Apalachicola to share in coastal protection funds

The City of Apalachicola in Franklin County and St. Marks in Wakulla County will share in over 2.6 million dollars earmarked to enhance the protection of Florida’s coastal resources. The grant funding is being provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to support several state programs ranging from restoring seagrasses to developing a derelict vessel management program. The city of Apalachicola will receive 15 thousand dollars to construct educational kiosks at the city’s Veterans Riverfront Park. The kiosks will provide information on the unique and diverse ecosystems of the Apalachicola River and Bay including maps of the Apalachicola River Watershed; information on the area’s endangered species; steps the public can take to prevent damage to the local ecology; and information on the river’s history and its impact on Apalachicola. The City of St. Marks will receive 50 thousand dollars to develop a comprehensive marketing plan that will promote St. Marks as a nature- and heritage-based tourism destination. There is also money that will be spent to completely map seagrasses in St. Joe Bay in Gulf County and money to evaluate water quality changes from flooding and storm surge in coastal Wakulla County served by centralized sewers versus septic systems.