MANASOTA & PEACE RIVER BBDs Meeting Notebook 10-21-09.docx

Summary Agenda
Joint Meeting and Workshop October 21, 2009
Manasota and Peace River Basin Boards Page 21 of 29
staff, cooperators, and citizens as the Boards begin the next year’s budget deliberations.
Staff will provide a written summary of the Basin Board's major accomplishments over
the past year, but the workshop is designed to focus primarily on future trends relevant
to these two Basins. The intended outcome of the workshop is an understanding of the
importance of coordination between the Governing Board, Basin Boards, and
cooperative partners to achieve the District's objectives and to explore changes that may
be needed in light of the current economic climate.
Presenter: Frank Strelec, Vice Chair
Manasota Basin Board
b. Regional Overview
1. FY2009 Basin Accomplishments and FY2011 Strategic Budget Priorities
Staff will provide written summaries of the major Basin accomplishments of the past
year and discuss recent budget allocations by the Basin Priorities that were
reaffirmed during the August 2009 Board meetings.
Presenters: Dianne Davies, Manasota Basin Planner
Chancey Springstead, Peace River Basin Planner
2. Peace River/Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority (PR/MRWSA)
Emerging Issues
The PR/MRWSA will provide an overview of emerging regional water supply and
resource issues. The overview will include environmental protection and recovery,
proposed future water supply sources, and implications for long-term funding.
Presenter: Pat Lehman, Executive Director
Peace River/Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority
3. Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program (CHNEP)
Purpose
This item is provided for Board information only and no Board action is required.
Ms. Lisa Beever, Executive Director of the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary
Program (CHNEP), will provide an update of recent activities, the contributions local
agencies have made to the Harbor’s recovery, the benefits the CHNEP provides to
the region, and challenges the partners face.
Background/History
Charlotte Harbor is generally viewed as one of the most productive estuarine
systems in Southwest Florida. This estuary serves as nursery grounds for the
majority of commercial and recreational fish and shellfish in the area, improves water
quality by filtering pollutants, acts as a buffer to protect shorelines from erosion and
flooding, and provides essential food and habitat for birds, fish, and other wildlife.
Due to its environmental significance, Charlotte Harbor was included on the District's
Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Priority list and the first SWIM
Plan was prepared in 1993. In 1995, Charlotte Harbor was designated by the United
States Environmental Protection Agency as an “estuary of national significance “and
accepted into the National Estuary Program, one of four in the State of Florida and
one of only 28 in the entire United States. The CHNEP was established in 1996 and
is a partnership of citizens, elected officials, resource managers, commercial, and