The next Marine Sanctuary Committee meeting will be Monday, February 25 at 6 pm in the Visitor Information Center/Chamber Conference Room.

Below is a list of some of the items we will be discussing:

Marine Sanctuary Committee leadership for 2013
Reef Sponsorship update
Run for the Reef update
Volunteers needed for Fun Fest booth April 26 and 27
Promoting and marketing reefs
Grant opportunities

Want to have your logo or name on the Run for the Reef Race Shirt?  Now’s the time to sign up.   The deadline to get sign up for your logo or name to be printed on the back of the race shirt is September 1, 2011.  That will be here before you know it so ACT NOW!

This year’s design is all new and with all the excitement about the reefs  coming to Navarre Beach you want to be sure you are included.    These shirts get a lot of looks around town as participants and friends of the sanctuary proudly wear them.  Be a part of the excitement.    Logo sponsorship is $250.   Name sponsorship is $125.  We can do business names,  individual names or a family name (e.g. The Smith Family).

You can sign up online or just email us and send us your check.  Don’t forget to register for the run also.  Online registration available at Active.com.   Lots of fun to be had at the 3rd Annual Run for the Reef 5K and Kid’s 1 Mile Fun Run.  The event is Saturday October 15th, 7:30 AM Race Start at the Navarre Pier.

Do it Today!

The next Marine Sanctuary Meeting is Monday, April 25, 2011 at 6PM at the Hampton Inn.

We still need volunteers for the events and times below.  Please contact Nancy Sandler at nasandler@bellsouth.net if you are interested in helping out.
1.  Funfest, April 29th Friday, April 29 – 3 to 5 pm
2.  Funfest Saturday, April 30, 1 to 3:30 pm and 3:30 to 6 pm.
3.  Sunset Stampede 5K, May 7th from 3-5pm and 5-7pm

April Monthly Meeting Agenda

A.  Permitting update and Project Details

B.   Funding

a.  TDC and County funding update

b.  Grants

Status of grants applied for

Impact 100 grant

c.  Run for the Reef update

d.  Sponsorship

C.  Community Awareness

a.  Past Events

b.  Future Events

D.  Next Meeting

E.  Adjourn

The Navarre Beach Leaseholders and Residents Association (NBLRA) will be a Prime Sponsor of the third annual Run for the Reef 5K.    After being a race shirt logo sponsor last year the organization voted to increase their role in the event to that of a prime sponsorship.  The move indicates their strong and continued support for the event and the Marine Sanctuary effort to establish snorkeling and diving reefs off Navarre Beach County Park.

A check presentation will be held at the next NBLRA meeting on May 21st with press and the public invited.

The Marine Sanctuary Committee is thrilled to have the NBLRA in this role and is looking forward to the October 15th event with great anticipation.  Already sponsorships for the event have increased over last year’s total and participation is sure to be high.  We’ll be unveiling a new logo this year and will enjoy a great award’s ceremony on the newly expanded Navarre Beach Pier Deck.   It’s early but we’ve already gotten a few registrants and have distributed registration forms to the Navarre Pier and Run With It shoes in Fort Walton.   Race registration is available on line at active.com and sponsorship registration is available online on this site’s Run  Sponsorship page.

Thanks NBLRA!!

The next meeting for the Navarre Beach Marine Sanctuary Committee will be this Monday, March 28 at 6PM at the Hampton Inn,  on Highway 98 in Navarre.

A. Committee Leadership

B. Permitting update

C. Funding

a.       TDC and County funding update

b.      Grants (applied for)

c.       Future Grants

d.      Run for the Reef update

e.       Sponsorship

D. Community Awareness

a.       Past Events

b.      Future Events

E. Next Meeting

F. Adjoin

Reports from the recent Escambia Marine Advisory Committee meeting indicates the gulf side snorkeling reef permits have been amended to allow shorter pilings (the same length planned for the Navarre site).  This clears the way for the deployment of the eco system reefs off of Pensacola beach near Portofino towers.    It is welcome news for the Navarre Beach reef effort since the design of the reef structures is identical to those planned for Pensacola Beach.  Tests from the piling manufacturer that showed the shorter pilings are actually stronger than the originally planned longer pilings were instrumental in the decision.

Also at the meeting, it was noted that Escambia county is proceeding with reef permits for the same type of reefs at Perdido Key.  With Perdido Key, Pensacola Beach, and Navarre Beach  all having beach accessible snorkeling and diving reefs a Snorkeling Trail is a real possibility and looks to be within our grasp.

According Keith Johnson of  Wetland Sciences, the environmental consultant for the Navarre Beach Marine Sanctuary Committee the federal permits for the Navarre reef sites are working their way through the process.   A  realistic projected date for having the permits in hand is  June 2011.    Construction and deployment of the reefs and the planned informational kiosk type signs is expected to cost between $160k and $200K.   The Marine Sanctuary Committee is raising funds for the effort and plans to rollout a reef sponsorship campaign this spring.  Also several grants have been and continued to be pursued to fund the project.

To find out more about the physical and financial progress of the project come to the monthly committee meeting January 31st at 6 PM in the conference room of the Navarre Visitor Information Center (Hwy 98 at the Navarre Beach Bridge).

I know it seems early but we want to get a jump on putting our team together for putting on next year’s Run For The Reef 5K.

Please join us for some focused “strategery” as we lay the foundation for next year’s event. Help build on our success and make improvements through your ideas and participation.  Hope to see you there!

When: Monday, November 15 at 6 PM
Where: Navarre Visitor Information Center Conference Room (Hwy 98 at the Navarre Bridge)
Who: YOU
What: Initial Planning Meeting – Run for the Reef 5K 2011

****NO RUNNING OR RACE EXPERIENCE REQUIRED****

Agenda

Race Date Selection

Race Venue Options/Selection

Coordinator Position Needs:

• Overall Race Director

• Sponsorship

• Registrations

• Course & Water Stations

• Advertising & T-Shirts

• Venue & Awards

• Results

Next Steps

Check out our ONLINE PLEDGE FORM.   No need to pull out your credit card or write a check now – just  tell us how much you would like to pledge to our efforts to Make Navarre Snorkelicious and through which type of sponsorship.    You can also download a pdf version of the pledge form here and mail it t:

Navarre Beach Marine Sanctuary c/o Navarre Chamber Foundtion, 8668 Navarre Pkwy #142, Navarre FL 32566

You can  access the pledge form and also make tax deductible donations via Pay Pal from our Pledges and Donations Page.