The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is asking the public for input on a new “restoration blueprint” for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
“The clear, blue and turquoise waters of Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary contain part of the only coral barrier reef in the continental United States, the largest documented contiguous seagrass community in the Northern Hemisphere, mangrove-fringed shorelines, hard-bottom habitat, sand and mud flats, and an array of submerged historical and cultural resources. Each of the components of the 3,800 square-mile sanctuary are ecologically connected, requiring a comprehensive plan for restoring and managing the resources within these waters both individually and cohesively.”
NOAA undertook the first assessment of its management plan for the sanctuary since 1997, and collected public comments on an initial draft regulation through January 31st, 2020. Those comments were distilled down to a new proposal, called a “restoration blueprint,” that NOAA now wants the public to review.
All the relevant documents are available at floridakeys.noaa.gov, and comments are welcome until October 26th, 2022.
#NEWS: @NOAA is asking for public input on new Florida Keys restoration blueprint. For more information: https://t.co/O2IAibKRpi pic.twitter.com/KAiKFDJmyI
— U.S. Commerce Dept. (@CommerceGov) July 17, 2022
