JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District will host two Regulatory Open House events in south Florida this week. The events will be held Wed., July 9 at Hawk’s Cay Resort Florida Keys, 61 Hawks Cay Boulevard, Duck Key, Florida and Fri., July 11 at Marriott Harbor Beach, 3030 Holiday Drive, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Each event begins at 8:30 a.m. with a series of presentations. The events are free and open to the public.
“This is the first time we have scheduled an outreach event in the Florida Keys,” said Donnie Kinard, Regulatory Division chief. “We are looking forward to meeting with consultants, stakeholders and members of the public to discuss the unique environmental issues in the Keys and how we can best serve the community there. Fort Lauderdale has always been one of our most well-attended sessions in the past, and we are happy to return to share some new information since our last Open House in 2010.”
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.”
Remaining Open House events in Florida are scheduled for Jacksonville, July 28; Panama City, July 30 and Orlando, August 1. Two events are scheduled for the Antilles – San Juan, August 7 and St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Sept. 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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