Holmes Beach Clean Water Committee urges TDC help with outreach to protect Anna Maria Sound
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Summary
Dr. Jennifer Miller briefed the Tourist Development Council on resident-led water-quality efforts and asked the TDC to support outreach and education initiatives to reduce nutrient runoff and protect the bay.
The Holmes Beach Clean Water Committee asked the Manatee County Tourist Development Council on April 21 to help amplify local outreach aimed at protecting water quality in Anna Maria Sound and the surrounding bay.
Dr. Jennifer Miller, a long-time water‑technology professional and member of the Holmes Beach Clean Water Committee, told the council the group’s priorities are awareness, prevention and mitigation. She asked the TDC to use its marketing channels—advertising, ferry messaging and visitor outreach—to promote low‑impact practices and local programs such as Florida‑friendly landscaping.
Miller described the committee as a diverse, grassroots group that has engaged residents, government agencies and nonprofit partners including the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage (FISH). She highlighted examples such as a school‑children education program led by Judy Titsworth and pointed to Manatee County Extension’s Florida‑friendly landscaping resources as a practical tool for residents to reduce irrigation and fertilizer use.
Council members and staff discussed ways the TDC could incorporate water‑stewardship messages into visitor materials, the ferry program and digital campaigns. Tourism Director Elliott Feltownie endorsed low‑cost awareness tactics—reminders about turtle season behavior, “leave no trace” messaging and working with the ferry to host educational content or marine‑biology student presenters.
Speakers noted recent storm runoff and debris but said the county’s beach‑cleanup efforts and equipment generally performed well. Miller said regional estuary monitoring (Tampa Bay and Sarasota Bay estuary programs) shows a generally good condition but that nitrogen and chlorophyll levels could be reduced further over time.
No formal funding request or vote was recorded; the presentation concluded with council members thanking the committee and agreeing to continue coordination on outreach and education.
