DEP to hold public hearing to discuss Alligator Harbor management plan

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Florida coastal Office will hold a public meeting next Tuesday to discuss updating the management plan for the Alligator Harbor Aquatic Preserve in eastern Franklin County.

Alligator Harbor is one of 41 Aquatic preserves in Florida.

Its over 14 thousand acres and includes seagrass meadows, salt marshes, oyster bars, and beaches and is one of the world's largest feeding grounds for the endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle.

It also supports a variety of commercial and recreational species of fish and invertebrates and is the site for Franklin County's clam and oyster aquaculture leases.

The management plan identifies the goals for the preserve for the next 5 years, including the way the property is used and any improvements that are planned. 

The management plan is updated every 5 years to make sure it stays current.

If you would like to see the existing management plan, just go to aquaticpreserves.org.

The public meeting to discuss changes to the plan will be held on Tuesday, August the 15th at 6 PM at the FSU Coastal and Marine Lab in St. Theresa.

http://www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/sites/alligator/


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