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Gulf County commissioners approve RFQ to update habitat conservation plan amid federal review delays
Summary
County staff will seek proposals to update two Habitat Conservation Plans after years of incomplete federal approvals; commissioners voted to proceed after public support from local property and restoration advocates.
Gulf County commissioners voted to let county staff seek proposals to update the county's Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP), citing long-standing obstacles to federal approval and pressure from local residents and partners.
The request for qualifications (RFQ) to update the HCPs was introduced by a county staff member and approved by the Board of County Commissioners in a recorded vote (motion by Commissioner McCrone; second by Commissioner Michael Moore; outcome: passed 5-0). The county said earlier HCP documents from about 2007 and 2017 were never fully approved by higher-level U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) reviewers.
Why it matters: Gulf County officials said the lack of a federally approved HCP has restricted public access to certain military-managed beaches and increased permit costs for property owners by requiring site-specific surveys, consultants and mitigation. County staff said an updated plan could both help reopen access in areas currently closed by the Air Force and reduce repetitive permit work for beach restoration and private development.
County staff described the problem and next steps. A county staff member said local FWS staff have been cooperative, but the county's HCPs never reached approval at the national office, partly because of litigation risk from environmental groups.
The staff member estimated the prior HCP work had cost the county several hundred thousand dollars and told the commission staff expects the update to take longer than local advisers initially estimated: local consultants suggested a three- to four-month timeline, but staff briefed the board that outside reviewers at an interagency meeting said it would likely take at least a year.
Public comment and support: Patricia Hardman, president of the Coastal Community Association, addressed the commission and urged the county to proceed with the HCP update. Hardman said combining the two existing plans could ''kill two birds with one stone'' by both facilitating Eglin Air Force Base re-opening and ensuring restoration work builds resilience for endangered species. She also said local FWS personnel had been cooperative.
What the board approved: Commissioners approved staff's request to solicit proposals to update and potentially merge the county's HCPs so the county can present a current plan to federal reviewers and pursue an interim arrangement with Eglin Air Force Base while that work proceeds.
Next steps: Staff will issue the RFQ and return to the board with proposals and a recommended consultant. If the county secures a federal interim agreement while work proceeds, staff said it could help reopen areas currently restricted by the Air Force.
Speakers quoted in this article are limited to those identified on the record at the meeting.
