FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 17, 2015
CITY
OF FT. MYERS YACHT BASIN RECEIVES CLEAN AND RESILIENT MARINA DESIGNATION
~Ceremony
acknowledges environmental stewardship and emergency preparedness~
FT.
MYERS – The Florida Department of Environmental Protection
is proud to present the Clean and Resilient Marina Designation to the City of
Fort Myers Yacht Basin. This designation demonstrates this facility's commitment to applying best management practices to ensure the health of the
environment. The City of Fort Myers Yacht Basin is the second facility in Lee
County to be designated as a Clean and Resilient Marina. Lee County is also home to 11 Clean Marinas and one Clean Boatyard.
This yacht basin has not only made the commitment to
be good environmental stewards, but has also exceeded environmental
regulations required by law by implementing additional measures for emergency
preparedness and response, protection of equipment, and evacuation procedures.
The City of Fort Myers Yacht Basin has developed a hurricane plan that will allow the facility to quickly get back into business following an emergency storm event.
“The City Yacht Basin is now recognized not just by Florida boaters, but all boaters in the Gulf of Mexico as a safe and clean harbor in all conditions," said DEP South District Director Jon Iglehart. "We are
honored to recognize the city’s efforts to increase Florida’s economic
opportunities through environmental sustainability.”
The Clean and Resilient Marina Initiative is
a Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) project born from the Coastal Community
Resilience Team and part of the Governors’ action plan. GOMA is a
partnership of the states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and
Texas, with the goal of significantly increasing regional collaboration to
enhance the ecological and economic health of the Gulf of Mexico. The
initiative calls for the promotion and expansion of resilient and environmentally
responsible operations and best management practices at marinas. This helps
promote marinas that can recover quickly from both natural
and man-made disasters.
“The City of Fort Myers Yacht Basin is very proud to
be recognized as an environmental caretaker with our continued efforts to
assist the marinas customers, as well as the general public, in doing the right
thing and properly disposing of hazardous materials and fluids,” said
Dockmaster Leif Hans Lustig.
Along with the resiliency practices outlined in the Gulf of Mexico Clean and Resilient Marina Initiative, the City of Fort Myers Yacht Basin has met and
exceeded marine environmental best management practices in the Clean Marina
Program. 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.
Florida has nearly 1 million registered motorized
vessels and more than 2,000 marinas -- the largest number of marine facilities
in the country. Protecting Florida’s
waterways is essential for the continued growth of our state's aquatic
industries. To date, 288 marinas have been recognized by the Clean Marina
Program, in addition to 45 boatyards and 19 designated clean
retailers. Marinas that are already certified as Clean Marinas can use
provided resources to become certified as Clean and Resilient Marinas.
For more information
about the Gulf of Mexico Alliance's Clean and Resilient Marina Program, click here.
| 
