1971

Escambia Bay is declared dead by the Bream Fishermen Association.

1989

The Bay Area Resource Council (BARC) is established. The BARC consists of five local governments including the City of Pensacola, Escambia County, Santa Rosa County, Gulf Breeze, and the City of Milton.

1999

A special grand jury reports that local officials were not upholding environmental regulations creating room for widespread pollution and environmental degradation. The grand jury was formed to assess and make recommendations related to air and water quality in Escambia County.

2000

Inaugural Bay Day event is held. Bay Day is an annual event held to bring citizens, businesses, and organizations together in celebration of our local waterways.

2010

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill wreaks havoc on the Gulf of Mexico and surrounding communities and ecosystems.

CC Image courtesy of Kris Krug on Wikimedia Commons via Flickr. “A ship floats amongst a sea of spilled oil in the Gulf of Mexico after the BP Deepwater Horizon oilspill disaster.” 16 June 2010.

2012

The Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act (RESTORE Act) is signed into effect. The RESTORE Act dedicates 80 percent of the penalties associated with the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill to the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund. The PPBEP is funded by money awarded from this trust fund.

2017

The EPA issues funding announcement to establish new estuary program on the Gulf Coast. The Bay Area Resource Council applies for the funding to establish the Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program.

2018

The Bay Area Resource Council receives funding from the EPA and transitions to form the Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program. PPBEP membership expands to Baldwin County, AL, the City of Orange Beach, the Town of Century, and Okaloosa County in addition to the five original members that comprised the BARC.

2020

The Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program is working to establish a comprehensive conservation and management plan to help restore our local waterways based on sound science and the values, priorities, and uses of its community members.

Image courtesy of Kaila Drayton with the National Wildlife Federation.

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