VIRTUAL PUBLIC MEETING SCHEDULED FOR MONROE COUNTY’S NATURAL RESOURCES ADAPTATION PLAN; A FIRST OF ITS KIND

MONROE COUNTY, FL—Monroe County’s Office of Sustainability will host a meeting to gain public input on the Monroe County Natural Resource Adaptation Plan virtually on Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 5 p.m. Monroe County has been planning over the last year to create a new Natural Resources Adaptation Plan that will help shape project priorities to address increasing flooding impacts on the County’s natural resources.

The County is completing the project and will present the data collected, the approach, and the technical evaluations to help prioritize the various natural resources impacted by future flood risk, including sea level rise. The project will also provide example project strategies and potential locations to reduce these impacts in the future. The County received grant funding from the State of Florida for this project.

The meeting link can be found on the County website calendar or directly at  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6757369686?pwd=Z3k2Rm9QVHRZRkcvbFdzUFNNcXhJZz09&omn=84900854921&from=addon.

The County has been updating its Vulnerability Assessment for all its critical assets, but this specific project only focuses on adaptation strategies for natural resources. This plan is one of the first in Florida to specifically focus on addressing flooding impacts on natural resources assets instead of infrastructure.

As an Area of Critical State Concern, this project is important to help determine what is achievable in the future to protect the County’s natural resources and the dependent plant and wildlife species. The project also included a cost-benefit analysis to understand the economic benefits of pursuing natural resource adaptation projects with either County, grant funding, or both.

“We are seeking the public’s input to ensure we have included all of the important County natural resources, that we have developed the right priorities, and that we hear from you on the types of adaptation response you would like to see the County pursue,” said Chief Resilience Officer Rhonda Haag.

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