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1 Tampa Bay Estuary Program Key Elements to Success Based on December 5, 2016 presentation by Holly Greening, TBEP Director [EMAIL REDACTED] Charlie Justice, Pinellas County Commissioner [EMAIL REDACTED] Structure of Tampa Bay Estuary Program (TBEP) - Established 1991 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) – committees provide advice to TBEP staff, not to Management Board – so not in sunshine Management Board (MB) – 20 members, recommends to Policy Board (PB) – 10 people that give final approval - Voting members of policy board includes a business person, and local government EARLY Key Element: Resolution to Participate Consider an ‘Agreement to Participate’ All PB and MB parties sign on to collaborate and act in good faith Agree to identify the goals Agree to contribute funds and/or in-kind to support technical work Agree to stay science-based Key Element: Choosing a Entity Type Hosted within an existing government structure (Local government; Agency; Regional Planning Council) o Existing infrastructure and support; possible existing staff o Subject to host’s requirements (travel, purchasing, etc) o May not be viewed as independent Non-governmental Organization (NGO) o Requires start-up formation, need to provide support structure o Independent o May be viewed as competition to existing NGOs o Can include public and private sectors Independent Special District (State of Florida Statute 189) o Requires Interlocal Agreement and funding commitments o Public sector o Independent o Need to provide support structure Agree to provide funds and/or in-kind services Host entity – depends on community – local government or Regional Planning Council Subject to host’s requirements re travel, purchasing – Estuary Program may be viewed as not independent TBEP started hosted by Regional Planning Council for 6 years, then decided wanted to become independent ---PAGE BREAK--- 2 Early Key elements: Establish entity’s functions o Organize and facilitate o Manage finances; grant applications o Point of contact o Manage technical contractors/projects o Prepare annual assessments on progress o Outreach and Education o Report to stakeholders, agencies and the public existing information and identify gaps o Status and trends of important natural resources, water quality, pollution sources, other impacts Technical and public documents o Document and track ongoing projects and actions o Identify and prioritize critical gaps in information or knowledge needed to make management decisions (2-day workshop) Adopt measurable goals o Resource goals considered important by scientists, policymakers and the public Invite all to participate in a collaborative process o Public sector o Private sector- mining o Regulatory agencies o Agriculture (FL Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services) o Electric utilities o Environmental groups e.g., Tampa Bay Nitrogen Management Consortium 45 public/private partners, watershed approach 500 projects and actions. N load has decreased, even with population increase Nonpoint source is a focus for the program Still took 5 years after Advanced Wastewater Treatment started to show significant improvement Tampa Bay Business Journal article – Clean Water Means More Than You Think 1/5 jobs in TBEP watershed depends on a healthy bay What is the added value of a healthy bay Key Elements in Tampa Bay’s Collaborative Management Strategy • Target resources identified by both public and science as “worthy” indicators • Community willing to work together towards common goals • Science-based numeric goals and targets • Multiple tools: Regulation; public/private collaborative actions; citizen actions • Long-term monitoring • Convener to track, facilitate, report progress ---PAGE BREAK--- 3 • Assessment and adjustment • Link to economic value of a healthy bay Charlie Justice, Commissioner Pinellas County on his experience with the Tampa Bay Estuary Program • Essential to have a good team, solid executive director • Agree to stay science-based – gives scientific credibility when go to others – key to everything • Allows pooling of resources • Additional funding from three cities and four counties • Depository of fed grants/donations • Good opportunity for relationship with other local governments, agencies on the board – good for going to legislature, showing partnership • Opens door for more partnerships – fishers, environmental groups, tourism, agriculture, non-traditional environmental groups • Show how benefits everyday life • Important aspects – locally driven, voluntary and non-regulatory