The League of Women Voters of Lee County invites the public and League members to an informative discussion entitled “The Impacts of Water Quality on the Economy.” This free event will be on Saturday, April 6 from 9 to 11 a.m. with the program starting at 9:30 a.m. at The Collaboratory at 2031 Jackson St. in Fort Myers. You can attend in person or via Zoom.

To register, visit Eventbrite, email lwvlee@lwvlee.org, or call 239-278-1032.

Matt DePaolis, environmental policy director at the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, will present the economic impact findings of the recent study Impacts of Water Quality on the Southwest Florida Economy and recommendations for policy advocacy and community engagement.

Captains for Clean Water, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, and the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation retained Greene Economics to conduct the study.

A Harmful Algae Bloom can have devastating economic consequences. In Lee County, the estimated losses from another HAB total $195 million in recreational and commercial fishing revenues and expenditures. The potential jobs lost in one year is estimated to be 24,808, and the loss in output is estimated to be $3 billion. Property value losses are estimated to lose $3.8 billion with an associated $21.4 million in lost property tax revenue. The value of non-market recreation (or, quality of life) lost is estimated to be $5.3 billion.

As Policy Director, DePaolis brings his combined expertise in environmental and marine biology to translate SCCF’s cutting edge science into effective policy through advocacy.

DePaolis trained as a field biologist working across Florida, the Bahamas, and Guyana before pursuing his master’s in marine biology and a J.D. with a focus on ocean and coastal law from the University of Oregon.

Before joining SCCF, DePaolis worked as the Coastal Policy Analyst Fellow at the University of Florida’s Center for Coastal Solutions, researched climate litigation and fisheries policy issues for the United Nations, evaluated regulations to protect water quality in streams for the Wild Salmon Center, and recommended solutions to marine plastic pollution at the Ocean and Coastal Law Center.