Bay County, Florida RESTORE Act Project
Pre-proposal Form
Fall 2014
Project Number (For Staff Only) Submittal Date
Revised 10/09/14
Purpose: This form is designed to assist citizens, businesses, public or private organizations, and
local governments wishing to submit a project for consideration of funding from the Gulf Coast
Restoration Trust Fund Direct Component dollars allocated to Bay County by the 2012 RESTORE
Act. Additional information on this process, including deadlines, is provided at http://baycountyfl.gov/
restore/preproposal.php
Funds are provided to Bay County, as a federal grant, usually on a project-by-project basis.
Organizations wishing to manage a project must have the capacity to manage a federal grant
and comply with all of its requirements.
A maximum of $6.3 million will be available for this funding cycle. Projects not funded in
this cycle may be proposed in future application cycles.
NOTE: ** Only information submitted on this form will be considered. Complete the form,
save it and email it to RESTOREproposals@baycountyfl.gov. You will receive an email
confirming receipt of your pre-proposal. Please note that Florida has a very broad Public
Records Law and your email communications may therefore be subject to public disclosure.
Criteria for eligible projects
A proposed project must meet all the following criteria in order to be eligible for Bay County's Direct
Component funds:
1. Within Bay County or adjacent surface and Gulf waters, or with an identified and strong benefit
to the County
2. Addresses one or more RESTORE Act eligible activities http://tinyurl.com/
RESTOREActEligibleActivities
3. Addresses one or more Bay County Multi-Year Implementation Plan Objectives http://tinyurl.com/
GoalsObjBayMYIP
4. Is not fully funded by another source of money
5. Has a recognizable public benefit
Bay PRP 2014-013
10/24/2014
Project Name (Character count limited to 250)
Project Proposer Name (Character count limited to 50)
Affiliation (Character count limited to 50)
Position (Character count limited to 50)
Mailing Address
Street / P O Box
City State Zip Code
E-Mail Address Web-Site
Phone Number Fax Number
Project Description (Character count limited to 500)
Project Size (acres)
Public Benefit (Clearly and briefly describe anticipated outcomes and benefit to the public.
Complete only those that apply) (Character count limited to 300 on each topic)
Economic
Oyster Reef Habitat Restoration in the Saint Andrew Bay
Katie Konchar
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Biological Scientist
620 South Meridian Street
Tallahassee
FL
32399
Katie.Konchar@MyFWC.com
850-922-4330
850-922-4338
We propose an oyster reef restoration project in West Bay, where seagrass loss has been
greatest within St. Andrew Bay. Oysters function in similar ecological and structural capacities
as seagrass meadows. The placement of subtidal oyster reefs along the deep edge of historic
seagrass beds will increase the oyster population, attenuate wave energy, improve water
quality, reduce turbidity and erosion, enhance fisheries habitat, and create conditions more
suitable for seagrass recolonization.
2.67
Once established, project reefs will serve as a source of oyster spat and, in the long term, will
add to the harvestable reef acreage of St. Andrew Bay. The project will also provide nursery
habitat to a variety of commercially and recreationally important fish species.
Environmental
Social
Other
RESTORE Act Direct Component eligible activity that the project undertakes (Check only
those that apply)
Activities Eligible for Funding
Restoration and protection of the natural resources, ecosystems, fisheries, marine and
wildlife habitats, beaches, and coastal wetlands of the Gulf Coast region
Mitigation of damage to fish, wildlife, and natural resources
Implementation of a federally approved marine, coastal, or comprehensive conservation
management plan, including fisheries monitoring
Workforce development and job creation
Improvements to or on State parks located in coastal areas affected by the Deepwater
Horizon oil spill
Infrastructure projects benefitting the economy or ecological resources, including port
infrastructure
Coastal flood protection and related infrastructure
Planning assistance
Administrative costs of complying with this subsection
Promotion of tourism in the Gulf Coast Region, including recreational fishing
Promotion of the consumption of seafood harvested from the Gulf Coast Region
This project will create ~2.67 acres of oyster reef habitat in West Bay, which will in turn protect
and promote the expansion of 200+ acres of degraded seagrass habitat. Seagrass and oyster
reef habitats are critical for coastal fish nurseries and support a diversity of protected birds and
wildlife.
Through public education and outreach efforts, this project is expected to reach over 150
people. Community volunteers will be engaged to participate in project implementation and
monitoring. We also hope to engage students in evaluating the effectiveness of the restoration.
Project reefs will provide a natural barrier against coastal erosion and increase the long-term
stability of the shoreline. This project also addresses regional water quality improvement
programs (e.g., TMDL) goals by providing nutrient uptake by oysters, restored seagrass, and
associated organisms.
Bay County RESTORE Act Multi-Year Implementation Plan objectives addressed (Check only
those that apply; read full text of each objective before checking the box. Full text can be
downloaded at http://tinyurl.com/GoalsObjBayMYIP
)
Economic Development and Job Creation
Objective 1.1 Diversify the Economy
Objective 1.2 Contribute to infrastructure
Objective 1.3 Expand airport economic benefits
Objective 1.4 In-demand job training
Objective 1.5 Workforce development fund
Objective 1.6 Facilities to foster tourism and economic development
Objective 1.7 Recreation, public transportation, and opportunities for wage improvements
Objective 1.8 Conserve and protect natural resources
Objective 1.9 Promote recreational Gulf fishing
Objective 1.10 Community resilience planning
Environment
Objective 2.1 Improve and protect the St. Andrew Bay watershed
Objective 2.2 Improve and protect water quality
Objective 2.3 Protect seagrass beds
Objective 2.4 Increase awareness of wildlife habitat
Objective 2.5 Acquisition and management of coastal conservation lands
Objective 2.6 Preserve and restore dune systems and living shorelines
Objective 2.7 Contribute to the protection and recovery of protected species
Objective 2.8 Sustainable approach to long-term collection of water data
Public Infrastructure
Objective 3.1 Maintain water quality in Deer Point Lake
Objective 3.2 Stabilize unpaved roads
Objective 3.3 Upgrade sewage treatment to advanced wastewater treatment levels
Objective 3.4 Replacement of septic tanks with centralized wastewater treatment
Objective 3.5 Upgrading stormwater treatment facilities
Objective 3.6 Promote low impact development
Objective 3.7 Increase coastal resilience
Objective 3.8 Support the Port Authority's efforts to add capacity and increase trade
Location
Describe Project Location (Character count limited to 300)
Provide the location of the center of the project as latitude/longitude in decimal degrees (e.g.
latitude 30.1312, longitude -85.7327). To determine this, go to the Bay County ArcGIS Map
, (works
best in Chrome or Internet Explorer browsers) put the pointer on the center of your project, and note
the latitude and longitude from the bottom left corner.
Latitude Longitude
Cost
Estimated total cost of project Amount being requested
Describe what the requested funds will be used for. (Character count limited to 300)
If long term funding is needed, indicate the anticipated funding source and availability.
(Character count limited to 300)
Estimate amount of time needed to complete the project
0 to 2 years
3 to 6 years
7 to 10 years
11 plus years
The restoration site begins approximately 2 km south of the Gulf Intra-Coastal Waterway along
the western shoreline of West Bay and continues south along the deep edge of historic
seagrass cover for approximately 2.5 km.
30.260437
-85.847151
$1,578,000.00
$1,475,000.00
Requested funds will be used for project engineering, barge rental and operation, water quality
monitoring, vehicle and vessel maintenance, materials, equipment and supplies including oyster
shell, coir fiber matting, and education and outreach supplies, and travel costs for the project
manager.
Matching funds
Are matching funds available?
Yes
No
If yes, describe source and if the match is secured. (Character count limited to 300)
Amount of match secured
Percent of estimated project cost to be
provided by matching funds
Partnerships
Are any partnerships anticipated for this project?
Yes
No
If yes, please provide name of partner(s)
Have funds requested for this project also been requested from another source?
Yes
No
If yes, indicate which source, when requested, anticipated decision and date of decision.
(Character count limited to 300)
Is this project already fully funded by another source of money?
Yes
No
In-kind support will be pledged for FWC staff time, FWC vehicle and vessel usage, volunteer
time, and partner contributions.
$105,000.00
7%
FDACS, UF-IFAS Sea Grant, SAB-RMA Bay
Watch, St. Joe Co.
A proposal for funding through NFWF's Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund was submitted on
07/11/2014. We anticipate a decision by the end of November, 2014.