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Guest commentary: Clam Bay, and oversight panel, belong to the public
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The recent guest commentary by a Pelican Bay resident, Ted Raia, offers good reason as to why the Daily News endorsement of a new, broad-based, Clam Bay Committee is right on target.
Raia thinks the new committee will lead to “disastrous” consequences. I could not disagree more.
In personally criticizing Gary McAlpin, the Collier County coastal zone management director, Raia takes aim and shoots the messenger, not just in reference to Clam Bay but to the Vanderbilt Beach pier as well.
McAlpin is not the “great decider” in Collier County. He works for the county manager and ultimately the County Commission.
The navigation markers proposed for the southern end of the Clam Bay estuary are not a part of McAlpin’s “banner to bring more boats into Clam Bay.” The markers are a long-standing requirement of the Army Corps of Engineers permit.
Raia perpetuates the Pelican Bay bias by claiming that Clam Bay cannot be navigated by boats — yet there are Seagate residents who own small boats and do navigate the pass. It makes me wonder, why the fuss? Could it be big Pelican Bay has no piers or boats — but little Seagate does?
And then there is the hysteria about dredging for bigger boats. The restrictions that went with preserved lands do not allow dredging for the purpose of navigation.
Though I would not recommend transiting Clam Pass to everyone (even at high tide), it is done by Seagate residents, and I have taken my own boat into the pass several times. This constant attempt by Pelican Bay to marginalize if not to deny a nearly 50-year right of passage is good reason to end the one-sided management of the estuary.
About once a month I kayak Clam Bay. I have no problem sharing my kayaking experience with idle-speed boaters from Seagate or an occasional adventuresome boat from elsewhere. I do the same when I kayak on Moorings Bay and the upper Gordon River, where the boat traffic is much greater.
These waterways are not just for a select few; they are for public and shared use. Furthermore, there are many nature preserves where idle and slow-speed boating, kayaking and navigation aids exist — like Rookery Bay.
Interestingly, sea grasses were never a high priority of Pelican Bay. In fact, the Clam Bay annual reports give only a cursory mention of them. Instead, mangroves are the focus of attention. Whereas mangroves are certainly the crown jewel of Clam Bay, a more holistic management of the estuary is needed. Future oversight must have more depth. This oversight should be proactive and not reactive. Proactive management will include additional water-quality testing, a new hydrology study, increased sea grass monitoring and protection and, hopefully, sediment testing.
At the same time that Collier County was funding a sea grass study by county consultant Dave Tomasko, Pelican Bay was spending an equal amount of money on a slick public relations video. The video’s purpose was for Pelican Bay to pat itself on the back. We should now be beyond back-pats. We need to start work on the next 10 years.
It is my hope that Tomasko, along with Mike Bauer (from the city of Naples), will be involved in Clam Bay for a long time to come.
The Daily News was right. A new, more diverse Clam Bay Committee is the way to go.
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Doug Finlay has been a Naples resident for more than 12 years. He is an avid boater, sailor, kayaker and rower. He is a member of the Naples Community Services Advisory Board and boards of the Moorings Property Owners Association, Naples Pathways Coalition, Gulf Shore Association of Condominiums and the Rowing Association of Naples.
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The Pelican Bay Services Division, arm of Collier County, has been doing an exemplary job in restoring and protecting the environmentally sensitive Clam Bay Estuary for the past 10 years. Countless children and adults from near and far enjoy Clam Pass, wading, body-surfing, swimming, shelling, fishing, canoeing and kayaking in this serene and safe environment. In addition, a relatively small number of Seagate residents and occasional boaters from elsewhere have been transiting Clam Pass for over 40 years. So what's the problem?
The problem started when Seagate (90 residences) accused Pelican Bay of not caring about the seagrass in Outer Clam Bay, and demanded that a study be done to find out if the seagrass was dying. This was just smoke and mirrors used to cover up their self-serving agenda. The Dr. Tomasko study cost Collier County $40,000 of yours and my tax dollars and found that there is one seagrass species surviving in the bay. Unfortunately, this seagrass habitat is in the pathways of motor boats.
The study also found that water quality in Outer Clam Bay has deteriorated considerably; the source of pollution being Seagate and south, not from Pelican Bay. Dr. Tomasko recommends that measures be taken to prevent further water pollution. Otherwise, the seagrass and eventually mangroves will die. To date Seagate/City of Naples has not contributed anything to the care of the Bay except demanded that another committee be formed. Pelican Bay residents have contributed tens of millions of dollars above and beyond what the County spends to restore and preserve the Clam Bay Estuary.
If Seagate/City of Naples were truly concerned about seagrass in the Bay or the health of the Estuary, they would consider limiting motor boat traffic, and poling through grass area. These measures recommended by the EPA are being implemented in many environmentally sensitive coastal zones. Boaters know that Clam Pass is not navigable at low tide. Now they are scheming to find ways to use our tax dollars to dredge so it will make boating easier for them, and ultimately raise their property value. Isn't this wasteful spending for a privilege few?
Increased motor boat traffic will not only damage Clam Pass, it will deprive beach goers of their enjoyment, and increase the likelihood of unfortunate accidents. The idea that all public property should be used by everybody without regard to their activities is irresponsible. Should ATV’s be allowed in parks and playgrounds or beaches?
If we destroy the Clam Bay Estuary, there will be fewer fish and shellfish for recreational and commercial fishing. People already complain that there are fewer and fewer fish in the Gulf.
The goals of this newly formed Clam Bay Advisory Committee must be to preserve and protect Clam Bay Estuary. It would be an unforgivable mistake to ruin Clam Pass. Clam Bay Estuary contributes to the uniqueness of Naples.
#1 Posted by spoonbill on August 27, 2008 at 5:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
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