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Peter O'Bryan: Make no mistake — Indian River County is working to protect lagoon Page 2 of 3 <br />such as lumber, vegetation, tires, plastic and Styrofoam containers. To put that in <br />perspective, if you convert the weight of the debris removed to elephants, it equals <br />approximately 471 adult male African savanna elephants! <br />Finally, the PC Main Skimmer also has removed more than 4,600 cubic yards of <br />muck -creating sediment from the Main Canal since it started operating. The PC <br />Main Skimmer won the prestigious Indian River Lagoon Project of the Year <br />Award from the Marine Resource Council. It later won the 2008 Friends of the St. <br />Sebastian River Environmental Enhancement Award. <br />Indian River County also spent $28,500 of utilities funding to build a vertically <br />designed oyster reef that has been extremely successful in not only providing a <br />substrate for oyster recruitment and their water filtering benefits, but habitat for <br />dozens of other lagoon species. The county has also received $50,000 in grant <br />funding for additional oyster reefs. <br />The county was among the first local governments on the Treasure Coast to enact <br />a very strict fertilizer ordinance, including a summer ban on lawn fertilizing: Even <br />more importantly, the county is the only local government to hire a full-time <br />stormwater education and fertilizer coordinator to increase public awareness and <br />improve compliance with the fertilizer ordinance. In addition to enforcing the <br />fertilizer ordinance within the county, the fertilizer coordinator also enforces <br />within the city of Vero Beach and the town of Indian River Shores, via interlocal <br />agreements. <br />Regardless of its decision not to participate in the Indian River Lagoon Council, <br />the county is still moving forward. On Dec. 1, the Board of County <br />Commissioners unanimously approved a 5 -year capital expenditures plan that <br />includes nearly $8 million for additional stormwater projects. <br />Please rest assured the Board of County Commissioners is committed to building <br />projects that will help the lagoon, and we will continue to be leaders in lagoon <br />protection. <br />Peter O'Bryan is a member of the Indian River County Commission. <br />http ://www.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?expire=&title=Peter+O%3 FBryan%3 A+Make... 1/25/2016 <br />