Source: Martin County Press Release:
Chair Heard addressing the members of the Florida Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government. Photo credit: Martin County Board of County Commissioners
As we begin 2014, Martin County is once again resolving to fight for improved conditions in local waterways as toxic water and the need for solutions dominated much of 2013.
On Jan. 15, Chair Sarah Heard of the Martin County Board of County Commissioners participated in a press conference hosted by State Representative Gayle Harrell announcing the Representative’s memorial for consideration by the Florida Legislature to urge Congress and President Obama to approve and appropriate funding for projects to save the Indian River Lagoon.
“Imagine living in a coastal county and asking your residents to avoid all contact with your waterways for an entire summer,” said Chair Heard to the committee members.She shared how Martin County has long supported solutions, including $75 million towards land purchases to store and clean water and Martin County’s strong partnership with the federal and state government. “We are here to here to humbly ask for your support for legislative solutions. If we kill the estuary, our economy will not be far behind it.” Chair Heard was well received by legislators, and some publicly voiced their support.
At meetings and while walking throughout Capitol offices Chair Heard passed out bottles containing muck from the St. Lucie River to demonstrate the importance of restoring our waterways.
As Martin County continues to support solutions to this difficult issue, the County is vigilant in its desire to improve our waterways. A clean and sustainable water supply is essential to our community. A healthy Everglades and South Florida ecosystem supports tens of thousands of jobs and contributes billions of dollars to our economy. The following legislative priorities have been selected to advance Martin County’s priority of ensuring healthy waterways and ecosystems, essential to our economy and quality of life.
In the 2014 legislative session, some of the efforts Martin County will be supporting include:
* Support the recommendations of the Senate Select Committee on Indian River Lagoon and Lake Okeechobee Basin. We applaud the work of Senator Joe Negron and other members of the Martin County
Legislative Delegation including Senator Denise Grimsley, Representative Gayle Harrell and Representative MaryLynn Magar in working toward long and short-term solutions to the crisis in our waterways, and we support the recommendations of the Committee totaling $220 million. In particular, we support the Indian River Lagoon-South project referenced in the report, and the recommended $40 million appropriation for the C-44 project component. Because Martin County residents have been such strong environmental advocates, we were among the first to fight hard to have our Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan component, the Indian River Lagoon-South Plan (IRL-S Plan), authorized under the 2007 Water Resources Development Act– which makes our Plan eligible for federal funding right now. We are seeking state and federal funding to complete the C-44 component and acquire the remaining land necessary to complete the remaining components.
* Support funding for the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon Issues Team. The purpose of the Team is to develop an action plan that would accelerate progress toward improving water and habitat quality and further more comprehensive local ecosystem restoration goals. Projects include stormwater and septic tank conversions. The total request for funding for projects in the St. Lucie Estuary and Indian River Lagoon is approximately $6.5 million.