The Environmental Committee for Pensacola Bay Area Impact 100 conducted a site visit with the Navarre Beach Marine Sanctuary Committee this morning  (Saturday August 14th).   Impact 100 is a group of 560 women in the Pensacola Bay Area, who with their financial contributions and effective management of an annual grant program, provide over $500,000 in funding to worthy charitable organization programs  in five categories.   Last year the Marine Sanctuary was a finalist in the environmental category.  We are again pursuing the grant opportunity in the Environmental category this year.

We were pleased to share with the Impact 100 members, the current status of our efforts to bring beach accessible reefs to Navarre Beach and the positive impact the program will have on our region.  Many thanks to the Impact 100 organization and the members who took time out of their weekend to visit us at Navarre Beach.   While there we provided program information, toured the reef locations, and answered questions about the program, our progress and plans.

After site visits have been conducted with the grant applicants, two finalists in each of five categories will be selected and announced.  Each finalist will make a presentation before the full Impact 100 organization at their annual meeting in the Fall.   During the meeting,  each of the five grants (one in each category) will be announced and awarded.    We are hopeful and optimistic about our application, and look forward to the announcement of the finalists.

Our next Navarre Beach Marine Sanctuary meeting is Monday, April 26 at 6 pm at the Navarre Visitor Center in Navarre Park.  Please attend for updates on the reef project and upcoming events.  The success of this project is dependent on community awareness and funding, and we need your help.  Check out the Run For the Reef volunteer checklist and let us know if there are some things on there you could help us do help with the run in our continuing efforts to to Make Navarre Snorkelicious!

AGENDA for Meeting Monday, April 26

1.  Fundraising and Grants

Impact100 Grant due in June
Run for Reef October 16
Bumper stickers

2.  Community awareness/volunteers needed

Sunset Stampede on Navarre Beach May 1st
Fun Fest on Navarre Beach  May 14th and 15th
Safe Boating Clinic May 22nd at the Navarre Beach Boat Ramp

3.   Update on reef sponsorship program and proposed signage for beach

4.   Comments

The Marine Sanctuary Committee is gearing up for a great 2010.   Grants are already being targeted with the submittal of one grant already and the planning for the Pensacola Bay Area Impact 100 Grant Submittal

Mandy Evers,  Marine Sanctuary Committee co-chair wrote and submitted a $5,000 grant to International Paper on behalf of the Marine Sanctuary Committee.   We expect to hear back from this grant within the next couple of months.

Meanwhile the committee is gearing up for another run at the $100,000 Impact 100 grant.  Last year we made it to the final two in the Environmental Category.  In 2010 we are hoping to build on that success and take the prize with this year’s efforts.

Stay tuned ….. 2010 is looking promissing for the Marine Sanctuary thus far.

Impact 100 Pensacola announced today at a press conference that the Navarre Beach Marine Sanctuary is among ten finalists that will compete for five grants of $102,800 in each of five categories.  There are two finalists per category – the Marine Sanctuary is in the Environmental category.

This is a huge opportunity for the Marine Sanctuary Program ,and can provide most of the necessary funding for the completion of Phase II (sound side reefs).  The final determination will be made after brief presentations by each finalists to the entire Impact 100 membership at their annual meeting on Sunday October 18th at 1:45 PM.

We believe the positive environmental benefits that will come from the sound side reefs – up to 1.8 million gallons of water filtered per day, increased biodiversity and juvenile marine species habitat – is very grant worthy.   In addition the Marine Sanctuary project provides huge economic and educational benefits for the area with an estimated increase of $1.17 million in annual economic output for the combined gulf and sound side reefs and increased local educational institution and grant funded study opportunities,

The Marine Sanctuary Committee is is honored to be among this years finalists and is very grateful to the ladies of Impact 100 – not only for the current grant program but for their continued contribution to making our community a better place to work and live.

Impact 100 is a Pensacola organization that annually gives $100k+ grants for projects in different  categories including education, environment, recreation,and preservation.

The sanctuary committee needs a volunteer to spearhead the grant application process.  The first task is to attend the workshop put on by Impact 100 for prospective applicants.   The workshop will be Friday, March 27th, 9 – 11:30 AM, at the Lewis Bear Company, 6120 Enterprise Drive in Pensacola.

Please contact Mark Griffith via email  (mark.griffith@myzenyx.com ) or phone (850-677-1875) if you can help in this area.