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Florida Governor Charlie Crist recently signed a proclamation honoring Saturday, Aug. 9 as National Marina Day. To celebrate the day, designated Clean Marinas with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) are hosting special events across the state to highlight the importance of protecting Florida’s waterways at their environmentally-friendly marine facilities.

“With more than 2,000 facilities and a $14 billion marine industry, Florida’s marinas are an integral part of protecting Florida’s environment,” said DEP Secretary Michael W. Sole. “By celebrating National Marina Day and adopting eco-friendly practices year-round, Clean Marinas help to raise awareness of the importance of preserving Florida’s waterways.”

Since 2001, the second Saturday in August has been recognized as National Marina Day by the National Marine Manufacturers Association and the Association of Marine Industries. With the primary mission being public education, National Marina Day emphasizes the importance of the marine industry as a family-friendly gateway to our rivers, lakes and oceans, and highlights the importance of being a steward of the environment. Recognizing the importance of waterways, designated Clean Marinas in St. Petersburg, Miami, Punta Gorda, Fort Myers, Hollywood and Amelia Island are providing clean boating outreach and information along with events and activities.

“National Marina Day is an excellent time to recognize the hard work of Florida’s Clean Marinas in protecting the environment,” said Clean Boating Partnership Chair John Naybor of Pensacola. “Members of DEP’s Clean Marina Program stand out as environmental leaders.”

Florida Clean Marinas offering “go green” boating information and events on Saturday include:

Amelia Island Yacht Basin - 251 Creekside Drive, Amelia Island

The marina will host the Trey Durrance Leukemia Benefit and Bike Run, the Amelia Island Sailing Club Poker Run and a BBQ featuring live entertainment from noon to 6 p.m. Yacht brokers, service representatives and vendors will be represented, along with the U.S. Coast Guard and the Nassau County Sheriff’s Department.

City of Hollywood Marina - 700 Polk Street, Hollywood

The marina will host a Cardboard Boat Race with entertainment, hotdogs and beverages. The event begins at noon with races starting at 1 p.m.

City of Miami – Miamarina at Bayside - 401 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami

The city of Miami will host the 2nd Annual Miami Fishing Tournament to commemorate National Marina Day.

Fish Tale Marina - 7225 Estero Blvd, Fort Myers

The marina will host a picnic on the deck for customers beginning at noon. The facility will also host kayak demo rides from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Fishermen’s Village Yacht Basin - 1200 W. Retta Esplanade, Punta Gorda

The marina will host National Marina Day festivities from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Live music will be offered from 5-9 p.m. This year’s theme is Environmental Stewardship of Charlotte Harbor.

The Harborage Marina at Bayboro – Wet Slip Marina – 1110 3rd Street South, St. Petersburg

The marina will provide music, food and fun from noon to 4 p.m. Other agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission also will provide educational materials to the public.

In conjunction with DEP, the Clean Boating Partnership developed Florida’s Clean Marina, Clean Boatyard, Clean Marine Retailer and Clean Boater Programs in 1996 to protect Florida’s waterways. The Florida Clean Marina Program designated its first member in 2000 and now has 170 Clean Marinas, 29 Clean Boatyards and four Clean Marine Retailers.

The Clean Boating Partnership is a consortium of industry leaders who contribute time and input to the Clean Marina, Clean Boatyard, Clean Marine Retailer and Clean Boater programs, which DEP’s Office of Sustainable Initiatives administers, to protect Florida’s waterways. The partnership includes DEP, Marine Industries Association of Florida, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, University of Florida Sea Grant Program, United States Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary. Through sponsored workshops, technical assistance, conferences and dedication ceremonies, the partnership educates the boating community about pollution prevention and protecting Florida’s waterways.

DEP’s Office of Sustainable Initiatives is comprised of three voluntary, non-regulatory programs that assist Florida industry and citizens in protecting the environment. The Clean Marina Program, the Florida Green Lodging Program and the Florida Pollution Prevention Program offer a variety of services including on-site assessments, consultations, speakers and workshops, all at no cost to citizens or organizations. The goal of the Sustainable Initiatives programs is to meet the needs of the present population without compromising resources for future generations. To learn more about DEP’s Sustainable Initiatives, visit www.dep.state.fl.us/green/.

For more information on National Marina Day events, visit www.dep.state.fl.us/cleanmarina/marina_day.htm. For more information on DEP’s Clean Marina Program, visit www.dep.state.fl.us/cleanmarina/default.htm. To view the Governor’s proclamation, visit www.dep.state.fl.us/cleanmarina/files/marinadayproclamation_2008.pdf.

The Family & Neighborhood Center for Oldsmar and Safety Harbor is conducting a drive for items to fill 800 Back-to-School backpacks for students of all ages.

Donations of time or money are being sought. Items are needed to fill the bags and volunteers to give time to fill the bags. Any financial donations will go 100% to filling the bags.

Items can be dropped off either at the offices of the Safety Harbor or Upper Tampa Bay chambers of commerce or to the Family & Neighborhood Center, which is located at 1003 Dr. M.L. King Jr. St. N., Safety Harbor.

Backpack Stuffing (for all 800 backpacks!) will be held 9 a.m.-noon Monday, Aug. 11 at the Safety Harbor Elementary School Auditorium, 535 5th St. N., Safety Harbor.

A "Back to School Celebration" to distribute the backpacks will be held 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16 at Safety Harbor City Park, 940 7th St. S., Safety Harbor.

Call 727-726-2890 or 813-855-4233.

Firewood can contain destructive pests and diseases and vacationing Floridians are urged to take steps to reduce the chance of an accidental infestation.

Many residents and tourists use firewood for campfires, even during the summer, and they need to be aware of the potential problems. Several species of destructive wood boring beetles and diseases can inhabit popular firewood varieties. Numerous other states are battling insects and diseases and the concern is that out-of-state campers will bring their own firewood to Florida, or people will move potentially infested firewood from one area of the state to another. Any wood-boring beetles and diseases that may have come along for the ride could infest Florida plants and trees.

Florida's Division of Plant Industry has posted a video about preventing the introduction of destructive beetles and other insects into Florida in infested firewood on its web site at http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/pi/videos.html . The pests can wreak havoc on many types of trees and other foliage.

For example, an Asian longhorned beetle infestation has resulted in the destruction of thousands of maple, elm and other trees in New York and Chicago; and, the emerald ash borer has killed millions of ash trees in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and other states.

"It costs millions of dollars to try and eradicate these pests, not to mention the tremendous loss of so many trees," Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson said. "The impact on the environment can be significant and we need to do everything possible to protect our trees."

Most recently, a fungus that causes a fatal disease called laurel wilt threatens Florida forests. A non-native insect, the red bay ambrosia beetle, spreads the fungus. Laurel wilt disease kills red bays, sassafras and pond spice, and even attacks one of Florida's most important fruit trees, the avocado. Laurel wilt spread into Florida after wood packing material infested with red bay ambrosia beetles was found in Savannah, Ga.

Dutch elm disease is another serious problem spreading across North America. A fungus transmitted by two species of bark beetles causes the disease and has destroyed over half the elm trees in the northern United Sates. The fungus has not yet been found in Florida.

Invasive pests and diseases arrive in Florida each year at a rate of at least one new significant pest a month; they come in on cargo shipments, storm fronts, infected plant material, in the luggage of millions of visitors to Florida, and in firewood.

There are ways Floridians can protect against the introduction of invasive pests and diseases:

-- Be vigilant. If you see signs of disease or an unusual pest, contact your county extension office or the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry, helpline at 1-888-397-1517.

-- Don't pack a pest. When returning home to Florida from a trip, don't bring plants, fruits, vegetables or illegal animals.

-- Purchase only certified plants from registered nurseries to ensure they are free of pests and diseases.

Prevent the introduction and/or spread of unwanted insects and diseases specifically involving firewood by following these simple recommendations:

-- Use sources of firewood that are local (within 50 miles) to the area of your campground.

-- Do not move firewood from one part of Florida to another.

-- Burn all firewood (local or out-of-state firewood) before leaving your campground.

-- If you are unable to burn all the firewood due to weather, fire ban or other reasons, and you either live in the same area of the state (within 50 miles) as the campground, or are visiting from out of state, please take the firewood home. However, if you live in another area of Florida, please leave the firewood at your campground. This will help prevent the movement of pests and diseases from one part of Florida to another.

If you have questions about these recommendations, call 1-888-397-1517.

The Department conducts surveying and trapping activities for the early detection of unwanted plant pests and diseases. For more information, visit http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/pi.

Florida consumers are reminded they are eligible to take advantage of free annual credit reports to help deter identity theft.

It has been three years since the amendment to the Fair Credit Reporting Act provided Florida consumers with access to credit reports from each of the three major credit reporting companies for free once a year. A credit report contains information about a consumer's credit history, including a listing of all credit cards and loans.

A recent report from the FBI and National White Collar Crime Center indicates Florida is home to 10 percent of Internet fraud perpetrators in the United States, second only to California. In addition, illegal activity, Medicare fraud, occupational fraud and money laundering account for about $94 billion of Florida's $714 billion Gross Domestic Product according to Enterprise Florida.

Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson is concerned that the weak economy and rising unemployment rate may result in an increase in identity theft and unauthorized use of consumers' credit cards.

"Reviewing credit history is one of the most important steps people can take to protect them from identity theft or to quickly discover and halt any unauthorized activity on their credit," Bronson said. "Their credit reports may be the first hint there is a problem when they find credit cards or loans they never applied for."

Bronson suggests that consumers request one report every four months from each of the three national credit bureaus so they can check for errors throughout the year and catch any identity theft early. Call Experian (800-682-7654), Equifax (800-685-1111) and Trans Union (800-916-8800) to request the reports and inform them of any mistakes you find. Consumers also can visit http://www.AnnualCreditReport.com.

Here are some ways that identity thieves work:

-- They open a new credit card account, using someone else's name, date of birth, and social security number. When they use the credit card and don't pay the bills, the delinquent account is reported on a victim's credit report.

-- They may also call a credit card issuer and, pretending to be the legitimate cardholder, change the mailing address on a credit card account. Then con artist runs up charges on the account. Because statements are being sent to the new address, consumers may not immediately realize they have been victimized.

-- They open a bank account in someone else's name and write bad checks on that account.

-- Phishing. They pretend to be legitimate financial institutions or companies and send spam or pop-up messages to get you to reveal your personal information.

-- They may use someone's personal information to buy items on the Internet.

Consumers cannot prevent identity theft, but they can reduce their chances of being a victim:

-- Close all stagnant credit card accounts and destroy the cards; carry as few cards as possible.

-- Mail bills from a post office or mail drop; identity thieves may steal mail that contains personal information from a home mailbox.

-- Shred financial documents and paperwork with personal information before you discard them.

-- Do not respond to solicitations sent by email that direct you to a site. Many con artists will create web sites that look exactly like a legitimate site. It is safer to enter the web site address of a familiar retailer so you are logged onto the real web site.

-- Do not provide credit card, bank account or social security information over the phone or by email unless you have initiated the transaction and are sure you know who you are dealing with. Legitimate banks and credit card companies do not call or email customers for this information. For practical tips to help you be on guard against Internet fraud, secure your computer, and protect your personal information, visit http://www.OnGuardOnline.gov.

-- Follow up with creditors if bills do not arrive on time. A missing credit card bill could mean an identity thief has taken over your credit card account and changed your billing address to cover his or her tracks.

-- Place passwords on credit card, bank and phone accounts. Avoid using easily available information such as your mother's maiden name, your birth date, or the last four digits of your social security number.

-- Give your social security number only when absolutely necessary. Ask to use other types of identifiers when possible. Do not put your SSN on your checks or carry it in your purse or wallet.

-- Try to ensure credit card transactions are conducted in your presence to prevent someone from double swiping the card.

Consumers who want to report suspicious activities can call the state's Consumer Hotline at 1-800-HELP FLA. Callers can learn more about how to protect themselves and what to do if they are the victims of an identity thief by logging onto the Federal Trade Commission web site at http://www.ftc.gov/.

Identity theft can damage a consumer's credit, and a poor credit history can result in rejection of credit or higher interest rates on a loan.