The Senate unanimously passed Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio’s Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary of National Significance Act, which would direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to formally enroll the Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program (PPBEP) into the National Estuary Program as an “Estuary of National Significance.”
The legislation would federally designate the PPBEP to leverage federal dollars, in coordination with funding by state and local governments, to address water quality and resource challenges in the estuary. The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Estuary Program is non-regulatory, and the legislation now heads to the US House of Representatives.
Senator Rick Scott said, “The Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary of National Significance Act will take important steps in our fight to protect and preserve Florida’s environment and natural resources. I am proud that our good bill was unanimously passed by the Senate last night and look forward to its passage in the House so it can be quickly signed into law.”
Senator Marco Rubio added, “The EPA’s National Estuary Program has a successful track record of cooperative federalism across the nation, including with the four existing programs we have in Florida. Enrolling the PPBEP in the National Estuary Program will provide critical support for restoration, conservation, and monitoring efforts in Pensacola and Perdido Bays and enhance economic activity in the Florida Panhandle. I urge my colleagues in the House to quickly pass this bill.”
The Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program praised the bill.
Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program Executive Director Matt Posner said, “Thanks to the leadership of Senator Rubio and Senator Scott, the Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program stands to be designated as the first new National Estuary Program created in 30 years. Connection to our natural resources is central to our way of life and is a primary driver of our regional economy. Designation as a National Estuary Program provides a transformational opportunity to invest in the restoration and conservation of our estuaries and watersheds for generations to come.”
Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program Board of Directors Chairman Mike Kohler added, “On behalf of the Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program Board of Directors, we are grateful for the leadership Senator Rubio and Senator Scott have demonstrated in pursuit of National Estuary Program designation for Pensacola and Perdido Bays. We look forward to the bill clearing the House and being signed into law so the Estuary Program can continue to execute on its critical mission.”
