Audubon Florida is pleased to announce the reappointment of Dr. Jerry Lorenz, State Research Director, and Kelly Cox, Director of Everglades Policy, to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council (SAC). 

Jerry Lorenz has served on the SAC for 24 years as a member and has secured an appointment as the voting member in the Conservation and Environment seat.  Lorenz also chairs the FKNMS Connectivity Team – a working group established to facilitate multi-agency and stakeholder collaboration related to Everglades restoration, water quality, habitats, and living marine resources. Since its inception in 2021, the Connectivity Team has facilitated SAC resolutions and actions related to the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual, Urban Development Boundary protection in Miami Dade County, and federal funding support for Everglades restoration to highlight the connection between these activities and the health of the marine sanctuary.

Kelly Cox joined Audubon in 2021. She is in her second year of service on the SAC and is the new voting member in the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration seat. She is also a Connectivity Team member and works on drafting resolutions for the SAC.

These actions are of particular importance as the Sanctuary gears up for the release of the next iteration of the Sanctuary’s Restoration Blueprint management document in July 2022. This document will guide Sanctuary actions to protect the marine environment, the quality of life, and the coastal economy of the Florida Keys.