The Pensacola & Perdido Bays Estuary Program (PPBEP) is pleased to announce the completion of the first ever Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) for the Pensacola and Perdido Bay Watersheds, including a target of restoring 1400 acres of oyster habitat in the Pensacola Bay System by 2032.
The PPBEP Policy Board approved the CCMP at the Program’s Policy Board Meeting on Wednesday, October 26th in the City of Pensacola Council Chambers. The CCMP is available on the Estuary Program website at https://www.ppbep.org/the-plan/ccmp.
PPBEP’s CCMP – A Prescription for Healthy Bays, is intended to serve as a guide for implementing monitoring, research, reporting, restoration, education and outreach, and policy priorities that enhance the community’s quality of life and economic prosperity, while improving the health and sustainability of the Pensacola and Perdido Bay Watersheds. The CCMP recommends priority actions developed in partnership with community stakeholders to address stressors that impair our waters. The identified actions are important steps to restoring our land and water, while maintaining a balance between humans and nature.
This ten-year science-based, community-driven guiding document allows stakeholders to work collectively, across jurisdictional boundaries, toward a shared vision for the recovery of our waters. The completion of the CCMP allows PPBEP and its partners to leverage resources and funding opportunities to make this vision a reality.
“Environmental stewardship is critical to our quality of life and economy along the Gulf Coast. Having the CCMP in place establishes a blueprint for forming partnerships and leveraging resources to create long-lasting improvements to the health and resilience of our estuaries and communities,” said Robert Bender, Chairman of the Pensacola & Perdido Bays Estuary Program Policy Board.
“On behalf of the Estuary Program, we wish to thank all of our stakeholders and staff who have put in an incredible amount of work to produce this CCMP. Having the CCMP in place positions our communities to take advantage of unprecedented funding opportunities to address long standing water quality impairments and habitat degradation. The work is just beginning, but we have a bright future ahead,” said Matt Posner, Executive Director of the Pensacola & Perdido Bays Estuary Program.
