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SCRUB JAY UPDATE

CITY OF PALM BAY
NEWS RELEASE
120 Malabar Road, Palm Bay, FL 32907
321-952-3400

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Yvonne Martinez 321-426-5194
Monday, April 23, 2007

DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION COEXIST WITH NEW PERMIT

(Palm Bay) - The City of Palm Bay has become one of the first in the state
to obtain an Incidental Take Permit (ITP) that will allow lot owners to
build on their property in areas previously restricted by the US Fish and
Wildlife Service because of scrub jay habitat. The permit requires the City
to mitigate for potential impacts to protected species (scrub jays, indigo
snakes and gopher tortoises) by implementing an environmental service fee
city-wide that will provide funding to purchase and preserve more suitable
habitat elsewhere. Although the scattered lots in certain areas of the City
had scrub habitat, the scrub jay population was declining due to the poor
quality of the habitat.

Starting April 23, lot owners throughout the City will be able to obtain
building permits for their property. The permit does include some
restrictions on clearing between March 1 and June 30 for lots within the
habitat area, but building is allowed to occur.

The proceeds from the environmental service fee (initially set at $125 per
quarter acre) will be provided to the Nature Conservancy to be used to
purchase higher quality habitat. In addition to the fee, Palm Bay will be
required to develop educational material regarding the scrub jay that will
be distributed with building permits and published on the City's web site.
Annual monitoring of scrub jay nests and annual reporting are also required
as part of the permit conditions.

"The Incidental Take Permit is a good way to allow citizens to use their
property while still providing for protection of endangered species," said
Lee Feldman, PalmBay City Manager. "This is significant for the citizens of
Palm Bay who have paid taxes on their property, but have been unable to
obtain permits to build. The City Council believes that purchasing large
tracts of high-quality habitat is a much better way to protect the species
than restricting the use of individual lots," Feldman added.