RESOLUTION NUMBER R2017-_
A
RESOLUTION
ESCAMBIA
OF THE
COUNTY,
BOARD
FLORIDA
OF
COUNTY COMMISIONERS
EXPRESSING
SUPPORT
FLORIDA SEA GRANT COLLEGE PROGRAM THROUGH A
FOR
OF
THE
FEDERAL
CONGRESSIONAL PROGRAMMATIC BUDGET REQUEST FOR FY18
FUNDING IN THE AMOUNT OF EIGHTY MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE
NATIONAL
SEA
GRANT
COLLEGE
PROGRAM;
PROVIDING
FOR
TRANSMITTAL; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, in 1966, the National Sea Grant College program was established by
Congress to unite the academic power of the nation's universities with public and private sector
partners; and
WHEREAS, for fifty years, the National Sea Grant College program has worked to
create and maintain a healthy coastal environment and economy through a partnership with the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NCAA) and a vast network of 33 local
programs based at universities in every coastal state, Puerto Rico and Guam; and
WHEREAS, the National Sea Grant College program leverages local, state and private
funds, and it is a unique program within the NCAA in that 95% of the federal funds that are
appropriated at the national level are distributed to the participating state programs; and
WHEREAS, the Florida Sea Grant is a participating university-based program consisting
of a partnership between the NCAA, the Florida Board of Education, the Institute of Food and
Agricultural Sciences at the University of Florida (UF/IFAS), and citizens and local governments
of Florida coastal counties; and
WHEREAS, the Florida Sea Grant's mission is to support integrated research,
education, and extension to conserve coastal resources and enhance economic opportunities
for the citizens of Florida; and
WHEREAS, in the 1980's, the Florida Sea Grant program pioneered the best
management practices for deploying and monitoring artificial reefs and continues to provide
training for artificial reef coordinators and biennial meetings of reef coordinators to discuss new
methods, rules, and issues; and
WHEREAS, at the request of members of the United States Senate and House of
Representatives, the Florida Sea Grant program and three other designated Sea Grant
programs in the Gulf of Mexico region are now leading a multi-year study to conduct an
independent assessment of the status of red snapper stocks in the Gulf of Mexico; and
WHEREAS, within Florida, the UF/IFAS Escambia County Sea Grant program has
established a partnership with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, Escambia
County Division of Marine Resources, and non-profit partners to provide education and outreach
about lionfish biology and promote removing lionfish from area waters to reduce the impact of
this invasive fish; and
WHEREAS, in addition, the UF/IFAS Escambia County Sea Grant program provides a
citizen science water quality monitoring program with the data stored in a statewide database
that is shared with the public through the weekly Sea Grant Notes publication; and
WHEREAS, the UF/IFAS Escambia County Sea Grant program also provides citizen
science monitoring programs for flagship species in our bay system, and the data, including
occurrence and nesting activity, is provided to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission, the National Park Service, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection,
the National Diamondback Terrapin Working Group, and local citizens through the weekly
publication Sea Grant Notes', and
WHEREAS, Escambia County benefits from Sea Grant monitoring, research and
education funding, and the many Sea Grant specialists who provide information on County
issues including seafood safety, nuisance wildlife, sea level rise, and the commercialization of
lionfish; and
WHEREAS, the local Sea Grant Extension Agent provides expertise in STEM education
for area school science programs working directly with area teachers, managing invasive and
nuisance species by serving as co-chair for the regional Cooperative Invasive Species
Management Area, and monitoring flagship estuarine species as the area terrapin monitor for
the National Diamondback Terrapin Working Group; and
WHEREAS, support for the Florida Sea Grant Program through a federal congressional
programmatic budget request for FY18 funding in the amount of eighty million dollars for the
National Sea Grant College program would sustain the many Florida Sea Grant initiatives that
benefit Escambia County and the State of Florida.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY
COMMISSIONERS OF ESCAMBIA COUNTY, FLORDA:
Section 1:
THE
BOARD
OF
COUNTY
That the above recitals are true and correct and incorporated herein by
reference.
Section 2;
That the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners hereby expresses its
support for the Florida Sea Grant Program through a federal congressional programmatic
budget request for FY18 funding in the amount of eighty million dollars for the National Sea
Grant College Program.
Section 3:
That this Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption by the Board
of County Commissioners of Escambia County, Florida.
Section 4.
That the Clerk shall forward a copy of this Resolution to U.S. Representative Matt
Gaetz; U.S. Senators Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio; Florida Representatives Clay Ingram, Frank
White, Jayer Williamson, and Mel Ponder; and Florida Senators Douglas Vaughn Broxson and
George Gainer.
ADOPTED this
day of
2017.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
ESCAMBIA COUNTY, FLORIDA
D. B. Underhill, Chairman
ATTEST: Pam Childers
Clerk of the Circuit Court
Deputy Clerk
(SEAL)
Approved as tof^rm and legal
sufficiency.
By/Title:
Pate: