Last Stand recommends revisions to the City's Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Water Quality Monitoring Program to align with legal obligations under Sections 80-2 and 80-3 of the City’s Ordinances. The revised RFP should include specific monitoring for turbidity, siltation, and suspended particulates from cruise ships, with RES Florida Consulting, LLC recommended as the top choice to lead the program. The organization raises concerns about potential conflicts of interest with other applicants.

Last Stand urges the extension of protections for Big Pine and No Name Keys after the expiration of the Habitat Conservation Plan, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding endangered species and maintaining healthy habitats. The organization calls for balanced growth to preserve these keys' unique environment for future generations.

The proposed rescission of the "harm" definition under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) would weaken critical habitat protections for species dependent on intact ecosystems. The current definition includes habitat destruction that impairs vital behaviors like breeding and feeding, which is crucial for species like the Key deer, sea turtles, and manatees in the Florida Keys. Removing this definition would limit the enforcement of habitat protections, making it harder to address indirect threats from development and pollution. This change contradicts the ESA's broad, preventative purpose and would undermine decades of progress in conservation, risking the survival of species and ecosystems that are already under significant threat.

Various Florida Keys organizations, representing thousands of residents in Florida and the Florida Keys, urge your support for HB 995, a responsible approach to managing development in the Keys, and ask that you oppose SB 1326 and SB 1730, which would pave the way for reckless overdevelopment. HB 995 allocates 500 new ROGOs over 10 years, with a focus on workforce and affordable housing, while the Senate bills propose an alarming increase in development that could harm the Keys' environment, infrastructure, and community character. We stand for responsible growth that prioritizes sustainability over profit-driven expansion.

Last Stand urges the City of Key West to swiftly address the gap in water-quality monitoring caused by the College of the Florida Keys pausing its partnership, emphasizing the critical need for an unbiased, transparent collaboration to protect the environment and meet legal and ethical obligations.

Keys Last Stand strongly opposes the proposal to 4-lane the Overseas Highway, citing concerns about increased traffic, environmental impacts, and public safety. Studies reveal that adding lanes induces more demand, leading to congestion, overdevelopment, and further strain on our fragile marine ecosystem. We urge officials to reconsider this approach and prioritize sustainable solutions to preserve the Keys’ unique quality of life.

Watch Last Stand President Ann Olsen speak out against overdevelopment at the October 16th Monroe County BOCC meeting. Ann highlighted urgent concerns for the Florida Keys, such as hurricane evacuation safety, declining water quality, and environmental impacts from unchecked growth. She urged the BOCC to rethink building allowances, citing flawed evacuation models that falsely justify growth.

Watch Last Stand Board Member Dottie Moses, along with Last Stand Members Edie Primaver and Nancy Diersing, address the Monroe Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) on September 11, 2024, regarding the proposed Wilson-Avirett Tier change in North Key Largo. Last Stand opposes this Tier change as the area, designated as Tier I for its environmental sensitivity, is home to the largest contiguous West Indian hardwood hammock in the U.S. and endangered species such as the Key Largo cotton mouse and Schaus Swallowtail butterfly. For decades, state land acquisition efforts and the Tier I designation have protected this fragile ecosystem from overdevelopment and maintained its vital role in hurricane evacuation. Changing the Tier designation would jeopardize these protections, set a harmful precedent for future development, and undermine ongoing conservation efforts.

Last Stand and 15 Keys organizations, representing thousands of Keys residents, are concerned about the County's potential request for additional ROGOs from the State due to fears of significant takings liabilities. Currently, County staff are revising the estimate of buildable lots from the previous count of 2,220, which is expected to be lower. The County holds 444 administrative relief ROGOs, with 300 specifically allocated for early evacuation affordable workforce housing. These ROGOs are intended solely to resolve takings claims and not increase development potential.

The September 11 BOCC agenda includes a proposal to amend the Comprehensive Plan to create Tavernier Workforce Housing Subarea 1, which would allocate 86 early evacuation ROGOs for a new housing project. Approving this would divert 86 ROGOs, valued at over $38.7 million, from addressing takings claims. Given the county’s estimated liability of $1 billion, how can the approval of this proposal be reconciled with the justification for requesting more market rate ROGOs to mitigate taking liability? We urge you to reject the proposed Goal 113 and Policy 113.1.1.

Last Stand and 15 Keys organizations, representing thousands of Florida Keys residents, are closely monitoring the County’s evaluation process regarding additional ROGOs (Rate of Growth Ordinances) from the State. They have noted that the latest hurricane evacuation model released by Florida Commerce in November 2023 has not been thoroughly analyzed by County staff, nor has an external consultant been engaged.

They have identified several critical flaws in the model:

1. It assumes evacuation ends at Florida City, excluding evacuees from South Florida and Ocean Reef.

2. It suggests evacuations occur evenly over 24 hours.

3. It omits certain permanent residents and vacation home occupants.

4. It underrepresents the number of vacation rental units.

5. It fails to account for future mobile home conversions.

Given the importance of accurate hurricane evacuation planning, we urge the County to commission an independent analysis of the 2023 model’s methodologies and assumptions.

Keys Last Stand raises concerns about the County’s approach to evaluating new Rate of Growth Ordinances (ROGOs). Despite recent efforts to reassess buildable lots, the community engagement process and data analysis are problematic:

• Independent Review Needed: No independent analysis of the hurricane evacuation model, which previously had significant errors.

• Survey Issues: The current survey lacks expert review and provides outdated, limited options.

• Misleading Figures: The $1 billion Takings liability figure is inaccurately used, diverting attention from true financial impacts.

Accurate, peer-reviewed data is essential for managing development and ensuring safety. The 24-hour evacuation statute, based on extensive research, should not be ignored. Proper analysis is critical for responsible decision-making and protecting the Keys’ unique environment.

Last Stand and 15 Keys organizations oppose the County's support for Marathon’s request for ten new residential building allocations. We argue that Marathon should have used its existing allocations and implemented a moratorium pending a capacity analysis, avoiding any takings liability. We question the County's support for new allocations before completing its transparency analysis and independent audit of the hurricane evacuation model. We believe the proposed ten new allocations significantly exceed Marathon’s fair share. We urge you to vote against the proposal.

Last Stand and 15 other Keys organizations are concerned about the County’s potential request for new market-rate ROGOs, particularly given the BOCC's recent direction to recompute the number of buildable lots, which we believe is currently inflated. We stress the need for a thorough carrying capacity analysis to assess the impact on infrastructure, environment, and costs to taxpayers before any new ROGOs are approved. Additionally, we object to using an inflated $1 billion estimate of takings liability in County surveys, which seems intended to skew results and mislead the public. We urge immediate correction and a moratorium on new ROGOs pending a comprehensive analysis.

Last Stand has raised serious concerns about a permit submitted by Floridian Holdings, LLC for the Valhalla Island Resort on Crawl Key. The proposal involves dredging and filling activities that would remove 1,500 sq ft of road, 9,100 sq ft of protected red mangroves, and 15,275 sq ft of additional dredging to supposedly restore water flow. This project threatens our vital ecosystems, which are already under significant stress from overdevelopment and climate change.

Here are the full comments from the July 17th, 2024, Monroe County Board of County Commissioners regarding potential new ROGO allocations, including the County’s analysis of possible takings cases.

Comments to the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) on July 17th, 2024, by Last Stand President Ann Olsen, addressing concerns about the County’s analysis of potential “takings” liability and the proposed request for new ROGOs. Last Stand emphasized that the number of viable takings cases is overstated and urged the county to prioritize public safety and residents' quality of life by recalculating buildable lots.

16 organizations, representing thousands of Keys residents, have concerns about the County’s analysis of potential “takings” liability and the proposed request for new ROGOs. Last Stand believes the public benefit of limiting new development outweighs private property interests. The current analysis lacks realistic computation of potential takings liability and overestimates the number of buildable residential lots. We urge the County to request no more ROGOs for market-rate units to ensure safety and preserve the Keys' natural resources.

Last Stand seeks clarification from Florida Commerce regarding the sudden reversal of its decision on the Tavernier Key Commercial Overlay District (TKCOD). Initially rejected for being inconsistent with the Monroe County Comprehensive Plan, the amended final order approved the TKCOD without explanation. Last Stand questions the new information that led to this reversal and requests a detailed explanation of the basis and responsible parties for this decision. We strive to protect the Florida Keys from overdevelopment and seek transparency in this process.

Tune in as Last Stand Board member Dottie Moses discusses our mission to preserve the Florida Keys, the dangers of "forever chemicals," and the recent victory in keeping Wisteria Island under government protection on US 1 Radio's Morning Magazine. She also touches on Governor DeSantis's environmental budget and its impact on our community.

In 2024, Last Stand, with renewed determination, reinforced its steadfast dedication to preserving the distinctive quality of life and the fragile ecosystem of the Florida Keys. This year, Last Stand continued to make significant progress in advocating for policies and educational programs that support our goals of managing growth, enhancing water quality, and expanding workforce housing, demonstrating our unwavering commitment to the cause.

Through our comprehensive approach of research, education, outreach, and action, Last Stand has worked diligently to influence responsible growth management, improve water quality standards, and promote affordable housing solutions for the workforce.