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.

"it's all connected"

Saving Wakulla Springs

See the end of this post for more info and ways to take action.

Working together to make Wakulla spring back
By Jennifer Portman
Tallahassee Democrat

WAKULLA SPRINGS STATE PARK ‑ The limpkins haven’t returned yet, but their beloved apple snails, seeded by scientists to lure back the park’s departed signature bird, are multiplying.

The slimy hydrilla still has a grip on the swimming area, but the native eel grass biologists have planted is taking hold.

And while the quality of the water coursing out of the main vent hasn’t changed much, plans to reduce the amount of polluted runoff reaching the spring remain on track.

Wakulla Spring - the park’s centerpiece and one of the largest, deepest and most studied springs in the world - isn’t in the clear yet, experts say. But there are positive signs that recent attention to the threats it faces from development and poor stewardship is making a difference.

“I look at this as our Everglades,” said Charles Pattison, president of 1000 Friends of Florida.

Now, advocates say, it’s time to keep pushing forward. On Feb. 25, scientists, planners, politicians and regular citizens will get together for a two-day conference to hear the latest scientific findings about the spring, learn about continuing efforts to improve its health and set goals for the future.

Out of the discussion, organizers hope to come up with an action plan and get a general commitment from local governments to do what is needed to protect the spring.

“We cannot rest on our laurels,” said Tallahassee City Commissioner Debbie Lightsey, who spearheaded the upcoming workshop, which is being coordinated through Pattison’s environmental group. “If you love the spring, you can’t stop after taking the first step.”

New focus: Septic tanks

A similar workshop was last held about four years ago. Much of the scrutiny at that time was on how Tallahassee's sewage was degrading water quality at the spring. Two years later, the city agreed to make improvements to its wastewater system, including spending $160 million to reduce the amount of nitrate-rich runoff that drains from its south-side spray field and flows underground directly to Wakulla Spring.

High nitrate levels are thought to be bad for springs because the nutrient fuels the growth of invasive plants such as hydrilla and algae. The state's Department of Environmental Protection is considering limiting nitrate levels at all springs to no higher than .35 milligrams per liter. Wakulla Spring's nitrate level has been hanging steady in recent years at .5 milligrams per liter.

Despite some delays related to Tropical Storm Fay, the city's system upgrades are underway. So, this year's conference will focus on the creeping problem of septic tanks.

There are about 20,000 septic tanks in southern Leon and Wakulla counties, the most fragile part of the spring basin. It's a number expected to grow. That troubles those concerned about the health of the spring, because while the volume of wastewater from the city sewer system is greater, the effluent from individual septic tanks contains higher nitrate concentrations.

Brian Katz, researcher with the United States Geological Survey, recently studied the nitrate levels in ground water near septic tanks.

"I was amazed at how much variation there was," said Katz, who will discuss his findings at the workshop. "There are a lot of unknowns yet that need to be addressed."

Springs don't obey boundaries

The workshop also will emphasize the need for local governments to work together to ensure the spring is protected.

"It's a complex problem that needs an inter-governmental approach," Pattison said.

The event will culminate with the signing of an agreement that commits in principle municipalities in the basin to make policy decisions safeguarding the spring.

"Spring protection doesn't stop at the county line," said Lindsay Stevens, Wakulla County's assistant county manager for planning since 2007. "We have a lot of enthusiastic, smart people who have gotten beyond the political boundaries and have really rallied around the issue. I think we are all poised to do something great."

That unified desire to protect the spring has helped foster cooperation between governments, particularly between Wakulla and Leon Counties, said Stevens,.

"We have accomplished a lot, and I think we are going to build on that," she said. "We want to make sure that on both sides of the line we are doing what we need to be doing. We need to be consistent."

Challenging economic times also make it more important than ever for local governments to work together, Lightsey added.

"Regional partnerships are the name of the game right now," she said. "Money is hard to come by for local governments right now, but you can't put everything on hold."

Pattison said politicians have come to recognize the importance of the spring to voters.

"It's a complex problem that needs an inter-governmental approach," he said. "I don't think anybody wants to see the decline of Wakulla Springs happened on their watch."

Public education

Community sensitivity to the problems facing the spring has never been higher, experts say.

"Overall, there is a much greater awareness in the community about what the issues are and how they can get involved," said park manager Brian Fugate.

One-time critics of government stewardship of the spring now have mostly good things to say about restoration efforts.

"Most of the Friends are feeling hopeful," said Jack Leppert, of the citizen's group Friends of Wakulla Springs. "We are beginning to see some improvement."

Leppert said the once-weed choked area in front of his dock down river is clear enough to push a canoe through for the first time in years.

But there is more to do, and organizers of the event are hopeful that members of the public also will take the time to attend the event. Jim Stevenson, coordinator of the Wakulla Springs Basin Working Group, said he's made the scientists promise to speak in layman's terms.

"It has taken 30 years of sloppiness on our part to degrade the spring. It's going to take 30 years of good management practices to restore it," Stevenson said. "Whoever works or lives in the basin has a role to play."


MORE INFO AND WAYS TO HELP
Attend the Wakulla Springshed Restoration Workshop
When: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25, and 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 26.
Where: Tallahassee Antique Car Museum, U.S. Highway 90 and Interstate 10.
Cost: $30. The fee is payable at the door, but organizers are encouraging early registration by going to the Web site here. The fee covers the cost of lunch the first day, snacks and drinks. For more information, contact Dan Pennington at (850) 222-6277, ext. 105.
Check out the Tallahassee Democrat editorial Saving Wakulla Springs: You Can Do Your Part Right Now for suggested ways to take action today.
Click the picture below to visit and support Friends of Wakulla Springs:

Endangered manatee at Wakulla Springs.

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"

Once again, lawmakers fail to protect Florida springs

Once again, Florida springs protection fails in session
By Bruce Ritchie
Tallahassee Democrat
May 12, 2008

To some springs supporters, it seemed a modest proposal.

Legislation sponsored by Sen. Burt Saunders, R-Naples, called for a pilot project in Marion County to establish protection zones for Silver and Rainbow Springs. Creating the zones would lead to reductions in nitrogen from farms, sewage treatment plants and septic tanks.

The same thing has been pitched for Central Florida's Wekiva Springs and for Wakulla Springs. But efforts to begin a statewide springs-protection strategy have failed in the Legislature in recent years. And it happened again in the 2008 session.

With home builders saying that new septic tank requirements could increase the cost of homes, Saunders said sponsors of other springs bills only wanted studies. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection supported the Saunders bill.

Florida's springs are "something that attract people to Florida, that attract our tourists here," Saunders said. "The home builders may be killing the goose that laid the golden egg if they don't spend some extra effort protecting it."

A spokeswoman for the Florida Home Builders Association said her group raised concerns about the bill during a workshop early in the session but she also said her group didn't work to kill the proposal.

Some of Florida's springs have become choked with weeds and algae. Nitrogen from septic tanks, sewage treatment plants, fertilizer and livestock operations are feeding the plant growth, scientists say.

Saunders, chairman of the Senate Committee on Environmental Preservation and Conservation and term-limited out of office this year, said he introduced the bill at the request of Marion County officials. Silver and Rainbow springs in Marion County have had increasing nitrogen levels in recent years, said Jerry Brooks, director of DEP's Division of Environmental Assessment and Restoration.

The senator's bill would have required "protection zones" around Silver and Rainbow springs. The bill effectively would have required advanced sewage treatment plants or nitrogen-reducing "performance-based" septic systems.

In Tallahassee, the city has agreed to spend $160 million to provide advanced treatment at its sewage plants to protect Wakulla Springs. Wakulla County last year began requiring performance-based septic tanks and Leon County this year is considering a similar requirement near the springs.

But some home builders and developers say the advanced septic systems are too expensive or are unproven. The Florida Home Builders Association says the systems can cost $15,000 more than standard systems.

"Our concern was it would become an unnecessary financial burden on homeowners," said Edie Ousley, association spokeswoman.

The Florida Department of Health estimates the cost of performance-based septic systems at $3,000 to $5,000 more than a standard system.

Saunders' bill also would have required DEP to establish pollution limits at the Marion County springs. DEP has proposed pollution limits at Wakulla and Wekiva Springs in Central Florida.

But he said the possible House sponsor of the bill, Rep. Debbie Boyd, D-Newberry, only wanted to do a study of springs statewide -- a study that Saunders said had already been done. Boyd said this week that Marion County officials told her during the session they were concerned about the Saunders bill.

Saunders said he let his bill die in a Senate committee, while Boyd's bill to study the springs died in the House.

"There was no sense in doing another study," Saunders said.


A tour boats cruises the surface of Wakulla Springs.


MORE INFO
Support Friends of Wakulla Springs State Park.
Click here and here to learn more about springs via the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
Recommend reading: Florida Springs blog.



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"