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ue. <br />United States Department of the Interior <br />UFMIS16WI'1�8UFEFISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE <br />South Florida Ecological Services Office1.339 20°i Street <br />Vero Beach, Florida 32960 <br />October 19, 2018 <br />Indian River County Board of Commissioners <br />180127"' Street <br />Vero Beach, Florida 32960 <br />Section 10(a)(1)(B) Permit Number: TE057875-0 <br />Effective Date: <br />December 1, 2004 <br />Expiration Date: <br />December 1, 2034 <br />Project: <br />Construction of emergency <br />shoreline armoring structures <br />Permittee: <br />Indian River County Board of <br />Commissioners <br />County: <br />Indian River <br />Dear Indian River County Board of Commissioners: <br />Back in October 2017, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) was contacted by Indian <br />River County (Permittee) requesting approval of proposed revisions to their 2005 Habitat <br />Conservation Plan (HCP). The 2005 HCP was implemented with the understanding that the <br />document would undergo periodic updates. The 2017 sea turtle nesting season marked the <br />12th year since the HCP was put into effect. Over the last 12 years, standard operating <br />procedures (SOPs) for emergency permitting and sea turtle monitoring have been created and <br />supplemental activities have been introduced resulting in improvements to the HCP. The <br />purpose of the revisions are to identify these improvements and implement them into the SOPs <br />outlined in the HCP. <br />Updates included in the proposed revisions include the following: <br />1. Revisions to the Predator Control Program (PCP) and the Light Management Program <br />(LMP); and <br />2. A Public Outreach and Education Program (POEP). <br />The PCP now discusses the management of all mammalian predators of sea turtle nests and <br />outlines a clear predation threshold rule across the Plan Area and within newly -defined <br />management areas. The LMP now references the updated County Lighting Ordinance and <br />outlines an SOP for informing beachfront property owners of this ordinance and any violations to <br />this ordinance. The County staff will continue to work cooperatively with its municipal partners <br />to inform beachfront property owners of lighting impacts to sea turtles and enforce the municipal <br />lighting ordinance. Lastly, the introduction of the POEP allows the County to educate the local <br />community and its visitors about the HCP and promotes public awareness and cooperation with <br />local ordinances. <br />rM <br />11-0-P <br />