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Working Together for a Healthy Indian River Lagoon Corigessrrian.Poseyandvolunteersplant,';; mangrove along_the Indian River Lagoon • The Indian River Lagoon is important to ourquali ty of life and our community's natural beauty. Like our beaches, the Lagoon greatly enhances our quality? life, is important for our economy, and provides ezcit- ing recreational opportunities for those of us who live here as well as tourist`s to our community. Our estuary also plays a vita role for indigenous and migratory wildlife. I chose io live on the Lagoon aria raise my family_there The Indian River Lagoon stretches 156 miles through five counties along Florida's East Coast from Volusia County at the north end and south through Martin County. Key findings ofa 2008 study commissioned by the St. John Water Management_ District found the Lagoon's overall economic benefit to our communities to be significant - the overall esti mated annual value of the Lagoon is over S3.5 billion supportingappro_ ximately 15,000 Jobs. Recreational activities genera a nearly S1.4 billion in economic activiryand about S629 million ayear iii resident income: E ae Sinceestuariesareplace�swherefreshwater mixes with saltwater.from the oceans; preseryingthis delicate balance s impom then esChallenging. The Lagoon plays a role in preventing coastal erosion, is vt By Congressman Bill Posey tal to indigenous and migratory species, and provides an important habitat for a variety of marine plants and animals. We have a privilege in that our Indian River Lagoon is one of the most diverse estuaries in the nation. Among the most pressing issues facing the Lagoon include unusual algae blooms, declines in sea grass, fish kills, and manatee, dolphin and pelican deaths from undetermined causes. A significant measure of the health of the Lagoon is the sea grass coverage. The recent algae blooms have had a significant adverse impact on Lagoon sea grasses contributing to the loss of more than 47,000 acres of sea grass Toss since the spring of 2011. It s important that we understand the myriad of contributing factors and take steps to In Congress I have actively supported teauthon _ -_ . nation and funding for the \anon.. Estuary Progranm (NEP), wh ch was created by Congress In 1587 to' help maintain nationally significant , estuaries Fke the Indian River Lagoon G _ This Sib 8 million program provides a base grant of S600,o0o to'each of the 28 - " t national estuaries around the country. Fund ng goes to the SL Johns Water Management District to be used to sup- port research focused on improving the Lagoon's health ' -- arid providirig seed funding` for restoration tT pr_ jects and t a� planning. -^ 7was w pleased to join bipar- „ tisan efforts to reauthorize this important program in 2010 and have supported annual bipar- tisan efforts to ensure that funding for the estriaryprogram remains intact. Addition- ally, to better understand the cause of death for dolphins and manatees;1 have support- • • ed efforts to restore funding for the Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance matching grant program. Nationwide, the National Estuary Program has restored and protected more than 1.5 million acres since 2000. Restoration and protection projects often require local matching funding which ensure local community support The program is cost-effective, is driven by local conservation priorities, and decisions are made on the best science available. September 28, 2013, is National Estuaries Day. As we approach that day when there is a national focus on our estuaries, there are several important ways that you can get involved in preserving and restoring the health ofour Lagoon. First, you can consider ways to reduce runoff into the Lagoon. You can find helpful tips on how to do this and take other important steps athtrp:// sysjnvtrid.com/waterbodieshvhatyoucan- d0.html. Seem -0,199k forppportunities to get engaged in iestoration efforts like planting mangroves and grass - OM' participatinginbolunteerelean ipactiyities _ You can get i nvolved by contacting the Indian River Lagoon estuary program staff at http // t, . www.sinvnid.com/contactus/. _ It's important to be good stewards of our natural resources and to take a common sense approach towards preserving our envi- e ronment. As your repre- sentative in Congress, I will continue to focus on local initiatives like the Lagoon program. Wood Stork photo by Baby Hanson