Florida environmental and wildlife news for the week ending 7-31-09

FEATURED STORIES

Report ranks Florida 9th in U.S. beachwater quality
By Kevin Barnard
Tampa Tribune
Click here to see how the NRDC report rates your beach.
Water quality at nine beaches in Hillsborough County failed to meet Florida's daily maximum bacterial standards during sampling in 2008, the Natural Resources Defense Council says in a national report released Wednesday.

Opposition squares off on growth amendment
By Bill Cotterell
Tallahassee Democrat
Click here to visit Florida Hometown Democracy and learn more about Amendment 4.
City and county governments have treated growth-management plan changes "like Halloween candy" for developers and voters need a "veto," the head of a controversial constitutional-amendment campaign said Thursday.

Florida Cabinet thwarts plan to alter Miami-Dade development boundary
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times Tallahassee Bureau
Click here for the National Parks Conservation Association/Clean Water Action press release.
Gov. Charlie Crist and Cabinet members sent Miami-Dade and other urban counties a message Tuesday when they rejected the county's attempt to move the development line west to accommodate a Lowe's Superstore.

Pollution still feeding Gulf dead zone
By Kate Spinner
Sarasota Herald Tribune
The vast oxygen-starved dead zone in the northern Gulf of Mexico shrunk by more than half its typical size this year, but scientists see nothing to celebrate.

An Advocate’s Guide to Growth Management Advocacy After SB 360
Audubon of Florida
The Florida Legislature passed SB 360 in 2009, despite objections from environmental and growth management advocates.

An Advocate’s Guide to Navigating Permit Program Changes at Water Management Districts
Audubon of Florida
The Florida Legislature passed SB 2080 in 2009, changing the water management district (WMD) permit approval process, despite objections expressed by Audubon and the conservation community.

DEP requests approval of Levy Co. nuke plan
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is asking the governor and Cabinet to approve Progress Energy's site application to build a nuclear power plant on 3,105 acres in Levy County.

Supporters of drilling eyeing area off coast
By Lesley Clark
Miami Herald
Two senators from oil-producing states have introduced legislation that would bring oil drilling to within 45 miles of Florida's Gulf coast.


Coming to a beach near you? Gooey blobs of oil washed ashore on Texas beaches last week. The source has yet to be identified.

MORE GREEN NEWS

Ala. Governor Warns Utility on 3-State Water Feud
By Ben Evans
The Associated Press
Alabama Gov. Bob Riley is warning utility giant Southern Co. to stay out of the region's tri-state water war.

Postcard from The Everglades
By Tim Padgett
Time Magazine
This is the everglades that they put in brochures.

Study points to carbon-capture benefits of Florida public lands
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
Florida's state parks, forests and other public lands some day could pay millions of dollars to the state annually for the carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that are captured and stored in plants and soils, according to a recent study.

Powerful sides face off over Florida's power-saving plan
By Steve Patterson
Florida Times-Union
An energy conservation plan affecting millions of Floridians' electric bills is sparking a fight between big power companies and environmental activists.

FPL: State's growth calls for new gas pipeline
By Bill Cotterell
Tallahassee Democrat
Florida's population growth and economic prosperity will require a gas pipeline, angling down the peninsula from near the state line to south of the Space Coast, a Florida Power & Light Co. executive testified Monday.

Would Florida recycling plan raise local trash pickup costs?
By Steve Patterson
Florida Times-Union
For people to buy into recycling, maybe they need meters on their trash cans, a Florida agency says.

Cabinet to consider first "rural lands" purchase
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
Gov. Charlie Crist and the Cabinet on Tuesday will consider approving the purchase of a 690-acre conservation easement in Flagler County, the first purchase under a state program aimed at preserving agricultural lands.

Everglades restoration in danger from inland-port plan, groups say
By Andy Reid
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
The fight over where to build Florida's proposed "inland port" has Palm Beach County considering allowing more industrial development on former Everglades land, even if the coveted distribution center goes elsewhere.

Army Corps begins dumping Lake O water as drought turns to fears of a glut
By Paul Quinlan
Palm Beach Post
The drought just ended last month, and already, fresh water is being emptied to sea.

Navy gets OK for Florida sonar range, but faces obstacles to use it
By Steve Patterson
Florida Times-Union
The Navy is finalizing plans to build a $100 million training range off Jacksonville's coast - but may be years from getting permission to use it.

Saving the sawfish
By Cindy Swirko
Gainesville Sun
George Burgess is so associated with sharks that he often can be seen explaining the beauty of the fearsome creatures during the Discovery Channel's annual Shark Week programming, the summertime favorite that begins Sunday.

At biofuel summit, Bronson says oil drilling is needed
By Keith Laing
News Service of Florida via FloridaEnvironments.com
Drilling for old-fashioned oil in near shore Florida waters should be part of the nation's energy diet, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Bronson said today at a conference about increasing the use of newer fuel types.

Crist declines to say how close is too close for oil drilling
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
Gov. Charlie Crist this morning declined to say how close is too close for oil drilling off the Florida coastline.

Eric Draper on off-shore drilling (audio story)
By Mitch E. Perry
WMNF Community Radio Tampa
Eric Draper from the Florida Audubon Society is a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Agriculture Secretary next year.

Oil Fight Rages
By Whitney Ray
Capitol News Service
Legislation allowing oil drilling 45 miles off the coast of Florida is making waves in congress.

Area legislators, business owners oppose drilling
By Lee Logan
Bradenton Herald
Local legislators and business owners are worried the latest push to open Florida’s Gulf Coast to oil drilling might harm the environment and tourism industry.

Is the python hunt all hype? Scientists try to squeeze some truth into snake search
By Paul Quinlan
Palm Beach Post
One week after a pet python escaped its terrarium and strangled a 2-year-old girl in Sumter County, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson unfurled a 16-foot python skin at a congressional hearing and warned, "It's just a matter of time before one of these things gets to a visitor in the Florida Everglades."

Supporter, opponent of growth amendment sling mud in debate
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
A founder of a proposed state constitutional amendment on growth said during a debate today that supporters face "greedy" opponents, while a spokesman for an opposition group said the founder has shown people they can have any opinion "as long as it's her's."

People need veto power of Hometown Democracy
By John Hedrick
Tallahassee Democrat
Architect Steve Jernigan opposes the Hometown Democracy Amendment No. 4 to the Florida constitution, which will be on the Nov. 2, 2010, ballot.

There is no need to drill off Florida's Gulf Coast
Editorial
Pensacola News Journal
Why would senators from Alaska and Louisiana lead the latest congressional effort to end legislative protection for Florida's coastline from offshore drilling?

Time for Obama to squelch offshore drilling
Editorial
Bradenton Herald
Once again, we’re engulfed in a battle over drilling off Florida’s Gulf coast.


Endangered wood storks nesting in Fred George Basin, June 2009.

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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Florida environmental and wildlife news for the week ending 7-24-09

FEATURED STORIES

Cities team up to oppose law
By Howard Cohen
Miami Herald
More cities are joining Weston's lead in opposing the state's recently signed Growth Management Act, which local leaders argue will limit developers' responsibility in paying for expanded roads while promoting more sprawl.

Without a vote, controversial golf course west of Boca Raton gets water managers' OK
By Paul Quinlan
Palm Beach Post
After two years on hold, a controversial water permit for a south Palm Beach County golf course became one of the first to win approval under the state's new system of making such decisions behind closed doors.

Alabama, Florida see water wars differently
By Kathy Seale and Bruce Ritchie
Atlanta Journal-Constitiution
Six days ago, a federal judge ruled that Georgia is drawing water illegally from Lake Lanier and set a three-year deadline for Georgia, Florida and Alabama to settle their long-running water war.

Want sensible growth? Take matters into your own hands
By Scott Maxwell
Orlando Sentinel
Support Amendment 4, Hometown Democracy.
Development interests are gearing up for a fight, stocking their war chests with millions of dollars to do battle against the people they fear most in the world: You.

Hold the line on development
Editorial
Miami Herald
Learn more about this issue at Hold the Line.
With empty land available to build stores and homes in Miami-Dade County's designated urban area and with thousands of vacant homes waiting to be bought in this recession why would commissioners push for development out in the western fringes?


Snowy egret chicks nesting in Fred George Basin, June 2009.

MORE GREEN NEWS

New Rule Restricts Take of Turtles (audio story)
By Trimmel Gomes
WFSU-FM Public Radio Tallahassee
Starting Monday the harvest of freshwater turtles from Florida waterways will be banned.

Panama City airport to pay $251,323 for violations
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
Airport officials in Bay County have agreed to pay the state $251,323 -- reduced from nearly $400,000 as proposed in May -- to settle proposed violations issued by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Everglades Earth First protecting Florida old growth cypress by protesting FPL
By Virginia Jones
Treasure Coast Legal News Examiner
There are few people that see old growth trees, especially in Florida.

Gov. Crist Calls New Water War Ruling 'Monumental'
By Ben Evans and Errin Haines
Lakeland Ledger
Metro Atlanta and its 4 million residents have almost no rights to a massive federal reservoir and must stop taking water from it within three years unless Congress authorizes continued withdrawals, a federal judge ruled Friday.

Finally, Crist names three to fill vacant board seats at South Florida Water Management District
By Tony Doris
Palm Beach Post
With his massive sugar land purchase in the balance, Gov. Charlie Crist today named three relative unknowns to fill seats on the water board overseeing the Everglades restoration and South Florida's faucets.

Judge's Ruling Boosts Florida in Water Wars (audio story)
By Margie Menzel
WFSU-FM Public Radio Tallahassee
In a dramatic ruling, a federal judge has ruled that Georgia must stop withdrawing water within three years from a federal reservoir outside Atlanta that is the city's main water supply.

Peregrine Falcon Removed from Florida’s Endangered Species List
By Bryan Nelson
Planetsave
The recovery of peregrine falcons is one of the great success stories of conservation. Now their population in Florida has rebounded enough to remove them from the state’s endangered species list.

Rare ghost orchid draws the curious
By Andrea Stetson
Ft. Myers News-Press
It buggy, it's hot and thunder rumbles in the dark clouds nearby. But that doesn't stop the crowds from visiting Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.

Miami-Based Manatee Is Spotted in Chesapeake Bay
By Martin Weil
Washington Post
In an unusual northern foray, a manatee has made its way into the upper reaches of the Chesapeake Bay, authorities said last night.

Environmental groups accuse ranch owners of clearing land without authorization
By Eric Staats
Naples News
A ranch in the heart of Florida panther country is at the center of renewed scrutiny over its compliance with environmental laws.

Ponte Vedra turtle Patrol gets to observe a special moment
Staff Report
Florida Times-Union
Northeast Florida's sea turtle nesting season, from May 1 through Oct. 1, offered a rich reward for Ed Butler, a volunteer with the Ponte Vedra Turtle Patrol, and others. This month, they witnessed a turtle laying her eggs in the sand then returning to the sea.

Burmese Python hunting opens
By Diana Moskovitz
Miami Herald
The Burmese python unfurled on the grass, a long slit running down its white belly where hunters had gutted it with a knife.

In Florida, it's snakes and more snakes
By Deirdre Conner
Florida Times-Union
A pygmy rattler bites a man in a Wal-Mart garden center.

County governments want part of Florida's python purge
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
The python roundup ordered by Gov. Charlie Crist last week doesn't go far enough to protect neighborhoods from the scary serpents, Florida counties assert.


Endangered indigo snake.

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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Florida environmental and wildlife news for the week ending 7-17-09

FEATURED STORIES

New Airport Impact: A closer Look Pt. 1 (video)
Reported by Mark Vaughn
WJHG NBC 7
Follow-up report: New Airport Impact: A closer Look Pt. 2
The initial plan, to extend the current airport's runway into North Bay, was shot down for environmental reasons.

Millions in road fixes, once promised by developers, could be jeopardized by new law
By Michael Van Sickler
St. Petersburg Times
Related column: Crist signs bad growth law, is 'punished' with $4.3 million in campaign contributions
As mammoth subdivisions got approved amid worsening traffic congestion during the housing boom, residents were continually assured by local officials that future road improvements were covered by developers.

State of the Everglades Report
Audubon Everglades Team
Audubon of Florida
This report recaps Audubon of Florida's progress on Everglades restoration over the past six months.

Wood storks have their best nesting season since the 1930s
By Eric Staats
Naples Daily News
Related Ft. Myers News-Press story: Wood storks breeding season finally a success
A frenzy of wood stork nesting in the Everglades this year has been one for the books.

NW development moves forward
By Will Brown
Tallahassee Democrat
Leon County commissioners unanimously moved to consider plans for the first phase of the Summerfield property in compliance with the county's comprehensive code Tuesday night.

City, county continue discussion on merging growth departments
By Will Brown
Tallahassee Democrat
The nuances of moving forward with the consolidation of the Growth and Environmental Management Department was the crux of Wednesday's conversation between Tallahassee Mayor John Marks and Leon County Commission chairman Bryan Desloge.


Endangered Florida Panther.

MORE GREEN NEWS

Attack Survivors Stand Up for Saving Shark Species (includes audio)
By Gina Presson
Public News Service of Florida
The shark literally bit the hand that fed it - or at least the leg - but now its victim, Miami Beach dive boat owner Michael Beach, is working to conserve and protect sharks like the one that bit him.

Advocate on challenge to proposed nuclear plant (audio interview)
By Mitch E. Perry
WMNF Community Radio Tampa
Progress Energy’s plans for a nuclear power plant in Levy County became a little bumpier this week.

Power Giants Seek Big Rate Hikes
By Mike Vasilinda
Capitol News Service
Florida’s two biggest power companies want to dig deeper into your pocket.

Hunters get go-ahead to kill pythons in Big Cypress
By Curtis Morgan
Miami Herald
The federal government on Thursday said it would open up Big Cypress National Wildlife Refuge, which borders Everglades National Park, to a pilot program allowing licensed hunters to ''terminate'' any python they encounter.

Humane Society urges state agency to reconsider python decision
Staff Report
Naples Daily News
The Humane Society of the United States is urging the state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to reconsider its decision to allow python hunting in Florida.

Delays, price hikes make a muck of $800 million Everglades project
By Paul Quinlan
Palm Beach Post
Deep in the cane fields south of Lake Okeechobee, a massive construction site sits abandoned along U.S. 27, its dreams for the Everglades unfulfilled.

Everglades land swap may be key to FPL plans to expand in West Miami-Dade
By Tania Valdemoro and Curtis Morgan
Miami Herald
Florida Power & Light bought a ribbon of Everglades marl prairie 40 years ago, envisioning it as an isolated place to some day run power lines.

Sides argue pros and cons of U.S. Sugar deal
By Andy Reid
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Opponents to an Everglades land deal have stepped up their attacks on a plan they say costs taxpayers too much and threatens to set back environmental restoration.

Outlaw swimming with manatees, environmental group demands
By Barbara Behrendt
St. Petersburg Times
A national environmental organization has asked the federal government to prohibit all swimming with manatees, citing increasing harassment of the endangered species.

Rare ghost orchid blooms again near Naples
By Penny Carnathan
Tampa Tribune
Corkscrew Swamp is happy to be haunted for an unusual three years in a row: Its rare ghost orchid is in bloom again, and again drawing visitors from around the country to the sanctuary northeast of Naples.

Water managers shaking up staff, reducing number of senior employees
By Paul Quinlan
Palm Beach Post
South Florida's largest and most powerful environmental agency is thinning its management ranks in its largest staff shake-up in years.

Halting wildlife trade
By Jennifer Hobgood
Miami Herald
The 2-year-old Sumter County girl killed last week by an eight-foot pet Burmese python underscores the threat posed when wild animals are kept as pets.

Plan would open Big Cypress to hunting, vehicles
By David Fleshler
South Florida Sun Sentinel
A federal proposal would open up a vast sweep of forest and swamp on both sides of Alligator Alley to hunting and off-road vehicles, ending a 20-year stretch in which the only serious predator on the local deer and hogs was the Florida panther.

Turtle harvest ban takes effect July 20
The Associated Press
Miami Herald
A ban on commercial harvesting of Florida's freshwater turtles takes effect July 20.

FWC Requests Comments on First Draft of Imperiled Species Listing Changes
FWC Press Release
Wakulla.com
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) seeks public input on the first draft of rules to revise Florida’s imperiled species listing process.

Supporters say Amendment 4 won't kill jobs
By Bill Cotterell
Tallahassee Democrat
Letting voters decide on changes in comprehensive land-use plans will not kill jobs or force a referendum on every new growth opportunity, supporters of a "hometown democracy" amendment said Wednesday.

Amendment 4 corrects power failure
By John Hedrick
Daytona Beach News-Journal
The News-Journal editorial Sunday conceded that the Florida Hometown Democracy amendment would give voters direct veto power over every major land use change approved by local governments.

Vote 'yes' on Amendment 4 to improve your community
By Pedro Monteiro
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Amendment 4, Florida Hometown Democracy, gives the people of a community the right to vote on whether to approve amendments to their local land use plans.

Amendment would please Jefferson
By Rebecca Eagan
Daytona Beach News-Journal
Thomas Jefferson sold me on Florida Hometown Democracy.

SB 360 must be nullified
Editorial
Ft. Myers News-Press
Kudos to Lee County for joining the lawsuit against the state of Florida over a new growth-management law that compromises state and local government's ability to regulate growth and pay for infrastructure.

Move to protect sharks, panthers in South Florida
Editorial
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Two threatened species of predators, panthers and sharks, deserve an assist from South Floridians.


Endangered whale shark.

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

"it's all connected"

Wildwood Preservation Society Summer 2009 Update

Great Blue Heron in Fred George Basin July 3, 2006. Photo taken within property once threatened by development, now slated for conservation.

Snowy egret chicks nesting in Fred George Basin, Spring 2009. Photo courtesy Richard Leighton, Florida Nature Photography.

Summer 2009 Update

Note: click here to view our previous update.

We recently received the most exciting news to date regarding our three year campaign to Save Fred George Basin. Leon County has finalized the purchase and preservation of a sensitive 78-acre parcel that had been previously slated for development. The property contains karst wetlands used as core Wood Stork foraging habitat, and the pristine Fred George Pond. WPS supports the county’s continuing efforts to negotiate with landholders in order to place several adjacent properties into conservation, including a small lot containing the important Fred George Sink, which feeds into the Floridan Aquifer and the City of Tallahassee drinking water supply.

It has been an active nesting season for endangered wood storks in Fred George Basin’s Wildwood rookery. With overdevelopment in South Florida pushing more wood storks north from their original habitat, it is more critical now than ever that they be protected. Click here to see recent photos of wood storks and other wildlife in Fred George Basin.

Meanwhile, Fat Cat builders have begun a public relations and lobbying campaign to undermine current wood stork protections by downgrading their endangered status. It seems wealthy developers will stop at nothing to pave over our beautiful state. Despite a banner nesting season in 2009, biologists are not convinced that wood storks are on the path to a sustained recovery, primarily due to overbuilding in South Florida. You can learn more about this issue by visiting our blog post here. Watch for future updates from us via MySpace, Twitter, Facebook, and our main blog.

Endangered wood storks nesting in Fred George Basin, Spring 2009. Many thanks to Richard Leighton, Florida Nature Photography.

Endangered wood storks nesting in Fred George Basin, Spring 2009. Big thanks to videographer Rob Pepple.

On March 29th WPS founder Misty Penton led a community clean-up of Fred George Basin. The event was covered by WCTV CBS News. About fifteen volunteers helped remove trash and debris in order to prevent contamination of our drinking water, minimize flooding, and help protect endangered wildlife that lives nearby.

WPS founder Misty Penton with WCTV reporter Kelsey Johnson

Wildwood Preservation Society worked unsuccessfully during the recently concluded Florida legislative session to prevent lawmakers from gutting the critical Florida Forever program. Florida Forever is widely regarded as the most successful state land conservation program in the country, with more than 2 million acres of our state’s most sensitive areas having been preserved since its inception. Fred George Basin is among Florida Forever’s beneficiaries, as WPS assisted Leon County in securing Florida Forever grant funding to match costs associated with acquiring the last undeveloped portions of the basin. WPS will continue to work with the Florida Forever Coalition to restore this valuable program when next year’s budget is deliberated by our legislature.

Unfortunately, the loss of Florida Forever wasn't the only legislative activity this past session that angered conservationists. The legislature passed, and Gov. Crist signed into law, a controversial bill (SB 360) aimed at promoting more developmental sprawl. The law, which was widely criticized by municipal governments and newspaper editorial boards, was written and supported by builders and vigorously opposed by environmental groups. The Governor also signed a bill (SB 2080) that shuts out the public on important water-use decisions and allows a handful of bureaucrats to dictate permitting for large-scale wetlands destruction. Our friends at Florida Wildlife Federation have a good summary of what the 2009 legislative session means for Florida’s environment here.

We do have good news from South Florida, where a judge’s ruling will help prevent Lowe’s from building a large retail store outside of the Miami-Dade Urban Development Boundary, right up to the edge of the Everglades. This important decision should bolster efforts to stop sprawl from further encroaching on the crown jewel of Florida’s ecological landscape. Thank you to everyone who responded to last year’s action alerts that we distributed on behalf of Hold the Line and Progress Florida to stop Lowe’s reckless plan.

And finally, WPS has joined the Teaming With Wildlife Coalition, a group of more than 5,900 organizations seeking new and greater funding for wildlife conservation and related education and recreation. The coalition is working to promote wildlife action plans designed to give us the ability to conserve wildlife and the lands and waters where they live for future generations.

Wildwood Preservation Society is an all-volunteer nonprofit effort. Special thanks to our many supporters, volunteers and coalition members. Questions? Email us at wildwoodpreservation@gmail.com.

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

"it's all connected"

Spring and Summer 2009 Fred George Basin wildlife photos

Spring and Summer 2009 Fred George Basin wildlife photos

Endangered wood storks nesting in Fred George Basin, Spring 2009. Photo courtesy Richard Leighton, Florida Nature Photography.


Snowy egret chicks nesting in Fred George Basin, Spring 2009. Photo courtesy Richard Leighton, Florida Nature Photography.


Snowy egret chicks nesting in Fred George Basin, Spring 2009. Many thanks to Richard Leighton, Florida Nature Photography.


Barred owl amidst the wood in Fred George Basin, June 2009.


Endangered wood storks nesting in Fred George Basin, June 2009. Caption contest, anyone?


Endangered wood stork in flight above Fred George Basin, June 2009.


Snowy egrets nesting in Fred George Basin, June 2009.


In Fred George Basin, June 2009.


Fred George Basin, June 2009.


Juvenile wood storks nesting in Fred George Basin, June 2009. Another caption contest candidate.


Female anhinga in Fred George Basin, June 2009.


Male anhinga in Fred George Basin, June 2009.


Snowy egret chicks nesting in Fred George Basin, June 2009.


Nesting juvenile wood storks in Fred George Basin, June 2009.


Fred George Basin, June 2009.


Fred George Basin, June 2009.


Fred George Basin, June 2009.


Fred George Basin, June 2009.


No hunting in Fred George Basin! Foxes and other wild predators excepted…


…Fox returning to den after successful rabbit hunt in Fred George Basin, June 2009.


Endangered wood storks fill the sky above Fred George Basin, June 2009.

Note: All photos by Jon Bleyer of Wildwood Preservation Society except where noted.

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

"it's all connected"

Florida environmental and wildlife news for the week ending 7-10-09

FEATURED STORIES

Local governments sue over Florida's new growth-management law
By Marc Caputo
Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times Tallahassee Bureau
A group of local governments, including several from South Florida, sued Gov. Charlie Crist and the Legislature on Wednesday, accusing the state of violating its constitution in passing a growth-management law that opponents bash as a developer-relief act.

More than half of Florida cities qualify for growth exemptions
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
More than half the cities in Florida now qualify under a new state law as "dense urban" land areas which can be exempted from state review for adequate roads to accompany development, according to a list published today by the Florida Department of Community Affairs.

Progress Energy's proposed Levy County nuke plant hits another roadblock
By Craig Pittman
St. Petersburg Times
Related: Progress Energy's plan to hike rates criticized at public hearing
Progress Energy's plans for its new Levy County nuclear plant hit another potential roadblock Wednesday when an arm of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission ruled that the Green Party of Florida and two other groups can challenge the plant's federal permit.

Progress Energy's proposed nuclear plant could face environmental challenges
By Fred Hiers
Ocala Star-Banner
Progress Energy's road to building its proposed nuclear power plant in Levy County is becoming anything but smooth.

A year later, U.S. Sugar deal euphoria fades
By Charlie Whitehead
Naples News
It’s been over a year since Gov. Charlie Crist made a splash with his announcement the state would pay U.S. Sugar $1.75 billion for 180,000 acres south of Lake Okeechobee.

Delays, price hikes make a muck of $800 million Everglades project
By Paul Quinlan
Palm Beach Post
Deep in the cane fields south of Lake Okeechobee, a massive construction site sits abandoned along U.S. 27, its dreams for the Everglades unfulfilled.

Global warming forecast shows potential problems for Florida
By Tony Doris
Palm Beach Post
More drought, more flooding.


Juvenile endangered wood stork foraging in Fred George Basin, Leon County, June 2009.

MORE GREEN NEWS

Fla. Supreme Court: Amendment wording approved
By Brent Kallestad
Associated Press
The Florida Supreme Court says a revised financial impact statement on how much a proposed growth management amendment could cost taxpayers now complies with state law.

Facing enviro criticism, Crist says he's helping economy
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
Gov. Charlie Crist today defended his record against environmental criticism by saying he's looking out for the state's economy.

Florida Wrestles with Its Python Problem
By Tim Padgett
Time Magazine
Floridians are generally not flummoxed by the variety of reptile species that invade their state.

Nelson urges federal ban on Burmese python following death of 2-year-old
By Eun Kyung Kim
Tallahassee Democrat
Holding up the skin of a 16-foot Burmese python, Sen. Bill Nelson told a Senate panel Wednesday that the snakes pose a serious threat to Florida's environment and residents.

Local nests a good sign for struggling turtle
By Kate Spinner
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Hatchlings from one of the world's rarest sea turtles -- the Kemp's ridley -- emerged from their nest last Sunday on Casey Key, a positive sign for a species that was near extinction three decades ago.

Water managers bow to legislature, abolish in-the-sunshine board votes on permits
By Paul Quinlan
Palm Beach Post
Powers to permit a developer to pave over wetlands or tap the region's water supply will pass from the South Florida Water Management District's governing board to its top administrator, the board voted today.

Water managers ponder relaxing sprinkler limits for 5 years, despite calls for conservation
By Paul Quinlan
Palm Beach Post
It may seem strange, but in its effort to promote water conservation, the South Florida Water Management District could move water restrictions from two to three days a week.

DEP's Sole defends water bill signed by governor
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Mike Sole is defending Senate Bill 2080 following harsh criticism of Gov. Charlie Crist for signing the measure.

'Green' yards get a break: Florida offers protection
By Kevin Spear
Orlando Sentinel
When state Sen. Carey Baker proposed a law encouraging Florida homeowners to get rid of thirsty grass, he had Dorothy Bombera in mind.

'Brownfield' need cleaning?
By Rebecca Basu
Florida Today
Cocoa is one of several Florida cities recently awarded $400,000 in federal stimulus money to help clean up "brownfields," properties that may be contaminated by hazardous chemicals or pollutants.

Local efforts boost recycling as state eyes 75-percent goal
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
With the state now working toward a goal of 75 percent recycling, some innovations may hold promise in Florida's future of waste management.

Florida needs to increase clean energy jobs
By Melissa Hincha-Ownby
Mother Nature Network
MoveOn.org hosted a Clean Energy Jobs Day in Florida to help promote awareness about green jobs in the Sunshine State.

FWC requests comments on draft of imperiled species listing changes
Staff Report
TC Palm
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is seeking public input on the first draft of rules to revise Florida’s imperiled species listing process.

Federal stimulus money for Florida's reefs a sound investment
Editorial
Miami Herald
Federal stimulus money is paying for more than roads and bridges during this economic downturn. Ecological projects are part of the mix -- and that bodes well for Florida.


Endangered Kemp ridley turtle.

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

"it's all connected"

Florida environmental and wildlife news for the week ending 7-3-09

FEATURED STORIES

Boom in wood stork numbers sparks debate over endangered status
By Curtis Morgan
Miami Herald
Related editorial: Don't delist bird
Related Palm Beach Post story: Endangered wading birds making a comeback
The wood stork, an ungainly duckling among the Everglades' elegant wading birds, has been breeding in numbers unseen in decades.


Endangered wood storks nesting in Fred George Basin, Leon County, June 2009

Crist signs water-management bill
By Jim Ash
Tallahassee Democrat
St. Petersburg Times editorial: Crist bows down to developers again
Orlando Sentinel editorial: Our gray governor
Angering conservationists and siding with developers, Gov. Charlie Crist on Tuesday signed a controversial bill that would give water management district staff working behind closed doors more power to grant lucrative water rights.


Editorial cartoon by Dana Summers, Orlando Sentinel.

Hometown Democracy Amendment on 2010 Ballot (audio story)
By Trimmel Gomes
WFSU Public Radio
Related Eye on Miami story: On Florida Hometown Democracy, For Four!
Support Florida Hometown Democracy here.
The Florida Supreme Court last week ruled Hometown Democracy amendment will appear on the November of 2010 ballot.

Most of Fla. delegation remains opposed to drilling
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
Related Tampa Tribune story: Nelson gathers drill ban support
Florida's two U.S. senators and 22 of its 25 representatives have signed a letter to House and Senate leaders reaffirming their opposition to oil drilling that could encroach upon military missions in the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

Why the latest oil drilling bill has a good shot of passing
By Jeremy Wallace
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Sign the Progress Florida action alert here.
"The drilling fight is more about a regional battle than it is about partisanship," said Mark Ferrulo, of Progress Florida, a group based in St. Petersburg fighting the drilling proposal.

Politicians Reconsider Drilling Off Florida Coast (includes audio)
By Greg Allen
NPR
For years, oil production has been largely banned in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida.

Navy vs. Environmentalists Off Florida Coast
By Clifford Krauss
New York Times
Related Florida Times-Union story: Florida still probing Navy range’s environmental effects
Perhaps the last thing the Navy is looking for at the moment is a tangle with environmentalists.


Critically endangered Atlantic Right Whales

MORE GREEN NEWS

Turtle Lives Hinge on Eco-Passage
By Joe Follick
Lakeland Ledger
With the marshy lily pads of Lake Jackson to his right and a steady stream of zooming tractor-trailers to his left, Matt Aresco was again patrolling the one-mile stretch of U.S. 27 just minutes north of the Capitol last week where he has spent thousand of hours in the past decade.

Florida Keys "ground zero" for sea-level rise
By Cammy Clark
Miami Herald
Treasure salvors searching for an 18th-century wreck in the Florida Straits a few years ago made a fascinating but little noticed discovery. Not buried treasure. Buried land.

'Resilient' natural areas combat climate change, experts say
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
More than 50 representatives of environmental groups and state and federal agencies gathered in Leon County Thursday to discuss revising strategies for protecting Florida's wildlife in response to climate change.

Building a Bridge for Everglades Survival
By Gina Presson
Public News Service
The Everglades has been called the River of Grass, but conservation groups say it may be in danger of drying up without immediate bridging along the Tamiami Trail between Miami and Naples.

State still lets Central Florida's sludge foul Everglades, critics say
By Kevin Spear
Orlando Sentinel
The foul waters of Lake Okeechobee, the failing health of the Everglades and even sick dolphins along the South Florida coast might seem like troubles so distant they could hardly be the Orlando area's responsibility.

U.S. money going for reefs
By Cammy Clark
Miami Herald
An underwater nursery project to restore the struggling coral reefs along Florida's southern coast and the U.S. Virgin Islands will receive $3.3 million in national stimulus funding, according to an announcement Tuesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Hints of a comeback as scallop season opens
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
The expansive sea grasses in the clear waters off Taylor County wave gently in the currents and shimmering light while occasionally revealing an orange starfish, a blue crab or a clump of gray oysters.

The goal: make solar more accessible
By Tom Bayles
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Despite myriad rules that some say dissuade Floridians from using solar power and force them to remain addicted to fossil fuels, Bill Johnson of upstart Brilliant Harvest says solar power is a key element of the state's economic future.

Toddler's death renews calls to ban importing pythons to Florida
By Keith Morelli
Tampa Tribune
The suffocation of a toddler by a pet python is bolstering calls to ban the importation of the reptiles.

State park admission fees on the rise
By Nick Walter
Bradenton Herald
Florida state park enthusiasts will pay a few more dollars to enter the parks beginning Wednesday.


Editorial cartoon by Jim Morin, Miami Herald.

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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