Florida environmental and wildlife news for the week ending 12-12-08

FEATURED STORIES

Saving the Fred George Basin
Reported by Liza Park
WCTV CBS News Tallahassee
Environmentalists have been working for two years to save what's left of the Fred George Basin and Tuesday night their work paid off.

Biomass hearing draws a crowd
By John Crawford
Tallahassee Democrat
For all intents and purposes, Wednesday night's public hearing dealing with the proposed BG&E biomass plant was over before it began.

Progress Energy plans nuclear power plant north of Tampa
By Alex Pickett
Creative Loafing Tampa
Related Tampa Tribune article: Progress Energy rate hike generates controversy
Florida doesn't get much more rural than Levy County.

Refusing to save Florida's springs
Editorial
Ocala Star-Banner
In each of the past three years an influential state lawmaker has introduced a bill into the Florida Legislature to initiate a meaningful springs protection program.

Bush revises protections for endangered species
By Dina Cappiello
Associated Press
Just six weeks before President-elect Barack Obama takes office, the Bush administration issued revised endangered species regulations Thursday to reduce the input of federal scientists and to block the law from being used to fight global warming.

Florida's imperiled species struggling to survive
By Kevin Spear
Orlando Sentinel
A very quiet drama is playing out in Florida as rare grasshopper sparrows and snail kites face extinction while panthers, black bears and bald eagles find new hope after a once-uncertain future.




MORE GREEN NEWS

Florida sugar giant decries rival's Everglades deal
By Craig Pittman
St. Pete Times
Florida's two sugar giants slugged it out in public Friday, arguing over whether Gov. Charlie Crist's proposed buyout of U.S. Sugar is actually a sneaky government bailout of an ailing company.

Farm bureau blasts U.S. Sugar deal; government group expresses concerns
By Jennifer Sorentrue and Paul Quinlan
Palm Beach Post
A major Florida farming group came out today against the state's $1.34 billion land deal with U.S. Sugar Corp. - just days before South Florida water managers are set to vote on the purchase.

Lawmakers seek to postpone vote on sugar deal
By Curtis Morgan
Miami Herald
Miami-Dade lawmakers, with a litany of concerns over state's sugar land-purchase deal, asked for a legislative review.

Crist, Fla. Cabinet OK $7 million land deal
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Gov. Charlie Crist and the Florida Cabinet have agreed to pay $7 million for a conservation easement in central Florida opposed by an environmental group.

Tallahassee residents debate, learn more about biomass plant
By Angeline J. Taylor
Tallahassee Democrat
Voices in favor of and in opposition to the proposed biomass plant in Tallahassee continued to ring out at different events Monday.

Lawmakers: Cut off energy company's ‘advanced recovery cost’
By Ryan Burr
Panama City News Herald
Two Florida lawmakers on Monday requested Progress Energy Florida Inc. suspend indefinitely its "advanced recovery cost" on customers that was designated to pay for two nuclear power plants.

As U.S. Sugar vote looms, job-fearing Glades residents demand action from Crist
By Paul Quinlan
Palm Beach Post
With just nine days left until water managers vote on a $1.34 billion land deal aimed at rescuing the Everglades, residents of neighboring farm communities have a question for Gov. Charlie Crist: Who's going to rescue our jobs?

Agencies lower water levels in the Everglades, save wildlife
By Curtis Morgan
Miami Herald
With some help from nature, agencies have dropped water levels in the Everglades and ended the threat of massive wildlife losses.

Growth binge gives Florida a hangover
By Kenric Ward
TC Palm
The development industry is the Viagra of Florida. At least it used to be.

Save the turtle
Editorial
Gainesville Sun
Floridians have been trying to save sea turtles since the late University of Florida naturalist Archie Carr began to track their migratory patterns nearly half a century ago.

State Needs Tougher Rules To Protect Softshell Turtles
Editorial
Tampa Tribune
Gov. Charlie Crist, who successfully fought plans to take the manatee of the state's endangered list last year, is once again using his influence on behalf of an imperiled Florida creature.


Action alert: Click the Florida Turtle Conservation Trust logo above to learn how you can help ban wild freshwater turtle harvesting.



Wildwood Preservation Society is a non-profit 501(c)(4) project of the Advocacy Consortium for the Common Good. Click here to learn more.

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