The Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for Clearwater Harbor and St. Joseph Sound

1. The Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for Clearwater Harborand St. Joseph Sound

2. To conserve our remaining natural resources for future generations Goals of the CCMP Kids fishing pics • To protect a valuable economic revenue stream • To organize management efforts to optimize resources

3. Outside the boundary for both Tampa Bay Estuary Program and the Tampa Bay SWIM Plan Will replace Need For a CCMP • Critical habitat for Birds, Turtles, Manatee, and Fishes • Tremendous economic resource for the area

4. Resource Management at Work Pollutant loads have decreased due to improved stormwater and wastewater practices Water quality in the estuary has been improving Seagrass acreage has been increasing Wastewater treatment Regs Maintaining WQ

5. More Work is Needed Increased pressure on resources Increasing regulatory burdens on local governments Limited financial resources to protect a revenue generating asset

6. CCMP Objectives Focus on Estuary Establish Historical Benchmarks Develop Management Targets Develop Action Plans to Protect and Restore Co-ordinate Activities Throughout the Watershed

7. Natural Resource Protection

8. Acres Seagrass Aerial Extent Over Recent History Management Targets - Seagrass • Seagrasses are increasing! TARGET • Approaching historical acreage Split axis TARGET • Basis for “Hold the Line” strategy for water quality TARGET

9. Water Quality Goal • Maintain conditions that resulted in increasing seagrass acreage – i.e. good water quality • Develop indicators to determine when water quality degradation is occurring

10. Water Quality Reporting Tool

11. Management Targets – Natural Lands Add Pictures Mangroves - Protect remaining, focus restoration in Clearwater Harbor South Salt Marsh – Protect remaining Freshwater Wetlands – No more losses, restoration where practical – TMDL/ Ag Lands Native Uplands- Protect remaining in managed lands

12. Need for Continued Management Regulatory pressures persist Benefit of a unified plan of action Demonstrated success using local data and expertise More work to be done TMDLs/BMAPs

13. CCMP Action Plans CCMP outlines specific actions to implement protection and restoration strategies Bay Habitats Watershed Habitats Water Quality Estuarine Fauna Sediment Management Public Education

14. Action Plan Database Central repository of information from past and current projects throughout the watershed Coordination mechanism for projects throughout the County Accounting mechanism for effort spent on environmental improvements Potential application in EPA/FDEP - TMDL/BMAP process

15. Next Steps Maintain Technical Advisory Committee with representatives from local governments Stay flexible in approach – coordinated in action Communicate Leverage individual efforts for public engagement Leverage unified approach –strength in numbers

16. Acknowledgements Pinellas County Department of Environment and Infrastructure Southwest Florida Water Management District (Pinellas Anclote Basin Board) United States Environmental Protection Agency Cities of: Clearwater, Dunedin, Tarpon Springs, Largo Florida Department of Environmental Protection Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Florida Coastal Islands Sanctuaries Program (Audubon)

17. Other Slides

18. Other Water Quality Management Targets

19. September 2009 Project Work Flow December 2011

20. Data and Information Gaps Quantify economic value of CHSJS natural resources Information sharing with Pasco County on Anclote River issues Fisheries/Scallop/Oyster data could be enhanced Quantify hard bottom habitat in the estuary Stormwater pipes and outfall locations in electronic database Database of stormwater maintenance activities