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Community Advisory Board

A key component of ABSI is to involve stakeholders in a meaningful consensus-building process for development and implementation of an ecosystem-based oyster management and restoration plan. The Community Advisory Board (CAB) assembled by FSU is tasked with providing input into that initiative. The 23 members of the CAB include watermen, local government officials & business owners, people in the seafood and recreational fishing industries, & environmental groups.

ABSI CAB Plan Framework Adopted 16 November 2021

Upcoming Meetings

CAB Meeting #19 

July 27, 2022 at 8:30 am - 3:00 pm

IN-PERSON at the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve (ANERR) Multi-Purpose Room

Zoom Option for the Public:

https://fsu.zoom.us/j/97888786840

Members of the public are welcome to listen in via Zoom or in person. Public comment will occur in an allotted time slot at the end of the meeting.

Meeting Agenda (coming soon)

Virtual Meeting Participation Process Guidelines 

Public Meeting Dates TBD (Delayed Due to COVID) - These meetings will provide opportunities for the public to ask questions, share ideas, and identify concerns related to the Apalachicola Bay System Initiative. Dates & locations will be posted here.

 

CAB Subcommittees

Members of the ABSI Community Advisory Board represent stakeholders whose lives are inextricably tied to the health of the Apalachicola Bay System, businesses that depend on the economic  stability of the county, and the agencies responsible for the management and conservation of the region. Represented are those in agriculture, real estate, economic development, tourism, environmental groups, citizens, local government, recreational fishing, the seafood industry, and state government.  Not only are the members critical to development of restoration and management plans for the Bay, but they serve as ambassadors for ABSI. Meet the members by clicking here.

With meeting design and facilitation guided by Jeff Blair and Bob Jones of FSU FCRC Consensus Center, members described desired outcomes they hoped would follow from the Community Advisory Board process, including:

  • Bringing the community together to implement a plan of action to bring back a thriving Bay again with a balance of fresh and salt water
  • Developing a comprehensive and coordinated management plan with state support for the Bay for multiple species looking to restore the Bay and improve the natural oyster beds
  • Restoring and sustaining the Bay ecosystem, water quality and oyster fishery and connect to the broader transboundary ACF plan
  • Developing a science-driven plan and implementation process