The Navarre Beach Marine Sanctuary Committee’s plans for the Reef Sponsorship Program won’t be officially unveiled until after the Impact 100 Grant Winners have been decided in October.    Even so – the program has generated early interests.   Three companies or individuals have already stepped up to the plate to make pledges of support:

Best Western Navarre

Deep & Wide Dredging, Inc.

Mike & Nancy Sandler

Thank you to these individuals and companies for their leadership in helping to Make Navarre Snorkelicious!

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

A Reef Sponsorship Program is in the planning stages for the Marine Sanctuary that will allow businesses and individuals to contribute and be recognized on an individual contributor,  or  reef sponsorship,  reef site sponsorship basis.   The committee has  developed a tiered contributor/sponsorship  plan with multi level  recognition benefits in exchange for various levels of tax deductible donations.  We are working with the County on appropriate interpretive signage  and preparing designs for the committee and the county’s review.   The committee is striving to create an effective program that will help develop and sustain the reefs for years to come and provide lasting recognition to the people that have contributed to help Make Navarre Snorkelicious.  Stay tuned for more details as they develop.!

Planning for the 2nd Annual Run for the Reef is also beginning.  The committee will agree on a date soon and begin recruiting sponsors and volunteers.   This event was a huge success last year and we are looking to improve on last years turnout of over 300 participants.  Be part of the fun by participating, sponsoring or volunteering.

Next Meeting:
Our next monthly meeting will be Tuesday, January 26th at 6 PM in the Navarre Visitor Center Conference Room (enter through rear sound side door please).  As always the public is welcome and encouraged to attend.  We  look forward to building on the successes of last year by continuing to inform the public about the economic, environmental, and educational benefits of the reef program and Making Navarre Snorkelicious!

Fundraising:

Reef Sponsorship Program
After input from discussion at our December meeting, a draft of the final plan for a Reef Sponsorship Program has been developed.   Information  and plans will be presented at our January meeting.

Grants
Our application for an International Paper Foundation  Grant with a focus on environmental education was submitted this month.  We continue to research grant opportunities.

Run for the Reef 2010
It is time to start planning our Second Run for the Reef.  We are looking for a volunteer to chair this committee.  This was our major fundraiser for 2009.  With what we learned, it can be even bigger in 2010.

Permitting:
We are pleased to be on track for successful completion of permitting.  Santa Rosa County BOCC submitted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit applications in August 2009, and our environmental consultant is in the process of responding to the first round of comments.  We are on track to meet the projected 8 -14 month time frame of approval for the ACOE permits which would place the projected permit approval date between April and October 2010.

Community Awareness:
On January 2nd we set up our information booth at the Gulf Coast Kayak Fishing Association Rigging Clinic at Hot Spots Bait and Tackle in Gulf Breeze.  This was a great opportunity to explain how the artificial reef and  marine sanctuary will benefit all  marine life in the area.
A presentation to the Navarre Beach Yacht Club is scheduled for their February 1st general meeting , 7pm at Juana’s.

Community awareness is very important to keep this project moving forward.  We continue to look for opportunities to make appearances at local civic organizations and set up and informational booth or table at events.  Committee members are encouraged to step forward to both schedule/coordinate these opportunities and to help by manning a booth or table or presenting our (now fairly standardized) presentation.

Agenda for Marine Sanctuary Monthly Meeting – January 26, 2010 at 6pm

1.      Leadership roles for 2010

2.      Fundraising:
a.   Reef Sponsorship Program
b.  Grants
c.     2010 Run for the Reef (pre planning, prime sponsor recruiting, etc)

3.    Permitting Update

4.    Community Awareness:  Recent and Future events or speaking engagements

As 2009  begins to wind down and we head into the holiday months, the marine sanctuary committee is beginning to look forward to the coming year’s challenges and how best to meet them.  One of the changes will be in the routine operations of the committee -  like managing communications, coordinating fund raising and grant activity, managing the permit process, etc.   Previously, we have  taken things as they come and  doled out the various tasks as the needs arise, like manning information booths, event planning, and speaking to community groups.

Now that we have a little more experience with running the different parts of the marine sanctuary program we can be more proactive with individuals  leading different functional areas.  Coming out of the October meeting, the breakout for the areas of leadership and the people that will be leading in each area are:

Communications- Nancy Sandler

Community Awareness Events – Dan McCarren

Presentations – Andy Epstein

Finance – Mike Sandler

Reef Sponsorship Program – Mandy Evers

Grants – Robert Turpin

Website – Mark Griffith

Permitting – Mark Griffith

After the new year a new Chairman of the Marine Sanctuary committee for the 2010 calendar year will be named.

2009 has been a year of many successes for the Marine Sanctuary Program, and  with the  reorganization outlined above we look forward to even better progress 2010.   Thanks to those committee members  stepping forward positively in leading our efforts to Make Navarre Snorkelicious!