The League of Women Voters of Lee County is hosting an informative discussion titled “The Impacts of Water Quality on the Economy”. This event will take place on Saturday, April 6 from 9 to 11 a.m. at The Collaboratory in Fort Myers. The program will start at 9:30 a.m., and attendees can choose to participate in person or via Zoom. Registration can be completed on Eventbrite, through email at lwvlee@lwvlee.org, or by calling 239-278-1032.
At the event, Matt DePaolis, the environmental policy director at the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF), will present the economic impact findings of the recent study “Impacts of Water Quality on the Southwest Florida Economy”. Commissioned by Captains for Clean Water, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, and SCCF, this study provides recommendations for policy advocacy and community engagement.
The study highlights the devastating economic consequences of Harmful Algae Blooms (HABs), with estimated losses in Lee County totaling $195 million in recreational and commercial fishing revenues and expenditures. Additionally, potential job losses are estimated to reach 24,808 in one year, with a loss in output of $3 billion. Property values are projected to decrease by $3.8 billion, leading to $21.4 million in lost property tax revenue. The value of non-market recreation lost is estimated at $5.3 billion.
As a policy director at SCCF, DePaolis uses his expertise in environmental and marine biology to translate cutting-edge science into effective policy through advocacy. His background includes field work in Florida, the Bahamas, and Guyana as well as a master’s degree in marine biology and a JD with a focus on ocean and coastal law from the University of Oregon prior to his role at SCCF he held positions where he researched climate litigation evaluated regulations protecting water quality and recommended solutions to marine plastic pollution