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LTC 176-2018 2018 Sea Turtle Nesting Season in Miami BeachMIAMIBEACH City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, Florida 33139, www.miamibeachfl.gov Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager Tel: 305-673-7010 , Fax: 305-673-7782 NO. LTC # 176-2018 LETTER TO COMMISSION TO: Mayor Dan Gelber and Members of the City Commission FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager DATE: April 4, 2018 SUBJECT: 2018 Sea Turtle Nesting Season in Miami Beach The City of Miami Beach is dedicated to the conservation and preservation of its natural resources including the protection of sea turtles that nest annually on our beaches between April 1st and October 31st. MBRISINCABOV[COM Loggerhead, Green Turtle, and Leatherbacks come to our beaches every year to lay their eggs. All three of these species are protected by state law and handling of turtles and nests are regulated by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Miami -Dade County Sea Turtle Conservation Program is responsible for spearheading sea turtle conservation efforts countywide. The County has a permit with FWC to allow county staff to conduct daily inspections. Starting at sunrise every morning, county staff identify, mark off, and where applicable, relocate nests. They also inventory hatched nests, and to document hatchling disorientations. No beach activities (sand sifting, litter collection, concessionaire operations) are allowed to begin before the daily survey is completed and county staff gives the "all clear". This restriction prevents the loss of sea turtle tracks used to identify nests, as well as potential collisions with nesting sea turtles or newly laid nests. All nests identified by county staff during the survey are marked and surrounded by caution tape the same morning they are discovered, signaling the public to maintain a safe buffer of at least 10 feet. Lastly, the city will continue working with the county to obtain ongoing disorientation and nest reports to help address any lighting or conservation concerns as the season continues. In preparation for the upcoming sea turtle nesting season, the Environment & Sustainability Department has been working with various city departments on short-term and long-term strategies for better protecting our native sea turtle population. This includes internal trainings, lighting retrofits, community workshops, and enforcement. For example, the Public Works Department has recently finished replacing the old acorn lights in Lummus Park with dimmable Paulson ("hat" type) fixtures that better direct light to improve visibility within the park for public safety, while reducing the amount of light visible from the beach. Additionally, the lights at Marjory Stoneman Douglas Park will be shielded on the side that faces east to lower their visibility from the beach. These interim measures will substantially reduce light pollution in the areas with the highest disorientation incidents as documented last sea turtle season. As the city continues planning, designing and constructing projects along the beachfront, such as the beachwalk projects, sea turtle friendly fixtures will replace existing lights on public property. In addition, there has been close coordination with Code Compliance and the Historic Preservation Office to address lighting concerns on private property and to develop a sea turtle lighting compliance action plan for this season. We need the help of the entire community to prepare our beaches for sea turtle season. For that reason, the city conducts extensive education and outreach to increase sea turtle awareness. Code Compliance will be distributing the attached letter (Attachment A) and an informative flyer (Attachment B) to beachfront properties to remind them to turn off all unnecessary lights or keep blinds closed at night and not to harass nesting turtles. The city will also be hosting a Sea Turtle Awareness Public Workshop on Tuesday, April 24 at the Miami Beach Golf Club (2301 Alton Road) at 6pm to 7pm. Marketing and Communications Department is developing a new sea turtle education campaign. The multi-lingual campaign is designed to inform residents and visitors that sea turtle season has arrived, nests and turtles should not be disturbed, and that measures should be taken by everyone to reduce lighting issues. Messaging will be disseminated via all social media channels and printed advertisements will be strategically placed in areas where beach visitors frequent. The city is also working with Miami -Dade County and FWC to add supplemental signage on sea turtle nests that increase our resident and visitors' awareness of the marked nests. Attachments: A — 2018 Nesting Season Letter B — Sea Turtle Flyer SMTXE W/MKW/FT/YP ATTACHMENT A MIAMI BEACH City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, Florida 33139, www.miamibeachfl.gov April 3, 2018 Re: Sea Turtle Nesting Protection The City of Miami Beach is dedicated to the conservation and preservation of its natural resources including the protection of sea turtles that nest annually on our beaches between April 1st and October 31st. In an effort to minimize disturbance to sea turtles and their nests, we kindly request your support to reduce artificial light sources from your property that may visible from the beach. Light pollution from adjacent properties disorients nesting adults and hatchlings. Sea turtles mistake artificial lighting for the reflection of the night sky on the water. Although there is no substitute for a naturally dark sky, there are practices that our community can follow to improve the nesting conditions for marine turtles that lay their eggs every year on our beaches. This includes minimizing the use of direct artificial lighting from properties located along the beach and never touching or harassing a nesting sea turtle or sea turtle hatchlings. Another easy way for oceanfront properties to make a difference is to turn off all unnecessary lighting or to keep the blinds closed at night. We also recommend the installation of tinted glass or shades on all windows and glass doors facing or within line -of -sight from the beach. Any Tight fixtures located on the exterior of the property can also be modified or replaced to decrease disorientation and improve nesting habits through the installation of indirect low profile lighting fixtures and bulbs. Existing fixtures can also be shielded or repositioned so that the point source of the light or any reflective surface is no longer visible from the beach. To obtain more information on sea turtles visit: www.mbrisinqabove.com/seaturtles. For specific information on sea turtle -friendly lighting, please visit: http://www.myfwc.com/. Thank you in advance for your help in ensuring the continued survival of the threatened and endangered marine turtles that nest on our City's beaches. If you have any questions or would like to meet to discuss correcting lighting problems, please contact the Code Compliance Department at (305) 673-7555. Sincerely, Elizabeth Wheaton Hernan Cardeno Environment and Sustainability Director Code Compliance Director We ore committed to providing excellent public service and safety to all who live, work, and play in our vibrant, tropical, historic communiy SES TURILE SEASON iS HEREi Humans aren't the only species that like to visit Miami Beach every year. From April to October, hundreds of endangered sea turtles come to our beautiful sandy beaches to hatch their little ones. Sea turtle hatchlings are born with the instinct to head toward the brightest light on the beach after hatching, which is usually the light of the moon reflected off the ocean surf. In coastal areas with artificial fighting, hatchlings may become disoriented and travel in the wrong direction away from the ocean, potentially never making it to the water. We all have a responsibility to keep them protected and to ensure their hatchlings make it home safely! HERE ARE SOME TIPS ON NOW TO W&CH OST FOR THE OTTIE ONE. *Never approach turtles emerging from the sea nor disturb or harass nesting turtles. No matter how quiet, humans will often - and unknowingly - frighten nesting sea turtles back into the sea. *Use caution while boating to avoid collision with turtles. * Stay clear of marked sea turtle nests on the beach. * Remove all beach furniture and umbrellas at the end of the day. *Close curtains or blinds to prevent interior lights from shining onto the beach. *Keep bright lights from shining onto the beach. If you have security/safety lights near the beach, build shades around the light so the beach is not directly illuminated. *Call the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to report someone disturbing a sea turtle nest or if you see an injured, dead, or harassed sea turtle: 1-888-404-FWCC For more information on how to watch out for the little guy, visit www.mbrisingabove.com/seaturtles • ATTACHMENT B RISING A3OVE • • Gf • • • vISEIT RISING ABOVE • • • • • • • \Gf • • • • • 3.,VE.G„r/SEfTURTIES