CCAFlorida CCA Florida Dedicated to conserving and protecting Florida’s marine resources
Dear CCA Supporter, Plans are under way for our Third Annual Coastal Conservation Association South Palm Beach Chapter Banquet and Auction. This year’s event will be held Thursday, September 26th, 2013 at Benvenuto’s of Boynton Beach, FL. We are seeking the help of businesses like yours to make the night as memorable as possible. Your support will allow CCA to continue to protect our marine fisheries resources. Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization comprised of 17 coastal state chapters spanning the Pacific Northwest, the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic seaboard. The state of Florida consists of 28 local chapters from Pensacola to the Keys. CCA’s strength is drawn from tens of thousands of recreational saltwater anglers who make up its membership. From Washington State to South Texas to the upper reaches of Maine, CCA’s grassroots influence is felt through state capitals, Washington D.C., and most importantly, in the conservation and restoration of our coastal marine resources. CCA’s unmatched breadth and depth of volunteer involvement has made it the largest marine conservation group of its kind. As you can see by the demographic sampling included herein, CCA members are a great target audience for businesses like yours and this event will be something you will be proud to be a part of. The majority of the tables at the event will be reserved by some of the most prominent business owners in our area, and the guest list often includes state and local politicians and dignitaries. We are honored that many benchmark Florida companies have chosen to be involved. In short, we are proud of what CCA volunteers have accomplished. We truly hope you share in this pride and you’ll look favorably upon our past accomplishments and also look forward with us to the future of this valuable relationship. Partnering with CCA Florida is partnering with the millions of saltwater anglers and nature enthusiasts who either call Florida home or choose our state as a valued vacation destination.
Best Regards,
J.D. Dickenson J.D. Dickenson 2013 Chapter President South Palm Beach Chapter CCA
COASTAL CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION FLORIDA DEDICATED TO CONSERVING AND PROTECTING FLORIDA’S MARINE RESOURCES
Sponsorship Agreement 2013 CCA South Palm Beach Banquet and Auction September 26th, 2013 – Benvenuto’s, Boynton Beach FL Company/Donor Name _____________________________________________________________________ Contact Name ____________________________________________________________________________ Mailing Address __________________________________________________________________________ City _____________________________________________________ State ____________ Zip __________ Phone__________________________________ Email____________________________________________ I would ________/would not________ like name to appear in event publications. Sponsorship Levels This year’s Banquet sponsorship level is outlined below. Again this year sponsorship is the only way to reserve a table at this event so choose your sponsorship level and secure your table today!
$100 Per Person
Includes 2 hour Open Bar, Dinner, & CCA Membership
$175 Per Couple
Includes 2 hour Open Bar, 2 Dinners & 2 Memberships
$875 Reserved Table
Includes 2 hour Open Bar, 10 Dinners & Memberships and
Reserved Seating
$1,500 Silver Sponsor Includes 2 hour Open Bar, 10 Dinners, 10 Memberships, Sponsor Gifts and Reserved Seating
$2,500 Gold Sponsor Includes 2 hour Open Bar, 10 Dinners, 10 Memberships, Sponsor Gifts, Framed print, Full page ad in program and Reserved Seating
$5,000 Platinum Sponsor Includes Title Sponsorship of the event plus 2 hour Open Bar, 10,Dinners, 10 Memberships, Sponsor gifts, Framed print, Full page color ad in program and Priority Seating
Invoice needed? _____yes ______ no Please complete this form and mail or fax to: Coastal Conservation Association Florida PO Box 568886 Orlando, FL 32856 Phone: 407-854-7002 Fax 407-854-1766 Make checks payable to CCA Florida For credit card payments please call Matthew Behm at (561) 644-2788
The Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) has more than 175 chapters of organized anglers throughout 17 coastal states with a current combined membership of more than 100,000, the highest level ever. CCA’s state and national staff members coordinate more than 400 chapter events and fundraisers each year. CCA has more than 80 state and national committees, 150 national board directors, more than 900 board members – on local, state, and national levels – and tens of thousands of volunteers contributing to the organization’s daily development and growth. CCA is recognized by fisheries managers as instrumental in the recovery of redfish, king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, speckled trout, striped bass, Gulf grouper, and Atlantic weakfish. CCA helped establish gamefish status for billfish and redfish, net bans in four states, and the prohibition of many destructive gear types. CCA has been instrumental in establishing far-reaching conservation legislation on both state and federal levels. CCA has a legal defense fund that has been used to defend net bans and bycatch reduction devices, support pro-fisheries legislation, and enforce existing regulations. CCA has led the battle to protect recreational anglers’ freedom to fish. When it is adopted into law, the Freedom to Fish Act will provide reasonable guidelines for the use of Marine Protected Areas by fishery managers and will restrict the use of no-fishing zones for recreational fisherman, unless all other fishery management tools have failed to solve the problem. CCA has a registered lobbyist in Washington, D.C. and has been active in critical federal fisheries debates since 1984. CCA currently retains as many as 17 professional state and federal lobbyists. CCA members include a former United States President, former Cabinet members, Congressmen, Senators, ICCAT Commissioners, Fishery Management Council members, Governors, State Legislators, and state and federal fisheries managers. CCA makes decisions from the bottom-up; involving membership in all regional and national policy positions. CCA operates as a three-tiered organization: local, state, and national. CCA has an award-winning national publication, “TIDE” magazine, a special youth publication, “Rising Tide,” and numerous state newsletters. CCA has an annual audit and tax return prepared by a nationally recognized public accounting firm. CCA has a proven methodology for tracking membership and a nationally recognized retention rate.
For more information about CCA Florida, visit our website at CCAFlorida.org
64% of CCA members are between the ages of 35-64 years old Average age of a CCA member is 44.6 years old Median household income is $88,118, which is 70% higher than the U.S. average of $51,798 76% (3 out of 4) of CCA members are married 24% (1 out of 4) of CCA members are the grandparent of a child under 17 years old. 41% of CCA members have a Bachelor’s degree or higher 93% of CCA members own a home, which is 31% greater than the U.S. average Median home value of CCA members is 55% higher than the U.S. average
This “snapshot” glimpse of the typical CCA member is based on the high propensity Prizm clusters and is taken from a larger Prizm study of the CCA membership.
CCA FLORIDA CONSERVATION ADVOCACY INITIATIVES FOR 2012
GUBERNATORIAL APPOINTMENTS FOR FWC COMMISSIONERS The Governor of Florida will appoint or reappoint 3 new commissioners in the year 2012. CCA FL will work with our new lobbying firm to help identify candidates that do not have conflicts of interest, understand the value of Florida’s saltwater recreational fisheries, and who have similar views to ours concerning the conservation of these saltwater fisheries.
FWC SNOOK MANAGEMENT The snook season opened for the 2011 fall season on the east coast but not on the west coast. Both coasts will be closed during the 2012 spring season and open again under the previous rules in the fall of 2012. While snook have been impacted greatly due to the freeze of 2010/2011 CCA will work with the FWC to help maintain the snook management goal of 40% SPR.
FWC NEW FISHERIES STOCK ASSESSMENTS IN 2012 The FWC will release new stock assessments and updates for mullet, flounder and snook. The mesh size issue will probably come up again by net fishers when the Commission discusses mullet. We will need to review the assessments and develop recommendations if needed.
FEDERAL ALLOCATION Work with CCA National to address growing problems with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) / Council methods to determine “fair and equitable” allocations between recreational and commercial fisheries.
CATCH SHARES Support CCA National by working with FWC Commissioners and staff urging them to support the CCA recommendations on catch shares and catch share policies.
SECTOR SEPERATION Work with CCA National and FWC to show the dislike for sector separation. CCA is very concerned about pitting one group of recreational anglers against another
CCA FLORIDA LOCAL CHAPTER HABITAT PROJECTS Continue to work with organizations in Florida to create more fisheries habitat. Current projects include artificial reefs, mangrove shoreline plantings, oyster bar and sea grass restoration, and abandoned blue crab trap removal. There may be additional funding opportunities for habitat projects as a result of the Gulf Oil Spill Resource Restoration Programs. CCA Florida’s new habitat committee chair, Don Roberts, will continue to work with CCA National on the monies being distributed from the Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill
RECRUIT FOR STATE, FEDERAL AND LOCAL ADVISORY PANELS AND COMMITTEES Expand program to identify, recruit, educate, and get advisory panel and other appointments for Gulf and South Atlantic federal fishery advisory panels and FWC stakeholder committees. The purpose is to expand our influence in fishery related programs and build individual resumes for future Council appointments.
MARINE “NO-TAKE, NO-FISHING” RESERVES Oppose “no-fishing zones” (NFZs) as fisheries management tools and advocate more effective, proven fisheries management measures such as spawning aggregation protection, time and area closures, and size and take limits. Work with CCA National to develop strategy and opposition to any new initiatives from national environmental groups
For more information on CCA Florida Initiatives, please visit our website at www.ccaflorida.org
CCA FLORIDA CONSERVATION ADVOCACY HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2011
PERMIT REGULATIONS With the urging of CCA Florida and others, the FWC extended the state Permit regulations into federal waters. SPOTTED SETROUT REGULATIONS CCA Florida worked with FWC and other stakeholders to remove the closed months for recreational fisherman and defeated a push by commercial fisherman to allow a seine net by-catch fishery and a year round commercial sale of Spotted Seatrout. FWC PROPOSED REDFISH REGULATIONS CCA Florida worked with the FWC on the proposed regulations to increase take of redfish; while CCA opposed the increase we understand the science shows the increase is viable and CCA Florida will continue to monitor the Redfish stocks in the state. CATCH SHARES CCA worked closely with congressional legislators to introduce language to the Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bill that will eliminate funding for catch share programs. BISCAYNE NATIONAL PARK CCA Florida raised major concerns over the Parks will to include fisheries management in the general management plan after there was a memorandum of understanding between the Biscayne National Park and The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission to include the FWC in any fisheries management decisions. American Sportfishing Association, Center for Coastal Conservation, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, and National Marine Manufacturers Association have joined together with CCA to continue working on this issue. RECRUITING STATE, FEDERAL AND LOCAL ADVISORY PANELS AND COMMITTEES We expanded our CCA member volunteer program to identify, recruit and educate our members and obtain advisory panel and other appointments for Gulf and South Atlantic federal fishery councils and FWC stakeholder committees. The purpose is to expand our influence in fishery management programs. WATCHFUL EYE ON ANGLER ACCESS CCA Florida provided recommendations and public testimony on numerous attempts to unnecessarily restrain angler access, including the creation of no fishing zones in Everglades National Park which are still being considered.
For the latest conservation updates please visit our website @ www.ccaflorida.org
CCA FLORIDA A HISTORY OF CONSERVATION 1985 The Florida Conservation Association (FCA) becomes the fifth state chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association. 1986 FCA successfully intervenes in lawsuits filed by commercial interests opposing Spanish mackerel recovery plans. CCA National is successful in stopping purse seining of spawning redfish in the Gulf of Mexico. 1988 FCA wins a four year battle to achieve gamefish status for Florida's depleted redfish stocks. Redfish becomes the first species since 1957 to be removed from Florida's market. U.S. Secretary of Commerce signs FCAsupported management plan for billfish, marking the first time federal authorities have declared a gamefish in federal waters. 1990 FCA plays a major role as the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council bans drift gill nets. 1992 The Save our Sealife Committee (S.O.S.) is formed to initiate a constitutional amendment petition drive to limit marine net fishing in Florida state waters. FCA members take the lead in collecting a national record 201,000 petitions in a single day. 1994 More than 550,000 petitions are collected to put the S.O.S. Amendment on the Florida state ballot. The Amendment is approved by Florida's voters by a 72 percent margin. 2000 CCA National takes the lead in advocating congressional legislation to prohibit drift longlines off Florida, Georgia and South Carolina and establish large time/area closures in the Gulf. Ultimately, NMFS implements closed areas off Florida and Georgia that are virtually identical to the federal legislation. 2001 CCA Florida successfully mobilizes public opposition to the South Atlantic Council's proposed list of 40 new no-fishing zones, 19 of which are proposed for Florida's east coast. The number of proposed areas off Florida is reduced to four which would only be designated for protection of deepwater snapper/grouper spawning areas. 2002 CCA Florida works to block a Gulf Council proposal to prohibit recreational harvest of all grouper for four months as part of a red grouper recovery plan. CCA Florida helps pass amendments to state manatee legislation that requires the FWC to establish “measurable biological goals” for manatees and to use local review panels when developing regulations. 2003 During the Legislative session, CCA works to acquire $600,000 for Florida’s artificial reef program and an additional $194,000 for shallow-water gag grouper reefs. Habitat restoration programs plant 20,000 mangroves in the Indian River Lagoon and places 40 tons of oyster shells to create bars in Tampa Bay. 2004 With strong CCA backing, a new law increases the penalty for major net ban violations from a misdemeanor to a felony. CCA national intervenes in a lawsuit seeking to create no-fishing zones in two grouper spawning preserves in the northern Gulf despite a compromise between NMFS and CCA that allows surface trolling while protecting grouper stocks. 2005 Based on questionable data, NMFS enacts an interim rule reducing the bag limit of all Gulf grouper and closing the Gulf to recreational grouper fishing for two months. CCA Florida files a lawsuit challenging NMFS’s authority to use an interim rule to stop fishing for all grouper species. In a huge win for saltwater anglers, the U.S. District Court rules in favor of CCA, stopping the two-month closure and restoring the bag limit. CCA Florida turns back a plan by NMFS to issue “research” permits to longline boats to fish in areas where the gear is banned. The areas off Florida's East coast and in the Gulf have been closed to commercial swordfish longlining for several years resulting in a dramatic recovery of sailfish, swordfish, dolphin and wahoo. CCA files legal action petitioning the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to stop the overfishing of Gulf red snapper by shrimp trawls. The recovery goals to reduce the directed commercial and recreational take of red snapper have been achieved through size, bag and season limits; however, the trawl damage continues to undermine the recovery plan. For a complete history of CCA Florida's accomplishments please visit www.ccaflorida.org