U.S. Congressman Brian Mast (FL-18) joined U.S Congressman Bill Posey (FL-15) today to introduce a resolution designating the week of September 18 through September 25, 2021 as “National Estuaries Week.”
First recognized in 1988 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Estuaries Week raises awareness on the critical habitats for wildlife, as well as the economic and environmental benefit they bring to our communities.
“The devastating problems facing the Indian River Lagoon, Caloosahatchee, St. Lucie and Lake Worth Lagoon demonstrate over and over again that our economy, public health and environmental protection go hand-in-hand,” Rep. Mast said. “National Estuaries Week is a reminder of the importance of these critical habitats. We must continue to fight to protect and restore our waterways!”
“Our Indian River Lagoon is important to our quality of life, our local economies, tourism, and it provides a critical habitat to many indigenous species of wildlife and plant life,” Rep. Posey said. “National Estuaries Week encourages concerned citizens to become more involved in efforts to care for and manage the health of these critical ecosystems.”
According to NOAA, estuaries—despite taking up only 13 percent of the land area of the continental United States—contribute to 40 percent of jobs and nearly half of the nation’s economic output.
