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Lynn Haven votes to support regional estuary program; presenter outlines grant pipeline
Summary
The commission voted to provide a letter of support for East Pass permitting and heard a presentation from Dr. Jessica Graham of the Saint Andrews Bay Estuary Program, which reported $8.6 million secured from $47 million requested and about $4.8 million in direct benefits to Lynn Haven to date.
The Lynn Haven City Commission voted to provide a letter supporting regional efforts to reopen East Pass and heard an overview of the Saint Andrews Bay Estuary Program from Dr. Jessica Graham.
Dr. Graham said the estuary program has pursued a mix of grant-funded research and implementation, reporting that since June 2022 the program submitted 36 grant proposals requesting about $47 million and has secured about $8.6 million so far. She told the commission that the program has provided an estimated $4.8 million in direct support to Lynn Haven in areas such as stormwater analysis and grant coordination.
The estuary representative described priority projects that include living shorelines, reforestation mapping across Bay County and a microbial and nutrient source-tracking project to identify sources of water impairment (human, pet, livestock). Dr. Graham said the program is 100% grant-funded and relies on member contributions and matched funds to move from planning to implementation.
Commissioners asked about a litter-trap pilot and meter checks; Dr. Graham said field installations had survived heavy rain and staff would collect the captured materials in coming weeks. The commission approved a motion to provide a letter of support for the East Pass permitting process; the vote was recorded as passed.
