Although pumped sand is a great source of shells, it kills great numbers
of molluscs and causes immense damage to the reefs, which are the
cornerstone of the east Florida aquatic ecology. Here is some
information on one of the projects currently in the works on the
southeast Florida coast.


COUNTY CONSULTANTS ESTIMATES 24,725 CORALS WILL BE KILLED WITH THE
BURIAL
OF 13.6 ACRES OF NEARSHORE HARDBOTTOM

The revised Broward County Dredge and Fill project proposes to pump
2,475,000 cubic yards of sand on 11.8 miles of shoreline, which will
result in the burial of 13.6 acres of hardbottom and coral.  The
material
placed on the beach will not stay on the beach it will migrate off shore
within a year of its placement; 13.6 acres of juvenile fish habitat will
be buried.  It is in these areas that the county consultants estimate
that
24,725 coral will be killed.  This number only estimates the number of
corals that will be buried; it does not address the secondary impacts to
corals adjacent to the fill areas.  These reefs are impacted by
long-term
turbidity.  Only a portion of the fill material is course sand, some of
the material is fine silt and clay.  These silts and clays are
continually
re-suspended by wave action and lead to long term silting of adjacent
reefs.

Dredge Pits

Many more acres of reef will be impacted around the 5 dredge sites.
These
reefs will be affected by large dredges, which use water to pump the
sand,
this water is returned to the ocean carrying with it many fine partials
and silt, which smother adjacent reefs.  Two of these dredge sites are
very nearshore off the cities of Deerfield and Hillsboro Beach.
Stealing
over 3 million cubic yards of sand from these nearshore excavation pits
will increase the rate of erosion on adjacent beaches insuring more work
for the contractors and paid consultants.

Sea Turtles

The acres of hardbottoms that will be buried adjacent to beaches are
foraging grounds for endangered sea turtles.  2/3 of similar nearshore
habitats have been buried by past dredge and fill projects.  But the
state
said it s ok because they will mitigate For more information
http:www.cryofthewater.org or contact Cry of the Water at
e-mail:[log in to unmask] (954) 753-9737

Mitigation

To compensate for all this destruction the county will mitigate by
placing
148,000,000 pounds of limestone boulders over 13.6 acres of sand covered
nearshore hardbottom.  They will then transplant 1000-2000 corals onto
these rocks in the hopes of creating man-made reefs.  These projects
have
been highly unsuccessful in the past.  Reports given at the recent U.S.
Coral Reef Task Force meeting, stated that most past mitigation projects
have not been effective, see US Task Force web site at
http://coralreef.gov/ It is ludicrous to believe that the engineers can
build man-made reefs that are adequate substitutes for these natural
habitats.  Past engineering project to widen Broward s beaches have only
resulted in accelerated erosion rates.  Due in part to the destruction
and
loss of the natural nearshore reefs that once helped to protect these
beaches.

No Dredging in Segment II (Ft.  Lauderdale)

Broward's beaches that have not been dredge and filled have some of the
lowest erosions rates in the county.  The engineers should not be trying
to fix what is not broken or in this case break what is not broken.  The
segment II part of this project proposes to dredge and fill beaches that
have not been impacted by past projects.  Just off these beaches are the
best nearshore reefs left in the continental United States.  These reefs
continue to work as natural protection and to destroy them will
ultimately
lead to accelerated erosion.

We would like to thank those of you who have written letters and came to
the public meetings.  Your efforts have made a difference.  The original
project was going to bury 38 acres of nearshore fish habitat and
corals.
This project fails to utilize alternatives such as sand bypass at Port
Everglades and vegetation that would create dunes helping to stabilize
our
beaches.  Rather than re-thinking projects to avoid coral reef ecosystem
degradation, as required by Executive Order 13089, it appears the State
DEP, the Army Corps of Engineers and other agencies want to continue
doing
business as usual and have seized on mitigation as being an extra cost
of
carrying out a project.

We Need your Letters Once Again

Once again we are asking you to write letters telling the governor and
the
agencies that the destruction of tens of thousands of corals and over
ten
acres of unique essential fish habitat and sea turtle foraging grounds
IS
NOT ACCEPTABLE.  If you have seen impacts from past projects or are
currently seeing the massive turbidity plumes from the current Hillsboro
inlet dredging project it is important that you include these things in
your letters.  Below will find information where you can voice your
concerns.

The Broward County Beach Dredge Project is scheduled to go before the
Governor and Cabinet as they serve as the Board of Trustees of the
Internal Improvement Trust Fund on November 26th for approval of the use
of our State submerged lands.

Cabinet Aides meeting on November 20.

Ask Governor Jeb Bush to deny the application at this time.

Governor Jeb Bush, 210 The Capitol, Tallahassee, FL 32399 FAX
850-488-9578; [log in to unmask] cabinet staff: Colleen Castille FAX
850-488-5152 [log in to unmask] Stephanie Culp FAX 850-488-5152
[log in to unmask] Sherry Slattery FAX 850-488-5152
[log in to unmask]

Secretary of State Jim Smith, LL10 The Capitol, Tallahassee, FL 32399
FAX
850-245-6127 [log in to unmask] cabinet staff: Lillie
Goodson
FAX 850-245-6519 [log in to unmask] Jennifer Kennedy FAX
850-245-6520 [log in to unmask]

Attorney General Richard Doran, PL01 The Capitol, Tallahassee, FL 32399
FAX 850-487-2564 [log in to unmask] cabinet staff: Kent Perez FAX
850487-1963 [log in to unmask] Diana Sawaya-Crane FAX
850-487-1963
[log in to unmask] Diane Moulton FAX 850-245-0184
[log in to unmask]

Comptroller Robert F.  Milligan, LL22 The Capitol, Tallahassee, FL 32399
FAX 850-410-9027 [log in to unmask] cabinet staff:
Dana Wiehle FAX 954-410-9780 [log in to unmask]

Insurance Commissioner Tom Gallagher, LL27 The Capitol, Tallahassee, FL
32399 FAX 850-488-7265 [log in to unmask] cabinet staff: Kevin
Stanfield FAX 954-413-2828 [log in to unmask]

Agriculture Commissioner Charles H.  Bronson, LL28 The Capitol,
Tallahassee, FL 32399 FAX 850-414-9778 [log in to unmask] cabinet
staff: Michele Myers FAX 850-410-6747 [log in to unmask]

Education Commissioner Charlie Crist, LL24 The Capitol, Tallahassee, FL
32399 FAX 850-488-1492 [log in to unmask] cabinet staff: Rene
Lewis FAX 850-488-0080 [log in to unmask]