JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District will host a series of eight Regulatory Open House events in Florida and the Antilles. The first event will be held Wed., June 25 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Courtyard Downtown Bradenton, 100 Riverfront Drive, Bradenton, Florida. The event is free and open to the public.
“It has been about four years since our last open house series,” said Donnie Kinard, chief of the Regulatory Division. “We have a lot of new information to share, and we are also looking forward to meeting with as many as possible in the communities we serve, to hear about their concerns, answer their questions and learn as much as we can to continue enhancing and improving our program.”
The theme for the 2014 Open House series is “Strategies for Success,” focusing on the latest information concerning mitigation, endangered species, indirect effects and alternatives analysis. A presentation will also be included relative to specific issues in each host city.
“Jacksonville District’s regulatory program is the largest in the nation,” explained Kinard. “In the past, our outreach initiatives such as the Open House have helped us to better inform current and potential permit applicants, consultants and stakeholders. As a result, we receive more thorough and accurate permit applications, have more productive pre-application meetings and reach better decisions that achieve our goal of balancing development needs with protecting the aquatic environment.”
Future Open House events in Florida are scheduled for Duck Key, July 9; Fort Lauderdale, July 11; Jacksonville, July 28; Panama City, July 30 and Orlando, August 1. Two events have been scheduled for the Antilles – San Juan, August 7 and St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, September 3. Further details are available at www.saj.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory.aspx, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jacksonvilledistrict and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/JaxStrong. Corps representatives will also interact with the public on Twitter during each event, using #UOH14.
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