• The Village of Miami Shores recently completed its Bayshore Drive Stormwater Drainage Project. The District provided $78,466 in FY09 state appropriations to support the project.

• The SFWMD recently approved funding for FY10 stormwater drainage projects in the City of Miami Gardens and the Village of Key Biscayne. The District was able to secure $131,000 in funding from the state Water Protection and Sustainability Trust Fund for Miami Gardens’ NW 21st Avenue Stormwater Drainage Project and $87,500 for Key Biscayne’s Ocean Lane Drive Stormwater Pump Retrofit. The District was also able to access $30,977 in funding from other state appropriations for Miami Gardens’ 38th Place Stormwater Drainage Project and $84,664 for Key Biscayne’s Injection Wells Drainage Projects. The projects will improve water quality in Biscayne Bay and reduce localized flooding.

• The SFWMD also recently amended its contract to provide FY10 funding for the Miami River Commission. The amendment will provide the commission with $250,000 to support its mission. The Florida Legislature formed the commission in 1998 as the official clearinghouse for all public policy and projects related to the Miami River. The District has funded the commission since FY03. In addition, the District will provide $50,000 in FY10 funds to support the Miami Circle Riverwalk Stormwater Project. The District is working with the commission on this stormwater project, which also will improve water quality in Biscayne Bay and help reduce local flooding.

PHOTO: The Miami River Commission expressed its appreciation for state and local support in creating a community vegetable and fruit garden along the Miami River Greenway. Among those on hand for the presentation were State Rep. Luis Garcia (far right), City of Miami Commission Chair Joe Sanchez (far left) and SFWMD Governing Board Chair Eric Buermann (third from left), who also chairs the Miami River Commission. SFWMD Project Manager Lucy Perez (second from right) accepted the plaque on behalf of the District.

The District’s Miami-Dade land management team worked in cooperation with
the Miami-Dade County Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM) Adopt-A-Tree Program to acquire 130 native hammock trees from a local nursery. As part of ongoing conservation projects, the land management team will plant the trees throughout the county on District lands. The plantings will enhance the restoration of pine rocklands and, in other areas, improve birding and butterfly-watching sites. During FY09, the land management team planted approximately 420 trees throughout the county.

PHOTO: Habitat Restoration Coordinator Gary Milano of DERM (fourth from left) took SFWMD staff on a tour of several wetland restoration sites in the county. The tour began at Highland Oaks Park, continued at Oleta River State Park and Virginia Key, and concluded at the Cape Florida restoration site at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park. The District recently helped fund $857,000 of the cost of the Virginia Key Habitat Restoration Project. The two-year project, which took place from FY06 to FY08, restored wildlife and vegetation habitats in a 50-acre disturbed wetland site.

PHOTO: During Miami-Dade County’s public-school summer vacation the SFWMD service center outreach team made more than 160 presentations as part of 40 summer camp programs reaching nearly 5,000 students. The outreach team includes Nestor Yglesias, Joseph Jean-Baptiste (as Freddy, the District’s mascot) and Alex Suarez.

PHOTO: Anna Gabbay and Angelica Sogor participated in the District’s summer internship program this year. They are both students at the University of Miami. Gabbay is seeking a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Ecosystem Science and Policy, and Sogor is seeking a bachelor’s degree in Marine Affairs and Policy. The two interns assisted with project management and intergovernmental relations with service center staff. Their helpful attitudes and hard work will be sorely missed at the service center.