7. adverse cumulative impacts.
	(d) EXAMPLES OF SPECIFIC BENEFITS:
	1. donation of land, conservation easements,
restrictive covenants or other title interest in 
or contiguous to the aquatic preserve which will
protect or enhance the aquatic preserve;
	2. providing access or facilities for public 
land management activities;
	3. providing public access easements and/or
facilities, such as beach access, boat ramps, etc.;
	4. restoration/enhancement of altered habitat or
natural functions, such as conversion of vertical
bulkheads to riprap and/or vegetation for shoreline
stabilization or re-establishment of shoreline or
submerged vegetatioin;
	5. improving fishery habitat through the
establishment of artificial reefs or other such
projects, where appropriate;
	6. providing sewage pumpout facilities where
normally not required, in particular, facilities opens
to the general public;
	7. improvements to water quality such as
removal of toxic sediments, increased flushing and
circulation, etc.;
	8. providing upland dry storage as an alternative
to wetslip; and
	9. marking navigation channels to avoid
disruption of shallow water habitats.
	(3) RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
	(a) All proposed activities in aquatic preserves
having management plans adopted by the Board 
must demonstrate that such activities are consistent
with the management plan.
	(b) no drilling of oil gas or other such wells 
shall be alowed.
	(c) Utility cables, pipes and other such
structures shall be constructed and located in a
manner that will cause minimal disturbance to
submerged land resources such as oyster bars and
submerged grass beds and do not interfere with
traditional public uses.
	(d) Spoil disdposal within the preserves shall be
strongly discouraged and may be approved only
								112







                                                                                                                                             M 9189)
                              V. 9, p. 692-2U                         FLORMA AQUAMC PRESERVES                                                19-20.004

                              structures shall be constructed and located in a                   3. the dock will extend out from the shoreline on
                              manner that will cause minimal disturbance to                  further than to a maximum depth of minus four
                              submerged land resources such as oyster bars and                - 4) feet (mean law water);
                              submerged grass beds and diro rum interfere with                   4. when the water depth is minus four           4) feet
                              traditional public uses,                                       (mean low water) at an existing bulkhead the
                                 W Spisil disposal within the preserves shall be             maximum dock length from the bulkhead shall be
                              strongly discouraged and may be approved cmiy                  25 feet, subiect to nrondifications accommodating
                              where the applicant has demimstraled that there is             shoreline vegetation twerhang;
                              no other reasonable alternative and that activity                  S. wave break devices, when necessary, shall       . be
                              may be beneficial in, or at a minimum. no( harmful             designed to allow for maximum water circulation
                              to the quality and utility of the preserve.                    and shall be built in such a manner as to be pan or
                                 (4) RIPARIAN RIGHTS                                         the dock structure;
                                 (a) None of the provisions or this rule shall be                6. terminal platform size shall be no more than
                              implemented in a manner that would unrtasnnably                i6o square feet; and
                              infringe upon the traditional. common law and                      7. dredging to obtain navigable water depths in
                              statutory riparian rights of upland riparian                   conjunction with private residential, single dock
                              property owners adjacent so sirvereignty lands.                applications is strongly discouraged.
                                 (b) The evaluation and determination of the                     (c) Private residential multi-slip docks shall
                              reasonable riparian rights of ingress and egress for           cypniorm to the following specific design standards
                              private, rve-sitictitial muiti-slip docks shall be based       and criteria:
                              upon the number of linear feet of riparian shoreline.              1. the area or sovereignty, submerged land
                                 (c) For the purposes or this rule, a private,               preempted by the docking facility shall not exceed
                              residential, single docking facility which mects all           the scluare footage amounting to ten times the
                              the requirements or Rule 18-20.004(5) shall be                 riparian waterfront footage of the affected
                              deemed to meet the public interest requirements of             waterboady of the applicant, or the square footage
                              Rule 18-20.004(l)(b), Florida Administrative                   attendant to providing a single dock in accordance
                              Code. However, the applicants for such docking                 with the criteria for private residential single docks,
                              facilities must apply for such consent and must meet           whichever is greater. A conservation casement or
                              all or the requirements and standards of this rule             other such use restriction acceptable to the Board
                              chapter.                                                       must be placed an the riparian shoreline, used for
                                 (5) STANDARDS AND CRITERIA FOR                              thecaicuLationoftht:10:1 threshold, to conserve and
                              DOCKING FACILITIES                                             protect shoreline resources and subordinate/waivc
                              . (a) All docking facilities, whether for 2 single or          any further riparian rights or ingress and egress for
                              multi-S4 residential or commercial. shall be                   additional docking facilities;
                              subject, to the following standards and criteria:                  2. docking facilities and access channels shall be
                                 1. no dock shall extend waterward or the mean               prohibited in Resource Protection Area I or 2,
                              or ordinary high water line more than 500 feet or 20           except     as    allowed      pursuant       to     Section
                              pe. cc. t of the width or the waterbody at that                258.42(3)(c)l.. Florida Statutes, while dredging in
                              particular location whichever is less;                         Resource Protection Area 3 shall be strongly
                                 2. certain docks may fall within areas of special           discouraged;
                              or unique importance. These areas may be of                        3. docking facilities shall only be approved in
                              significant biological, scientific, historic and/or            locations having adequate existing water depths in
                              aesthetic value and require special management                 the boat mooring, turning basin, access channels,
                              considerations. Modifications may be more                      and other such areas which will accommodate the
                              restrictive than the normally accepted criteria. Such          proposed boat use in order to insure that a minimum
                              modifications shall be determined on a case-by-case            of one [not clearance is provided between the deepest
                              analysis, and may include, but shall not be limited to         draft of a vessel and the bottom at mean low water,
                              changes in location, configuration, length, width                  A. main access docks and connecting or crass
                              and height;                                                    walks shall not exceed six (6) feet in width;
                                 3. the number, lengths. drafts and types of                     S. terminal platforms shall not exceed eight (8)
                              vessels allowed to, utilize the proposed facility may          feel in width;
                              also be stipulated; and                                            6. ringer piers shall not exceed three (3) feet in
                                 4. where local governments have more stringent              width, and 25 feet in length;
                              standards and criteria for docking facilities, the                 7. pilings may be utilized as required to provide
                              more stringent standards. (or the protection and               adequate mooring capabilities; and
                              enh2ncemcni of the aquatic preserve shall prevail.                 8. the     following       provisions      nr      Rule
                                 (b) Private residential single docks shall                  18-20.004(5)(d) shall also apply to private
                              conform to the following specific design standards             resit(icniial multi-slip d(icks.
                              and criteria:                                                      (d) Commercial, industrial and other revenue
                                 1. any main access dock shall be limited to a               generMing/inLome related docking facilities shall
                              maximum width of four (4) feet;                                conform in the following specific design standards
                                 Z. the dock decking design and construction will            and criteria:
                              .insure maximum light penctratior, with full                       1. docking facilities shall only be located in or
                              consideration of safety and practicality;                      near areas with geZ circulatio'n, flushing and
                                                                                             adequate water depths;

                                                                                                 113



                                   
                                    (R.9/88)
                                    18-20.006                          INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT TRUST FUND                                     V.9,P. 692-2V

                                       2. docking facilities and access channels shall be         Cockroach Bay                   April 21, 1987
                                    prohibited in Resource Protection Area I or 2,                Estero Bay                      September 6, 1983
                                    except as allowed pursuant to Sections                        Charlotte Harbor
                                    258.42(3)(e)l., Florida Statutes; while dredging in            (Cape Haze,
                                    Resource Protection Area 3 shall be strongly                   Gasparilla
                                    discouraged,                                                   Sound-Charlotte
                                       3. the docking facilities shall not be located in           Harbor, Matlacha
                                    Resource Protection Area 1 or 2; however, main                 Pass and Pine Island
                                    access docks may be allowed to pass through                     Sound)                        May 18, 1983
                                    Resource Protection Area I or 2. that are located              Indian River-Malabar           January 21, 1986
                                    along the shoreline, to reach an acceptable Resource            to Vero Beach
                                    Protection Area 3, provided that such crossing will           Indian River Lagoon
                                    generate minimal environmental impact;                          (Vero Beach to Fort
                                       4. beginning July 1, 1986 new docking facilities             Pierce and Jensen
                                    may obtain a lease only where the local governments             Beach to Jupiter
                                    have an adopted marina plan and/or policies                     Inlet)                        January 22, 1985
                                    dealing with the siting of commercial/industrial              Loxahatchee
                                    and private, residential. multi-slip docking facilities         River-Lake: Worth
                                    in their local government comprehensive plan;                   Creek                         June 12, 1984
                                       5. the siting or the docking facilities shall also         Nassau River-St.
                                    take into account the access of the boat traffic to            Johns River Marshes
                                    avoid marine grassbeds or other aquatic resources in           and,Fort Clinch
                                    the surrounding areas;                                         State Park                     April 22, 1986
                                       6. the siting of new facilities within the preserve        North Fork of the St.
                                    shall be secondary to the expansions of existing               Lucie River                   May 22, 1984
                                    facilities within the preserve when such expansion            SL Joseph Bay                  June 2, 1987
                                    is consistent with the other standards;                       SL Martins Marsh               September 9, 1987
                                       7. the location of new facilities and expansion or         Terra Ceia                     April 21, 1987
                                    existing facilities shall consider the use of upland          Wekiva River                  August 25, 1987
                                    dry storage as an alternative to multiple wet-slip            Specific Authority 258.43(1) FS. Law implemented
                                    docking;                                                      258.41, 258.42 258.43(l), 258.44 FS. History--New
                                       8. marina siting will be coordinated with local            2.25-81. amended 8-7-85, Formely 16Q-20.004,
                                    governments to insure consistency with all local              Transferred from 16Q-20.004, Amended 9-4-88.
                                    plans and ordinances;                                             18-20.005 Uses, Sales, leases or Transfer of
                                       9. marinas shall not be sited within state                 Interests in Lands, or materials, Held by the
                                    designated manatee sanctuaries; and                           Board.
                                       10. in any areas with known manatee                        Specific Authority 258.43(l) FS. Law implemented
                                    concentrations, manatee warning/notice and/or                 253.O2 253.12. 258.42 FS. history--new 2-25-81,
                                    speed limit signs shall be erected at the marina              Repealed 8-7-85. Formerly, 16Q-20.05, Transferred from
                                    and/or ingress and egress channels, according to              16Q-20.005.
                                    Florida Marine Patrol specifications.                             18-20.006 Cumulative Impacts. In evaluating.
                                       (c) Exceptions to the standards and criteria               applications for activities within the preserves or
                                    listed in Rule 18-20.004(5), Florida Administrative           which may impact the preserves, the department
                                    Code, may be considered, but only upon                        recognizes that, while a particular alteration of the
                                    demonstration by the applicant that such exceptions           preserve may constitute a minor change, the
                                    are necessary to insure reasonable riparian ingress           cumulative effect of numerous such changes often
                                    and egress.                                                   results in major impairments to the resources of the
                                       (6) MANAGEMENT AGREEMENTS                                  preserve. Therefore, the department shall evaluate
                                       The board may enter into management                        a particular site for which the activity is proposed
                                    agreements with local agencies for the                        with the recognition that the activity may, in
                                    administration and enforcement of standards and               conjunction with other activities adversely affect the
                                    criteria for private residential single docks.                preserve which is part of a complete and interrelated
                                       (7) In addition to the policies, standards and             system. The impact of proposed activity shall be
                                    criteria delineated in subsections (1) through (6),           considered in light of its cumulative impact on the
                                    the provisions of the following management plans              preserve's natural system. The department shall include as a part of its evaluation of an activity:
                                    incorporated herein by reference. Where regulatory                (1) The number and extent of similar human
                                    criteria in 18-20, F. A. C., may differ with specific         actions within the preserve which have previously
                                    policies in the management plans listed herein, the           affected or are likely to affect the preserve, whether
                                    general rule criteria shall prevail.                          considered by the department under its current
                                                                   Date Adopted                   authority or which existed prior to or since the
                                    Alligator Harbor               September 23,      1986        enactment of the Act; and
                                    Banana River                   September 17,      1985            (2) The similar activities within the preserve

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                                                                                           (R.9/88)
V.9,p. 692-2W                     FLORIDA AQUATIC PRESERVES                                18-20.012

which are currently under consideration by the
department: and
	(3) Direct and indirect effects upon the preserve
and adjacent preserves, if applicable, which may 
reasonably be expected to result from the activity;
and
	(4) The extent to which the activity is consistent
with management plans for the preserve, when
developed; and
	(5) The extent to which the activity is
permissible within the preseve in accordance with
comprehensive plans adopted by affected local
governments, pursuant to section 163.3161, F.S.,
and other applicable plans adopted by local, state, 
and federal governmental agencies;
	(6) The extent to which the loss of benefiical
hydrological and biologic functions would adversely
impact the quality or utility of the preserve; and
	(7) The extent to which mitigation measures
may compensate for adverse impacts.
Specific Authority 256.43(1) FS. Law Implenmented
258.36. 258.43. 258.44 FS. history--New 2-25-81,
Formerly 16Q-20.06, Transferred from 16Q-20.006.

	18-20.007 Protection of Riparian Rights.
Specific Authority 258.43(1) FS. law implemented
258.123.258.124(8).256.44 FS. History--New 2-25-81.
Repealed 6-7-85. Formerly 16Q-20.7. Transferred from
16Q-20.007.

	18-20.008 Inclusion of Lands, Title to Which
Is Not Vested in the Board, in a Preserve.
	(1) Lands and water bottoms which are within 
designated aquatic preserve boundaries, or adjacent
thereto and whcih are owned by other governmental
agencies, may be included in an aquatic preserve
upon specific authorization for inclusion by an
appropriate insttrument in writing executed by the
agency.
	(2) Lands and water bottoms which are within
designated aquatic preserve boudaries or adjacent
therto, and which are in private ownership, may be
included in a n aquatic preserve upon specific
authorization for inclusion by an appropriate
instrument in writing executed by the owner.
	(3) The appropriate instrument shall be either a
dedication in perpetuity, or a lease. Such lease shall
contain the following conditions:
	(a) The term of the lease shall be for a minimum 
period of ten years.
	(b) The board shall have the power andy duty to
enforce the provisions of each lease agreement, and
shall additionally have the power to terminate any
lease if the termination is in the best interest of the
aquatic preserve system, and shall have the power to
include such lands in any agreement for
management of such lands.
	(c) The board shall pay nomore than $1 per year
for any such lease.
Specific Authority 258.43(1) FS. Law Implemented
258.40.256.41 FS. History--New 2-25-81, Formerly 
16Q-20.08, Transferred from 16Q-20.008.
	18-20.009 Establishement or Expansion of
Aquatic Preserves.
(1) The board may expand existing preserves or
establish additional areas to be included in the
aquatic preserve system, subject to confirmation by
the legislature.	
	(2) The board may, after public notice and
public hearing in the county or counties in which the 
proposed expanded or new preserve is to be located,
adopt a resolution formally setting aside such areas
to be included in the system.
	(3) The resolution setting aside an aquatic
preserve area shall include:
	(a) A legal description of the area to be included.
A map depicting the legal description shall also be atached.
	(b) The designation of the type of aquatic preserve.
	(c) A general staement of what is sought to be 
preserved.
	(d) A statement that the area established as a
prserve shall be subject to the management criteria
and directives of this chapter.
	(e) A directive to develop a natural resource 
inventory and a management plan for the area being
established as an aquatic preserve.
	(4) Within 30 days of the designation and
establishment of an aquatic preserve, the board 
shall record in the public records of the county or
counties in which the preserve is located a legal
description of the preserve.
Specific Authority 258.43(1) FS. Law Implemented
258.41 FS. HIstory--New 2-25-81, Formerly 16Q-20.09,
Transferred from 16Q-20.009.

18-20.010 Exchange of lands. The board in its
discretion may exchange lands for the benefit of the
preserve, provded that:
	(1) In no case shall an exhange result in any
land or water area being withdrawn from the
preserve; and
	(2) Exchanges shall be in the public interest and
shall maintain or enhance the quality or utility of
the preserve.
Specific Authority 258.43(1) FS. Law Implemented
258.41(5), 258.42(1) FS. History--New 2-25-81,
Formerly 16A-20.10, Transferred from 16Q-20.010.
	18-20.011 Gifts of Lands. The board in its
discretion may accept any gifts of Lands or interests
in lands within or contiguous to the preserve to
maintain or enhance the quality and utility of the
preserve.
Specific Authority 258.43(1) FS. Law Implemented
258.42(5) FS. History--New 2-25-81, formerly
16Q-20.11, Transferred from 16Q-20.011.

18-20.012 Protection of indigenous Life
Forms. The taking of indigenous life forms for sale
or commercial use is prohibitied, except that this 
prohibition shall not extend to the commercial
taking of fin fish, crustacea or mollusks, except as 
prohibited under applicable laws, rules or
regulations. Members of the public may exercise
their rights to fish, so long as not contrary to other
statutory and regulatory and regulatory provisions controlling such
activities.
Specific Authority 258.43(1) FS. Law Implemented
258.43(1) FS. History--New 2-25-81, Formerly
16Q-20.12, TRansferred from 16Q-20.012
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                                 (R.9/88)
                                 18-20.017                          INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT TRUST FUND                                    V.9, p.692-2X
                                    18-20.013 Development of Resource                          18-20.017 Lake Jackson Aquatic Preserve. In
                                 Inventories and Management Plans for                          addition to the provisions of Rules 18-20.001
                                 Preserves.                                                    through 18-20-016, the following requirements
                                    (1) The board authorizes and directs the division          shall also apply to all proposed activities within the
                                 to develop a resource inventory and management                Lake Jackson Aquatic Preserve. If any provisions of
                                 plan for each preserve.                                       this Rule are in conflict with any provisions or Rules
                                    (2) The division may perform the work to                   18-20.001 through 18-20.016 or Chapter 73-534.
                                 develop the inventories and plans, or may enter into          Laws of Florida, the stronger provision for the
                                 agreements with other persons to perform the work.            protection or enhancement of the aquatic preserve
                                 In either case, all work performed shall be subject to        shall prevail.
                                 board approval.                                                  (1) No further sale, transfer or lease of
                                 Specific Authority 256.43(1) FS.Law Implemented               sovereignty lands in the preserve shall be approved
                                 253.03(7). 253.03(8) FS. History-New 2.25-81.                 or consummated by the Board, except upon a
                                 Amended 8-7-85, Formerly 16Q-20.13. Transferred from  	     showing of extreme hardship on the pan of the
                                 16Q-.20.013.                                                  applicant or when the board shall determine such
                                    18-20.014 Enforcement. The rules shall be                  sale, transfer or lease to be in the public interest.
                                 enforced as provided in Section 258.46.                          (2) No further dredging nr filling of sovereignty
                                 Specific Authority 258.43(1) FS. Law implemented              lands of the preserve shall be approved or tolerated
                                 258.46 FS. History-New 2-25-81. Formerly 16Q-20.14,	     by the Board or Trustees except:
                                 Transferred from 16Q-20.014.                                    (a) Such minimum dredging and spoiling as may
                                    18-20.015 Application Form.                                 be authorized for public navigation projects or for
                                 Specific Authority 253.43(1) FS. Law Implemented               preservation of the lake according to the expressed
                                 258.43 FS. History-New 2-25-81. kepealed 6-7-85,               intent of Chapter 73-534, Laws of Florida; and
                                 Formerly 16Q-20.15. Transferred from 16Q-20.015.                (b) Such other alteration of physical conditions
                                    1820.016 Coordination              with    Other            as may be necessary to enhance the quality or utility
                                                                                         		of the preserve.
                                 Governmental Agencies. Where a Department of                     (3) Them shall be no drilling of wells,
                                 Environmental Regulation permit is required for               excavation for shell or minerals, and no erection of
                                 activities on sovereignty Lands the department will           structures (other than docks), within the preserve,
                                 coordinate with the Department of Environmental               unless such activity is associated with activity
                                 Regulation to obtain a copy of the joint Department           authorized by Chapter 73-534, Laws of Florida.
                                 of Army/Florida Department of Environmental                     (4) The board shall not approve the relocations
                                 Regulation permit application and the biological              of bulkhead lines within the preserve.
                                 survey. The information contained in the joint                   (5) Notwithstanding other provisions of this act,
                                 permit application and biological assessment shall            the board may, respecting lands lying within the
                                 be considered by the department in preparing its              Lake Jackson basin:                                 staff recommendations to the board. The board may                (a) Enter into agreements for and establish lines
                                 also consider the reports of other governmental               
                                 agencies that have related management or                         (b) Enter into agreements for the exchange and
                                 permitting responsibilities regarding the proposed            exchange sovereignty lands for privately owned
                                 activity.                                                     lands;
                                 Specific Authority 253.43(1) FS. Law Implemented               (c) Accept gifts of land within or contiguous to
                                 258.43 FS. History-New 2-25-81. Formerly 16Q-20.16.           the preserve.
                                 Transferred from 16Q-20.016.                                  Specific Authority 258-39(26) FS. Law Implemented
                                                                                               238.39(26). 258.43.FS. History-New 6-7-85. Formerly
                                                                                               16Q-20.017, Transferred from 16Q-20.017.















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