Commissioner Bronson Coming To LaBelle

LABELLE, FL -- Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner
Charles H. Bronson will participate in and speak at the "Gulf Citrus Best
Management Practices Kickoff Event" in Hendry County on February 1.

The focus of the event is to unveil and distribute the Florida Department
of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Best Management Practices (BMP)
manual for citrus growers in Southwest Florida. The manual reflects nearly
two years of work by citrus growers, environmental groups, as well as
officials from state and federal agencies, and calls for a series of
environmentally friendly agricultural practices designed to improve water
quality in the region.

When used by producers, the BMPs will improve water quality for citrus
operations in Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee counties. The
effort is of special significance for the Caloosahatchee River, which is an
important nursery and fishery for many species, and is an estuarine system
of national significance.

The event, which will take place at the A. Duda & Sons Facilities about six
miles south of LaBelle in Hendry County, will run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.