County prepares a boost to open the bay – Apalachicola the Times

A large audience welcomed the two legislators of Franklin County in Talahasi when they came last week for the delegation annual meeting and were presented with a large number of questions.

But no one was bigger and more important than the issue of reaping the Appalachikola Bay to the harvesting of oysters in January 2026.

State Senator Corey Corey Simon and State Representative Jason St. Joe were greeted by a United District Committee on Thursday afternoon, February 6, that only two days earlier wrote their wish as for AS As of AS as on AS as for as as as as as as as as as as as as is as as as as as as as as as as as as as is AS as as as as as as many of the five to appear in the upcoming fish and wildlife committee in Florida on February 26 and 27 in Talahasi.

In his opening remarks, Shoaf promised that the two legislators “would” do everything we can “to open again, after a five -year closure on a schedule in January.

“We need a single voice from Oystermen,” he said. “We rarely find one voice. Let’s work together and get one goal, let’s open it.

“If we don’t work together, we’ll lose it together,” Dr. said. “It’s time to stop the fight and work together and let’s do it.”

The Commissioner Otis Amyon has made it clear that at the local level the partnership for a sustainable bay of Appalachikola, who is a collective group of stakeholders, who is the successor to the Apalachicola Bay initiative, has the active support of nine traditional Oystermen.

“FWC (representatives) were also in meetings and we have good communication,” he said. “This is the only unified voice right here.

“What we need to do is open this bay,” Amsison said. “If we do not open this door, it may never be open.”

As he was voiced at the Commission meeting on February 4, the chairman of AMISON and the District Committee Ricky Jones, as Commissioner Sheril Sanders, sat together, noted the recommendation of government budget Ron Roanis of $ 30 million to accelerate FWC’s efforts for recovery and Restore oyster habitat. This investment is in addition to an additional investment of $ 10 million in the budget of the Ministry of Environmental Protection in Florida to invest in projects that support the area of ​​the Palachikola Bay of Critical Care.

“Bring it,” Amsison said. “This is even more than we get from NFWF (National Federation of Fish and Wildlife).”

He said he wanted to make sure that the money would go to fill the oyster reefs and were not spent on further research.

“There was more science and data (collection) made in this bay, and see where we are now,” Amsison said. “Let’s take some material in this water and our bay will maintain a oyster harvest.”

Neither Simon, nor ShoAf, nor commissioners have publicly commented on what FWC employees will recommend in the next few months on the conditions of re -opening the bay. Behind the scenes, selected employees suggest that FWC may require re -opening conditions and they prioritize the bay to reopen and tear specifics after it has been done.

“This is the biggest thing in the last five years when all of us are blinded in the closure of the bay,” Dr. said. “I agree that there is an appetite for more and more funding to do more and more studies.”

In his remarks that opened the statements of the audience meetingJones requested that legislators guarantee that the county receives the rest of the money due to the financing of bears trash bins.

He said the county was seeking help with the rejuvenation of Sylvester Williams Park in Appalachikola, which provided under a leasing contract with the city, as well as money for a new shooting range.

“The one we have was untenable about the shooting range because we have a humane society in the front end,” Jones said.

He also requested the funds on the boat ramp to be lowered, if necessary in the county, and told the legislators that the Commission supported an active working camp at the Franklin correctional institution, which could provide prisoners with low risk in cities and the county.

Jones noted that DP has changed the permitting process of septic tanks by doing this work by Panama City and Talahassi. “We have some concerns about this process,” he said.

Driver said he and Simon would work hard to provide this extra money for a bear. He said there was a “big decline in meetings with the human bear” with the passage last year, which empowered homeowners to use deadly power to protect human life and property from the interaction between bears.

“You don’t have to go out and see garbage everywhere,” he said.

Shoaf said he would strive to provide funding for a new shooting range. “We need more people to learn how to use their firearms and be more accurate,” he said.

Sheriff Ai Smith said that in the light of “a huge problem with addiction and mental health”, he would like funding for a hostel to accommodate people with severe mental health problems, from Franklin and around the surrounding cities.

“The prison I have was not built for what we see now,” Smith said.

Simon said he believed that “regional approach to law enforcement is a great idea. We really need to look at how we do law enforcement and be able to stretch these dollars. “

Chief Steve Lanie He opened his remarks, asking whom Simon is rooting in the Super Bowl.

“Yes, I played in Philadelphia, but (Kansas City coach) Andy Reed was my coach and he still gave the campaign,” Simon said, leaving him in that.

Lanie said he would like to see the annulment of the state law, which imposes school start times, not because he necessarily wants to see the school to start earlier, but because it will give the area the maximum flexibility. “If we decide at the school level, if we want to change the times, we will make it work,” he said. “There are other situations that may benefit others, not in Franklin County.”

Lanier also said he would like to see a change in the law that requires the school neighborhood to give some of his cash expenses at the charter school.

“I am a supporter of charter schools who receive money for capital costs,” he said. “We also want these students to go to Franklin County when they graduate.”

But, he added, $ 380,000 that next year the area will give the Appalachikola Bay school, it is the second highest in the state and will be in five years, it will be more than $ 1 million from capital caps.

“It’s not fair to us. It may not hurt us at the moment, but along the way it can hurt us, “Lanie said, asking for legislators to sponsor a bill to compensate for this loss.

The City Commissioner of Appalachikola Anita Grove thanked the legislators for the support of the Management Act, which defined a framework for directing money in Appalachikola as an area of ​​critical condition. She requested legislators to help secure $ 5 million allowed by the legislature.

Eastpoint Scott Chiver resident Asked that legislators are considering supporting a plan to create locks in Bob Sikes Cut, which was created several years ago and is now allocating St. George Island from Little St. George.

“If you can’t get more water in the bowl, you need to stop the leaks in the bay,” he said. “The incision is not a natural pass, it is created by man. If they could put locks in cut, everyone would have the best of both worlds. “

Caleb Harper, with the Alligator Point Volunteer Fire Service, has requested help in financing a combined pump tanker that will allow the department to collect a more immediate response to fires.

Several people have talked against the admission of oil drilling in the Palachikola River pool, which received the initial approval of a study well in Kalhun County.

“We are in the abyss of a natural resource crash,” said TJ Saunders. “This is a bay bomb for the health of the bay.”

ShoAf expressed opposition to oil drilling plans. “I’m all about the oil drill, just not here,” he said. “It’s just the wrong place.”

Legislators also heard from Rob Winchester with Camp Museum Gordon Johnston of World War II, who sought support for funding. “If you don’t teach it (history), you will lose it,” he said.

The meeting closed with appearances By members of the Republican women on the forgotten coast, who were critical of the support of the legislators for the Trump Act, a bill adopted in a special session, which further disintegrates on undecided immigration and opposed the landing in support of Sterner’s measures.

“It sounds great in the title, but it’s very misleading inside,” said Penny Nichols, president of the group.

Shoaf allowed them to express their views, but they wanted to lock, since the meeting was not the time or place to express the opposition of past votes and should soon be focused on gathering ideas on local problems for the upcoming session.

“I understand, emotions are increasing and we can disagree,” Simon said. “You may disagree without being disrespectful and disagree.”

Driver said citizens would establish that they could support the legislation that was adopted.

“This is the way in which it meets our nation, this is what we do,” he said. “We love our governor and work with it to come up with the best possible product.”