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Letter to the editor

Massive cleanup of Clam Bayou set

On June 16, volunteers will descend on the park, with city officials' blessings.

By NICK JOHNSON
Published June 3, 2007

ST. PETERSBURG - With rain and thunderstorms in the forecast, city officials from St. Petersburg and Gulfport put politics aside to meet with representatives and volunteers from the Green Armada, a grass roots coastal cleanup group, at Clam Bayou last week.

The purpose was to discuss plans for a massive cleanup of Clam Bayou Nature Park.

Slated for June 16, the cleanup, sponsored by Green Armada in partnership with St. Petersburg, aims to make a sizable dent in the trash that has washed out of storm drains and into the nature preserve.

Debris has been collecting in the mangroves for decades and can be hard to get to by foot or by boat. The St. Petersburg Stormwater, Pavement and Traffic Operations department will clear paths in the mangroves and provide johnboats to assist up to 500 volunteers.

St. Petersburg will also supply dump trucks, a backhoe and personnel to help with the cleanup.

"The intent is to get the trash off- site immediately, " Carl Blahut, the stormwater director, said.

Tom Brobeil, city manager of Gulfport, offered to provide a trolley or bus to shuttle volunteers from the parking lot of Thurgood Marshall Fundamental Middle School to the end of 42nd Street S, where they will enter the nature preserve.

Brobeil said Gulfport was impressed with the steps St. Petersburg was taking, despite the perceived friction between the cities over the state of Clam Bayou. "We have no dispute at all and we're happy to work with them, " he said.

The nature preserve lies mostly in St. Petersburg but is also partly in Gulfport.

Kurt Zuelsdorf of Kayak Nature Adventures, who with the Green Armada has been running cleanup efforts in the bayou for months, will provide kayaks and guidance to volunteers.

"There are going to be some big items out there, which are going to take a little more creativity to get out, " Zuelsdorf said.

The Green Armada will provide registered volunteers with supplemental insurance, refreshments and a T-shirt.

The group encouraged volunteers to register online, but will also have someone present at the site.

As the Armada's Web site puts it, "This event ... promises to be the largest concentrated cleanup effort in Pinellas County history. Help us remove 75 years of trash from this beautiful estuary."

Representatives from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration were also at the meeting and supported the actions being taken at the preserve.

"It's good to hear the positive angle from folks who are willing to help out other than just talking about the issues, " said Marti McGuire, a NOAA marine habitat specialist.

Mike Connors, fiscal services administrator of St. Petersburg, oversees all the city's environmental initiatives. He said the city plans to include Clam Bayou in an extensive system of trails and bike paths that are planned.

The cleanup will help prepare the nature preserve for the city's plans and an extensive Southwest Florida Water Management District project that will help solve problems with the storm drains and restore the bayou's habitat.

Connors expects this cleanup to get the trash problem in Clam Bayou to a manageable level once and for all.

"That bayou is going to be cleaner after June 16 than it has been in decades, and the city has the wherewithal to keep it that way, " he said.

Nick Johnson can be reached at nickjohnson@sptimes.com or 893-8361.

IF YOU GO

To help clean up

When: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 16

Parking: Shuttle service will be provided from Thurgood Marshall Middle School, 3901 22nd Ave. S, St. Petersburg.

Details: 1-800-496-9161

To volunteer: Register at www.greenarmada.org.

[Last modified June 2, 2007, 20:20:32]