The dramatic turnaround in Tampa Bay's water quality in the last 15 years has proven that much of the damage done to the bay can be reversed.

But just as the problems didn't appear overnight, neither will the solutions. Tackling the challenges of the future will take patience, innovative ideas and a strong commitment from the communities that share responsibility for the bay's fate.

The first positive changes in Tampa Bay were brought about largely by federal grants that enabled local governments to upgrade sewage treatment facilities. Today, federal dollars are scarce, and local governments must weigh money for environmental protection against other pressing community needs such as education and law enforcement.

Tampa Bay is a vital component of our region's economic well-being. Its beauty attracts millions of tourists each year, its bounty lures anglers, sailors and nature enthusiasts from around the world, and its deep-water ports support a bustling maritime industry. All of us benefit from a clean, healthy bay - and all of us will lose if the bay is not protected now and in the future.

The management plan developed by the TBEP and its partners sets prudent, reasonable and affordable goals for bay improvement. Bay managers recognize that the bay will never again look like it did in 1900. But they are optimistic that, given time, dedication and a unified effort, it can resemble the Tampa Bay of 1950.

"It's a reasonable management approach to go back to a 1950 status and the community, as a whole, can afford to get back there, recognizing the growth we've already had and the economic vitality of the region. But we need to work cooperatively. The turf issues will have to go away on spending these management dollars,'' said Jake Stowers, an assistant county administrator in Pinellas County and member of the TBEP's management committee.

Controlling the amount of nitrogen added to the bay is critical to further improvements. Scientific research shows that maintaining or slightly reducing nitrogen loadings could spark the recovery of as much as 14,000 acres of seagrass over time - a major focus of the TBEP plan.

The cost of achieving that goal is estimated at an additional $5 million a year over current expenditures, or about $3 per bay area resident. However, the cost could be reduced if regulators allow local governments to implement more cost-effective options for reducing pollution. The TBEP is investigating such options as pollutant loading reduction credits, which permit public and private interests who discharge less than their pollutant allocation to sell or trade the remaining amount to another discharger that cannot meet its limits. Through this process, the total amount of a pollutant discharged, such as nitrogen, does not exceed the permitted amount.

Preliminary costs also have been estimated for habitat restoration, another key component of the management plan. Those figures suggest that about 20 acres of low-salinity habitat a year can be restored each year just by redirecting existing expenditures of $350,000.

Innovation and flexibility are encouraged in the plan. So long as the overall goals for bay improvement are met, local governments may choose the management approach best suited to their community's needs, and direct their limited resources in the most cost-effective and environmentally beneficial manner.

To reduce the bay's nitrogen burden, for example, one community may pursue wastewater reuse as its most cost-effective option, while another may choose to treat stormwater from agricultural areas. Still another may institute a street sweeping program in highly developed areas.

The plan also advocates the reallocation or more efficient use of existing resources wherever possible to accomplish recommended actions. A study by the TBEP indicates that more than $260 million is spent annually on bay-related projects and programs by federal, state and local agencies. Of that, roughly 65 percent is devoted to wastewater collection, reuse and treatment - activities that help protect the bay, but are not done solely for that purpose.

Another 13 percent is spent on stormwater management, primarily by local governments and the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Seven percent is spent on habitat restoration, and the remainder is allocated for environmental enforcement, public education and regulatory programs.

Some new funding will be necessary to successfully carry out the goals of the management plan, but a number of recommendations may actually result in lower costs for some actions by improving coordination and planning among local governments and agencies. Public-private partnerships may also provide substantial bottom-line benefits for both the bay and local businesses.

Commitments to implement the plan will be secured through a formal agreement to be signed later this year by local governments and environmental agencies participating in the TBEP program. Local governments will be assigned a fair share of the cleanup burden based on their contribution to the problem, while the regulatory agencies will exercise permitting flexibility to assist the communities in reaching their goals.

The TBEP partners also will agree to a timetable for implementing the recommendations of the plan. Progress in achieving the goals will be reported in a baywide monitoring report prepared every two years. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency already has set aside $1.4 million over four years to assist in implementing the bay master plan.