G Delineated Area.pdf

NOAA NMFS Sustainable Fisheries Existing Tequesta, FL Field Office

NOAA NMFS SEFSC Office Lease, Tequesta, FL For Sustainable Fisheries Division, Fisheries Statistics Field Office Existing Requirement

Delineated Area

North: FL 76 to A1A Stuart, FL;

East: A1A to SE Bridge Rd, Hobe Sound, FL;

South: SE Bridge Rd (Rt 708) to I95;

West: I95 to FL 76.

Begin at intersection of I-95 and Bridge Rd.

Go East on Bridge Rd. until intersection with A1A. North on A1A until intersection with S.

Kanner Hwy (76). Go southwest on S.

Kanner Hwy until intersection with I-95.

South on I-95 until intersection with Bridge Rd.

Determination and Findings, Parking Justification

The NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC), Sustainable Fisheries Division employ marine biologists who use government owned vehicles for their field office duties.

Responsibilities include collecting statistical information on fisheries required under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act, MSA, Public Law 109-479). For SEFSC Sustainable Fisheries Division, marine biologists work in an office and are sometimes are required to collect information/data/samples on docks and fishing vessels. The sample collection and processing is time sensitive and dependent on when commercial fishing trawlers come back to port. For example, when fish are hauled on board of a commercial fishing vessel, an NMFS Field Office biologist may be on the boat deck collecting samples and recording the number and weight of the species caught. These data help keep track of the overall fish population and any protected species that may have been caught unintentionally as bycatch.

The Sustainable Fisheries marine biologist work site is considered a remote site from the NMFS SEFSC headquarters office in Miami. Marine biologists’ duties are not suitable for telecommuting or additional types of remote work. The Fisheries Field Office in the Tequesta FL

Figure 1 Tequesta, FL

NOAA NMFS Sustainable Fisheries Existing Tequesta, FL Field Office area is highly car dependent with no mass transit options for government employees. If the marine biologists go out on a fishing vessel, they may arrive at their office before 4am and sometimes return with data or samples after 10pm. These local conditions, duties, and responsibilities require the NMFS biologists to use a government owned vehicle to go to the docks, observe incoming catch and even board vessels after or before normal working hours.

Immediate parking access for GOV and POV to the office space is essential in performing official duties.

Because of the 24/7 site specific work, lack of mass transit options and the additional responsibility of safely securing and processing fish samples being time sensitive, two parking spaces are required for both the Government Owned Vehicle and a Privately Owned Vehicle as part of this Tequesta, FL NMFS requirement.

FMR Part 10283, the Rural Development Act (RDA) The Rural Development Act (RDA) directs Federal agencies to give first priority to locating new offices and other Federal facilities in rural areas unless their mission or program requirements call for locations in an urban area.

NOAA has an existing requirement in Tequesta, FL. Tequesta is an unincorporated village in West Palm Beach County, FL, with a population of approximately 6,000.

Many of the NMFS Sustainable Fisheries Field Offices are in rural areas and consideration is given to locating new requirements in a rural area. Maintaining a Field Office in Tequesta, FL is required to facilitate the NMFS SEFSC Sustainable Fisheries mission.