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rr-- I <br />BOOK PAGE 321 <br />RELATIONSHIP WITH U.S. DEPT. OF INTERIOR - SEBASTIAN <br />SCRUB LOTS <br />Commissioner Macht reported that owners of the 49 scrub lots <br />in Sebastian are restricted from developing their property and must <br />each go through a difficult application process with U.S. Fish and <br />Wildlife to do so. The application process includes a substantial <br />fee and completing a supplement conservation plan, which would <br />include the landowner's steps to monitor, minimize and mitigate the <br />impact of building on the property. Then the plan must be reviewed <br />and accepted by Fish and Wildlife before a land -clearing or <br />building permit will be issued. Commissioner Macht believed that <br />Fish and Wildlife is working outside its congressional legislative <br />authority into areas Congress never envisioned. They are using the <br />Endangered Species Act and taking people's constitutional rights. <br />They are denying people's right to develop their property. <br />Commissioner Macht reported that he discussed the issue with U.S. <br />Representative Dave Weldon and argued that the County's purchases <br />of large tracts of environmentally sensitive land should be <br />considered as mitigation for about 500 -scrub lots in Sebastian <br />deemed environmentally sensitive by Fish and Wildlife officials. <br />Lengthy discussion ensued about enlisting the aid of <br />legislators to resolve the issue of property owners unable to build <br />on scrub lots in Sebastian. <br />ON MOTION by Commissioner Macht, SECONDED by <br />Commissioner Tippin, the Board unanimously (4-0, <br />Commissioner Bird absent) agreed to coordinate with <br />FACo to do whatever we can to get a large and <br />responsible delegation to speak to our congressional <br />delegation to support us in asking the U.S. Dept. of <br />Interior to resolve this issue of obtaining building <br />permits for environmentally sensitive lots in <br />Sebastian. <br />Chairman Adams stated that she will take our concerns to FACo <br />this week and also talk to Senators Graham and Mack and urge them <br />to visit the scrub lot sites in Sebastian. <br />78 <br />OCTOBER 1, 1996 <br />