U.S. Congressman Jo Bonner told residents and South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce members that he is optimistic that the summer to come will be a “recovery summer” for South Baldwin County following the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill which happened one year ago on Wednesday.

Bonner — who was re-elected to his fifth term as congressman in November 2010 and is chair of the ethics committee and member of the appropriations committee, said Congress is in a recess before Easter — and he visited Foley for a Leadership Luncheon on Tuesday at the Foley Civic Center to speak with chamber members. The luncheon was held one day before the one-year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploding and sinking off the Louisiana coast.

“We are going to be optimistic,” Bonner said at the luncheon. “We are going to work with the chambers and the local businesses and make sure that this is the recovery summer and that this is the year we can plan for a brighter future.”

Bonner mentioned the world is full of troubling news, whether it be about Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq, surging gas prices or the budget debates. However, he focused on the one-year anniversary of the oil spill. According to Bonner, the area is more resilient that ever before because of the dealings with the hardships that followed the spill and the fact it was an unusual type of tragedy for residents of the Gulf Coast.

“We all know what it’s like in the days after a hurricane to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and start a new beginning,” he said. “In the days that followed (the oil spill), the whole country was coming to grips with what this means.”

Bonner said the area is ready for any future challenges because the oil spill prepared the residents and businesses by making a struggling economy even worse.

“I think we can all agree that our plate has been full and new curve balls have been thrown at us,” he said. “You’re the community and business leaders of South Baldwin County. You know it has been a tough few years.”

However, even after the oil spill tragedy which affected the local economy, the state and county is looking forward to a summer of recovery, Bonner said.

“We’re looking forward to a great year of tourism here in Alabama,” he said. “If we can get through this, we can get through anything…I actually think that as we reflect on what challenged us, we draw strength from (thinks like) the “Supper in the Sand” on Sunday night; because that was truly a way for us to say ‘thank you’ to so many people.”

One reason to be optimistic, Bonner said, is because the environmental damage from the spill is not as severe as it could have been

“We have every reason to believe the environmental damage may not be as big or as bad as we feared it could be,” he said.

Another reason to be hopeful is the strong leadership the area has in the city mayors.

“We’ve been blessed to have strong leadership,” Bonner said, noting the local mayors have done a great job leading the area. “So many people sometimes forget that being mayor of a small town is a full-time job with a part-time salary.”

While tomorrow is unclear, Bonner said he believes the area will continue to be strong and thriving.

“None of us have a crystal ball and look with certainty at what tomorrow brings,” he said. “I believe in my heart that we are going to continue to have a region of the world, certainly a region of the country, that’s going to be where people want to come to. They want to spend their time (here) because this is special.”

Bonner opened the floor for questions or comments from those the audience, and Gulf Shores Mayor Robert Craft echoed Bonner’s rally cries of optimism.

“We’ve never imagined a battle like this. This is totally different,” Craft said. “I truly believe we will get through this.”

Donna Watts, president of the South Baldwin Chamber, asked if there is going to be an effort to require companies drilling oil to be “better prepared” for a disaster.

“We make kindergarteners practice fire drills,” she said, noting she thinks companies should know how to handle an oil spill crisis.

Bonner said “there will be legislation” and efforts made to improve the preparedness of the oil drilling companies.

“There’s already a number of bills drafted,” he said. “It’s threading the needle to make sure we don’t stop the drilling of oil and gasoline.”