Get the “muck” out of FMB
To the editor:
Have you ever taken a look at our island canals on the surface? Have you ever wondered what the oil slick looking sheer exactly is and why? Have you ever watched low tide reveal a host of who knows what in pollution buried in never-ending sediment? Have you ever gone into the canals for whatever reason, while becoming overwhelmed with that feeling like your in quicksand, which happens to be that very sediment? Did you know that our local canals have not been dredged since they were constructed many, many moons ago?
Our island canals are in peril when it comes to water quality caused by runoff, drainage issues, an insane amount of unhealthy sediments and many other health risks. We neglected to provide upkeep as a basic responsibility to maintain our canals for a really long time, and now we are seeing the trickle down effect up close and personal.
Did you also happen to know that there was actual town involvement with a citizen’s group at one time with the idea to actually clean up the canals in 2004? The action to actually clean out the MUCK was in motion. However, Hurricane Charley hit us, and all that was needed for our canals maintenance and an agreed upon project was obviously overlooked in the aftermath of the storm that changed FMB for ever.
Here we are in present time. A canal clean-up committee recently formed on the island -a group of concerned citizens who have formed an action committee to rekindle that needed responsibility to our canals. A comprehensive plan is the goal to working together, which the town actually did agree upon back in 2004 as history shows. We now look to our local sitting body of government to move that project forward, with everyday citizens together working for a common goal that is truly the best thing for our town, its residents and our canals betterment. The group is formed as citizens and by the citizens group looking to work with the various political outlets, including the local Marine Resources Task Force, as well as the complete Town Council, town natural resource director, town manager, as well as our mayor. Our goal is to find common ground together to give the aid and guidance to our ailing canals. We look forward to exploring avenues for solutions to this local problem. We will be going door to door throughout our community with petitions calling for action by the multitude of people who want and, in some cases, need the project done correctly. We encourage all of the community to join with our committee to help encourage the town council to get the MUCK out.
Waterways Quality Cleanup Committee
Fort Myers Beach