PLACEMENT: Requests and Presentations
TITLE:
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2025 INDIAN RIVER LAGOON ECONOMIC VALUATION
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
executive summary
The Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program (IRLNEP), with funding from the EPA and NOAA, partnered with The Balmoral Group to conduct an updated economic valuation of the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) for 2025. The study assessed the economic impacts and ecosystem services provided by the IRL, covering its entire watershed, which spans 7 counties, 38 municipalities, and 3.5 million residents. This presentation will report the findings of the study.
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DEPARTMENT: Public Works
PREPARED BY: Name: John Maehl
Title: Environmental Resource Administrator
REQUESTED BY: Administration
PRESET: 1:30 PM
PROCEDURES: None
BACKGROUND/RELATED STRATEGIC GOAL:
The Indian River Lagoon is recognized by the U.S. Congress as an estuary of national significance. It is one of 28 estuaries authorized by Congress in the National Estuary Program (NEP). The NEP is administered and funded through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The IRL is bounded to the south by the eastern edge of the Everglades and to the north by Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and Canaveral National Seashore. Within the IRL region are the Archie Carr, Pelican Island, and Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuges; Port Canaveral and the Port of Fort Pierce; military installations at Patrick Space Force Base, Canaveral Space Force Station, two U.S. Coast Guard Stations and Kennedy Space Center, America’s gateway to space and home to NASA and a rapidly growing commercial space industry.
The IRLNEP Management Conference is represented by 121 volunteer scientists, resource managers, habitat restoration practitioners, community leaders, industry representatives, and citizens. This collaborative governance structure enables the IRLNEP to convene a large team of partners to deliver successful restoration programs such as the $9.4 million NOAA Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience project. This grant award funded the study, model and report for this presentation concerning the comprehensive economic impact of the IRL.
ISSUES:
The presentation will be submitted via Supplemental Memorandum.
LEGAL SUFFICIENCY REVIEW:
None
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
RECOMMENDATION
None
ALTERNATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS
None
FISCAL IMPACT:
RECOMMENDATION
None
ALTERNATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS
None
DOCUMENT(S) REQUIRING ACTION:
☐Budget Transfer / Amendment ☐ Chair Letter ☐Contract / Agreement
☐Grant / Application ☐Notice ☐Ordinance ☐Resolution
☐Other:
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