Editor’Äôs Desk

On the Waterfront

For well-heeled boaters able to plunk down six figures or more for a spot on Tampa Bay’Äôs vanishing waterfront, the recent spate of marinas converting to private ’Äúdockominium’Äù clubs may not be cause for alarm. But the loss of rental slips and diminishing number of public boat ramps threatens to edge out the average boater if steps aren’Äôt taken soon to improve public access.

Already, industry sources report sales of smaller end boats are declining because folks can’Äôt find a place to store their boat or get insurance. And boaters are driving farther and waiting longer to put their boats in the water, further increasing the cost and aggravation of ownership.

On the flip side of the coin, environmental impacts from boating ’Äì from prop scarring of seagrasses to collisions with manatees -- are a continuing concern, making education and enforcement of boating rules essential. But boaters and anglers also have a unique appreciation of the bay only access affords and are among some of the most ardent supporters of conservation efforts.

Boater access needs to be a priority for local officials when planning public land acquisition and uses.

Speaking of conservation and waterfront access, Tampa Bay residents have reason to celebrate as Manatee County begins work on its largest-ever coastal restoration at the Robinson Preserve. A little luck, a willing seller, and quick action on the part of officials there turned a 487-acre parcel slated for hundreds of new homes into the region’Äôs newest wildlife preserve. When finished, the majestic parcel with magnificent views of Tampa Bay and Perico Bayou will offer hiking trails and a 2.5-mile canoe and kayak trail sure to wow recreational enthusiasts.

Important on its own, the Robinson restoration takes on even greater significance against the landscape of coastal restoration in the region, particularly along Tampa Bay’Äôs southeastern shoreline. Officials in both Hillsborough and Manatee counties and the Southwest Florida Water Management District have protected more than two thousand acres of coastland through conservation lands purchases, resulting in a nearly unbroken string of restored parcels from Gibsonton to Bradenton.

No one knows those projects better than SWFWMD senior scientist Brandt Henningsen (see news briefs), who has designed and overseen restoration of most of them. NOAA recently honored Henningsen with its Excellence in Restoration Award in recognition of his unparalleled contributions in Tampa Bay. They couldn’Äôt have found a more deserving honoree.

His legacy of helping save and restore some of the last wild places along Tampa Bay will endure for generations to come.

’Äì Mary Kelley Hoppe

Changing of the Guard

By Fred Webb

After 30 years of attending environmental meetings at all levels, I have a couple of observations. First, I am now among the oldest at the meetings and secondly, many of us who have been around for a while are looking at retirement shortly. It’Äôs not just Tampa Bay ’Äì according to the Environmental Careers Organization (ECO) approximately 30% to 50% of employees in environmentally related federal agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of the Interior, Forest Service, etc., will be eligible for retirement within five years.

This raises a few questions. Who is going to replace the old guard? What kind of work environment will they face and will there be jobs available? Where will the new guard come from and how should they prepare themselves? Where are the best fishing holes for the old guard to use when they retire?

I can’Äôt answer the last question (but I’Äôd sure like to know).

Estimates concerning the employment market range from sluggish to good to excellent, however all seem to agree that employment in the environmental sector will not decline. For Floridians, the Occupational Employment Statistics and Wages Program predicts an annual average growth rate in employment of 4.1% from the year 2005 to 2013. Given that estimate, plus the fact that the old guard is approaching retirement, and my personal observations (I get several calls a term from employers looking for graduates), things look pretty good.

What kind of work will the new guard find? Again, opinions vary. Part of this is due to the breadth of the word environmental. Defining it is like trying to define ice cream. Everyone knows what ice cream is. It is cold, creamy, sweet, and tastes good but there are a lot of different flavors and that complicates choices. Most people think they understand the term ’Äúenvironmental,’Äù but it’Äôs complicated by the ’Äúflavors’Äù of environmental professions. There are environmental scientists, planners, technicians, managers, regulators, hazardous materials handlers, natural resource managers, and so on. In just the environmental technology sector alone, the Advanced Technology Environmental Education Center (ATEEC) identified 10 career categories and over 95 occupational titles.

How should students prepare? ATEEC predicts diverging trends: One toward a master’Äôs degree and the other toward a two-year degree. They seem to believe that a graduate with a general bachelor’Äôs degree will be left out. Students considering a career in the environmental professions should not focus too narrowly in one specific area. Those with complementary areas of expertise, such as a bachelor’Äôs in environmental engineering and a master’Äôs in business, will be more employable. Still, there will be plenty of high-paying technical positions ’Äì such as water and wastewater operators ’Äì for graduates with a two-year degree.

We are truly fortunate in the Tampa Bay area. Hillsborough Community College offers associate degrees in environmental technology that lead to jobs on the front line in areas like environmental remediation, pollution prevention, environmental monitoring, resource management and water treatment. Bachelor’Äôs, master’Äôs and doctoral degrees in a wide range of environmental specialties are available at other institutions.

If the employment market looks at the very least stable and retirements are looming, from where will the new guard come from? Again Tampa Bay seems to be fortunate. While national statistics indicate that the number of students in environmental programs is declining, enrollment is rising at the University of South Florida, Eckerd College and University of Tampa. Students are generally able to find jobs in environmental fields and employers are typically pleased with the knowledge they bring. Still, the lack of water and wastewater operators is a major cause for concern without any easy answers ’Äì recruiting and training those professionals will be vital in the very near future.

The old guard has the experience and has the ’Äúinstitutional’Äù memory. The new guard will have the energy, new knowledge and new way of thinking. I believe that only one thing is for certain. With an increasing population and demands on our resources, the need for environmentally sound solutions will be critical. Environmentalists will need to have the knowledge to address issues as broad as global warming and as local as water resources. And it will take all of us (schools, agencies, businesses, media and parents) to make sure that young people are aware of the opportunities available ’Äì a chance for an exciting and financially rewarding job that lets you do well and good at the same time.

Fred Webb is dean of Environmental and Technical Programs at Hillsborough Community College and a long-time member of the Agency on Bay Management.

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