The League of Women Voters of Lee County is hosting an event titled “The Impacts of Water Quality on the Economy” and invites both the public and League members to attend. The discussion will take place on Saturday, April 6 from 9 to 11 a.m., with the program beginning at 9:30 a.m. at The Collaboratory at 2031 Jackson St. in Fort Myers. Attendees have the option to participate in person or via Zoom.
To register for the event, individuals can visit Eventbrite, email lwvlee@lwvlee.org, or call 239-278-1032. The presentation will be given by Matt DePaolis, the environmental policy director at the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation. DePaolis will be presenting the economic impact findings from a recent study on the Impacts of Water Quality on the Southwest Florida Economy, as well as providing recommendations for policy advocacy and community engagement.
The study was conducted by Greene Economics on behalf of Captains for Clean Water, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, and the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation. The findings highlighted the devastating economic consequences of Harmful Algae Blooms (HABs) in Lee County alone, with losses totaling $195 million in recreational and commercial fishing revenues and expenditures, resulting in an estimated 24,808 potential jobs lost and $3 billion in lost output. Additionally, property values were estimated to decrease by $3.8 billion, resulting in $21.4 million in lost property tax revenue, and non-market recreation was estimated to be lost at $5.3 billion.
DePaolis’ background in environmental and marine biology makes him uniquely positioned to translate cutting edge science into effective policy through advocacy. With field biology work experience in Florida
