Please excuse the long Blog message however this is important and timely! The economic impact of not ensuring clean water here is huge! Read on and see what you can do. Thanks, Sarah
Newsletter - Bayous Preservation Association - June 14, 2009
WE NEED YOUR HELP BEFORE WEDNESDAY!
The BPA, working with the SCCF, is doing water quality monitoring at the four sites on Sanibel and Captiva where we have been testing for two years prior to the opening of Blind Pass. We will continue and are funded for water quality testing in the same four sites for a full year following the opening of the pass.
HOWEVER--the Lee County Tourist Development Council's Beach and Shoreline Fund, which has previously funded similar water quality monitoring on Captiva, at the Sanibel Caloosahatchee Water Quality Observatory and Sanibel Water Quality Monitoring--San Carlos Bay, has asked the Lee County Commission to pick up the tab this year.
In view of of the many increasing threats to the quality of our surrounding waters--due to factors such as runoff, fertilizers, algae, and bacterial pollutants--the support of all concerned BPA members is needed to encourage the Lee County Board of County Commissioners to fully fund in FY 2009-2010 these three important water quality projects.
The issue of funding will be discussed at a budget workshop on Wednesday, June 17 (no public input planned), and the commissioners need to hear from us.
WE'VE ALREADY PAID THE TAXES FOR THIS, SO ENCOURAGE THE COMMISSIONERS TO SPEND IT FOR THE PROTECTION OF OUR WATERS.
If you support the continuation of water quality monitoring on the islands, PLEASE SEND AN E-MAIL to the commissioners before Wednesday morning. Their e-mail addresses are listed below, as are some bullet points you can use to craft your individual message in support of this effort. Your email can be simple and to the point.
We in the BPA are lucky that, thanks to generous grants, donations, and memberships, we are able to continue our water quality monitoring program. Let's help these other areas, which are as critical to the water quality of the Blind Pass ecosystem as the opening of the pass, to get the funding they need.
We thank you in advance!
The Crew at BPA
SEND your emails to TO:
MESSAGE POINTS:
I urge you to support full county funding in FY 2009-2010 for three important water quality projects previously funded by the Tourist Development Council:
1. Captiva Water Quality Monitoring, Year 2 at $99,294.
2. Sanibel Caloosahatchee Water Quality Observatory at $67,689.
3. Sanibel Water Quality Monitoring -- San Carlos Bay at $30,000.
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Water quality is an essential issue for Lee County, for both environmental and economic reasons. Healthy water is the basis for a healthy environment, a crucial building block to maintain ecological balance in the face of competing pressures and pollution sources.
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The value of healthy water and beaches for the county's economy cannot be overstated: to bring visitors here to enjoy our coastlines and waterways, to keep residents drawn here by the many water-based resources available to them and to support the industries that rely on healthy water.
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In a county that promotes its miles of white sandy beaches, its kayak trails, its abundant water-based recreational options and its commitment to preserve a fragile environment that has drawn people to this area for decades, protecting water quality is paramount.
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In a county that brings in millions of dollars thanks to its environmental assets, spending thousands of dollars to ensure its waters stay healthy and its beaches stay open is a prudent investment for the future.
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Water quality requires a more stable funding source to ensure this vital effort is adequately supported in years to come.
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We understand financial times are tough and dollars are tight, but this is simply too important and timely an issue to wait until it's convenient. By then, it could be too late.
Be sure to include your name and Lee County address in your email.
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