Longtime water quality advocate and SCCF partner, the Bayous Preservation Association has dissolved its status as a nonprofit and is gifting its remaining assets to SCCF.

“With the adoption of the Blind Pass Inlet Management Plan in 2019 by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, there was no longer a need for us to raise funds and solicit grants to pay for consultants, environmental studies, and water quality testing,” said BPA co-founders Annie and Bill Vanderbilt and John McCabe. “Although we no longer have a 501(c)3 status, we will continue in our role as a conduit of information regarding Blind Pass and a voice, if it is needed, for a perpetually open pass, a healthy wildlife population, and a stable marine ecosystem.”

From left: John McCabe, Annie and Bill Vanderbilt, and SCCF CEO James Evans

On the date of dissolution, the BPA Board of Trustees directed that all remaining assets of the association, in the amount of $5,812, be distributed to SCCF for our work on water quality. The BPA has worked in concert with SCCF for over 17 years, and the Vanderbilts said they feel confident its donation will further the long-held goals of both organizations.

Over a decade ago, the BPA funded the SCCF Marine Laboratory to collect water samples throughout the Blind Pass region before and after the pass was opened. SCCF Marine Lab Director Eric Milbrandt, PhD, and Research Associate Mark Thompson published some of this work in a 2012 paper, which examines the effects of reopening the pass on water quality, seagrass habitat, and fish communities.

“For years, both BPA and SCCF have served as change agents for improved water quality on our barrier islands,” said SCCF CEO James Evans. “Though we’re sad to see the dissolution of BPA, we fully support the Florida Department of Environmental Protection stepping up to take ownership of monitoring the Blind Pass Inlet. Thanks to BPA’s generous gift, its mission can stay alive through our work at SCCF.”