Environment EPA Officials Witness Sarasota Bay Estuary Program's Success

Aerial view of Roberts Bay  scgov.net

The Acting Assistant Administrator for Water at the Environmental Protection Agency, Nancy Stoner, visited Sarasota recently to learn about local environmental projects.

Stoner and a group of local officials visited the Celery Fields Stormwater Facility, Honore Avenue, Red Rock Park, and Roberts Bay. The Celery Fields Stormwater Facility boasts recent efforts to improve drainage. On Honore, a low impact development project is creating traffic circles in place of widening the roads. At Red Rock Park, there are local efforts to replace septic tanks along Phillippi Creek.

The trip to Roberts Bay included a boat tour to see a bird colony island, mangrove habitat and recovering sea grass beds. Projects reducing nutrient pollution into Roberts Bay successfully took the bay off Florida’s impaired waterways list in under 10 years.

The Office of Water at the EPA helps restore and maintain oceans, watersheds and their ecosystems to protect human health, support economic and recreational activities and provide healthy habitat for fish, plants and wildlife. It also ensures safe drinking water.

Before becoming the Acting Assistant for Water at the EPA, Stoner served as the Co-Director of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Water Program. In 1987, Stoner worked as a trial attorney for the Environmental and Natural Resources Division.

The visit by Stoner underscores the importance of Sarasota Bay and the ongoing collaboration with the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program. The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program is an intergovernmental collaboration, partnering with Sarasota County, Manatee County, City of Sarasota, City of Bradenton, Town of Longboat Key, Southwest Florida Water Management District, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and the EPA.

The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program is dedicated to restoring the Sarasota Bay. The program has three primary critical habitats: fresh and saltwater wetlands, sea grass beds, and Ôhard bottoms,’ or oyster and reef beds. It has participated in over 200 projects since its creation in 1989, improving water quality and restoring critical habitats. Sarasota Bay is one of 28 estuaries in the United States that have been named by the U.S. Congress as an 'estuary of national significance.'

The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program is offering seven free kayak tours through April in a project called The Bay Wise Kayak Program. Scheduled trips are planned for Leffis and Jewfish Key on Jan. 21, Lido Mangrove Tunnels on Feb. 4 and Feb. 18, Blind Pass on March 3 and March 17, and Lyons and Blackburn Bay on April 7 and April 21. Earlier kayak tours to Neal Preserve took place in December.

Brad Tanner, the School Programs Coordinator for Mote Marine Laboratory, is the tour guide for Sarasota Bay Estuary Program’s annual tour. The kayak tours are for experienced kayakers. Participants are required to bring their own kayak. Additional information and registration is available online at sarasotabay.org.