Longboat Key is considering joint mangrove regulation with AMI Towns

LONGBOAT KEY – With the goal of partnering with three towns on Anna Maria Island to obtain permits from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) to regulate mangroves, the Longboat Key City Council invited Hannah Westervelt, FDEP environmental manager, to speak at the meeting , which took place on May 20.

“We have been talking to communities on Anna Maria Island about whether we could develop a joint program to protect the mangroves on our two islands,” said Howard Tipton, manager of Longboat Key Town.

Westervelt presented a slide presentation beginning with an overview of the Mangrove Trimming and Protection Act (MTPA) of 1996.

“The legislative purpose of the Mangrove Trimming and Protection Act is to protect mangroves,” Westervelt said.

She noted that the MTPA protects both living and dead mangroves and makes a distinction between them, however, dead mangroves provide structure and habitat.

“It’s something to think about,” she said. “Don’t remove the mangroves because they are dead. Please contact me first.

Westervelt discussed the process for local governments to obtain FDEP delegation mandates regarding mangroves.

“I know this has been a topic of discussion here, so I wanted to talk about it,” she said. “Local agencies are able to accommodate delegations. It is important to note that they are not permitted to restrict redundancies if given the power to do so.”

Westervelt said it would be up to local authorities to apply for such powers, and FDEP would assist in that process.

“We hold pre-application meetings before we apply so we can help where needed,” she said. “But essentially it’s up to the local agency to determine whether they have the necessary number of resources and budget available for this project.”

Anna Maria City Commission Chairman Mark Short, Commissioners Gary McMullen and Charlie Salem, and Department of Buildings CEO Dean Jones attended the May 20 Longboat Key City Council meeting.

During the May 23 Anna Maria City Commission meeting, Short said he contacted Westervelt and asked if FDEP could notify the city before any FDEP-approved mangrove clearing begins in Anna Maria.

“If a property owner wants to alter their mangroves – altering basically means doing anything other than trimming – they must go to the DEP to get a permit. DEP has no obligation to inform the city that a property owner has submitted such a request,” Short said.

“I asked her if the City of Anna Maria has formally asked DEP to let us know if any such permit applications are filed for properties in Anna Maria and they will let us know. She saw no reason why they couldn’t respect that, but it would require a level of agreement higher than hers. That is why I have asked the mayor to work with the city attorney to develop such a request and submit it to FDEP,” he said.

“If this can be approved, we will be able to have that option when a property owner requests a change to the mangroves on their property,” Short said. “I’m not saying this will make everything okay, but it makes sense to me that at least we know what’s going on.”

– Sun correspondent Joe Hendricks contributed to this story