Florida environmental and wildlife news for the week ending 2-12-10

FEATURED STORIES

Federal agency rejects habitat protection for Florida panthers

By Craig Pittman

St. Petersburg Times

For the second time, federal wildlife officials have rejected a request that they designate thousands of square miles of South Florida as critical habitat for the Florida panther, the agency announced Thursday.

E-mail your representative: Save our last 100 panthers

Environment Florida

Experts say our government can save our last 100 Florida panthers by putting 3,548 square miles of South Florida wetlands out of the reach of big developers, miners and road-builders.

Land-buying in crosshairs of Florida House panel

By Bruce Ritchie

FloridaEnvironments.com

Members of a house budget-writing panel today took another shot at the Florida Forever land-buying program.

Suit threatened over pesticide risks to Florida's animals

By Steve Patterson

Florida Times-Union

From panthers to shy salamanders in Baker County’s woods, Florida’s federally protected species have become players in a bid by environmentalists to tighten controls on pesticide use.

Florida cities need to get ready for rising seas, researcher says

By Steve Patterson

Florida Times-Union

Florida cities can protect themselves now from hurricane damage by getting ready for sea levels to rise someday, a coastal expert told beach engineers meeting Friday.

Hurricanes, sea level rise and creating sustainable communities

By Matthew Cimitile

WMNF Community Radio Tampa

As a peninsula surrounded by water and prone to extreme storms, Florida is one of the states with the most to lose if sea levels rise to the degree experts predict.

Farming water: new plan for Everglades restoration would pay ranchers to use land for storing water

By Paul Quinlan

Palm Beach Post

Jimmy Wohl's father got his unlikely start in the cattle business in 1962, snapping up 320 acres of military surplus land in western Broward County for $25 an acre and setting 10 cows loose on the property.

Florida Cabinet approves 2,800-acre land buy

By Bruce Ritchie

FloridaEnvironments.com

The governor and Cabinet today approved the state purchase of 2,849 acres in Jefferson County.

State is looking at streamlining permit process for developers

By Catherine Whittenburg

Tampa Tribune

With more than 1 million residents out of work, state lawmakers are trying to concoct the right blend of business incentives to bring jobs to Florida.

Florida Black Bear

THE BIG OIL ROUNDUP

The Big Oil roundup: news and information about Big Oil’s push to rig Florida’s coastline for the week ending 2-12-10:

Hands Across The Sand coverage

Offshore drilling opponents to join hands in protest Saturday

By Bill Cotterell

Tallahassee Democrat

Related: Google map of Sat. Feb 13^th Hands Across the Sand events in your area

Black-clad opponents of offshore oil drilling hope to mount the biggest protest in Florida history by joining hands along the coastline Saturday.

A Line in the Florida Sand

By Glen Gardner

Public News Service Florida

On Saturday, thousands of Floridians will literally draw a line in the sand to fight near-shore oil and gas drilling.

Oil-drilling opponents to join hands in protest

By Kevin Spear and Ludmilla Lelis

Orlando Sentinel

The Florida Keys Community College environmental club plans to show up Saturday dressed in black to symbolize an oil spill.

"Hands Across the Sand" - People gather in protest of Florida off-shore oil drilling

By Kathryn Bursch

10 Connects Tampa Bay

Even on a cool day, the Dahl family from North Dakota enjoys looking for shells and walking along St. Pete Beach.

One man draws a line in the sand against oil drilling: Dave Rauschkolb is hoping opponents will join hands on Feb. 13

By Deborah Wheeler

Ft. Walton Sun

When Bud & Alley’s owner Dave Rauschkolb hosted House of Representatives hopeful David Pleat at his 30A restaurant in October, he heard him issue a call to action against drilling for oil off his beautiful beaches.

Florida beach towns plan protest against oil drilling

By Curtis Morgan

Miami Herald

Beachside communities and environmentalists have planned a statewide protest against offshore oil-drilling on Saturday.

Offshore oil drilling foes to protest on beaches

By Craig Pittman

St. Petersburg Times

Opponents of offshore drilling are hoping thousands of people dressed in black will join them Saturday holding hands on beaches around the state for 10 minutes.

Oil-drilling protest planned Saturday on Pinellas beaches

By Dennis Joyce

Tampa Tribune

There may be more hand-holding in Pinellas than anywhere in Florida on Saturday when people at a dozen local beaches join a statewide oil-drilling protest.

Offshore drilling opponents plan beach lineup

By Dinah Voyles Pulver

Daytona Beach News-Journal

Volunteers are expected to line up along the coast Saturday in Florida to protest proposals for oil drilling in the state's offshore waters.

Oppose offshore drilling with strong show of hands

By Cathy Harrelson

Tampa Tribune

It isn't always easy to organize people in a far-flung state like Florida. But we're trying to do it to stand up for our beaches.

Other drilling news

Drilling off Florida: A closer look at the risks

Offshore Drilling Factsheet

Florida Coastal and Ocean Coalition

A closer look at the facts proves hands-down that drilling is shortsighted, reckless, and simply not worth the economic or environmental risk.

Offshore oil drilling supporters prize access to federal waters

By Paul Flemming

Ft. Myers News-Press

Sometimes the money quote takes some time.

House panel hears about oil spills, beach sand

By Bruce Ritchie

FloridaEnvironments.com

Members of a House panel Wednesday were provided with oil spill figures and they were told that seismic research is needed to find offshore deposits of beach sand before oil drilling is allowed.

Ag commish candidate: 'No, baby, no' to drilling

By Matt Dixon

Panama City News Herald

Democratic candidate for Agriculture Commissioner Scott Maddox held a press conference Wednesday with Mayor Scott Clemons regarding their opposition to offshore oil drilling.

Offshore oil drilling forum draws more than 125 on both sides of the issue

By Eric Staats

Naples News

Florida legislators in Tallahassee are teeing up a debate over drilling for oil in state waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

A Dark Cloud Lingers Over Our Beaches (scroll down to page 7)

By Sarah E. Gerard

Pinellas Scene

On Saturday, February 13, thousands of Florida residents will stand up on their local beaches in protest of a legislative bill threatening offshore drilling within 3 to 10 miles of the shoreline.

Don’t drill the heart out of economy

By Citizen Contributor

Collier Citizen

As a concern citizen of Southwest Florida (Naples) I’d like to draw the attention onto the Florida Drilling issue.

To drill or not to drill: South Walton High School holds forum

By Angel McCurdy

Northwest Florida Daily News

Just weeks before the Legislature takes up the issue, supporters and opponents had their say Thursday on a proposal to drill for oil off Florida’s coast.

Sun takes the pulse of the region on gulf drilling

By Deborah Wheeler

Ft. Walton Sun

Big Oil may face big opposition in South Walton, a recent informal poll from The Sun reveals.

Transcript of Skytruth’s John Amos to Senate on Offshore Oil Drilling

By Congressional Aid

ThatsMyCongress.com

The following is our transcription of the November 19, 2009 testimony of John Amos of Skytruth, a non-profit environmental imaging organization, to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Environmental monitoring 'tardy and superficial'

By David Weber

ABC News

Related: Too early to assess oil spill damage

The environmental monitoring program in the wake of last year's oil spill in the Timor Sea has been described as 'superficial'.

TAKE ACTION NOW

Write Your State Senator: Big Oil's Promises Are "Empty"
Big Oil and their hired hands in Tallahassee have sworn that drilling Florida’s coast would be “invisible” – that there would be no unsightly rigs just a few miles off our coast. We know different – and a recent eye opening story in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune has proven Big Oil’s promises completely “empty.” Click the picture above – keeping the pressure on by letting our State Senators know people like you are paying attention is how we’ll beat Big Oil.

MORE ONLINE ACTIONS

Urge President Obama’s Ocean Policy Task Force to recommend against offshore drilling within any previously protected coastal waters, via Defenders of Wildlife.
Tell Obama: Offshore Drilling is NOT the Answer to Energy Crisis, via Oceana.
Help Drill for Solutions Not for Oil, via Southern Alliance for Clean Energy.
Let us decide! Petition to Governor Charlie Crist, Senate President Jeff Atwater, and House Speaker Larry Cretul, via Civic Concern.
Contact Your Officials About New Drilling Off Florida's Coasts, via Civic Concern.
Ask your state legislators to keep the rigs out, via Save the Manatee Club.
Write a letter to the editor, via Audubon of Florida.
Write your state legislators, via Audubon of Florida.
Urge Senate President Jeff Atwater to oppose offshore oil drilling, via Progress Florida.
Tell Sen. Atwater Not To Allow Oil Drilling In Special Session, via Audubon of Florida.
Sign the petition against oil drilling, via Protect Florida’s Beaches.
Tell Salazar: No drilling off Florida's Coast, via Environment Florida.
Tell new Senator LeMieux to Repower America, via Environment Florida.
Related action: Don't go drill crazy in the Everglades, via Center for Biological Diversity.
Related action: Keep oil drilling out of climate change legislation, via Oceana.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES OF NOTE
Hands Across The Sand website; their Twitter page is here.
Protect Florida’s Beaches, recently launched coalition website.
Protect Florida’s Beaches on Facebook.
Think, Baby, Think blog via Protect Florida’s Beaches.
Don’t Drill Florida website.
Don’t Drill Florida Facebook page.
Save Our Shores Florida website; their Twitter page is here.
Save Our Shores Florida Facebook page.
Florida Coastal and Ocean Coalition website.
Environment Florida offshore drilling page.
Southern Alliance for Clean Energy offshore drilling page.
Skytruth blog, an excellent source of info.
Not the Answer blog, courtesy Surfrider Foundation.
Eye-opening map of oil and gas leases and infrastructure in Gulf of Mexico, via MMS.
EnergyFLA.com, online hub of drilling proponents; their Twitter page is here.

”We really do want to do for Florida, what oil and gas has done for Texas.” – M. Lance Phillips, the Texas oilman leading the charge to overturn Florida’s ban on oil drilling.

MORE GREEN NEWS

Cold took heavy toll on Florida wildlife

By Curtis Morgan

Miami Herald

Despite four decades of slogging through Everglades marshes and mangroves, wildlife ecologist Frank Mazzotti had never experienced anything like the aftermath of frigid January.

Long wait for help is over

By Michael Collins

Miami Herald

Florida Bay patiently has been waiting her turn for environmental restoration efforts

No Jim King, no push for clean energy in Florida

By Brandon Larrabee

Florida Times-Union

The death of Sen. Jim King, R-Jacksonville, could cause supporters of a drive to increase the amount of power Florida draws from renewable or nuclear sources to scale back their goals.

PSC delays vote on Gainesville's wood-burning power plant

By Christopher Curry

Gainesville Sun

The Florida Public Service Commission appeared poised to narrowly vote down Gainesville's application for a 100 megawatt wood-burning biomass power plant on Tuesday, but commissioners instead granted the city's last minute request to delay the vote in order to provide the city more time to answer state regulators' concerns.

'Dedicated' Biologist Has a Passion for Wildlife Protection

By Tom Palmer

Lakeland Ledger

It would be hard to walk into Nancy Douglass' office and not know that wildlife is her career.

NOAA to evaluate stony coral for endangered list

The Associated Press

Miami Herald

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will evaluate the status of 82 species of stony coral that could possibly be listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

How do Orange County mayoral candidates feel about Amendment 4?

By David Damron

Orlando Sentinel

Orange County's major mayoral candidates — even those now in office — cast themselves as outsiders and reformers.

PSC chairwoman says enemies want her off panel

By Bruce Ritchie

FloridaEnvironments.com

Florida Public Service Commission Chairwoman Nancy Argenziano says Senate talk of beefing up educational requirements for the PSC is aimed at getting her off the panel.

Cleaning up fouled Florida waters can't wait

Editorial

St. Petersburg Times

The clean water standards the Environmental Protection Agency has proposed for Florida are good for public health and the state's economy.

Turf war continues

Editorial

Panama City News Herald

Related: Large marina planned for old airport site

At this point, most people probably don’t care who is responsible for growing grass at the new airport in West Bay.

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 12-11-09

FEATURED STORIES

Black bear hunting may resume in Panhandle
The Associated Press
Florida Today
Mickey Larkins would rather watch bears than hunt them.

Crane once part of Operation Migration shot
By Amanda Nalley
Tallahassee Democrat
Even though whooping cranes have been protected from hunting by the Endangered Species Act since 1973, someone in Indiana apparently did not get the message.

Foes target growth laws months before session
By Jane Healy
Orlando Sentinel
As legislators prepare for next year's session, those in favor of weakening growth laws have started lurking the halls.

Florida’s Turf War Over Fertilizer Pollution Heats Up
By Gina Presson
Public News Service Florida
The turf war over fertilizer use is heating up in Hillsborough County this week. On Wednesday, the county commission, in its dual role as the Environmental Protection Commission, considers limiting fertilizer pollution in area waterways.

Fla. delegation weighs in on EPA water standards
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
Twenty-five members of Florida's congressional delegation have signed a letter urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to work closely with state officials and industry in setting limits for nutrients in Florida waterways.

Everglades restoration advocates hail beginning of Tamiami Trail bridge
By Curtis Morgan
Miami Herald
Related editorial: One big leap for Everglades restoration
How big was Friday's Tamiami Trail bridge ground-breaking for Everglades restoration advocates and managers?

New Coalition Could Mean 10.5 Billion Dollar Restoration to Florida Everglades
By Gina Presson
Public News Service Florida
In a move that could bring billions of dollars to Florida, four of the state's environmental groups joined forces with nearly 30 other organizations this week to form the "America's Great Waters Coalition."

Wading birds' breeding rebounded over past decade -- good news for Everglades
By Curtis Morgan
Miami Herald
Wading birds, the most beautiful residents of the Everglades and key measuring sticks of its biological health, have been breeding in numbers last recorded more than a half-century ago.

An early OK for a plan to help protect manatees
By Kate Spinner
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
A state wildlife commission gave preliminary approval Wednesday to a plan for reducing manatee deaths here by expanding slow boat speed zones.

FL Could Benefit From Climate Summit Treaty
By Gina Presson
Public News Service Florida
Florida's hopes for a clean energy economy are running high as leaders from nearly 200 nations meet in Copenhagen, Denmark, today through Dec. 18 in an attempt to reach an international treaty to combat global warming.

Protect Florida's fish: Only a fishing ban can save red snapper, 8 others until rebound
Editorial
Miami Herald
Florida's signature fish, red snapper, has been overharvested for years in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.

Nutrient overload: Cleaning polluted surface waters no 'burden' to Florida
Editorial
Daytona Beach News-Journal
Too few Floridians are aware of the deadly nutrient overloads in Florida's surface waters.

Seize the moment on climate change
Editorial
Miami Herald
Today 56 newspapers in 45 countries take the unprecedented step of speaking with one voice through a common editorial. We do so because humanity faces a profound emergency.


The endangered wood stork is rebounding from recent nesting failures.

THE BIG OIL ROUNDUP

The Big Oil roundup: news and information about Big Oil’s push to rig Florida’s coastline for the week ending 12-11-09:



A False Solution Called Offshore Oil Drilling
By Toni Reale
Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
Our nation is at an historical crossroads with how we choose to produce the energy that fuels our way of life.

Environment Florida warns new climate bill could mean Florida drilling; asks LeMieux to join Nelson in opposition
By Lesley Clark
Miami Herald
Environment Florida is panning the approach senators have taken in a new Senate climate control bill, saying it could lead to drilling off the Florida coast.

Scott Maddox: “No Baby, No”
Don’t Drill Florida
Agriculture Commissioner Candidate Scott Maddox on nearshore oil drilling: “I can think of no better way to destroy our economy and hurt average Floridians than to mortgage our future on the risky proposition of putting oil rigs a few miles off our coast.

Keep our coastline pristine and deep six Big Oil's plans
By Jeffrey C. Ellis
Ft. Walton Sun
As a native Northwest Floridian who has lived along many of its numerous coastlines, I feel drilling for oil offshore in the Gulf of Mexico is an extremely bad idea and would be detrimental to the health of the state’s shore.

Town council tells lawmakers not to drill off our beaches
By Christina Hernandez
WINK-CBS News Southwest Florida
Some say drilling for oil off Fort Myers Beach will ruin the town, but others think it'll help the economy.

County might not go with the flow on oil drilling
By Carl Orth
The Suncoast News
Pasco County commissioners want to get to the bottom of the oil drilling issue, so they are planning a local workshop in January.

Drilling's economic impact
Editorial
Northwest Florida Daily News
On the first day of our Nov. 22-24 series, “Oil & Water,” state Rep. Dave Murzin of Pensacola described the impetus behind the renewed debate over Gulf Coast drilling.

Near-Shore Oil Drilling: Slick Technology Sham
Editorial
Lakeland Ledger
Floridians and their legislators have had many reasons to be skeptical since proposals surfaced rapidly to open near-shore waters to exploration and drilling for oil.

TAKE ACTION NOW

Write Your State Senator: Big Oil's Promises Are "Empty"
Big Oil and their hired hands in Tallahassee have sworn that drilling Florida’s coast would be “invisible” – that there would be no unsightly rigs just a few miles off our coast. We know different – and a recent eye opening story in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune has proven Big Oil’s promises completely “empty.” Click the picture above – keeping the pressure on by letting our State Senators know people like you are paying attention is how we’ll beat Big Oil.

MORE ONLINE ACTIONS
Help Drill for Solutions Not for Oil, via Southern Alliance for Clean Energy.
Let us decide! Petition to Governor Charlie Crist, Senate President Jeff Atwater, and House Speaker Larry Cretul, via Civic Concern.
Contact Your Officials About New Drilling Off Florida's Coasts, via Civic Concern.
Ask your state legislators to keep the rigs out, via Save the Manatee Club.
Write a letter to the editor, via Audubon of Florida.
Write your state legislators, via Audubon of Florida.
Urge Senate President Jeff Atwater to oppose offshore oil drilling, via Progress Florida.
Tell Sen. Atwater Not To Allow Oil Drilling In Special Session, via Audubon of Florida.
Sign the petition against oil drilling, via Protect Florida’s Beaches.
Tell Salazar: No drilling off Florida's Coast, via Environment Florida.
Tell new Senator LeMieux to Repower America, via Environment Florida.
Related action: Don't go drill crazy in the Everglades, via Center for Biological Diversity.
Related action: Keep oil drilling out of climate change legislation, via Oceana.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES OF NOTE
Protect Florida’s Beaches, recently launched coalition website.
Protect Florida’s Beaches on Facebook.
Think, Baby, Think blog via Protect Florida’s Beaches.
Don’t Drill Florida website.
Don’t Drill Florida Facebook page.
Hands Across The Sand website.
Environment Florida offshore drilling page.
Southern Alliance for Clean Energy offshore drilling page.
Skytruth blog, an excellent source of info.
Not the Answer blog, courtesy Surfrider Foundation.
EnergyFLA.com, online hub of drilling proponents; their Twitter page is here.

MORE GREEN NEWS

Governors to meet over tri-state water dispute
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
The governors of Alabama, Florida and Georgia likely won't have a proposed water-sharing agreement in hand next week when they meet to discuss the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river system, a Florida official said today.

Study on St. Johns water withdrawals extended
By Dinah Voyles Pulver
Daytona Beach News-Journal
The deadline for completion of a study on possible environmental impacts of pumping water from the St. Johns River will be extended.

State senators to visit Ocala to discuss water issues
By Fred Hiers
Ocala Star-Banner
Florida lawmakers on the powerful Senate Select Committee on Inland Waters will make Ocala their first stop next week as part of a statewide tour and public meetings to discuss water issues.
Recreational Fishing Alliance challenges red snapper closure
By Jim Sutton
Florida Times-Union
The Recreational Fishing Alliance wasted no time in mounting a legal challenge to an interim red snapper closure, announced Thursday by the federal government and entered into the Federal Registry on Friday.

Interior Secretary pledges to protect lagoon
By Megan Downs
Florida Today
Ken Salazar, secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, visited the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge Saturday morning, pledging to protect the national parks and fight global warming at the worldwide conference.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium announces Winter the dolphin inspires movie
By Dominick Tao
St. Petersburg Times
Winter the dolphin first entered the spotlight when she was pulled from a tangle of buoy line off Florida's east coast four years ago. The calf's injuries were so severe, she lost her tail.

Man's answer to conservation is blowin' in the wind
By Jim Waymer
Florida Today
The blades that spin in George T. Stringfellow's backyard help slash his electric bill by about 75 percent.

Do Florida flatwoods fight global warming?
By Kevin Spear
Orlando Sentinel
An electronic connoisseur of carbon rose above a large patch of piney wilderness near Orlando on Wednesday, sniffing for data that could play a part in any global response to the climate change being hotly debated by diplomats this week in Copehagen.

A Fake Scandal
The Progress Report
Think Progress
As delegates from countries across the globe gather at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, the world is waiting to see if international leaders will commit to the bold reductions in carbon emissions needed to curb the effects of global warming.

Cabinet rejects county landowners' efforts to intensify developments
By Jennifer Sorentrue and Michael C. Bender
Palm Beach Post
Gov. Charlie Crist and the Florida Cabinet today unanimously ordered Palm Beach County to rescind a pair of growth plan amendments that would have expanded development density for two property owners.

FWC approves draft rule changes for imperiled species listing
From the FWC
TC Palm
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) heard draft rules for endangered and threatened species in Florida at the meeting in Clewiston on Wednesday.

FWC approves rule to allow peregrine falcons for falconry in Florida
Press Release
FWC
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved a rule allowing falconers to take peregrine falcons for the sport of falconry at its meeting in Clewiston on Wednesday.

Paper or plastic? I'll take BYOB
By Sue Carlton
St. Petersburg Times
On a recent morning when I was lucky enough to walk the beach, I saw the tide had gone out, way out, leaving behind what looked like a scattering of children's toys across the sand.

Ten years after
Editorial
Gainesville Sun
It's been 10 years since the EPA was petitioned to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.



Editorial cartoon by Chan Lowe, South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Read the artist’s commentary here.

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 5-1-09

FEATURED STORIES

Future of Florida Forever depends on sugar's support
By Jim Ash
Pensacola News Journal
The fate of Florida Forever now rests in a few powerful hands.


Click the picture above to visit the Florida Forever Coalition.

Environmental bills die as House, Senate adjourn
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
No renewable energy bill. No money for Florida Forever land-buying or Everglades restoration. No California auto emissions bill. No springs bill.

Clean energy bill backed by Fla. Gov. Crist dies
By Brendan Farrington
The Associated Press
One of Gov. Charlie Crist's top priorities died as lawmakers failed to take up a clean energy bill before going home Friday with plans only to return to vote on a budget next week.

Progress Energy seeks rate hike despite nuclear plant delay
By Asjylyn Loder
St. Petersburg Times
Click here to visit NoNuke.org.
Progress Energy announced Friday a 20-month delay in building its $17 billion nuclear plant, but its customers will continue to pay for it.

Record of 39 calves born to right whales
By Jim Waymer
Florida Today
North Atlantic right whales had a banner year for breeding and several lucky escapes from perilous entanglements.

Gov't revokes rule limiting species protections
By H. Josef Hebert
The Associated Press
The Obama administration's move means scientists, not bureaucrats, once again must determine threats to endangered species.


Endangered species, such as the rare Florida panther, are expected to receive more protection following the reversal of a Bush-era regulation.

MORE GREEN NEWS

$96 million more approved for Everglades restoration
By William E. Gibson
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Everglades restoration got $96 million of economic-recovery money on Tuesday, mostly to pay for construction of a storage reservoir in Palm Beach County and improved water flow through Picayune Strand in Collier County.

River of cash: Stimulus aid for Glades
By Curtis Morgan and Lesley Clark
Miami Herald
Consider the sluggish effort to save the Glades officially stimulated.

High costs delaying nuclear power
By Mark Williams
The Associated Press
A ghost from the nuclear industry's early years has reappeared.

Florida House votes to weaken growth regulations
By Mary Ellen Klas
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Related Howard Troxler column: Is Florida without growth management what you want?
After Republican lawmakers openly chastised the governor's growth management chief Wednesday, the House passed a bill that weakens the state's growth regulations in return for encouraging tighter development in urban areas.

Offshore drilling passes first hurdle in House
By Jim Ash
Florida Today
Related editorial: Big Oil's ambush
A bitterly divided House gave preliminary approval today to a controversial plan by Republican leaders to allow oil and gas drilling as close as three miles from Florida's beaches.

Powerful gulf oil drilling lobby faces strong resistance in Florida
By Lucy Morgan and Mary Ellen Klas
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Dangling the promise of millions for the state's dwindling budget, a group of mostly unidentified oil and gas companies is bankrolling a last-minute fight to bring offshore drilling to Florida's coastline.

Community Affairs chief opposes Fla. growth bills
The Associated Press
Miami Herald
Florida's top planning official has declared his opposition to a pair of growth management bills awaiting floor votes in the Legislature.

Zoning action arouses anger
By Laura Figueroa
Miami Herald
Local activists are upset by the Sunrise City Commission's creation of a new zoning designation to smooth the way for developing a tract bordering the Everglades.

End of leaking tanks cleanup could threaten water
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
Florida's cleanup program for protecting groundwater from leaking underground tanks at gas stations will effectively end under a budget agreement between House and Senate leaders, Sen. Carey Baker said today.

FPL canals criticized as health risk
By Curtis Morgan
Miami Herald
Environmentalists and national park managers plan to fight FPL's push for rock mining approval at a county hearing, saying Turkey Point plans will put supplies of fresh water at risk.

Threatened Sea Turtles Receive Long Overdue Protections
Staff Report
Foster Folly News
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued an emergency closure of the bottom longline sector of the Gulf of Mexico reef fish fishery today in an effort to protect sea turtles from injury and death.

Local black bears are on the move
By Joe Seelig
Highlands Today
According to Pat Behnke, a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokeswoman, young Florida black bears are on the move leaving their mother's home range and venturing out on their own.

Falcon to be removed from endangered list
By Mark DeCotis
Florida Today
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is finalizing a management plan for the peregrine falcon that would allow the bird of prey to be removed from the state's endangered species list.

Ecologists band together for the birds
By Yvette C. Hammett
Tampa Tribune
Determined ecologists intent on saving America's migratory songbirds from landing on the endangered species list are studying how they use part of Tampa Bay's restored shoreline as a temporary stopover on their long migratory journey each year.

'Just build, baby' should be Legislature's new slogan
By Ron Littlepage
Florida Times-Union
Florida sure has done a bang up job of managing growth.

Unrestricted growth no solution to state's stagnant economy
Editorial
Miami Herald
The Florida Legislature is at it again, tinkering with the state's growth-management laws at the behest of builders.

Head off Florida land rush
Editorial
Palm Beach Post
The growth-at-any-cost Florida House wants to return to the bad old days when a developer could plop down a new town just about anywhere in the state.

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 2-27-09

FEATURED STORIES

Money, White House pick revive Everglades restoration hopes
By Curtis Morgan and Lesley Clark
Miami Herald
After years of tepid support, Washington appears primed to jump-start stalled Everglades restoration.

Wakulla Springs protection zone, workshop in the works
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Environmental News
See our recent post for related info
With Tallahassee seeking federal money to upgrade its sewage treatment plant, Wakulla Springs supporters now are focusing more attention on the threat to groundwater posed by septic tanks.

Bill encouraging growth angers environmentalists
By Brandon Larrabee
Florida Times-Union
See our recent post for related info
A new proposal aimed at encouraging development in urban areas to cut sprawl and juice the economy is running into resistance from environmental organizations and growth-management groups.

A lot of people rethinking nuclear power
By Russell Ray
Tampa Tribune
Visit NoNuke.org here
When Progress Energy announced plans more than two years ago to build a nuclear plant in Levy County, the project was met with little resistance.

Sansom's friend pushes for toll road through nature preserve
By Craig Pittman
St. Pete Times
Visit Nokuse Plantation’s website here
A developer closely linked to former House Speaker Ray Sansom is pushing for a new toll road to slice through a nature preserve that taxpayers spent $16.5 million to save from development.

Maybe the bears could just take taxis
By Howard Troxler
St. Pete Times
Related article: Swiftmud delays vote on Pasco land swap with developer SunWest
Florida has its own subspecies of black bear: ursus americanus floridus. It once lived all over the state, but we have hemmed it into a few remaining areas, six or eight depending on how you count.


An estimated 12,000 bears once roamed the area that is now Florida. Approximately 1,000 to 1,500 Florida black bears survive today.

MORE GREEN NEWS

Stimulus to help utilities go green
By David Hunt
Florida Times-Union
The federal stimulus package is expected to pump nearly $125 million into renewable energy projects in Florida, according to state documents.

Gainesville Betting on Solar Energy
By Zac Anderson
Gainesville Sun
Mike Roach is not your typical energy entrepreneur.

Florida State, City of Tallahassee cleared of violations in biomass project
By Bill Cotterell
Tallahassee Democrat
A grand jury quickly and emphatically cleared city and Florida State University officials of any legal or ethical violations Tuesday in planning the aborted biomass electricity project south of Tallahassee.

Lawmakers to Consider Reducing Fla. Pollution
By Brian Skoloff
Associated Press
With much of this peninsular state situated at or below sea level, parts of Florida could disappear under water if global warming predictions indicating significant sea level rise come true.

King of Spain, Fla. gov discuss renewable energy
By Jennifer Kay
Associated Press
Spain and Florida, which already share so much history, are poised to share in a future based on renewable energy projects that create new jobs and solve environmental problems, King Juan Carlos said Friday.

FL State Parks Are Back in the Game
Audubon of Florida News
Hooray! The proposal to temporarily close nineteen state parks and transfer another three to the agencies that hold title to them was not included in the Governor’s budget.

Funding brings safe haven for endangered manatees
By Robby Douglas
Citrus Daily
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) announced Monday there's $1.5 million in the 2009 federal appropriations bill for preserving and protecting Three Sisters Springs in Citrus County.

The Story of Leonard Abess, Banker
By Alan Farago
Counterpunch
In his first speech to Congress, President Obama briefly bonded with popular outrage at Wall Street's excess and greed.

Edison Farms’ vision, Mother Nature’s nightmare
By Nancy A. Payton
Naples News
Jason Wagoner’s Feb. 16 Guest Commentary, “Edison Farms fulfills vision for Lee County, Red Sox,” might better be titled “Mother Nature’s Nightmare.”

Loosening safeguards a bad move
Editorial
Ft. Myers News-Press
Business opportunities exist in good times and bad, and the shrewdest individuals look to take advantage of crisis situations.


Endangered wood stork in flight over Fred George Basin, May 2008. Photo courtesy Richard Baas.

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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