janet mizzi & lorna patrick u.s. fish and wildlife service panama city, florida december 2007

PCB Lighting Dec. 2007

Janet Mizzi & Lorna Patrick U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Panama City, FloridaDecember 2007

The Benefits of a Beachfront Lighting Ordinance on Panama City Beaches


The ordinance will minimize effects of the nourishment project

The benefits of a beachfront lighting ordinanceThe benefits of a beachfront lighting ordinance

Beach nourishment = a wider and higher beach. The first Beach nourishment = a wider and higher beach. The first few years after nourishment turtles nest closer to the water few years after nourishment turtles nest closer to the water because the beach is wider and flatter.because the beach is wider and flatter.

Nest site distribution on six nourished beaches (FWC 2007)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

0 1 2 3

Year relative to nourishment event

landward

mid-berm

seaward

Water

Land


The benefits of a beachfront lighting ordinanceThe benefits of a beachfront lighting ordinance

The turtles are exposed to more beachfront lighting

Brevard County, FL 2002•2002 - 130% increased disorientations in the nourished area; disorientations on beaches not nourished remained constant•2003 -same result was when another beach in the County was nourished and the disorientations increased by 480%.

Ocean Ridge, Palm Beach County, FL, 1997-98, • 1998 86% of disorientations in nourished area• 199966% of disorientations in nourished area

Bay County, 1998-99,2004, 2005 No Controls


The benefits of a beachfront lighting ordinance

The existing Bay County pilot ordinance worked

Disorientations of sea turtle hatchlings have been reduced

Hatchling Disorientation 1996-2007

87% 86%

58%

40%

East End 1996-02 East End 2003-07 West End 1996-02 West End 2003-07

Difference between the number of disoriented nests within and outside the ordinance area


Cost sharing is available to change out lights on existing properties

FWS Partners - Of the total $177,000, $33,750 have been provided in Bay County

FL Sea turtle license plate – local gov’t may apply for funds for changing lighting on their properties

FWS Private Lands stewardship – Larger grant awards to individual property owners

Ramsgate: balcony and underneath parking lightsThe Shores: pool and balcony lightsPinnacle Port: pool, balcony lights, in progress parking lot lightsSugar Sands motel: balcony lights, deck and walkway lights



Bay County & PCB will be consistent with the rest of coastal Florida

63% of all coastal counties that have turtle nesting and 47 municipalities have ordinances

SANTA ROSA COUNTY



Bay County & PCB will be consistent with the rest of coastal Florida

Join NW Florida in sharing the responsibility

•Franklin County 1998Franklin County 1998•Gulf County 2001Gulf County 2001

•City of Mexico Beach 2001City of Mexico Beach 2001•City of Destin 2004City of Destin 2004

•Santa Rosa County 2005Santa Rosa County 2005•Escambia County (being drafted)Escambia County (being drafted)

•Walton County (being drafted)Walton County (being drafted)•Bay County pilot 2002Bay County pilot 2002



Human safety and security are addressed; lighting regulations can be met in most situations

No evidence that implementation of sea turtle lighting has resulted in an increase of crime or accidents

Sarasota County 3 Gulf front beach patrol zones – 1996 – 2001; ordinance went into effect 1997



Human safety and security will be assured; lighting regulations can be met

New developments are able to meet sea turtle lighting and regulatory requirements when properly planned

Existing developments – solution provide limited regulatory relief

“Existing developments that can not meet lighting level regulations with standard sea turtle lighting shall

use sea turtle lights supplemented with full cut-off high pressure sodium lighting to minimize lighting that

may illuminate the beach."



Light on the ground

Not up in the sky where it causes glare and is wasted

Reduces lighting pollution of the night sky Enhances vision by placing light where needed



Go Green & Profit by it

Incandescent bulbs = 1,000 hrs

CF bulbs = 6,000 -8,000 hrs

LEDs = 50,000 – 100,000 hrs

Low pressure sodium

LPS = 12,000 – 18,000 hrs


Reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Sea turtle light bulbs are energy efficient, saves energy and money


Ecotourism is and is a fast-growing sector of Florida tourism. Tourists:•are interested in the environmental issues relevant to the destinations;•want to learn about the issues both before they travel and while they are at their destination; • seek pristine environments to visit and that their trip will not damage local ecosystems; and• are interested in patronizing hotels that protect the local environment and view local environmental and social stewardship as a responsibility of the businesses they support. Add a market of eco-friendly travelers to our visitors.

Go Green & Profit by it


Become a certified Wildlife Lighting Development, free advertisement on FWC website and use of logo for marketing


Proposed ordinanceProposed ordinance::New & Existing developments•Provide more flexibility in use of turtle lights•Add roadway, parking lot, signs and other infrastructure or development associated lights for clarity •Add window film as an optionExisting developments• where qualified allow a combination of turtle and HPS lights• voluntary interior light reduction

Pilot ordinance:•Provide more flexibility in use of turtle lights•where qualified allow a combination of turtle and HPS lights

Proposed Ordinance and/or use pilot ordinance with a Proposed Ordinance and/or use pilot ordinance with a few revisions few revisions



•Revise proposed ordinance Revise proposed ordinance oror expand the pilot lighting ordinance expand the pilot lighting ordinance (with a few revisions) and minimize beachfront lighting impacts to (with a few revisions) and minimize beachfront lighting impacts to nesting and hatchling sea turtles across the beaches of Bay County nesting and hatchling sea turtles across the beaches of Bay County

•Provides lighting for safety and security where neededProvides lighting for safety and security where needed

•Addresses conflicts in regulatory lighting issuesAddresses conflicts in regulatory lighting issues

•Allows flexibility for property owners and managersAllows flexibility for property owners and managers

This is a balanced approach This is a balanced approach




We appreciate the opportunity to provide We appreciate the opportunity to provide comments and are available to answer comments and are available to answer

questions during the workshop questions during the workshop

janet mizzi & lorna patrick u.s. fish and wildlife service panama city, florida december 2007

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