| |
| Community Budget Issue Requests - Tracking Id #2520 |
| West Bay Seagrass Evaluation/Restoration Project |
| |
| Requester: |
Michael Brim, Executive Direct |
Organization: |
St. Andrew Bay Environmental Study Team, Inc. (BEST) |
| |
| Project Title: |
West Bay Seagrass Evaluation/Restoration Project |
Date Submitted |
1/12/2006 4:11:50 PM |
| |
| Sponsors: |
Clary |
| |
| Statewide Interest: |
| a) To potentially desingate, in the future, the appropriate portion of 17,576 acres of West Bay, and determine consistency or needed improvements under the State of Floirda's Water Quality Program.
b) To evaluate ecological, hydrologic and water quality conditions throughout 17,576 acres of West Bay, and determine consistency or needed improvemnet under the State of Floirda's Water Quality Program.
c) To test a significantly large application (approximately 100 acres) of seagrass restoration strategies, consistent with the significant functions and importance of seagrass beds defined by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, June, 2001.
d) To compliment bay improvement projects such as the removal of the City of Panama City Beach's municipal wastewater effluent, an action consistent with the State of Florida Water Quality Program.
e) To work in harmony with the larger conservation/growth managemnet effort in West Bay, including the 78,000-acre Optional Sector Plan, and management provisions of the Florida Department of Community Affairs.
f) To work in harmony with growth managemnet initiatives associated with the potential relocation of the Panama City/Bay County International Airport.
g) To fulfill the component of the NW Floirda Water Management District's S.W.I.M. plan for St. Andrew Bay, as described on page 52 of the Plan.
h) To eventually restore over 1,000 acres of seagrass habitat and associated productivity lost through diverse human activities, some of which were permitted by the State of Florida during the early 1970's.
i) To work with BEST's corporate, conservation, and government partners to retain the area's quality of life, a program consistent with many of the provisions of Florida State laws, and a program supported via appropriations from the Florida Legislature.
j) To preserve and conserve West Bay resouces for future generations, a goal consistent with the Florida Coastal Management Program. |
| |
| Recipient: |
St. Andrew Bay Environmental Study Team, Inc. (BEST) |
|
Contact: |
Michael Brim, Executive Direct |
|
| |
801 Jenks Avneue |
|
Contact Phone: |
(850) 215-5590 |
|
| |
Panama City 32401 |
|
Contact email: |
mbrim.best@knology.net |
| |
| Counties: |
Bay, Gulf, Walton, Washington |
| |
| Gov't Entity: |
|
Private Organization (Profit/Not for Profit): |
Yes |
| |
| Project Description: |
| This project will evaluate the existing ecological conditions of the 17,576-acre West Bay of the St. Andrew system, and put into place all appropriate preservation, conservation, and restoration actions to assure the continued or improved welfare of the bay and its public resources. Teh appropriated funds will be used to abtain critically needed scientific information to accomplish the above, and to ultimately commence appropriate seagrass restoration, as defined by the resulting scientific data, in an area where seagrass losses have been documented to exceed 1000 acres. In addition to the new data to be obtained (through the use of the requested funds), the project will benefit from other existing data gleaned from West Bay studies already accomplished. Thus the requested Florida Legislature funds will be leveraged or matched with investments already made by other federal and State programs, conservation organizations, and private corporations. The results will be an appropriate and comprehensive management strategy, which will be implemneted to asure the restoration and preservation of this valuable coastal estuary, Finally, the project is appropriately inter-related with upland conservation efforts around West Bay, as being planned for within the State's Optional Sector Plan, and with plans for the potential relocation of the Panama City/Bay County International Airport. |
| |
| Is this a project related to a federal or state declared disaster? |
No |
| |
| Measurable Outcome Anticipated: |
| From the scientific data base and proposed preservation/restoration actions, the most significant measurable outcome will be the appropriate conservation actions that assure the welfare of West Bay, in harmony with the growth challenges around the bay.Specific measurable outcomes will be the scientific database itself, the specific acreage of coastal habitats restored, and the specific acreage on habitats preserved through conservation actions. All scientfic reports will become public documents. A future, potential outcome could be the establishment of a portion of West Bay as a Florida Aquatic Preserve, if such is deemed appropriate by State managers. |
| |
| Amount requested from the State for this project this year: |
$3,000,000 |
| |
| Total cost of the project: |
$1,000,000 |
| |
| Request has been made to fund: |
Construction |
| |
| What type of match exists for this project? |
None |
| |
Cash Amount |
$ |
|
| |
| Was this project previously funded by the state? |
|
No |
| |
| Is future-year funding likely to be requested? |
|
No |
| |
| Was this project included in an Agency's Budget Request? |
|
No |
| |
| Was this project included in the Governor's Recommended Budget? |
No |
| |
| Is there a documented need for this project? |
Yes |
| |
Documentation: |
St. Andrew Bay SWIM Plan, BEST Ecosystem Management Plan |
| |
| Was this project request heard before a publicly noticed meeting of a body of elected officials (municipal, county, or state)? |
|
No |
| |
| Is this a water project as described in Section 403.885, Laws of Florida? |
|
No |
