On October 19th, 2021 - Bay County Commissioners approved the PUD proposed by the developers, Garden Street Communities and Adams homes to build here in rural Panama City, Florida. The PUD in question is anticipated to occupy 44 acres of vulnerable wetlands that border the water basin for the Deer Point Lake Reservoir, this reservoir pumps water supply to all of bay county, which includes Callaway, Panama City, Panama City Beach (yes, your favorite vacay spot!) and even areas outside of Bay County. Pumping over 760 million gallons of fresh water everyday!

If you are familiar with this area at all, you know that it is extremely vulnerable to flooding and this community has already seen the negative impacts of overbuilding within a subtropical wetland. Our average rainfall is increasing more and more, as our city has seen over 87 inches rain just this year. Countless flood insurance claims are needing to be filed due to this and our water supply is slowly being contaminated by all of the building and population influx in this region. 

Residents of this area are sick and tired of the land that sustains our area being torn apart for financial gain. This project they want to take place is directly behind mine and my husband's property, we will not let this continue to happen-especially in our literal backyard! We need all of the help and support we can get. I'll continue to show up to public hearings on the first and third Tuesdays of each month to make sure our voices are heard and we are not going down without a fight. 

I understand that this could be a losing battle, as I am just a young woman with no financial assets to offer. I just can't live in good moral standing with myself if I don't do everything I can to stop it. 

Please sign and share to join me in this fight for our wetlands!

-Hayley Bass-Wilcox, resident of Panama City