Council adopts concise habitat restoration plan and will submit draft to EPA for concurrence

The Indian River Lagoon Council Board approved a condensed Habitat Restoration Plan on Aug. 22 and authorized staff to submit the document to EPA Region 4 for concurrence.

Kathy Hill, deputy director and the presenter for the item, said the council had contracted Tetra Tech for a comprehensive technical plan that produced a lengthy 112‑page document. Hill and staff then combined that technical work with community-of-practice guidance to produce a 36‑page, more actionable summary aimed at meeting EPA’s concurrence needs. “We’re gonna send 36 pages of our, habitat restoration summary document up to EPA for their concurrence,” Hill said.

Executive Director Dwayne DeFries clarified the plan will remain a living document. If EPA provides edits, staff will return significant changes to council and management conference; the plan will be placed on the council website for continuing public review and updates. The management board and STEM advisory committee had recommended the plan move forward to the council prior to the vote.

The Board voted unanimously to approve the plan and authorize staff to submit it to EPA Region 4.

Staff said the 36‑page document is intended to be concise and actionable for on‑the‑ground restoration planning while the larger technical background document will remain available as a companion reference.