HomeMy Public PortalAbout2010 Memorandum of Understanding MOU.tifMEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
Between the
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
BISCAYNE NATIONAL PARK
And
THE VILLAGE OF KEY BISCAYNE
This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is entered into between the National Park Service
(NPS), a bureau of the United States Department of the Interior (Department), and the Village
of Key Biscayne (Village), a Florida municipal corporation, for the purpose of collaborating with
Biscayne National Park (Park).
Article I. Backgound and Obiectives
The Park is one of the largest marine parks in the National Park System and was established to
preserve and protect a rare combination of terrestrial, marine, and amphibious life for the
enjoyment of present and future generations.
Seagrass meadows are an important nearshore habitat type located within the Park. Shallow
seagrass habitat in the Park is frequently impacted by vessel groundings. These incidents create
specific types of injuries to these resources, including propeller scars, blowholes, and berms.
Natural recovery from grounding injuries may take months to over a decade or longer,
especially when the injury extends deep into the sediment. The Park's general objectives for
restoring vessel grounding injuries in seagrass habitat include restoring topographic elevation at
those sites with substantial sediment excavation, restoring seagrass coverage of injured and
backfilled areas, and encouraging seagrass recruitment into injured and backfilled areas. These
objectives are accomplished by placing sediment fill, transplanting seagrasses, and applying
nutrients via bird stakes and fertilizer application.
The NPS estimates that less than ten percent of grounding incidents in the Park are reported.
Thus there are a large number of grounding injuries for which no responsible party is known,
and the Park refers to these as "orphan sites". Opportunities and funding for the restoration of
orphan sites are extremely limited.
The Village conducted an authorized beach renourishment project within its jurisdiction in
2000, under the following permits:
• Miami -Dade County Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM)
Class I Coastal Construction Permit # CC99-347
• United States Army Corps of Engineers (COE) Individual Permit # 199904294 (IP-DSG)
• Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) Joint Coastal Permit # 0160856-
001-JC
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The renourishment project resulted in impacts to seagrass habitat, for which in -kind mitigation
was required to restore the functional services of seagrass habitat impacted by the
renourishment project. To date, 0.3 acre of the required mitigation remains to be completed.
The Park and the Village intend to collaborate on a project (Project) to restore 0.3 acre of vessel
grounding injuries of unknown origin (orphan sites) - in seagrass habitat within the Park.
The Project, as designed, is the result of ongoing discussions among the Park, the Village and its
contractors, and FDEP, which have taken place over the past year. The Project will result in the
restoration of seagrass habitat in the Park for which funding is otherwise unavailable, as well as
the satisfaction of the Village's remaining mitigation requirements for the aforementioned
permits.
The Project will take place on or immediately adjacent to "No Name Shoal" in the Park, a
seagrass bank located at approximately 25.57446 N, -080.27194 E, with numerous injuries from
multiple vessel groundings. In May, 2010, the Village and its contractors conducted aerial and
field surveys to identify specific injuries for inclusion in the Project. A total of 17 blowholes and
depressions identified in these surveys were selected for restoration in the Project. The 17
individual injuries range in size from 20 m2 to over 230 m2 and cover a total of 0.3 acre (1,214
m2). These were proposed for restoration in an amended mitigation plan and have been
approved by FDEP and the Park as appropriate for restoration. The seventeen sites are
depicted on Exhibit A with corresponding latitude and longitude coordinates denoted.
The restoration involves re-establishment of topographic elevation at the orphan sites and
provision of nutrients via bird stakes with the objective of encouraging seagrass recruitment
into the backfilled areas. The objective will be accomplished by placement of sediment fill into
excavations and installation of bird roosting stakes in the filled sites. Sediment placement into
blowholes or deep propeller scars returns the seafloor to its original grade and composition,
stabilizes the substrate to prevent further deterioration from erosion, and prepares the area for
colonization by seagrasses and macroalgae. Bird stakes placed in restoration areas encourages
roosting of waterfowl, which ensures the regular release of natural fertilizer over the sea floor
beneath the stakes, to enhance recolonization by seagrasses and macroalgae. It is estimated
that approximately 600 cubic yards of fill and approximately 300 bird stakes will be needed to
achieve the stated restoration objective of the Project. Restoration work will be contracted out
by NPS. Project management, contract oversight, and restoration monitoring will be conducted
by the Park.
As part of the Project, one Class 11 Private Aid to Navigation (PATON) will be installed prior to
the completion of restoration activities at the eastern end of "No Name Shoal", serving to mark
the shoal and reduce the risk of damage to the restoration efforts. The PATON will be a
"danger shoal" day board with a white flashing light on a 4 -second interval. The Park has
received conceptual approval from the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) on the type and location of the
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PATON. PATON installation will be contracted out by NPS and maintained by the Park. The
PATON will require a USCG permit that will be obtained by the Park.
The purpose of this MOU is to establish the terms through which the Park and the Village will
accomplish the Project.
Article II. Statutory Authority
The NPS enters into this Agreement pursuant to the following legal authorities:
16 U.S.C. § 1-3 — General Authority to Take Actions That Promote and Regulate Units
of the National Park System
The NPS Organic Act directs the Secretary of the Interior to promote and regulate
National Park System lands by such means and measures as to conform to the
fundamental purpose of such lands, namely conservation of the scenery and natural and
historic objects and wildlife therein, and to provide for the enjoyment of these
resources in a manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the
enjoyment of future generations.
16 U.S.C. § 6, 43 U.S.C. § 1473a — Authority to Accept Donations
The Secretary of the Interior in his administration of the National Park Service is
authorized, in his discretion, to accept patented lands, rights -of -way over patented
lands or other lands, buildings, or other property within the various national parks and
national monuments, and moneys that may be donated for the purposes of the national
park and monument system.
Authority to Expend Donated Funds: As a general rule, NPS may expend donated
funds, and use donated goods and services, for any activity for which appropriated
funds may be used, subject to the limitations noted in § 6.2 of Director's Order 21 (DO
#21). Authority to expend appropriated funds may, as appropriate, be derived from
many sources including the NPS Organic Act (16 U.S.C. §§ 1-4) and park -specific
legislation. Be aware that park -specific and other specific legislation may restrict NPS'
ability to rely on more general statutes, such as the NPS Organic Act, for legal authority
to expend funds on certain activities.
Article III. Responsibilities and Understandings of the Parties
A. The NPS and Village jointly agree to:
1. Work together, in good faith, for the benefit of the Park and the Village to
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accomplish the objectives articulated in this Agreement, ensure the success of the
relationship established by this Agreement, and identify other opportunities for
productive collaboration.
2. Ensure frequent and regular communications and actively participate in these
communications. The communications shall concern all matters under this
Agreement, including without limitation, the respective goals and responsibilities of
the parties.
3. Work together, in good faith, to promptly resolve differences at the level of the Key
Officials listed in Article V of this Agreement, prior to elevating matters within the
organization of either party, the Department, or the United States.
B. The NPS agrees to:
1. Project Contracting: Within 30 days of the date hereof, the contract package will be
submitted by the Park into the NPS contracting system. The anticipated procurement
acquisition lead time is then approximately 90-120 days to an award. The Park will
notify the Village if this timeframe will not be met and will provide the Village with a
new anticipated timeframe. Park staff will develop, compete, award, and administer the
restoration and PATON installation contract packages.
In the event that bids, proposals or change orders are received by the Park that differ in
scope or exceed the initial budgeted amount of $298,198 (for restoration) and $4,000
(for PATON cost and installation), or the annual budgeted amounts set for in
subparagraph 7 hereof, then the Park will not award said contract/s unless the Park and
the Village agree, by written amendment to this agreement.
The restoration contract will include the following work elements:
• Planning meeting, site visit/s
• Implementation plan, draft and final
• Fill placement
• Bird stake and restoration signage fabrication and placement
• Restoration completion report, draft and final
The marker installation contract will include the following work elements:
• Planning meeting/site visit
• Equipment procurement
• Equipment installation
Price and the following technical evaluation criteria to evaluate bids:
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" R e c e n t s p e c i a l i z e d e x p e r i e n c e
" P r o f e s s i o n a l q u a l i f i c a t i o n s
" P a s t p e r f o r m a n c e
2 . C o n t r a c t o r O v e r s i g h t : P a r k s t a f f w i l l p r o v i d e c a r e f u l o v e r s i g h t o f r e s t o r a t i o n a n d
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a n d w i t h m i n i m a l c o l l a t e r a l r e s o u r c e i n j u r y . T h e V i l l a g e s h a l l b e n o t i f i e d o f t h e o v e r s i g h t
a c t i v i t i e s p r o p o s e d b y t h e P a r k i n s u f f i c i e n t t i m e t o a l l o w , b u t n o t r e q u i r e , t h e V i l l a g e t o
p a r t i c i p a t e o r o b s e r v e s u c h o v e r s i g h t e f f o r t s . n o t h i n g h e r e i n s h o u l d b e c o n s t r u e d t o
c o n s t i t u t e a n y o b l i g a t i o n o n t h e p a r t o f t h e V i l l a g e t o p a r t i c i p a t e i n s u c h o v e r s i g h t .
H o w e v e r , n o t h i n g c o n t a i n e d h e r e i n s h a l l b e c o n s t r u e d f o r s u c h c o o r d i n a t i o n t o d e l a y
P a r k a c t i v i t i e s u n d e r t a k e n u n d e r t h e t e r m s o f t h i s a g r e e m e n t .
3 . R e s t o r a t i o n M o n i t o r i n g a n d R e p o r t i n g : M o n i t o r i n g w i l l b e c o n d u c t e d b y P a r k s t a f f
a n d / o r i t s c o n t r a c t o r s f o r u p t o 5 y e a r s o r u n t i l t h e "