Thank you Florida Forever!

Fred George Basin in Leon County would not have been saved without critical funding provided by the state’s Florida Forever land acquisition grant program. Thank you Florida Forever!

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

Ecotourism in Florida: Take Birding, Biking to the Bank
Editorial
Lakeland Ledger
Published Sunday, January 2, 2011

New census figures last month pegged Florida's population at 18.8 million residents. "With a gain of more than 2.8 million people [this past decade], it is clear that, even in these tough economic times, Florida is a thriving state rich with opportunity," said Gov.-elect Rick Scott.

Scott's 7-7-7 plan envisions seven steps to create 700,000 new jobs in Florida over the next seven years. Not surprisingly, former business CEO Scott thinks most of those steps should involve cutting taxes, shrinking government and eliminating regulations on the private-sector.

"Find me 700,000 jobs and I'll do pretty much anything," Scott said at one meeting with state lawmakers.

But as a businessman, Scott must realize that sometimes you have to invest money to make money. And that's as true in government as it is in business.

With the state's multibillion-dollar tourist industry hurting, Scott is proposing doubling Florida's tourism promotion budget to $62.5 million.

That's a good start, but it's only a beginning.

Consider the potential of nature-based tourism -- ecotourism -- in Florida. In the first half of this decade, for instance, birders and wildlife watchers spent $3.1 billion in Florida. Add the potential economic impact of hiking, camping, cycling, kayaking, fishing, hunting and other outdoor activities, and the potential payback to businesses and to entrepreneurs who cater to ecotourists is enormous.

But in a state that will likely top 20 million people in the next decade, protecting the natural assets that make Florida a nature-lover's paradise is paramount. Here are three things Scott and the Legislature should invest in to help preserve and grow nature-based tourism in the Sunshine State:

FUND FLORIDA FOREVER

Floridians have been investing in the acquisition and preservation of unspoiled beaches, wetlands, forests, uplands and prairies since the administration of Reubin Askew. In a state known for its urban sprawl and unbridled growth, the 2.4 million acres of public lands preserved form the backbone of "natural" Florida. The economic payback on that investment now and in the years to come is incalculable.

"Florida enjoys a $65 billion annual tourism industry that is inextricably linked to the utilization and enjoyment of our state's natural resources. Florida Forever and its predecessor Preservation 2000 are largely responsible for these protected natural resources that Floridians and visitors enjoy," says a 2009 study by the Nature Conservancy on the economic benefits of land conservation. "Tourism is Florida's largest single economic engine, and it can be sustainable provided that we conserve enough of what makes our state special."

SUPPORT STATE PARKS

Our state park system has been recognized as one of the best in America. State parks attract 21 million visitors a year and impact local economies to the tune of more than $1 billion annually.

The Nature Conservancy report determined that "for every 1,000 people attending a state park, the total direct impact on the local community is more than $43,400."

Consider Colk Creek State Park. Opened in 2007, it was the first new state park in Polk County in 30 years. The park is located on the 5,067-acre site of a former ranch in the Green Swamp off County Road 471, just north of U.S. 98. Its habitat ranges from cypress swamps to pine forests.

The natural site and its varied wildlife draw a steady stream of bird-watchers and other nature enthusiasts.

COMMIT TO TRAILS

Florida has more than 5,000 miles of recreational trails, and more than 4 million visitors a year use them to hike, bike and canoe. Florida's recreational trail system has been recognized as the best in the nation. The state's master plan for greenways and trails calls for connecting many of the state's most popular trails into a statewide system to link cities, towns and rural areas throughout the peninsula.

As Gov.-elect Scott searches for new jobs, he ought to realize that Florida's green assets are eminently marketable. But it will also require continued public investment to preserve, protect and expand those assets.

Turning Florida green into gold isn't alchemy but rather basic business sense.

HOW TO HELP
Support Florida Forever Coalition, of which Wildwood Preservation Society is a member. For writing your legislator and other action items click 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"

Fred George Basin cleanup in support of Florida Forever a huge success!

Note: WPS would like to thank everyone who participated Saturday, and especially our friends at FSU Environmental Service Program, The Nature Conservancy, and Save Our Shores. Special thanks as well to WPS intern Rick Ulrich.

Take A Hike, Florida
By Alexis Diao
WFSU Public Radio Tallahassee
February 22, 2010
Related link: Support Florida Forever Coalition

Some local environmentalists spent their Saturday morning picking up trash in the Fred George Basin, a sources for Tallahassee's drinking wells. The basin's clean-up is one of ten events throughout the state collectively called "Take a Hike, Florida." It was hosted by the Florida Forever Coalition.

North Florida is peppered with sinkholes, and for the most part they're all connected. The same water in the Fred George Basin, for example, can be found an hour away in Wakulla Springs.

There's a lot of connectivity here in terms of keeping the groundwater clean. The entire environment supports a tremendous number of threatened and endangered species, including the Woodstork, which is a federally endangered species.

Misty Penton is an environmental activist and founder of the Wildwood Preservation Society. She helped organize this event with the Florida State Environmental Service Program.

"Right now, there aren't any trash traps to keep the trash from draining into the sinkhole area. That means that for 34-square miles, all of the runoff garbage is going down into that sinkhole."

The basin was recently purchased as public land through Florida Forever. Eventually, it will have trash traps, which are large strainers set in the water to catch floating debris.

Until these strainers are put in place to clean the basin water, volunteers are left to do the job. Thomas University student Rick Ulrich showed off black trash bag full of finds.

"Glass bottles, aluminum bottles, some balls, tennis balls, baseballs, that sort of thing."

The Fred George Basin clean-up wasn't your everyday walk in the woods. A month after the Federal Environmental Protection Agency proposed setting tougher standards for Florida's water quality, and about a week ahead of the legislative session, the statewide campaign was sort of a pep rally for environmentalists.

One of them is volunteer and director of Government Affairs for the Florida chapter of Nature Conservancy, Andy McLeod.

"We are participating today in part to call on the Legislature to provide sufficient funding to see that Florida Forever exists next year."

One cooler, thirteen car tires, and countless glass and plastic bottles later, the volunteers call it a day.


Endangered wood stork 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.

"it's all connected"

Take A Hike Florida!

Florida Forever Presents: Take A Hike, Florida!

Events Set Across Florida on February 20

On February 20, the Florida Forever Coalition and Floridians across the state will take a hike!

In support of the Florida Forever program, the Coalition will partner with local supporters to take part in a day of hiking designed to celebrate Florida’s natural treasures and raise awareness of the Florida Forever program. The hikes will take place across the state and will be open to the public. “Take A Hike, Florida!” has planned hikes in Seminole, Pinellas, Alachua and Nassau counties, to name only a few.

In Leon County, supporters of Florida Forever will join with FSU’s Environmental Service Program, the Wildwood Preservation Society and Thomasville University students to clean up the Fred George Basin. The Basin was purchased in part by an FCT grant, part of the Florida Forever program. The public is welcome and encouraged to bring a picnic lunch, work gloves and a willingness to get dirty! Participants should meet at the gates of the Fred George Basin Greenway, located ½ mile east of Capital Circle. For directions please contact Misty Penton at 850-559-9661.

The Coalition is celebrating 20 years of successful public land conservation under Florida Forever and its predecessor, Preservation 2000. The combined programs have protected more than 2.4 million acres of land. The land has many uses, from recreation to water quality preservation to protecting our military. Florida Forever has touched nearly every county in Florida and greatly improved our state’s quality of life.

Last week, Gov. Charlie Crist included funding for Florida Forever in his 2010-11 proposed state budget. The Florida Forever Coalition is urging the Legislature to follow the Governor’s example and provide funding for the program, despite the current economic climate. The recent economic downturn has provided unprecedented opportunities for the state to purchase critical environmental lands for bargain prices. This makes funding essential to the integrity of the program’s ability to negotiate future deals.

Successful Florida Forever projects include Pinhook Swamp, Annutteliga Hammock, Kissimmee River/Chain of Lakes, Pumpkin Hill, Topsail Hill Preserve State Park, Green Swamp, Fisheating Creek Ecosystem, the Archie Carr Sea Turtle Refuge, Yellow River Ravines, Seven Runs Creek, and Pier Park, to name a few.

Details on the Fred George Basin cleanup, including information on carpooling from FSU, is available here.

Fledgling egrets nesting in Fred George Basin, May 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.

"it's all connected"

Major update on effort to save Fred George Basin

Major update on effort to save Fred George Basin

The Leon County Commission voted unanimously Tuesday night to purchase two critically important land parcels as part of the Fred George Basin conservation project. This marks the third and fourth out of five tracts that will comprise the 175-acre Fred George Basin Greenway.

Wildwood Preservation Society was formed in April 2006 to challenge a rezoning notice that, if approved, would have allowed reckless high-density development in the Fred George Basin floodplain, an area active with endangered wildlife and that had already suffered from nearby sprawl. Thanks to the hard work and support of many, many individuals and a coalition of concerned organizations, the heart of Fred George Basin has largely been saved. The Fred George Basin Greenway is slated to eventually open as a public park with low-impact recreation such as hiking trails.


Endangered wood storks in Fred George Basin, May 2009. Photo courtesy Rich Leighton, Florida Nature Photography.

Detailed background (adapted from Leon County Commission Agenda Item 38 from the Oct. 13, 2009 meeting): The Fred George Basin, located in northwestern Leon County, is made up of several parcels that contain developable uplands as well as flood prone areas, wetlands, and the Fred George Sink. The three parcels that form the core of the Fred George Basin were owned by R.P. Properties, LLC. (R.P.), the Maples family, and Christina Maples. The owners applied for a rezoning of their property from RA to R-3 in April 2006. Prior to the Planning Commission hearing on the requested rezoning, petitions were filed with the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings (DOAH) by Wildwood Preservation Society founder Misty Penton, a nearby resident, claiming that the substantial increase in residential density would change the nature of the rural community, increase runoff in the Fred George Basin, cause flooding within some neighborhoods, and have a negative impact on threatened and endangered species in the area. Standing to challenge was found in two of the three rezoning requests (R.P. and James Maples). Due to an interest by the County to obtain the parcels, the rezoning requests were voluntarily postponed by the owners, and the DOAH hearing placed in abeyance, pending a decision on final disposition of the property.

At the October 10, 2006 Board meeting, the acquisition of the parcels was discussed under Commissioners’ time and staff was directed to develop an agenda request concerning this issue. The agenda item went before the Board at the December 12, 2006 regular meeting. After discussion, the Board voted to acquire the tract owned by R.P. Properties LLC, the most environmentally sensitive parcel, upon dismissal of the rezoning request, with the option to acquire the James Maples and Christina Maples property at a future time. In addition, the Board directed staff to seek Blueprint 2000 (BP 2000) funding for the acquisition of all three properties.

At the February 13, 2007 regular meeting, an agenda item concerning the proposed Fred George Basin Greenway went before the Board. After discussion, staff was directed to seek funding for the acquisition of the three original parcels and two additional parcels, the four-acre Schwartz property, located to the north of the original three parcels, and the 13-acre Cavanagh property, located to the east of the original three parcels. Staff was directed to seek the additional funding required for the acquisition by submitting a Florida Communities Trust (FCT) Grant application to the Florida Department of Community Affairs (DCA).

In January 2007, the County submitted a request to BP 2000 to reclassify the Fred George Basin project from a Tier 2 to a Tier 1 to obtain BP 2000 funding. In addition, the County requested that BP2000 utilize the funding originally allocated for Lake Jackson projects to the Fred George Basin project since many of the Lake Jackson projects had been completed by the County using other sources of funding. BP 2000 staff submitted this proposal to their Technical Review Committee (TRC) on February 8, 2007.

The TRC considered the issue and formally recommended the transfer of $2.691 million from the Lake Jackson project to the Fred George Basin project. This recommendation was presented to the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC). The CAC concurred with the TRC, and formally recommended the transfer $2.691 million to the Fred George Basin project and to begin the reclassification process necessary to move the project from Tier 2 to Tier 1. This recommendation went to the BP 2000 Intergovernmental Agency (IA) meeting on February 26, 2007. The IA directed BP 2000 staff to schedule the public hearing necessary to move the Fred George Basin project to Tier 1 and, upon the reclassification, transfer no more than $2.77 million to the project. At a public hearing on June 4, 2007, the IA approved the reclassification of the project to Tier 1 and the allocation of no more than $2.77 million to the project.

Concurrent with the process of seeking funds through BP 2000, the Tallahassee-Leon County Planning Department (Planning) and the Grants Program Coordinator, working with Wildwood Preservation Society, developed and submitted a FCT application for the Fred George Basin Greenway project. The application called for reimbursement to the County after the parcels were acquired through a voluntary negotiated transaction. The application was successful, ranking the Fred George Basin Greenway project 5th out of 110 applicants, and the County executed an agreement with FCT on January 15, 2008.

In order to expedite the acquisition of the properties, County staff ordered appraisals for all five parcels. Since FCT would utilize the appraised value in determining the amount of reimbursement to the County, the FCT process of appraisal was utilized. Two state-certified appraisers were retained, and appraisals were done for each parcel. A third state-certified appraiser reviewed the appraisals to insure accuracy, and developed a Maximum Approved Purchase Price (MAPP).

At its regular meeting of December 9, 2008, the Board approved the purchase of the RP property for $900,000, and allocated an additional $200,000 for environmental cleanup of the site. At its July 14, 2009 regular meeting, the Board approved the purchase of the Dan Schwartz property for $100,000. Both parcels have since been purchased.

With the purchase of the two newest properties, four of the five parcels originally planned for acquisition are now County owned. More than 160 acres have been saved to date. Currently Leon County staff is negotiating with the owners of the fifth parcel, a 13-acre piece that is predominantly flood plain and bottomland forest.


Egret chicks in Fred George Basin, May 2009. Photo courtesy Rich Leighton, Florida Nature Photography

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"

Take action - protect freshwater turtles!

Ed. Note: As we have detailed in earlier posts, Florida’s freshwater turtles are being fished out of our lakes and streams in large numbers and sold for food, primarily soup in China. But now, thanks to public pressure and heightened media attention, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is proposing a statewide ban on the commercial harvest of freshwater turtles. See below for details and please take action per the link below to ensure this proposal is adopted.


Florida soft shell turtle

Florida Proposes Nation's First Freshwater Turtle Harvest Ban
Press Release
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission via Environmental News Service
Florida state wildlife staffers today proposed a draft rule would ban the commercial take or sale of wild freshwater turtles.

Saving the turtle
Editorial
Florida Today
A draft rule developed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission would ban the commercial capture or sale of wild freshwater turtles.

TAKE ACTION – Protect Freshwater Turtles!
Click here to email your support for the proposed Turtle Harvest Ban to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) and cc Gov. Charlie Crist (thank you Humane Society for creating this easy way to take action on this issue!). You can also email comments directly to turtles@MyFWC.com.
If you are in the big bend area, please consider attending the meeting April 15th at the Civic Center, 505 W. Pensacola St. in Tallahassee and speaking out in favor of the ban on commercial turtle harvesting. Details including the meeting agenda may be found here.

MORE INFO AND WAYS TO HELP
Support the Florida Turtle Conservation Trust and click here to read their March 19th press release.
Support The Lake Jackson Ecopassage.
Support The Gopher Tortoise Council.
Check out the Center for Biological Diversity report: Unsustainable Commercial Harvest of Southern Freshwater Turtles.
Our most recent blog post on this issue which includes links to New York Times and Los Angeles Times articles about Florida’s freshwater turtle crisis may be found here.



Wildwood Preservation Society is part of the Florida Endangered Species Network.



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 2-6-09

FEATURED STORIES

Florida heads for U-turn on road mandates for developers
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
One idea emerging in the Legislature to kick-start Florida's stalled growth engine: repeal the road-building mandates developers hate.

Environmentalists, Navy clash: Planned training range could harm endangered whales
By Jim Waymer
Florida Today
Navy subs could one day play war games about 60 miles off Jacksonville, with sonic pings that environmental groups fear might ring a death knell for the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale.

From state mines to gulf dead zone: the trail of Florida phosphate
By Craig Pittman
St. Pete Times
For a good example of the law of unintended consequences, look no further than the nationwide push to promote ethanol.

Zoning would preserve area's charm
By Laura Lee Corbett
Tallahassee Democrat
Tallahassee has a wonderful opportunity in the coming days and weeks to protect the charm and architectural beauty — and long-term real-estate values — of one of our most unique neighborhoods.

U.S. Sugar deal too costly for state role
By Paul Quinlan
Palm Beach Post
Related: State lawmakers skewer U.S. Sugar deal
Related: Big deal threatens small towns
Related: Lobbyist ties, state appraisers' price concerns cloud U.S. Sugar deal
Gov. Charlie Crist's administration decided to put the full burden of his billion-dollar-plus Everglades initiative on taxpayers in southern Florida so as not to worsen the state's already strained budget, newly released court records show.


Critically endangered Right Whale and calf

MORE GREEN NEWS

Activists jailed for protesting Palm Beach County fossil fuel plant
By Mitch E. Perry
WMNF Community Radio Tampa
In West Palm Beach yesterday, two environmentalists were jailed and five others received probation for protesting the construction of a planned new natural gas fired power plant last February.

Nelson bill aims to ban import, trade of pythons
By Paul Quinlan
Palm Beach Post
It reads like the plot to a budget horror flick: Pythons fill up the Everglades and spread across the southern third of the United States.

Complaints About Progress Energy Increase After Rate Hike
By Yolanda Fernandez
Tampa Tribune
Homeowner Michael Martin says a 25 percent increase in his Progress Energy bills will hit him hard. He says the electricity bill for his 1,500-square-foot home could increase $75 to $150 a month, depending on how much he uses.

Progress Energy to study solar power at coal plants
Staff Report
Ocala Star-Banner
Progress Energy is teaming with the Electric Power Research Institute to examine the possibilities and engineering required to add solar energy panels to the utility company's fossil fuel plants.

Divided flock: Florida welcomes migration of whooping cranes
Staff and wire reports
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
The tallest birds in North America have a new home in Florida.

Longliners say new federal rule endangers livelihood
By Stephen Nohlgren,
St. Pete Times
Related: Sea Turtle Restoration Project press release re Commercial Bottom Longline Fishing off Florida’s West Coast
Waiting to unload a boat full of fish last week, veteran crew member Tennessee Dave Kerrick sipped a beer and summed up the anger and resignation that is sweeping Pinellas County's grouper docks. "Everybody else is going out of work because of the economy; we are going out of work because of flipping reptiles."

Gainesville's solar plan attracting attention
By Megan Rolland
Gainesville Sun
As lawmakers attempt to increase Florida's renewable energy supply and decrease the use of volatile and polluting fossil fuels, Gainesville could become a microcosm test site for a different approach.

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's freshwater turtles in peril

Note: there is more info including ways you can take action following the New York Times editorial below.

Eating the wild
Editorial
New York Times
January 26, 2009

In America, there are foragers among us, out searching for morels in the spring, and there are hunters too. Yet most of our food, except for fish caught from the sea, is farmed. We do not trap songbirds for savory pies. (We destroy too many of them through other means.)

Once you look beyond the parochial culinary habits of most Americans you discover that wildness, and the tastes associated with it, have a talismanic power that is very hard to eradicate. It is what keeps the Japanese whaling and keeps some Africans eating bush meat. And it is one of the things that helps explain the voracious and utterly destructive Chinese appetite for turtles.

As global wealth rises, so does global consumption of meat, which includes wild meat. Turtle meat used to be a rare delicacy in the Asian diet, but no longer. China, along with Hong Kong and Taiwan, has vacuumed the wild turtles out of most of Southeast Asia. Now, according to a recent report in The Los Angeles Times, they are consuming common soft-shell turtles from the American Southeast, especially Florida, at an alarming rate.

Some scientists estimate that two-thirds of the tortoise and freshwater turtle species on the planet are seriously threatened. Some of that is secondhand damage — loss of habitat, water pollution, climate change. But far too many turtles are being lost to the fork and the spoon.

In the United States, the solution is relatively straightforward. States should impose much tighter restrictions on the harvesting and export of wild turtles. Internationally, the problem is more complicated. There have been efforts to monitor the species of wild turtles found in Chinese markets, but as long as the appetite for turtles — and traditional medicines derived from them — persists, we fear it will be hard to curtail such a profitable and disastrous trade.


Live softshell turtles from Florida on sale at a fish market in Chinatown, Los Angeles.

HOW YOU CAN HELP
Email Gov. Charlie Crist at Charlie.Crist@MyFlorida.com and urge him to expedite the banning of Florida’s freshwater turtle harvest.

RELATED NEWS STORIES
Asia appetite for turtles seen as a threat to Florida species
The turtle tank at Nam Hoa Fish Market is empty, but not to worry: The manager of this bustling Chinatown store says he has plenty in back.
Los Angeles Times
December 27, 2008
China gobbling up Florida turtles
A rising demand in China for turtles for food and medicine has led to the round-up of thousands of turtles from Florida's lakes, ponds and canals.
St. Petersburg Times
October 6, 2008

MORE INFO AND WAYS TO HELP
Support the Florida Turtle Conservation Trust and click here to read their November 28th press release.
Support The Lake Jackson Ecopassage.
Support The Gopher Tortoise Council.
Check out the Center for Biological Diversity report: Unsustainable Commercial Harvest of Southern Freshwater Turtles.

 
 
 Wildwood Preservation Society is part of the Florida Endangered Species Network.



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 1-2-09

FEATURED STORIES

2009 a big year for the Everglades
By Kevin Lollar
Ft. Myers News-Press
By September, the South Florida Water Management District will know whether it is financially strong enough to borrow $1.34 billion so it can buy 180,000 acres from U.S. Sugar Corp.

Walton County restoration featured in "Wildlands Philanthropy" book
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Environmental News
M.C. Davis said he'd forgotten the visit about six years ago by a photographer and author who interviewed him and took photographs of his property, about 48,000 acres in Walton County.

State report backs nuclear power as clean energy
By Christine Stapleton
Palm Beach Post
Florida's energy future should be "clean" - not just "renewable" - and include nuclear power as a source of green energy, according to recommendations from the staff of utility regulators released Wednesday.

Climate change increases problems for Florida reefs
By Curtis Morgan
Miami Herald
The last, largest stands of ancient elkhorn coral survive in shallow waters off North Key Largo, where rough seas sometimes expose thick golden branches reaching toward the sunlit surface.

Asia appetite for turtles seen as a threat to Florida species
By Kim Christensen
Los Angeles Times
The turtle tank at Nam Hoa Fish Market is empty, but not to worry: The manager of this bustling Chinatown store says he has plenty in back.

Live softshell turtles from Florida are on sale at a fish market in Chinatown, Los Angeles.


MORE GREEN NEWS

Sugar deal renews hope for the Everglades
By Sara Fain
Tallahassee Democrat
In recent weeks, we've seen plenty of criticism about the details of the proposed purchase by the South Florida Water Management District of 181,000 acres of U.S. Sugar Corp. land for the benefit of Everglades restoration.

Groups seek 'critical' habitat for manatees
By Jim Waymer
Florida Today
About a dozen popular manatee hangouts in Brevard County -- many in residential canals -- could be added to a federal habitat protection list if environmentalists get their way.

Climate change increases problems for Florida reefs
By Curtis Morgan
Miami Herald
The last, largest stands of ancient elkhorn coral survive in shallow waters off North Key Largo, where rough seas sometimes expose thick golden branches reaching toward the sunlit surface.

Florida's Sawfish Population In Sharp Decline
By Neil Johnson
Tampa Tribune
With its imposing size, prehistoric appearance and unique barbed snout, the sawfish once was a common sight in Florida waters, often hauled to docks as a trophy catch or dispatched by fishermen when nets ensnared the toothy bill.

Hometown Democracy vs. Smart Growth (includes video)
WJHG NBC News 7
Panama City
War is raging between two groups pushing controversial amendments for the 2010 ballot. Hometown Democracy and Smart Growth want to limit the power city and county governments have over new developments.

Right whale rescued
By Dinah Voyles Pulver
Daytona Beach News-Journal
State and federal officials rescued an endangered right whale off the northeast Florida coast during the weekend, successfully disentangling hundreds of feet of rope and fishing gear from the whale.

Shy, rich farmers thrust in spotlight as players in U.S. Sugar deal
By Susan Salisbury
Palm Beach Post
The buzz in the close-knit Florida grower crowd started in 2000: A wealthy Missouri farmer was buying groves. Lots of groves.

As some seek to cool their bills, energy savings debate between FPL, environmentalists boils
By John Dorschner
TC Palm
In all the complex discussions about how to combat global warming, Vicki Eckels does her small part in her Fort Lauderdale home: She sets her air conditioning thermostat at 85 degrees, has stuffed extra insulation into her roof and runs the water heater only 90 minutes a day.

Mine obstacle in U.S. Sugar deal
By Paul Quinlan
Palm Beach Post
Gov. Charlie Crist's $1.34 billion bid to repair the Everglades by buying nearly all of U.S. Sugar Corp.'s farmland comes with a small demand that could lead to big headaches: Forget plans for a 7,000-acre rock mine on the property.





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"

18-year-old should have help in fight for Brooker Creek Preserve

Ed. Note: Having gained firsthand knowledge of the hurdles citizens face in fighting land use abuses, Wildwood Preservation Society acknowledges and thanks Mathew Poling for his effort!



18-year-old should have help in fight for Brooker Creek Preserve
By Diane Steinle
St. Pete Times
December 21, 2008

A teenager's lawsuit may finally reveal how Pinellas County government managed to construct buildings in the Brooker Creek Preserve, where land regulations state that nothing may be built.

Pinellas County has almost a million residents, but only one, 18-year-old Mathew Poling, cared enough to use every tool at his disposal to try to figure that out and ensure that the 8,000-acre Brooker Creek Preserve in northeast Pinellas is protected from development.

Along the way, Poling says he learned a lot about roadblocks citizens encounter when they try to fight the government on land issues.

Last week, Poling was fighting the flu and cramming for final exams at the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he is a freshman. But to him, the most important thing he had to do all week was get to the Pinellas County Courthouse and file his case against the county.

Poling wrote the lawsuit, motions and subpoenas himself after failing to find an attorney who would challenge Pinellas or do so at a price he could afford. Poling said he learned how to write those legal documents by "doing a lot of research in the law library," and he is paying the costs out of his college money. When the case goes before a judge, Poling will have to represent himself in the courtroom. He will be opposed by the well-staffed and well-funded Pinellas County Attorney's Office.

Soft-spoken Poling, who is nothing if not focused and methodical, says he is "kind of nervous about the whole thing, but I just have to get ready for it."

He has been working to preserve the Preserve for three years, first as a 15-year-old officer in the otherwise all-adult Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve, and now on his own. Others have given up on the difficult research required to figure out what the county is doing in the publicly owned preserve, or they have decided to compromise with county officials who say some kinds of development are appropriate in the preserve.

Poling knows the preserve well, having grown up in a home that borders it. He and his father, Steve, led tours of the preserve and have been outspoken advocates for it.

Poling got upset when the county wanted to build things in the preserve like ballfields and horse stables and water treatment plants. He was appalled when the county flattened 40 acres for a planned water blending plant. He fired off e-mails to county officials, asked detailed but respectful questions at public hearings, read documents and studied maps.

And he discovered something curious. The county had done a lot of building in the preserve: two office buildings, two water treatment facilities, an education center, a pole barn, roads and parking lots. The county had done all that even though Brooker Creek Preserve lands are designated as preservation in the countywide land use plan, a plan created under state law, and none of those activities are allowed in the preservation category.

Poling was convinced the county was illegally developing the preserve, but he was stunned to discover that land development law gave him no route to challenge the county unless he was a landowner directly affected by the county's projects.

His desperation grew when the county began work in recent months to amend the countywide land use rules in ways that would make those structures legal and allow further construction of things like water lines, wells, water storage tanks and even a reservoir on parts of the preserve. Public hearings on those amendments are set for Jan. 6 and Jan. 20.

Back at the law library, Poling searched for some way to stop it. He decided that the county's construction in the preserve met the state's legal definition of a public nuisance — "any place where any law of the state is violated" — and as a citizen, he believed he could sue on behalf of the state to stop and abate a public nuisance.

So he did. Last week he also filed a motion for a temporary injunction to prevent the county from using the facilities in the preserve or from amending the countywide land use rules before his lawsuit goes to court. A judge will hear that motion Jan. 7.

The county has admitted no wrongdoing and is expected to mount a well-prepared and professional defense — that is, if Poling's lawsuit isn't thrown out on some technicality that he didn't unearth in the UF law library.

Poling's solitary fight strikes me as a little sad, since there should be an army of environmental types lined up behind him to keep things like five-story structures and reservoirs out of Brooker Creek Preserve. But perhaps it is no surprise that it took the energy and idealism of a young person to get this far in such a one-sided fight.

And it should be no surprise to anyone that Poling's goal in life, after all this, is to become an attorney specializing in land use law.

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Learn more by clicking here to visit the Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve website.



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"