spearfisher

<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Congressman Jeff Miller<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1:address w:st="on"><st1:Street w:st="on"><SPAN style="COLOR: black">4300 Bayou Blvd., Suite 13</st1:Street>
<st1:City w:st="on"><SPAN style="COLOR: black">Pensacola</st1:City><SPAN style="COLOR: black">, <st1:State w:st="on">Florida</st1:State> <st1:PostalCode w:st="on">32503</st1:PostalCode></st1:address><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Congressman Miller:<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o></o><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">I am writing you as a concerned citizen to inform you of a large grass roots movement in <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Pensacola</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">FL.</st1:State></st1lace> The citizens of Escambia and <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Santa Rosa</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Counties</st1:PlaceType></st1lace> have been faced with a difficult situation. As you are well aware, the backbone of our area?s economy is our recreational fishing and diving industry. In <st1:State w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Florida</st1lace></st1:State> alone, recreational fishing generated a staggering 5 billion dollars of revenue in 2006. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) recreational saltwater fishing produces $10,000 of revenue a minute in <st1:State w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Florida</st1lace></st1:State>! The USS Oriskany alone had an outstanding impact of $3.6 million in local economic output, created 67 additional jobs, and $1.4 million in local income in its first year on the seafloor! In such a time of dire economic need, it is imperative that we continue to promote the wellbeing of this vital industry. <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o></o><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">We as citizens of your district are facing a crisis. We are being regulated out of business. With habitat losses due to recent storms, and additionally the federal government regulating our Red Snapper fishery out of existence, we are forced to turn to other options. We can no longer rely on federal waters (9 miles and further from our shores) for our livelihood. Through great efforts on the part of the FWC we were allowed this year to have more lenient Red Snapper regulations in our state waters. As such, both fishermen and divers have focused their efforts on creating near shore and inshore habitat in our state waters (9 miles and closer to our shore.) <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o></o><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">The Army Corp of Engineers (ACOE) Jacksonville District is making this process excessively difficult. One permit submitted by <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Escambia</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">County</st1:PlaceType></st1lace> for a general permit for near shore reef sites has been under review for over a year. We have recently submitted permits to the same office for inshore snorkeling and diving reefs, and we can not afford to wait this long for progress. We need you as our representative to facilitate a solution to this problem. We are tired of being treated unfairly by the ACOE. Our neighbors to the west, <st1:State w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Alabama</st1lace></st1:State>, have the most productive artificial reef program in the nation while our program has to fight tooth and nail to make any progress at all. It is my understanding that while <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Escambia</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">County</st1:PlaceType> must reapply every 5 years for its artificial reef areas, <st1:State w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Alabama</st1lace></st1:State> never has to reapply. That?s man hours wasted that could be focused on placing reefs on the bottom. In addition, in <st1:State w:st="on">Alabama</st1:State> the requirements to place reefs in the Gulf of Mexico are much less stringent than in <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Florida</st1:State></st1lace>. For some reason, the same seafloor is regulated differently by the ACOE in two areas that are literally right next to each other. It makes no sense to anyone in our area why a federal agency would treat two entities with the exact same circumstances differently. The Jacksonville District of the ACOE is sacrificing Northwest Florida to garner favor with environmentalists in <st1lace w:st="on">South Florida</st1lace>, and it is time for it to stop. <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o></o><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">We were once a part of the Mobile District of the ACOE and we would like to return. We have worked tirelessly to inform the Jacksonville District of our needs, but no one seems to listen. We need you to listen. We have tried to make headway on our own through our State and Local government to no avail. We have sent letters to the Jacksonville District of the ACOE with little or no progress being made. We are tired of fighting for our right to make a living, and enjoy our fishery. We need you help. <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o></o><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Sincerely,<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">
Richard Adams<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">District 1 Citizen

spearfisher

Follow this link to let Jeff Miller know how you feel about this issue

http://jeffmiller.house.gov/index.cf...n=Contact.Home

nextstep

you might try sending a copy of the miller letter to spiffy cliffy so he will see you are serious.

:usaflag:usaflag:usaflag:usaflag:usaflag:usaflag:u saflag

spearfisher

I sent this email to our County Commissioners and Robert Turpin, and others with my letter to Jeff Miller attatched.Commissioners:</DIV></DIV>Attatched is a copy of a letter I recently sent to our Congressman Jeff Miller. As you are all aware, there is a large grass roots movement in Escambia County to make proactive strides in our artificial reef processes. We have attended countless County meetings, worked with Robert Turpin, contacted Clif Payne at the Army Corp of Engineers personally, and all to no avail. Since this is an all encompassing issue that involves local, state, and federal entitiesI have decided to contact all involved. I will also be sending a letter to the Governor, and our Senator. It would behoove Escambia County to be proactive on this measure. We need your support now more than ever. Please show us that you are willing to support us so that we can support you.</DIV></DIV>Richard Adams</DIV>Escambia County Citizen</DIV>

nextstep

getem rich!:clap

cobe killer

hey rich, you really have a way of wording your letters. i wish i had that kind of style. you really got your info together. i'll be taking notes off your letters and info. when i write more to others concerned if thats ok with you. thanks cliff

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TEAM RECESS

spearfisher

Thanks alot Cliff. You are welcome to anything and everything I post. It's for the benefit of all of us.

Just FYI, I also sent this letter to the Governor and the Lt. Governor:

Governor: Charlie.Crist@MyFlorida.com

Lt. Governor: Jeff.Kottkamp@MyFlorida.com

You send enough letters, and somebody is bound to listen.

spearfisher

This is the response the Escambia County Commissioner for District 4Grover Robinson replied to my letter to Jeff Miller.

We have passed a similar resolution to your request. I will see where that is at this moment. I think this action would help us significantly. Thanks for your letter.

Grover

and this is my response to him:

Grover,

Would you mind having someone in your office send me a copy of that resolution. I think it would be helpful to show that the county is being proactive on this measure. As it stands right now there are hundreds if not thousands of local fishermen and divers who are extremely frustrated with this entire process of permitting artificial reefs. As you are probably already aware you must obtain state and federal permits for artificial reefs. The state permits come back in 30 days or less, the federal permits (Army Corp of Engineers) are over a year and a half out and there is still no resolution. I think that it would be very beneficial for you as a commissioner to show the community that you are trying to get out in front on this issue. I promise you that it would go a long way with all of us.

Thank you,

Richard Adams Jr.

offshore64

Hey Rich I sent some letters out as well, doing my part from up here in T-town. This was a great excuse to put off studying for a little while

CAPT. PAUL REDMAN

Ggood job Nick. You brought a tear to my eye son.:usaflag