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September-October 2012     
 

Tampa Bay Estuary Program

  

 

Public-Private Partners Unite to Jump-Start Regional Grant Program

 

Applications Due By November 19

 

Approximately $750,000 is expected to be available this year for Tampa Bay restoration, research and education initiatives, thanks to a partnership of public and private organizations cobbled together by the Tampa Bay Estuary Program and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. This new competitive grant program, the Tampa Bay Environmental Fund, replaces the successful Pinellas County Environmental Fund, which provided more than $10 million over a decade for projects that protect, restore and enhance the natural resources of Tampa Bay.

 

When Pinellas County was no longer able to serve as the principal local partner in the program, TBEP stepped in to lead the search for new partners to keep this important grant opportunity afloat. The result: the Tampa Bay Environmental Fund, with new partners and a new name reflecting the wide-angle, watershed-based nature of the initiative.

 

 

alafia
Habitat research and restoration are among the activities eligible for funding through the Tampa Bay Environmental Fund.
 

To date, about $750,000 has been committed or requested for 2013. Seed money of $350,000 is being provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, a non-profit organization created by Congress in 1984 to leverage public conservation dollars with matching donations from private entities. The Mosaic Company Foundation has committed $175,000. Another $350,000 has been requested from the Southwest Florida Water Management District. 

 

"Through our support of the Tampa Bay Environmental Fund, we look forward to building upon the successes of the Tampa Bay Estuary Program and to encouraging new environmental projects that protect or enhance the ecosystems of the Tampa Bay area," said Gary N. "Bo" Davis, Mosaic's Senior Vice President of Phosphate Operations and board member of the Mosaic Company Foundation. 

 

Over the past year, Mosaic and the Foundation have donated more than $8.4 million to community organizations in Central Florida. Visit Mosaic's website to learn more about the company's food, water and local community investments and the Foundation's online grant system. 

 

Proposals for TBEF funds are due by November 19, 2012.  Applicants must provide at least a 50% cash or in-kind match. Projects will be selected by an evaluation committee, with awards announced by March 2013.

 

Learn more about eligibility criteria and apply for a grant online at www.tampabayenvironmentalfund.org

 

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The 6th annual Restore America's Estuaries Conference on Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration will take place Oct. 20-25 at the Tampa Convention Center. This major national conference will bring together scientists and citizens from coastal areas around the United States to share information about restoration programs and techniques. For more information, go to estuaries.org/conference

Boy, We Had A Busy Summer! 

Several workshops were  presented this summer by Tampa Bay Estuary Program staff. Among them a "Leave No Trace" workshop on outdoor ethics was held at Fort DeSoto Park in July. This workshop instructed outdoor leaders and educators about the 7 Principles of the Leave No Trace program, which promotes responsible recreational use of natural areas.
participants conduting exercise in Leave No Trace workshop
"Leave No Trace" participants tackle a hands-on exercise
In August, an educators' workshop for K-12 and informal science educators was held at Weedon Island Preserve in St. Pete. Geared for middle and high school teachers, the  "Tampa Bay: Living Legacy"  workshop utilized a teaching guide developed for our documentary film of the same name that explores the natural and cultural history of Tampa Bay. Educators received copies of the "Tampa Bay: Living Legacy" documentary film, plus a complete package of six lesson plans correlated with specific chapters in the film.   
teachers show their illustrated poster
Teachers Chris Maraghy and Lynn Sullivan show a poster they created during the "Tampa Bay: Living Legacy" workshop 
 
plastic bag jellyfish

Save Our Seas: Kick 
the Plastic Bag Habit
 
Are you guilty of contributing to the plastic bag dilemma?

Plastic bags are the debris most likely to fly away from landfills or open trash cans, settling instead in trees, storm drains, beaches, and the ocean. After plastics enter the marine environment they slowly degrade into smaller pieces that marine life can mistake for food, sometimes with fatal results. One study in Florida found bits of plastic in the stomach of 15% of the 66 sea turtle hatchlings surveyed. 

Plastic bags make up more than 8% of the trash found during coastal cleanups worldwide, according to the Ocean Conservancy. These bags can take up to 20 years to decompose. So much plastic debris has collected in one area of the Pacific about 1,000 miles off the California coast, that this floating trash field is now commonly called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

The solution is simple: Reusable fabric bags.
One reusable bag can take the place of 60 single-use bags, on average. Always keep a few in your vehicle to grab on the way into a store. Backpacks work nicely, too.

Plain or fancy, reusable bags make a real difference in reducing waste. Once you get into the habit, it's l"in the bag!" 

In This Issue
Public-Private Partners Launch New Grant Program
RAE Conference Getting Closer
TBEP Summer Workshop Recap
TBEP Ready to Assist Region with RESTORE Act Projects
Bay Mini-Grants Due October 1
Fall Volunteer Workdays Set
Citizen Advisors Tour Local NWS Office
TBEP Ready to Assist Partners
with RESTORE Act Projects

  

With the passage of the federal RESTORE Act committing fines from the BP oil spill to ecologic and economic enhancements throughout the Gulf of Mexico, TBEP is moving forward to assist its partners in developing implementation strategies for environmental restoration within the Tampa Bay watershed.

 

TBEP's Policy Board recently approved hiring Scheda Ecological, a Tampa-based environmental consulting firm, to provide design and permitting assistance to local governments for projects that may be eligible for RESTORE Act funding, as well as other wetland projects over the next two years.

 

This is a natural role for a regional partnership like TBEP, which has become more involved in recent years with identifying and assisting partners with projects to restore coastal and freshwater wetland habitats and improve water quality.

 

Bill Nelson and Holly Greening
TBEP's Holly Greening with U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson at a local event to celebrate passage of the RESTORE Act.

TBEP's Policy Board has requested a joint meeting later this Fall with the boards of the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program and Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program to discuss coordinating funding requests and pooling resources to better meet restoration goals and targets for all of Southwest Florida.

 

"Assisting our regional partners with developing coordinated implementation strategies to improve Tampa Bay's environment is a critical role that the Tampa Bay Estuary Program is well-suited to fill," said Holly Greening, TBEP's Executive Director. "By building on the success of the Tampa Bay Comprehensive Plan and coordinating with Sarasota Bay Estuary Program and the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program, our region has a head start over much of the rest of the Gulf."   

 

TBEP's Habitat Master Plan Update already identifies key types of habitats, such as low-salinity marshes, and specific locations in need of restoration. This blueprint, created with input from scientists and bay managers throughout the region, can be used to guide funding requests, along with habitat restoration priority projects identified by other organizations. Water quality improvement projects, such as those identified by the public-private Nitrogen Management Consortium, will also be eligible.

 

The RESTORE Act was passed by Congress in late June. The legislation directs 80 percent of Clean Water Act fines from the BP oil spill to economic and ecosystem restoration in the five Gulf States. The total amount of money available is expected to be between $4 and $25 billion.

 

Here's how the money may be allocated, assuming a planning-level disbursement of $1 billion per year over a 15-year period:  

  • 30 percent of the funds, or $300 million per year, will be allocated to the newly formed Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council, specifically for environmental improvement and restoration consistent with the Council's comprehensive plan.
  • 35 percent of the funds, or $70 million per state per year, will go directly to Gulf Coast counties for environmental and economic restoration. TBEP staff estimates that between $500,000 and $2 million per year may be available for Hillsborough, Manatee and Pinellas counties.
  • 30% of the funds, or a minimum of $15 million per year per state, will be distributed to the five Gulf States based on oil spill impacts and spent according to each individual state's plan, which will be consistent with the comprehensive federal plan. This allocation will be determined in Florida by a consortium of the 23 Gulf Coast Counties, and the money can be used for both economic and environmental restoration.

The remaining five percent will be dedicated to research and monitoring of Gulf Coast ecosystem restoration and fisheries, and to support regional Centers of Excellence like the Florida Institute of Oceanography.

 

Bay Mini-Grant Proposals Due Oct. 1; Special Habitat Restoration Funds Available

  

The deadline is nearing for community groups seeking mini-grant funding for restoration and education projects focusing on the Tampa Bay Estuary. Grants up to $5,000 will be awarded by mid-December.   

  

In addition to the regular Mini-Grants, we'll also be offering up to three special $10,000 grants for habitat restoration. This special allocation is made possible by funds from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. These grants must be used for direct, in-the-ground restoration projects such as marsh creation or enhancements, invasive plant eradication, fisheries enhancement, shoreline stabilization and other activities.    

 

Groups and organizations from Hillsborough, Manatee and Pinellas counties may apply for either the regular or special criteria grants. Both non-profit and for-profit organizations are eligible, as are schools and neighborhood associations. Projects should promote public involvement and have a direct ecological benefit to the bay watershed. Projects must begin within six months and be completed within one year.

 

The Bay Mini-Grants program is funded by sales of the Tampa Bay Estuary license plate.

 

  

Learn more about the Bay Mini-Grants program, and download an application, at www.tbep.org/bayminigrants.html or contact [email protected] or (727) 893-2765

 

Give-A-Day Program Gearing Up

 

If you like "hands-on" volunteering, join our "Give A Day for the Bay" volunteer program. The first workday of the Fall is scheduled for October 20 at Al Palonis Park in Tampa. 

 

Give A Day Trio
Volunteers remove invasive plants during a Give A Day work day.
Removal of invasive plants is a primary focus of the workdays, along with native plant installation. Volunteers help restore important coastal and upland habitats throughout the bay watershed.

 

In addition to the October 20 event, the following workdays are planned:

                                         

November 3, 2012     

Gamble Creek Island, Manatee County

                       

January 19, 2013

Sawgrass Lake Park, Pinellas County

                                                             

February 2, 2013       

Joe's Creek, Pinellas County

 

March 02, 2013

Rye Preserve, Manatee County

 

April 27, 2013

Camp Bayou, Ruskin

 

Details of each workday are sent about a month prior to the event. To make sure you receive these notices, join our volunteer e-mail list. 
 

 

ruskin weather station
CAC members and TBEP staff are shown how weather data is collected at the National Weather Service office in Ruskin. 
 

CAC Field Trip to National Weather Service, Hydroponic Farm

 

Members of TBEP's Community Advisory Committee joined TBEP staff on August 8 for a field trip to the National Weather Service and 3 Boys Farm, both in Ruskin (southeast Hillsborough County).

 

First stop was the NWS office where Emergency Response Meteorologist Mike Gittinger provided a tour of the Operations Room and the radar equipment. He is one of 16 meteorologists in the Ruskin office who collect data and monitor weather conditions for 15 counties across West Central and Southwest Florida. The  office also forecasts for coastal waters adjacent to the coast up to 60 nautical miles from shore. Next the group toured 3 Boys Farm, where founder/owner Robert Tornello showed off his solar- and wind- powered operation which also includes rainwater harvesting for 10 acres of pesticide-free produce and herbs. It was an educational day for all!

 

  TBEP IN THE COMMUNITY 

Swappin' and Sweatin' at the 
Be Floridian Plant Swap
plant swap
Everyone brought a plant (or many plants) to swap ... it was like Christmas in August for plantaholics
Some 30 people from all over the region participated in the inaugural Plant Swap sponsored by TBEP's Be Floridian program in Tampa in August. The Plant Swap promoted the use of native and Florida-friendly plants that require less fertilizer, water and care. 

Participants brought plants from their own yard and traded them for new plants brought by others. The best part: everything was FREE!

Among the beautiful plants that went to new homes were several beautyberry and coontie shrubs, along with a profusion of butterfly plants like tropical sage, blanketflower and milkweed.

blanketflower The next Be Floridian Plant Swap is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 3 in conjunction with the Art Arbor Festival at Boyd Hill Nature Park in St. Petersburg. The swap is being co-sponsored by the Pinellas chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society. 

About the Tampa Bay Estuary Program

 

 The Tampa Bay Estuary Program is an intergovernmental partnership dedicated to restoring and protecting Tampa Bay, Florida's largest open-water estuary. TBEP is one of 28 "Estuaries of National Significance" designated by Congress.

 

Our partners include Hillsborough, Manatee and Pinellas counties; the cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater; the Southwest Florida Water Management District; the Florida Department of Environmental Protection; and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.