KEY LARGO ANGLERS CLUB BECOMES CLEAN MARINA

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 7, 2014

CONTACT: DEP Press Office, 850-245-2112, DEPNews@dep.state.fl.us 

KEY LARGO ANGLERS CLUB BECOMES CLEAN MARINA

~Key Largo Anglers Club adds another accomplishment to its environmental history~

KEY LARGO – The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Environmental Education and Sustainable Initiatives welcomes the Key Largo Anglers Club into the Clean Marina family today. Marinas joining this voluntary program have committed themselves to environmental stewardship and the protection of our state's waterways. 

“It is a pleasure to welcome the Key Largo Anglers Club into the Clean Marina Program,” said South District Director Jon Iglehart. “The club has shown above-and-beyond efforts to ensure water quality in the Keys is the best it can be. It clearly demonstrates the club’s leadership in ensuring that water-based recreational opportunities exist not only for today but for generations to come.” 

Key Largo Anglers Club has been approved as the 284th Clean Marina in Florida. The Key Largo Anglers Club began as a small fishing camp in the early 1920s and evolved in the 1970s and 1980s to a private, member-owned community. Additionally, the Anglers Club purchased land to maintain as a nature preserve and manages a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conservation easement.

“The philosophy of preserving the environment continues to be our objective. This brought about the dedication of a large area in the center of the property as a nature preserve in the mid-1990s and a hammock conservation easement,” said Key Largo Anglers Club General Manager Christopher Everhart. “Today, the club continues to foster an environment of preservation while promoting the enjoyment of the social and recreational facilities in a manner consistent with the low-key ambiance created by its founders and maintained by succeeding generations. Achieving the goal, and being honored with the Clean Marina designation, marks another important chapter in the history of our organization.”

The Clean Marina Program is a voluntary designation program with a proactive approach to environmental stewardship. To become designated as a Clean Marina, facilities must implement a set of environmental measures designed to protect Florida's waterways. Participants receive assistance in implementing Best Management Practices through on-site and long-distance technical assistance, mentoring by other Clean Marinas and continuing education.

Florida has nearly 1 million registered motorized vessels and more than 2,000 marinas -- the largest number of marine facilities in the country, drawing millions of visitors each year. With more than 1,350 miles of coastline, 50,000 miles of inland and coastal rivers and streams, 700 freshwater springs, and countless lakes, Floridians depend on water more than any other natural resource. In total, 287 marinas have been approved by the Clean Marina Program in addition to 44 boatyards and 19 designated clean retailers.

For more information about the Florida Clean Marina Program, click here