9 A.M. EDT, September 29, 2011

Living Shoreline Solutions, Inc. would like to thank Audubon of Florida for giving us the opportunity to showcase our Wave Attenuation Device (WAD) technology to stop erosion at the Alafia Banks Bird Sanctuary in eastern Hillsborough Bay. The Alafia Banks is one of Florida's most important sites for nesting water birds, including some of Florida's rarest (Reddish Egret, Roseate Spoonbill, American Oystercatcher) and bestbeloved birds (Brown Pelican). Waves from ship wakes and storms have been eroding the sandy shorelines of the Alafia Banks since the spoil islands were deposited south of the Alafia River Channel in the 1930's.

The WADs will protect the western shoreline of the Alafia Banks from additional erosion, and provide a calm shoreline that should allow accretion of sediments while providing habitat for bird nesting, foraging, and roosting. The 8,100-pound WADS are scientifically designed and engineered to protect the shoreline as well as have minimal impact on the live Tampa Bay bottom due to their hollow design and small footprint. They are durable, stable, and will create sites for oysters, barnacles, and other estuary invertebrates to attach as well as an inshore reef for fish, what biologists term "Essential Fish Habitat".

We appreciate the assistance of Audubon staff Ann Paul, Mark Rachal, and Ann Hodgson and the funding from the Pinellas County Environmental Fund (a grantor partner of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation) and The Mosaic Company that made this project possible. The Alafia Banks Bird Sanctuary islands are owned by The Mosaic Company and leased to the National Audubon Society for management as a bird sanctuary. I would also like to thank Dr. Ping Wang from USF's Geology Dept. who performed the wave modeling for this project.

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Thomas J Brown, CEO
Scott Bartowski, President
Dean Driggers, COO

Living Shoreline Solutions, Inc.
12646 Grand Traverse Drive
Dade City , FL 33525
Bsns (352) 588-5263
Fax: (352) 588-5301
Cell: (813) 245-9482