2008 Meetings : Agenda - April 9-10, 2008 :

Commission Meeting Agenda

Time:	8:30 a.m.
Dates:	April 9-10, 2008
Place:	Ramada 2900 North Monroe Street Tallahassee, FL 32303 Phone: (850) 386-1027 Fax: (850) 385-2582

This meeting is open to the public.

All interested individuals may speak at workshops or meetings of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) within the guidelines established by the Commission. In order to ensure the public's opportunity to be heard and the orderly conduct of the meeting, the Chairman reserves the right to establish a time for adjournment of the workshop or meeting, to limit the time for speakers, and to limit the time allotted for specific agenda items.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person requiring special accommodations to participate in this meeting should notify the agency at least five calendar days before the meeting by calling (850) 488-6411. If hearing or speech impaired, please contact the agency by calling (850) 488-9542.

Agenda items listed under headings other than "Rules" may be moved by the Chairman to different days of the meeting to accommodate scheduling problems.

If any person decides to challenge any decision with respect to any matter considered at the above meeting, he will need a record of the proceedings. For this purpose, he may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which record includes testimony and evidence upon which the challenge is to be based.

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8:30 a.m., Wednesday, April 9

Meeting Opening
1. Call to Order
2. Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag
3. Special Presentations and Recognitions
  1. Recognition of Lieutenant Colonel Don Holway for his 32 years of service and retirement from the FWC Division of Law Enforcement
  2. Recognition of Tommy Hines for his 22 years of service and retirement from the FWC Division of Hunting and Game Management
  3. Recognition of David Moynahan, photo artist.
  4. Recognition of Bass Anglers Sportsman Society - ESPN for their support of the Florida Bass Conservation Center
  5. Recognition of the FWC Permitting Team
Adoption of Agenda
1. Review and Approval of February 6-7, 2008 Commission Meeting Minutes (Background Report 4/2/08)
2. Approval of Agenda
Executive Director's Report
Items Requiring Action
1. Listed Species
  1. Bald Eagle (Background Report 3/10/08) (Background Report 3/11/08)
    1. Consideration for final approval of the Bald Eagle Management Plan
    2. 68A-27.004, Designation of Threatened Species; Prohibitions; Permits - The proposed rule would delete the bald eagle from the list of threatened species.
    3. 68A-16.002, Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) - The proposed rule would prohibit take, feeding, disturbance, possession, sale, purchase or barter of any bald eagle or parts thereof, or their nests or eggs, except as authorized by permit. In addition the proposed rule would also prohibit on public lands, any person to enter any area posted as closed for the protection of bald eagles, their nests or their nest trees except as authorized by permit. This rule will be part of new Rule Chapter 68A-16, Rules Related to Birds, to which will also be added current Rule 68A-13.002 (Migratory Birds; Adoption of Federal Standards and Regulations), as administratively transferred to become Rule 68A-16.001.
2. Issues
  1. Review and consideration for approval of the Gopher Tortoise Permitting Guidelines. (Background Report 3/10/08) (Background Report 3/24/08)
  2. Exotic Species
    1. Risk assessment for barramundi (Background Report 3/11/08)
    2. Report on the third Annual Pet Amnesty Day event, February 23, 2008 at the Miami MetroZoo. (Background Report 3/11/08)
  3. Review and consideration of a request by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to reestablish a reciprocal agreement between Florida and Georgia to exempt residents 65 years of age or older in each state from non-resident freshwater fishing license requirements in the other state. (Background Report 3/19/08)
3. Land Acquisitions and Easements
  1. Consideration of an easement request under the State's Linear Facilities Policy, by Gulfstream Natural Gas System, L.L.C. (Gulfstream) to grant conceptual approval for the issuance of a utility easement over 0.39 acres of land, along with three temporary construction easements of 0.71 acres, 0.71 acres and 0.10 acres, within the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area to facilitate the installation of a 30" natural gas transmission line. (Background Report 3/13/08) (Background Report 3/13/08) (Background Report 3/13/08) (Background Report 3/13/08) (Background Report 3/13/08) (Background Report 3/13/08) (Background Report 3/24/08) (Background Report 3/26/08) (Background Report 4/1/08)
  2. Consideration of the acquisition of the Lafayette Timberlands LLC parcel in partnership and cooperation with the Suwannee River Water Management District as a Mitigation Park under the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Land Acquisition Trust Fund Fish and Wildlife Habitat Acquisition Program. (Background Report 3/10/08) (Background Report 3/10/08) (Background Report 3/10/08) (Background Report 3/14/08 Update) (Background Report 3/27/08)
Staff Reports
1. Legislative Issues and Budget Report (Background Report 4/7/08) (Background Report 4/7/08)
Public Comment on Items Not on the Agenda
Commission Exchange
Recess Wednesday's Portion of Meeting

8:30 a.m., Thursday, April 10, Reconvene

Items Requiring Action
1. Final Rules
  1. Spiny Lobster
    1. 68B-24.001, Purpose and Intent - The proposed rule would prohibit the molestation of any eggbearing species of lobster. (Background Report 3/13/08)
    2. 68B-24.002, Definitions - The proposed rule deletes the definition of slipper lobster to extend the prohibition on the harvest or possession of eggbearing spiny lobster to include any species of spiny lobster, slipper lobster, or furry lobster.
    3. 68B-24.006, Gear: Trap, Buoys, Identification Requirements, Prohibited Devices - The proposed rule would allow a vessel to display up to two different spiny lobster endorsement numbers to allow a like number of licensed fishers to pull their traps from the vessel.
    4. 68B-24.007, Other Prohibitions - The proposed rule would extend the prohibition on the harvest or possession of eggbearing spiny lobster to include any species of spiny lobster, slipper lobster, or furry lobster.
    5. 68B-24.008, Slipper Lobster: Prohibitions Relating to Eggbearing Slipper Lobster - The proposal would repeal this rule as proposed rules 68B-24.001, 68B-24.002, and 68B-24.007 (above) would prohibit, the harvest or possession of eggbearing lobster to include any species of spiny lobster, slipper lobster, or furry lobster.
    6. 68B-24.009, Trap Reduction Schedule - The proposed rule would extend the moratorium on the lobster trap reduction schedule for one year.
2. Draft Rules
  1. Striped Mullet - Update on the striped mullet workshops and recommendations for draft rules to provide additional time for commercial mullet harvest opportunities on weekends. (Background Report 3/17/08)
    1. 68B-39.005, Commercial Harvest, Statewide Regulations - The proposed draft rule would provide additional time for commercial harvest of striped mullet on weekends.
  2. Stone Crab Advisory Board Extension and trap construction requirements
    1. 68B-13.008 Gear, Trap Construction, Commercial Trap Marking Requirements, Trap Working Regulations, Trap Transfer - The proposed rule would allow the use of galvanized 16 gauge or thinner degradable staples to construct the degradable panel on wire stone crab traps. (Background Report 3/14/08)
    2. 68B-13.010, Stone Crab Trap Limitation Program - The proposed rule would extend the Stone Crab Advisory Board to July 1, 2011. (Background Report 3/14/08)
3. Issues
  1. Review and interpretation of marine fishery stock assessments (Background Report 3/28/08)
  2. South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Councils grouper and vermilion snapper alternatives (Background Report 3/12/08) (Background Report 4/7/08 Update)
  3. Review and Discussion of Special Activity License rule modifications (Background Report 3/17/08)
  4. Review and discussion of Marine Life issues (Background Report 3/13/08) (Background Report 4/14/08 Update)
  5. Review and discussion of Pompano Stock Assessment (Background Report 3/13/08)
4. Federal Issues (Background Report 3/14/08)
  1. South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Background Report 3/14/08)
  2. Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Background Report 3/14/08) (Background Report 4/7/08 Update)
Commissioners' Areas of Emphasis
1. Final review and consideration for approval of the Vision Document for the Future of Florida's Freshwater Fisheries (Background Report 3/12/08)
2. Update on the Florida Wildlife Legacy Initiative (Background Report 3/14/08)
3. New Commissioners' Areas of Emphasis
Public Comment on Items Not on the Agenda
Commission Exchange
Commission Administrative Matters (Background Report 4/8/08)
1. Review and approval of the proposed 2009 Commission Meeting Dates and Locations.
2. The next regular Commission meeting is scheduled June 11-12, 2008, Dania Beach, commencing at 8:30 a.m. each day
Adjournment

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