NEWS RELEASE

More than 100 citizens from Vero Beach and throughout Indian River County rallied today to demand that the Board of County Commissioners cancel plans to dredge, fill and pave high-value habitat in the Indian River Lagoon at Oslo Road.

Fishermen, environmentalists and others concerned about the waterway’s deteriorating health began their protest at 8:30 am, in front of County Building A. They came out in force to deliver the names of more than 2,200 opponents of the project, who signed a petition this past week. Vero Beach Mayor Richard Winger, renowned marine scientist Dr. Edie Widder and Vero Magazine publisher Elizabeth Moulton are some of the notable signatures.

“We want the county leadership to know how deeply the public cares about the fate of our lagoon,” says biologist Dr. Richard Baker, President of Pelican Island Audubon Society (PIAS). “Almost every business in the county depends in one way or another on having a healthy lagoon. Should we really be spending $1 million in tax funds on a boat ramp when we have abundant boating access at McWilliams and Riverside Parks, and so many other needs in our county?”

Last Tuesday the commissioners vote 4-1 (with Commissioner Bob Solari dissenting) to approve the highly controversial project, and fund $470,000 of the nearly $1 million project with local boat registration fees. “The last minute inclusion of the Oslo boat ramp issue was not reflected in the printed budget document,” says ecological economist Dr. Graham Cox, an Indian River County resident and Pelican Island Audubon Society board member. “This was all part of a $19.6 million package of special revenue funds. It’s not clear where the other half of the funding will come from since the Florida Inland Navigation District declined to support this project. A million dollars is a huge amount of public money to spend on a project the public doesn’t want.”

Noted fish biologistDr. Grant Gilmore has seined for fish regularly in the areas to be dredged and filled for the enlarged parking lot, paved road and stormwater pond. Some of the young nursery game fish he found in the specific areas to be dredged and filled included red drum, mangrove snapper, sheepshead and snook. Dr. Gilmore stated that the fish that grow up in this important fish nursery site are essential for our commercial and recreational fishing industry throughout the lagoon.

Imperiled manatees are also at risk. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the project will increase boat traffic and thus fatalities for these endangered mammals. Save the Manatee Club docent Diane Morgan, of Vero Beach, is increasingly angered by the commissioners’ unwillingness to follow the public’s lead: “Why don’t we just fill the whole lagoon up with sand, pave over it, and forget about it? That seems to be their attitude.” Morgan spoke before the commissioners at Tuesday’s meeting, along with Brendan Burke, John Warner and Rosemarie Wilson.

“Commissioners,” askED PIAS’s Baker “Are you serious about saving the Lagoon? If you are, then there’s no question – don’t harm our seagrasses, mangroves, fish and wildlife by dredging, filling and paving healthy lagoon habitat. This project is socially, economically, and morally wrong. Why don’t you instead spend $1 million to clean and restore the lagoon?”