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Grouper
 
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Congressman Jeff Miller 4300 Bayou Blvd., Suite 13
Pensacola, Florida 32503 Congressman Miller: I am writing you as a concerned citizen to inform you of a large grass roots movement in Pensacola, FL. The citizens of Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties have been faced with a difficult situation. As you are well aware, the backbone of our area’s economy is our recreational fishing and diving industry. In Florida alone, recreational fishing generated a staggering 5 billion dollars of revenue in 2006. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) recreational saltwater fishing produces $10,000 of revenue a minute in Florida! The USS Oriskany alone had an outstanding impact of $3.6 million in local economic output, created 67 additional jobs, and $1.4 million in local income in its first year on the seafloor! In such a time of dire economic need, it is imperative that we continue to promote the wellbeing of this vital industry. We as citizens of your district are facing a crisis. We are being regulated out of business. With habitat losses due to recent storms, and additionally the federal government regulating our Red Snapper fishery out of existence, we are forced to turn to other options. We can no longer rely on federal waters (9 miles and further from our shores) for our livelihood. Through great efforts on the part of the FWC we were allowed this year to have more lenient Red Snapper regulations in our state waters. As such, both fishermen and divers have focused their efforts on creating near shore and inshore habitat in our state waters (9 miles and closer to our shore.) The Army Corp of Engineers (ACOE) Jacksonville District is making this process excessively difficult. One permit submitted by Escambia County for a general permit for near shore reef sites has been under review for over a year. We have recently submitted permits to the same office for inshore snorkeling and diving reefs, and we can not afford to wait this long for progress. We need you as our representative to facilitate a solution to this problem. We are tired of being treated unfairly by the ACOE. Our neighbors to the west, Alabama, have the most productive artificial reef program in the nation while our program has to fight tooth and nail to make any progress at all. It is my understanding that while Escambia County must reapply every 5 years for its artificial reef areas, Alabama never has to reapply. That’s man hours wasted that could be focused on placing reefs on the bottom. In addition, in Alabama the requirements to place reefs in the Gulf of Mexico are much less stringent than in Florida. For some reason, the same seafloor is regulated differently by the ACOE in two areas that are literally right next to each other. It makes no sense to anyone in our area why a federal agency would treat two entities with the exact same circumstances differently. The Jacksonville District of the ACOE is sacrificing Northwest Florida to garner favor with environmentalists in South Florida, and it is time for it to stop. We were once a part of the Mobile District of the ACOE and we would like to return. We have worked tirelessly to inform the Jacksonville District of our needs, but no one seems to listen. We need you to listen. We have tried to make headway on our own through our State and Local government to no avail. We have sent letters to the Jacksonville District of the ACOE with little or no progress being made. We are tired of fighting for our right to make a living, and enjoy our fishery. We need you help. Sincerely,
Richard Adams
District 1 Citizen
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------www.visionunderwaterpensacola.com   
http://www.forumpictureprocessor.com/pictureprocessor/galleries/usergallery.asp?gallery=1256 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations James 1:2 If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there your hand will lead me, and your right hand will lay hold of me Psalms 139: 9-10 
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Grouper
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Snapper
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Grouper
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: Yesterday @ 8:30:53 AM
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| I sent this email to our County Commissioners and Robert Turpin, and others with my letter to Jeff Miller attatched. Commissioners: Attatched is a copy of a letter I recently sent to our Congressman Jeff Miller. As you are all aware, there is a large grass roots movement in Escambia County to make proactive strides in our artificial reef processes. We have attended countless County meetings, worked with Robert Turpin, contacted Clif Payne at the Army Corp of Engineers personally, and all to no avail. Since this is an all encompassing issue that involves local, state, and federal entities I have decided to contact all involved. I will also be sending a letter to the Governor, and our Senator. It would behoove Escambia County to be proactive on this measure. We need your support now more than ever. Please show us that you are willing to support us so that we can support you. Richard Adams Escambia County Citizen
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------www.visionunderwaterpensacola.com
http://www.forumpictureprocessor.com/pictureprocessor/galleries/usergallery.asp?gallery=1256 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations James 1:2 If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there your hand will lead me, and your right hand will lay hold of me Psalms 139: 9-10
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Snapper
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: Yesterday @ 6:55:17 PM
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getem rich!
1989 20' grady white 2007 200hp 2-stroke yamaha
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Trigger
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hey rich, you really have a way of wording your letters. i wish i had that kind of style. you really got your info together. i'll be taking notes off your letters and info. when i write more to others concerned if thats ok with you. thanks cliff
LIVE BY FAITH NOT BY SIGHT!!MEMBER P.R.F.A. AND THE R.F.R.A. COME JOIN US IN THE FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT TO FISH.
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Grouper
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: Yesterday @ 8:30:53 AM
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