Holmes Beach Mayor Asks BOCC to Deny Proposed Wetland Changes

With a vote on gutting Manatee County's wetland protection policies set to come before the board of county commissioners at Thursday's land use meeting, Holmes Beach Mayor and island native Judy Holmes Titsworth sent a letter to commissioners this week imploring them to refrain from approving the proposed policy in light of the area's many water-related environmental issues.

Commissioners,

It has been brought to my attention that you have been asked to take action regarding proposed changes to the required wetland protections. It appears that the changes would remove rules that require developers and the county to make efforts to restore habitats disturbed by building developments and greatly reduce the required buffer zone between wetlands and development to the minimum state standards. As a city leader and lifelong resident of a barrier island, I am well aware of the many benefits of wetlands and strive to educate all who will listen on their importance. I applaud the Bradenton Herald for their thorough coverage of these proposed changes and the potential threat that this proposal has on our environment.

It is time that leaders acknowledge their responsibility for the degradation of our waters. As we continue to pump pollution into the bays and allow nutrient-rich stormwater laden with fertilizers and pesticides to flow into our rivers, now is not the time to decrease local water quality protections. The proposed changes will increase pollution to a water system that has no jurisdictional boundaries and is an injustice to the coastal counties of Manatee, Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Sarasota, many who over several decades have opted to adopt stricter water quality protections than the minimum required by the state.

Tampa Bay, Anna Maria Sound, and our beloved Sarasota Bay continue to be burdened by Lyngbya Algae growth due to the County leadership’s inability to acknowledge the importance of clean water. Continuing to turn a blind eye on water quality will destroy our tourism economy and will undoubtedly diminish property values. I have included a couple of recent pictures of the third algae bloom this summer in the hopes that this will shed a brighter light on the importance of making the right decision. Our residents, visitors, and business community are counting on you to look at the long-term consequences of destroying our sensitive ecosystem rather than short-term development pressures.

Respectfully submitted,

Judy Holmes Titsworth
Mayor of Holmes Beach

On Thursday, the Manatee County Planning Commission voted 4-2 to recommend that the BOCC deny the proposed changes.