Monroe County staff seeks direction on expired Key Deer habitat plans, urges amendments to local rules

Monroe County planning staff told the Board of County Commissioners on Wednesday that the Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) and the related FEMA biological opinion (BiOp) for Big Pine Key and No Name Key expired in 2023 and recommended the county ask federal agencies whether they intend to update those documents.

The recommendation from Michael, planning staff, asked the board to direct staff to send letters to FEMA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service asking whether FEMA plans to pursue a new BiOp for FEMA’s administration of the National Flood Insurance Program and to confirm whether Fish and Wildlife will undertake direct consultation on endangered-species impacts. “If they are not going to pursue that update … US Fish and Wildlife Service is the appropriate agency to determine whether permits issued in Monroe County impact endangered species,” Michael said during the presentation.

Why it matters: The local HCP and BiOp underpinned Monroe County’s permit referral process for developments on Big Pine Key and No Name…