Friends of the River and Estuaries - please send to your membership and forward to interested parties
The 2006 Florida Legislative session is winding down, but there is one critical action that must be completed - finalizing the 2006/2007 budget (the next fiscal year for the State of Florida begins July 1 2006 and runs through June 30, 2007).
There are two funding requests that directly impact the CHNEP that are not in the current version of the State Budget bill: The Lower Charlotte Harbor Watershed Initiative ($1.5 million) and the Caloosahatchee River Watershed Initiative ($5 million).
The Lower Charlotte Harbor Watershed Initiative, a request for $1.5 million by the South Florida Water Management District to fund projects vital to the health of Charlotte Harbor and Estero Bay. The Caloosahatchee River Watershed Initiative, a request for $5 million by SFWMD will fund stormwater utility retro-fits, flow-way and habitat restoration.
We have a small window of opportunity to educate our elected officials so that the projects can be inserted into budget which is being developed in conference. (since the House and Senate budget bills were different, the legislators work in a conference committee to develop a single budget agreeable to both the House and Senate).
Provided below is:
1) “model” text which can be used for a letter, email or telephone call to the Budget conference members.
2) Names and contact information for the Senate and House Budget Conference members
We are asking that you contact at least one Senate and one House member. The only Budget conference member from our study area is Trudi Williams.
Dear (insert name of Budget Conference member):
The $1,500,000 funding request for the Lower Charlotte Harbor Watershed Initiative is of critical importance to the Charlotte Harbor watershed which extends from Polk County, through Manatee, Sarasota, Hardee, DeSoto, Charlotte and Lee County. The Watershed includes a population of more than 1 million people and 4,440 square miles.
Lower Charlotte Harbor is a priority and designated SWIM waterbody. The funding will be used for projects to improve water quality, reduce pollutants going to the Charlotte Harbor, restore fish habitats and mitigate flooding. The projects will be implemented through cooperative partnerships between the South Florida Water Management District and federal, state, county, and city governments, Florida Gulf Coast University and non-profit organizations.
Specific projects have already been evaluated and chosen for implementation once the funding is approved by the Legislature. All of the projects have goals of restoration and water quality improvement for Lower Charlotte Harbor. The three top project areas are:
Lee County’s Gator Slough/Powell Creek/Del Prado Extension Stormwater Improvements,
City of Cape Coral’s swale and catch basin upgrades, and
Shell fish and fishery habitat restoration
The Caloosahatchee River Watershed Initiative $5 million funding request will provide financial assistance for stormwater retro-fits, flow-way restoration and water quality improvement projects. The Caloosahatchee River was named the 7th most endangered river in the nation recently and funding of the Watershed Initiative will provide the South Florida Water Management District the funding support to ensure the river is taken off and remains off the list in the future.
Your support for funding these two projects is vital to the ecological and economic health of the Lower Charlotte Harbor estuary and Caloosahatchee River. In Lee County alone, tourism generated over $110 Million in tax revenue – much attributable to estuary and river-based recreation such as fishing, beach going and eco-tourism.
Sincerely,
Your name & address/contact information
Senate Conferees:
Senate Chair: Senator Charlie Clary (R), Chair - Panhandle
Room 404
Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL
32399-1100
(850) 487-5009
Email: clary.charlie.web@flsenate.gov
Senator Alfred (Al) Lawson, Jr., (D) Panhandle Northwest FL
Room 210
Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL
32399-1100
(850) 487-5004
Email: lawson.alfred.web@flsenate.gov
Senator Carey Baker, (R) mostly Lake a tiny bit of western Volusia
Room 308
Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street Tallahassee, FL
32399-1100
(850) 487-5014
Email: baker.carey.web@flsenate.gov
Senator Rudy Garcia (r), small inland piece of Miami-Dade
Room 302
Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street Tallahassee, FL
32399-1100
(850) 487-5106
Email: garcia.rudy.web@flsenate.gov
Senator Gary Siplin (D, pieces of Orange and Osceola Counites)
Room 205
Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL
32399-1100
(850) 487-5190
Email: siplin.gary.web@flsenate.gov
House Conferees:
House Chair: Representative Stan Mayfield, Chair (R), Parts of Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie
223 The Capitol
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 488-0952
stan.mayfield@myfloridahouse.gov
Representative Donald Brown, (R) Holmes, Washington and parts of Jackson, Okaloosa, Walton
400 House Office Building
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 488-4726
donald.brown@myfloridahouse.gov
Representative Kenneth W. Littlefield, (R), Hillsborough, Pasco
313 House Office Building
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 488-5744
ken.littlefield@myfloridahouse.gov
Representative Alan Hays, (R), Lake Seminole and Volusia
1401 The Capitol
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 488-0348
Representative Ralph Poppell, (R) Parts of Brevard and Indian Counties
1102 The Capitol
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 488-3006
ralph.poppell@myfloridahouse.gov
Representative Richard Machek, (D) Parts of Martin, Okeechobee, Palm Beach, St. Lucie
1101 The Capitol
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 488-5588
richard.machek@myfloridahouse.gov,
Representative Dwight Stansel (D) Big Bend area
Tallahassee Office,
1102 The Capitol
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 488-9835
dwight.stansel@myfloridahouse.gov
Representative Trudi Williams, (R), Parts of Lee and Collier Counties
Capitol Office:
1401 The Capitol
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 488-2047
Local Office:
5621 Banner Drive
Fort Myers, FL 33912
Phone: (239) 433-6775
trudi.williams@myfloridahouse.gov
Representative Greg Evers,(R), Parts of Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa
303 House Office Building
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 488-8188
Representative Bob Allen (R), Parts of Brevard, Orange
324 The Capitol
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 488-4669