Okaloosa County BOCC — November 4, 2014 — BCC letter of support - Pot 2

November 4, 2014 The Honorable Rick Scott State of Florida, The Capitol 400 South Monroe Street Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001 Dear Governor Scott, Okaloosa County supports The Nature Conservancy’s grant application to the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council, for the Northwest Florida Estuaries Restoration Project. This project is the unique and perfect partnership of the Eight Disproportionately Affected Counties in Florida to restore the estuaries of the northern Florida gulf coast while still tailored to local impacts and priorities. This project includes restoration activities in the eight primary watersheds of northwest Florida: Perdido Bay, Pensacola Bay, Choctawhatchee Bay, St. Andrews Bay, St. Joseph Bay, Apalachicola Bay, Ocklockonee Bay, and St. Marks Bay. As a result of the watershed strategic planning sessions facilitated by the Nature Conservancy, Northwest Florida coastal communities have mobilized to identify the critical issues that must be addressed in their watersheds. The uniquely positive characteristic of this process and these projects is that jurisdictional boundaries are erased and the partnership focuses on the best interest of the entire watershed. These projects are tailored to each watershed with the purpose of identifying the root causes of degradation and how to most effectively address the problems. All eight counties and the northern gulf coast will benefit from application of these focused solutions. We thank you for your consideration of this application and look forward to working with the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council. Sincerely, Charles K. Windes, Jr. Chairman