Washington, DC – The following statement was issued by J.P. Brooker, Director of Ocean Conservancy’s Florida Conservation Program, after the organization filed an amicus brief on the side of conservation plaintiffs in a lawsuit (National Wildlife Federation et al. v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, et al) regarding freshwater discharges into Florida’s Apalachicola Bay.

“Ocean Conservancy is proud to join this lawsuit and highlight the significant damage to the marine ecosystems of the Gulf of Mexico, in addition to Apalachicola Bay, caused by the actions of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

“The Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint basin river system has a unique environmental and economic importance. Apalachicola Bay is one of the most economically and culturally significant fishing communities in the southeastern United States. It is simply a treasure of the Floridian wilderness, a body of water that is a part of the interconnected freshwater and marine ecosystems that make up the ecological lifeblood of the state.”

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J.P. Brooker is available for media interviews upon request.

NOTES TO THE EDITOR:

• The lawsuit seeks to enforce federal law to prevent the further collapse of Apalachicola Bay and to prevent significant harm to the Chattahoochee River in Georgia and Alabama. It alleges that the United States Army Corps of Engineers has:
  • Failed to perform an adequate environmental impact statement;
  • Failed to promote fish and wildlife conservation;
  • Failed to ensure mitigation of harms;
  • Adopted a Water Control Manual for the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint basin river system that is fundamentally flawed.

Ocean Conservancy is working to protect the ocean from today’s greatest global challenges. Together with our partners, we create science-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it. For more information, visit oceanconservancy.org, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.