Show your support for Tampa Bay by purchasing a Tampa Bay Estuary specialty license plate, available at tax collector offices through the Bay Area.
Polk County residents may also purchase their Tampa Bay Estuary tag online, at www.polktaxes.com.
When you purchase a Tampa Bay Estuary license plate, you are helping to restore one of Florida's crown jewels.
Tampa Bay is Florida's largest open-water estuary, home to an incomparable variety of fish and wildlife, a rich tapestry of habitats from seagrass meadows to salt marshes, and nearly 3 million people who benefit economically and aesthetically from the bay's bounty.
Whether you are an avid fisherman in search of feisty snook or redfish, a kayaker who enjoys paddling through a maze of mangroves, or simply a landlubber who appreciates the fiery reflection of a sunset over the water, you can help support bay restoration efforts by purchasing a Tampa Bay Estuary license tag.
Revenues from the tag are returned to the community in the form of grants to citizen groups, schools and non-profit organizations. Projects funded through this program must be directly linked to the goals of the Tampa Bay Estuary Program's Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan. Eligible projects include habitat restoration, pollution prevention and environmental education initiatives.
Thanks to you, the Tampa Bay Estuary Program has been able to award more than $500,000 in community grants since 1998— the first year the license tag was available. Another $90,000 in community grants will be awarded in 2006.
Projects currently or recently funded with license tag revenues include:
Removal of air potato and other invasive plants at a nature park in Manatee County as part of a middle school field trip and service project
Monitoring of seagrass beds near Pinellas County's Fort DeSoto Park by students from Eckerd College
Sponsorship of Art-O-Fishal-Fun, a summer camp for disadvantaged children developed by The Florida Aquarium that blends art and science with hands-on field experiences on Tampa Bay.
Installation of artificial “reef balls” in the bay to enhance marine habitat along Tampa's Bayshore Boulevard by Tampa BayWatch
A survey of seahorses in Tampa Bay by the University of Tampa, involving both college students and volunteers from the general public, who combed grass beds in the bay looking for seahorses and pipefish.
Production of specialized Boater's Guides to Hillsborough Bay and Boca Ciega Bay highlighting important natural resources, boat ramps, canoe and kayak launch sites, and boating speed zones.
Removal of invasive Brazilian pepper trees along a small creek and conservation easement maintained by a Largo condominium association
A pilot program utilizing community volunteers to remove harmful, abandoned crab traps in the bay
Reel In Your Tarpon Tag Now!
The Tampa Bay Estuary license tag costs $27 the first year and $17 per year after that, with $15 going directly to bay improvement projects.
To obtain your tag, simply enclose a note with your auto or boat trailer tag renewal saying that you want the Tampa Bay Estuary license tag, and enclose the correct amount of money.
