Richard D. Eckenrod oral history interview

Interviewee

Richard M Eckenrod
Ann B Hodgson
University of South Florida Libraries -- Florida Studies Center.|Oral History Program
University of South Florida -- Tampa Library

Files

Publication Date

January 2015

Abstract

In 1968, Richard M. Eckenrod moved to the Tampa Bay area for an engineering job with Westinghouse Electric Corporation. After falling in love with the bay habitat, Eckenrod changed his career path, earning a graduate degree from Louisiana State University in marine science in 1977. In 1990, Eckenrod became the director of the Tampa Bay National Estuary Program (TBNEP). Later renamed the Tampa Bay Estuary Program (TBEP), Eckenrod served as its executive director until his retirement in 2007. During this oral history interview, Eckenrod discusses the history TBEP, including its regulatory foundations and underlying organizational structure. He recalls actions taken by TBEP to restore and protect Tampa Bay such as the development of the Comprehensive Management Plan, a document that set forth quantifiable goals for bay improvement in areas such as seagrass restoration and pollution reduction. Eckenrod describes collaborative management strategies necessary for stakeholder cooperation in balancing both economic and environmental concerns. Eckenrod finishes his interview discussing the importance of education and implementation of scientific-based techniques in addressing future environmental challenges such as a rising sea level and exploding population.

Keywords

Coastal zone management, Environmental policy, History, Florida, Estuarine area conservation, Tampa Bay, Oral history, Online audio

Subject: geographic

Florida; Tampa Bay

Media Type

Oral histories; Interviews

Identifier

T43-00012

Recommended Citation

Eckenrod, Richard M; Hodgson, Ann B; University of South Florida Libraries -- Florida Studies Center.|Oral History Program; and University of South Florida -- Tampa Library, "Richard D. Eckenrod oral history interview" (2015). The Tampa Bay Estuary: An Oral History of Community Collaboration to Restore Ecological Integrity. 12.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/tb_estuary_ohp/12