Longboat Key’s Planning, Zoning and Building staff will continue revising proposed changes in the town s rules for sea turtle protection, aiming for a final vote on July 2, the Town Commission s last planned meeting before the summer break.
Cyndi Seamon made a turtle nest in summer 2020. Photo Credit: Nat Kaemmerer
Commissioners talked about the rules for about 90 minutes on Monday before putting off the ordinance s final vote. If passed, the changes wouldn’t take effect until the 2022 turtle season, which runs each year from May 1-Oct. 31.
Specifically, commissioners wanted the ordinance to clarify what specifically a “turtle-friendly light bulb” means. The proposed ordinance says they are bulbs that are certified by the state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission or a bulb that produces only long-wavelength light, which is 560 nanometers or longer.
Boats bumped over the brief bay ride on March 6 to the Sister Keys, where trash galore awaited the intrepid volunteers of Suncoast Waterkeepers, Sarasota Bay Watch and the Longboat Key Turtle Watch.
The cleanup is needed for the wild island, which not only has invasive plants but also has plenty of trash from boaters and waves. Longtime Longboater Rusty Chinnis often comes out to the island and used to work on the cleanup only with friends.
Now, the Longboat Key Public Works Department comes out to the island twice a year to clear the invasive plants like Australian pines and Brazilian pepper. The group spends a couple days clearing and killing the plants so they don t overtake the island. This event was different an event specifically to clean up trash on the island, organized by Suncoast Waterkeepers and Sarasota Bay Watch. Chinnis is involved in both organizations.