Requests for Public Conference Support

Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program held its Charlotte Harbor Watershed Summit in 2002 and in 2005. The next Summit will be held March 2008. The Summit is deemed to be an important step in the NEP process of bringing public and private stakeholders together to discuss current and emerging issues affecting the Charlotte Harbor watershed and an opportunity to review progress since the first symposium/conference, which was held in 1997.

The Management Conference, based on survey results obtained from participants at the 2002 Summit, decided to hold a Watershed Summit every three years (2005, 2008, etc.) to focus on current and emerging issues affecting the Charlotte Harbor watershed and to hold public conferences on specific watersheds within the greater Charlotte Harbor watershed on years the Summit is not held (2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, etc.). This was reconfirmed by the participants at the 2005 Summit.

At the request of Management Conference members, the public conference focused on waters in Lee County in 2003 and on Lemon Bay in 2004. Because of the success of the 2004 public conference, the program anticipates increased demand for this assistance. A request from the City of Cape Coral was approved for a conference to be held during the FY06 funding year between October 1, 2005 and September 30, 2006. A request from the Estero Bay Agency on Bay Management was approved for a conference to be held during the FY07 funding year between October 1, 2006 and September 30, 2007.

Assuming funding continues to be available, the next funding opportunity will be for FY09 funds for a program to be held between October 1, 2008 and September 30, 2009. Requests for this assistance should be received by January 15, 2009.

January 15: Receive requests that CHNEP coordinate a public conference to be held after October 1. These requests must:

  1. Describe geographic area to be the focus of the public conference

  2. Describe issues within that geographic area

  3. Explain why a public conference may be an important tool in addressing these issues and helping to implement the NEP’s Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan

  4. Describe organizations (cities, counties, associations, agencies, etc) that are willing to work as a partner on this public conference, including level of commitment and description of support to be provided (funds, in-kind services, promotion, etc.)

  5. Offer a post-conference follow-up plan to address suggestions and actions developed during the conference

  6. Offer suggested dates and locations for the conference.

Requests may be submitted to Maran Hilgendorf, Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program, 1926 Victoria Ave, Fort Myers FL 33901 or by email to mhilgendorf@swfrpc.org. If you send a request by email and you don't receive an emailed confirmation of receipt of the request, the email message was not received. If you have any questions, call 239/338-2556 x 240.