|
Rivers Coalition
October 2024 Newsletter |
|
|
Thursday, October 24, 2024
11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. |
|
Stuart City Hall Chambers
121 SW Flagler Ave, Stuart, FL |
|
| This meeting is in person and via Zoom, and is open to the public, with plenty of free parking available. Email info@riverscoalition.org for Zoom link. |
|
PRESERVING MARTIN COUNTY LAND
AND THE ST. LUCIE RIVER
Jim Snedeker and Merritt Matheson, Co-Chairs of Martin County Forever
and Mac Stuckey, Stuart attorney |
|
Three guest speakers will present to the Rivers Coalition at its meeting on Thursday, Oct. 24th:
Jim Snedeker and Merritt Matheson will speak about the Martin County Forever ballot initiative, which proposes a half-cent sales tax with proceeds used to purchased lands to protect water quality and natural and wildlife habitat in Martin County.
Stuart attorney James M. "Mac" Stuckey will speak on why the City of Stuart should hire an environmental attorney as a permanent "Environmental Protection Officer" whose sole job is to stop Lake Okeechobee discharges into the St. Lucie River. |
|
|
Business Matters:
- Call to Order and Chairman’s Comments: Mark Perry, President
- Business matters and membership roll call
Presentation:
PRESERVING MARTIN COUNTY LAND AND THE ST. LUCIE RIVER
Jim Snedeker and Merritt Matheson, Co-Chairs of Martin County Forever
and Mac Stuckey, Stuart attorney
Government & Agency Progress Reports:
- Martin County: John Maehl
- City of Stuart/LOSOM: Ben Hogarth
- South Florida Water Management District: TBD
- State and Federal Agencies: USACE: Maj. Cory Bell
- Lake Okeechobee Update: Dr. Paul Gray
- State and Federal Legislation: Gil Smart
Coalition Reports:
- Rivers Coalition Committee Updates:
- River Kidz: Casey Kniffin, Kelli Doré
- Speakers Bureau: Todd Weissing
- Local Issues & Estuary Water Quality: Mark Perry
- Seagrass Update: Todd Thurlow
- Riverkeeper Update: Jim Moir (Indian River)
- Member Comments and Announcements
- Adjourn
|
|
Rivers Coalition Meeting September 2024
|
|
Critical USACE/SFWMD Project Updates
|
|
Col. Brandon Bowman, the new USACE District Commander, Jacksonville District, gave an update on 3 critical project updates.
- The C-44 Reservoir/STA Project - project status and recent releases to the St. Lucie Estuary.
- LOSOM - how operations of the Water Control Plan are going so far
- The EAA, A-2 STA Operational Plan - our concerns and comments from the July 31st USCOE/SFWMD meeting
|
|
Col. Bowman addressing a packed room and answering questions with Mark Perry.
--Photos courtesy of Darrell Brand |
|
Martin County Forever Referendum on Nov. 5th Ballot
|
|
Martin County already has a great track record of acquiring and preserving environmentally sensitive lands. We've been doing it for more than 30 years. About 71,000 acres have already been saved thanks to citizens voting to tax themselves in the past. But there are more than 46,000 acres at risk of development! If we want to preserve these exceptional places, Martin County needs to buy the land!
There is a Martin County Referendum to Protect Water Quality, Natural Areas and Wildlife Habitat through a half cent sales tax on your ballot on November 5th. For more information and to learn how you can help, visit Martin County Forever. |
|
|
|
Florida Oceanographic Coastal Cleanup
|
|
Did you miss out on the International Coastal Cleanup? It's never too late to do your part! The Florida Oceanographic Society is hosting a coastal cleanup event on October 29, 2024 at 9:30 a.m.
For more information, go to: Coastal Cleanup. |
|
The River Kidz were joined by community members of all ages to help clean up debris washed ashore after Hurricane Milton. Styrofoam and industrial roofing foam have been washing up along the coast from Palm Beach to Cocoa Beach. The River Kidz were happy to do their part and look forward to continued efforts to help the recovery from recent storms.
Click the following link to see the River Kidz featured on WPTV: WPTV video |
|
Rivers Coalition Meeting Minutes
|
|
September 26, 2024 Summary of Comments
|
|
Mark Perry called the meeting to order at 11:02 am. There were 52 attendees in person, 40 attendees on ZOOM call.
Minutes taken by Miki Blumenthal, Administrative Assistant
Opening Comments: Mark Perry welcomed everyone and introduced Col. Brandon Bowman, the new USACE Commander, Jacksonville District.
Presentation: “Critical USACE/SFWMD Project Updates”
Col. Brandon Bowman, the new USACE Commander, Jacksonville District, introduced himself and gave a brief bio. His presentation covered updates on 3 critical projects:
- The C-44 Reservoir/STA Project - project status and recent releases to the St. Lucie Estuary.
- LOSOM - how operations of the Water Control Plan are going so far
- The EAA, A-2 STA Operational Plan - our concerns and comments from the July 31st USCOE/SFWMD meeting
A Q&A session followed the presentation.
The above presentation in its entirety can be seen at www.riverscoalition.org.
Government & Agency Reports:
Martin County: John Maehle thanked his team members, Elizabeth Kelly, Amy Eason, and Mike Yustin, and introduced Nicole Ferris, the new Public Works Outreach Coordinator. John’s updates included:
- Seagrass is persisting and baby lucinid clams are present.
- Ground will be broken soon on 2 STAs.
- The county is submitting its annual BMAP (Basin Management Action Plan) report tomorrow. Martin County has met 100% of its allocations (parameters set by the EPA).
A Q&A session followed John’s discussion.
City of Stuart: No announcements.
SFWMD: District reps not present due to storm preparations for Helene. Mark Perry discussed the most recent SFWMD meeting. The FDACS gave a presentation at that meeting about the BMAPs. The SFWMD discussed concerns about needing an alternate water supply for the lower east coast. Mark and others brought up the fact that the water supply is supposed to be from the Biscayne Aquifer that gets its water from Lake Okeechobee, so the water needs to flow south in order to recharge the aquifer.
USACE: See main presentation.
Lake O Update: Paul Gray, via Zoom, stated that the lake is just above 15 feet and is not forecasted to rise significantly more than that. However, the shoreline is also pretty deep and causes a loss of habitat for wading birds.
State and Federal Legislation: Gil Smart and Eve Samples discussed the proposed Southland Water Resource Project, which would permit rock mining in the Everglades. They are keeping an eye out for legislation that would allow this through unsolicited proposals for public/private partnerships.
Coalition Reports:
River Kidz: Kelli Doré mentioned numerous recent projects the River Kidz had participated in, including:
- Treasure Coast Waterway Cleanup
- Toxic Trail Run
- Oyster project with Martin County
- Jonathan Dickinson State Park rallies
- International Beach Cleanup
Upcoming projects include:
- Martin County Forever’s ballot initiative
- Florida Oceanographic’s Estuaries Day
- Environmental Studies Center’s Open House
Kelli mentioned the River Kidz are working on scheduling hikes that would be sponsored by and/or participated in by various Rivers Coalition members.
Speakers Bureau: Todd Weissing, via Zoom, had no report. He reiterated that speakers can be requested at riverscoalition.org.
Water Quality Report: Mark Perry stated the water quality in the local estuaries is bad, mostly due to the local runoffs due to heavy rains.
Seagrass Update: Todd Thurlow gave an extensive update and took Q&A regarding data on his site, eyeonlakeo.com.
Riverkeeper Update: In Jim Moir’s absence, Merritt Matheson gave an update, mentioning the recent Coastal Cleanup. The water quality is not good, but mullet are running and seagrass is still persisting.
Member Comments and Announcements:
Merritt talked about Martin County Forever’s ballot referendum and urged members to vote “yes” to add a half-cent sales tax to buy more land in order to preserve it. Volunteers are needed for sign waving and meet-and-greets.
Campbell Rich, Mayor of Stuart, mentioned he is also a member of the Florida League of Cities, and urged members to submit issues they would like brought before Tallahassee.
Diane Goldberg asked members to sign a petition to stop a dredging project located at the Martin/St. Lucie County Line that would disturb fish habitats and seagrasses.
Mark Perry announced that the Florida Oceanographic Center is celebrating Estuaries Day on Saturday, September 28th.
The meeting was adjourned at 12:40 p.m. |
|
- October 24, 2024 - Thursday
- November 21, 2024 - Thursday
- December 2024- no meeting
|
All Meetings are at 11:00 a.m.
Stuart City Hall Chambers
121 SW Flagler Ave, Stuart, FL |
|
 |
- Mark Perry, President
- Charles Grande, Vice President
- Jim Moir, Secretary
- Darrell Brand, Treasurer
- Eve Samples, Director
- Todd Thurlow, Director
- Todd Weissing, Director
- Gil Smart, Director
- Merritt Matheson, Director
- Casey Kniffin, Director
|
PO Box 2627
Stuart, FL 34995
772-225-6849 |
|
Rivers Coalition Organizational Members
|
|
| 1000 Friends of Florida, 27-80 Paddlers, American Association of University Women, Arthur R. Marshall Foundation, Atlantic Point Yacht Club & Marina of Stuart, Audubon Florida, Audubon of Martin County, Ballantrae Anglers Club, Ballantrae Yacht Club, Beau Rivage HOA, Business Development Board of Martin County, Citizens for Clean Water, Computer Network Services, Conservation Alliance of St. Lucie Co. Inc, Cypress Lake HOA, Dolphin Ecology Project, Driftwood Motel of Jensen Beach. Economic Council of Martin County, Florida Oceanographic Society, Florida Sportsman, Florida Wildlife Federation, Fort Pierce Yacht Club, Four Rivers Property Association, Four Winds Condo Association, Friends of The Everglades, Friends of Harbor Branch - FAU, Guardians of Martin County, Harborage Yacht Condominiums, Harbour Ridge Yacht Club, Hutchinson Island Preservation Initiative, Humanists of the Treasure Coast, Indian Riverkeeper, Indian River Plantation POA, Jensen Beach Chamber of Commerce, Joe's Point HOA, Keep Martin Beautiful, Lake Okeechobee Restoration Initiative, Lake Worth Waterkeeper, Leadership Martin, League of Women Voters of Martin Co., League of Women’s Voters of SLC Co., Lighthouse Point Association Inc., Locks Landing HOA, Marine Cleanup Initiative Inc., Marine Industries Assoc. of Treasure Coast, Marine Resources Council, Martin County Anglers, Martin County Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society, Martin County Conservation Alliance, Martin County Democratic Environmental Caucus, Martin County Farm Bureau, Martin County Future Group, Martin County Hotel & Motel Association,Miramar POA, Nettles Island Community Action Assoc., North River Shores Prop. Assoc., Ocean Research and Conservation Association, Palm City Civic Assn, Palm Cove Yacht Club, Palm Cove HOA, Pierpoint Condominium Assoc., Port Salerno Commercial Fishing Dock Assoc., Port Sewall Harbor & Tennis Club Owners Ass, Port Sewall Property Owners Assoc., Port St Lucie Anglers, President’s Council of Hutchinson Island, Realtor Association of Martin County, Rio Civic Club, River Club Dock Owners Association Inc., River Kidz, River Vista HOA, River Warriors, Royal Harbor Homeowners Assn, Sandhill Cove Retirement Living, Sailfish Point POA, Sailfish Point Yacht Club, Savanna Fishing Club, Save the Manatee Club, Seagate Harbor Homeowners Assoc., Sierra Club-:Loxahatchee Group, Snug Harbor Yacht Club, St. Lucie Audubon Society, St. Lucie River Yacht Club, St. Lucie Sailing Club, St. Lucie Settlement Inc., Stuart Corinthian Yacht Club, Stuart Heritage, Stuart Rod & Reel Club, Stuart/Martin County Chamber, Surfrider Foundation, Teamsters Local 769, The Garden Club of Stuart Inc, The Estuary at North River Shores, The Junior League of Martin County, Treasure Coast Buddhist Cooperative, Treasure Coast Builders Association, Treasure Coast Golf Course Superintendents Association, Treasure Coast Rowing Club, Treasure Coast Unitarian Universalist Church, US Sailing Center of Martin County, Venture Three Community, VoteWater, Windjammer Condo Association |
|
Support and
MAKE A DIFFERENCE |
|
|
|
|
