Florida environmental and wildlife news for the week ending 1-8-10

FEATURED STORIES

Manatee death rate hit record high in '09

By Curtis Morgan

Miami Herald

Related editorial: Boats, cars take high toll on Florida's creatures

It was a landmark year, good and bad, for Florida manatees.

Florida's big chill stuns sea turtles, send manatees in search of balmy waters

By Tamara Lush

The Associated Press

More than 200 manatees are wintering in a balmy canal outside a power plant, the latest exotic Florida animals seeking refuge from the state's frigid temperatures.

Tragic year in Florida for panthers

By Bill Sargent

Florida Today

For the endangered Florida Panther, 2009 will be remembered as a tragic year for road kills that went down to the last day.

Wading bird population soars in 2009

By Erika Pesantes

South Florida Sun Sentinel

Wading bird populations, specifically the endangered wood stork, soared in 2009, according to a South Florida Water Management District report.

Navy faces lawsuit over submarine training range near Jacksonville

By Ludmilla Lelis

Orlando Sentinel

With the U.S. Navy intent on building a new anti-submarine training range off the Florida coast, a group of environmentalists announced it would file a lawsuit to halt the plans, saying the range poses a risk to the world's most endangered whale.

Court records reveal trouble at Turkey Point

By John Dorschner

Miami Herald

When Coleen Ware walked into Turkey Point, she was shocked to see that the indicators showing control rod positions looked like something out of an early '70s sci-fi movie.

Florida officials look at bag ban

By Jim Ash

Tallahassee Democrat

When he gets to the register, Drew Martin always has to explain.

Historic Everglades restoration project starts in Picayune Strand

By Eric Staats

Naples News

Bulldozers carved up 55,000 acres south of Interstate 75 in rural Collier County with roads and canals, slicing through wildlife habitat and cutting off water flows.

Everglades Coalition conference to discuss restoration

By Curtis Morgan

Miami Herald

Progress, or the lack of it, on Everglades restoration is the focus of a major environmental conference this weekend in Palm Beach Gardens.

New rules put fish off limits

By Jim Waymer

Florida Today

Starting this month, Florida fishermen no longer can keep red snapper or 11 species of shallow-water grouper from the Atlantic.

Wading birds like the endangered Wood Stork have been flourishing in Florida’s wetlands this year.

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 1-8-10:

Oil drilling researchers face deadline

By Jeremy Wallace

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

A group that stands to have considerable influence over the future of oil drilling off the Florida coast is unlikely to present its findings to the Legislature until the first week of March.

Promises of jobs, revenues from offshore drilling just don't add up

By Scott Maddox

TC Palm

I am strongly opposed to allowing near-shore drilling for oil off Florida’s coast. In coming to this conclusion, I considered several questions.

Oil lobby scaling back its presence in Tally

By John Kennedy

The News Service of Florida via Orlando Sentinel

Florida Energy Associates, the group spearheading the effort to open the state’s Gulf waters to offshore oil-drilling, is scaling back its once dominant presence at the state Capitol.

Southern Strategy, hit on offshore drilling by Welch, loses bid

By David DeCamp

St. Petersburg Times

Southern Strategy Group, the influential lobbying firm based in Tallahassee, has lost a bid to be Pinellas County's consultant for its latest charter review.

CEPD chairman receives ovation following speech

By Jane Brickley

Sanibel-Captiva Islander

Mike Mullins, chairman of the Captiva Erosion Prevention District received a standing ovation from the audience last Tuesday after he addressed the Lee County Legislative Delegation at Edison State College.

Drilling in the Gulf or Hands Across the Sand?: Debate spills into Destin Chamber of Commerce

By Fraser Sherman

Destin Log

If the beauty of the Emerald Coast doesn't convince you to oppose oil drilling, South Walton's David Rauschkolb says, think of the beauty of the Emerald Coast economy.

Top Dem offshore oil drilling advocate retiring

By Jeremy Wallace

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

One of the U.S. Senate’s most vocal pro-oil drilling Democrats has announced he’s retiring and won’t see re-election in 2010.

A day at the beach

Editorial

Gainesville Sun

Would legislators take notice if tens of thousands of Floridians joined hands on Feb. 13 to protect Florida's beaches? We hope so, right now they only seem to be taking notice of Big Oil's money and influence.

Near-Shore Oil Drilling: Deep-Sea Tech Wrong for Florida

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

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.

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.

MORE GREEN NEWS

Species return as Kissimmee River restoration makes progress

By Kevin Spear

Orlando Sentinel

Biologist Lawrence Glenn knows how to sell the concept of spending $1 billion to bring the Kissimmee River and its wetlands back from the dead.

Everglades advocates gathering to push for restoration progress

By Andy Reid

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Flying low over the southern shore of Lake Okeechobee, Everglades advocates look out the window and visualize the time before sugar cane fields and cities blocked the life-giving flow of lake water that once drifted slowly south.

Obama environment officials to visit Fla.

The Associated Press

Tampa Tribune

Officials from the Obama Administration plan a visit to Florida this week for events related to ongoing Everglades restoration.

Florida joins with Ala., Ga. in seeking closed water talks

By Bruce Ritchie

FloridaEnvironments.com

Alabama, Florida and Georgia have agreed to at least one issue in their dispute over water -- that their talks on a water agreement should remain confidential.

Talks in works to protect more corridor land

By Dinah Voyles Pulver

Daytona Beach News-Journal

When two local officials proposed preserving a wildlife corridor through the center of Volusia and Flagler counties in 1998, it seemed to some an impossible dream.

Despite cold, right whales still flocking to First Coast

By Marcia Lane

St. Augustine Record

A week of cold weather isn't discouraging the annual North Atlantic right whale migration to Florida; in fact, the mammals couldn't be happier.

93 "cold-stunned" sea turtles found floating

The Associated Press

Miami Herald

Ninety-three sea turtles found floating in the Mosquito Lagoon along Florida's Atlantic coast were rescued after the cold water shocked their tropically inclined systems.

Activists decry elephant suit dismissal

Staff Report

UPI News

Animal rights activists say they disagree with the dismissal of a lawsuit against a Florida-based circus by a federal judge this week.

FPL is accused of not sharing its tax break

By Mary Ellen Klas

Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times Tallahassee Bureau

The Florida Public Service Commission said Tuesday it is looking into anonymous allegations that Florida Power & Light's parent company took an estimated $1 billion in tax credits -- and didn't pass the savings on to customers.

New leader of PSC to take on FPL's requested $1.2B rate hike

By Dara Kam

Palm Beach Post

Public Service Commission Chairwoman Nancy Argenziano, who earned a reputation as a maverick lawmaker unwilling to cede to leaders' demands, took over as head of the regulatory panel today in advance of a decision on Florida Power & Light Co.'s requested $1.2 billion-a-year rate hike.

3 states in water wars ask for confidentiality

The Associated Press

Tampa Tribune

Georgia, Alabama and Florida have asked a judge to keep their negotiations in the long-running regional legal fight over water rights confidential.

Sea grass plan doesn't cut it

Editorial

St. Petersburg Times

Boat propellers have sliced up underwater sea grass beds all around Florida, impairing the environment needed to nurture marine wildlife.

U.S. Sugar shareholder suit ends in $15.9M settlement

By Paul Quinlan

Palm Beach Post

If there was any doubt that U.S. Sugar Corp. was worth as much as its brass claimed, those doubts dissipated in June 2008 when Gov. Charlie Crist unveiled his extraordinary, $1.75 billion bid to buy the company and its land to restore the Everglades.

DEP says incineration, innovation can help reach 75-percent recycling goal

By Bruce Ritchie

FloridaEnvironments.com

Florida can increase its recycling rate to 75 percent within 10 years by requiring more recycling at construction-waste landfills, implementing innovative new programs to reduce waste disposal and by counting waste-burning as recycling, according to a state report issued today.

Florida report wants deposits on bottles, business recycling

By Steve Patterson

Florida Times-Union

Dime deposits on reusable bottles and extra fees on tires, light bulbs and landfill dumping should all be on the table to meet Florida lawmakers’ goal of recycling more trash, a state agency report released Monday says.

SRWMD purchases 6,350 acres for water conservation

By Karen Voyles

Gainesville Sun

The Suwannee River Water Management District spent $635,000 at the end of December to buy a 6,350 acre conservation easement in Suwannee and Columbia counties.

Tests find antibiotic, other contaminants in Tampa's drinking water

By Christian M. Wade

Tampa Tribune

The tap water that Tampa residents consume is contaminated with low levels of antibiotics, nicotine byproducts and a chemical used to produce firefighting foams.

Seize the sunshine, save the environment

Editorial

Miami Herald

While the economic slump has had a negative effect on almost every aspect of life in South Florida, it has given our natural world a breather.

A Florida manatee sticks it's head out of the water at the Tampa Electric Company manatee viewing site Thursday, Jan. 7, 2010 in Apollo Beach, Fla. An outflow of warm water from the power plant attracts the gentle sea creature as they seek refuge from the cold temperatures.

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 9-11-09

FEATURED STORIES

Huge oil spill off Australia cited by opponents of drilling off Florida
By Craig Pittman
St. Petersburg Times
Related editorial: Don't let this come to Florida's shores
On Aug. 21, oil began bubbling out from an offshore rig about 90 miles from Australia's coast.

More anti-drilling editorials from Florida’s major daily newspapers:
Palm Beach Post: Advice for special session: Don't take up drilling...
Florida Today: Stop the stampede
Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Stop the oil rush
Gainesville Sun: The rush job


Montara (West Atlas) Blowout and Oil Spill, Western Australia, August 2009 (note: Florida Energy Associates has touted Australia's drilling technology in their efforts to open Florida's coast).

Senate President doubts special session for oil drilling
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
Related: Associated Industries wants oil drilling on special session agenda
Senate President Jeff Atwater today said a special session of the Legislature in October is highly unlikely and he raised doubts about whether it should include consideration of lifting Florida's ban on offshore oil drilling.

Slow the rush to drill near Florida's beaches
By Eric Draper
Tallahassee Democrat
Gov. Charlie Crist recently set off speculation about adding oil drilling to the agenda for the upcoming special session of the Legislature. It was an unfortunate change of position, but not surprising for this governor who is campaigning for the U.S. Senate and appears to be leaving his own high-minded climate and energy agenda undone.

The mystery push for offshore oil
By David Guest
Tampa Tribune
News that "a secretive group of powerful legislators, business groups and Texas oil companies has been laying the groundwork" to open Florida's shores to oil and gas drilling should make all of us sit up and pay attention.

Not here and not now: the case against drilling
By Eric Ernst
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
A local environmental organization, ManaSota-88, has just released a position paper called "10 Reasons Not to Drill for Oil Offshore of Florida."

Former Florida Gov. Bob Graham tries to chill state GOP's ardor for oil
By Adam C. Smith
St. Petersburg Times
Former Florida Gov. and U.S. Sen. Bob Graham has watched the politics of offshore drilling flip 180 degrees in recent years.


Digitally mapped simulation of what the oil spill happening right now off Australia’s coast would look like if it happened from a drilling platform 80 miles from Florida’s coastline in the Gulf of Mexico.

MORE GREEN NEWS

Endangered Florida panthers feel the squeeze
By Alex Halperin
Christian Science Monitor
Related AP story: Another Fla. panther found dead on interstate
As southwest Florida struggles through the recession, the highly endangered Florida panther, which has lost much of its habitat to strip malls and gated communities, might have been expected to benefit from tough times.

Florida wildlife leaders consider using federal standards for imperiled species
By Kevin Spear
Orlando Sentinel
Related: Lightning-rod list of Florida's vanishing wildlife
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will outline the details today of a third major overhaul in less two decades of the agency's troubled efforts to list species on the brink of extinction.

Rare whales' safety pits U.S. Navy against environmentalists
By Curtis Morgan
Miami Herald
Florida isn't known for whale watching, but every winter the coastline offers a haven for endangered North Atlantic right whales.

Saving the shark that bit me
By Debbie Salamone
Bradenton Herald
Sharks rarely attack people. The odds of a shark bite are roughly one in every 11.5 million times a person visits a beach, according to the International Shark Attack File.

Miami Beach’s Sea Turtles Threatened by Its People
By Carmen Gentile
New York Times
Under the cloak of nightfall, dozens of freshly hatched sea turtles beat tiny flippers against the wet sands of Miami Beach, inching their way toward the ocean and a life aquatic.

Gopher tortoise could get protection under Endangered Species Act
By Eric Staats
Naples News
Gopher tortoises that crawl around dry scrubby habitat in Southwest Florida could be making a move under the Endangered Species Act.

Builders wary of more gopher tortoise protection
By Steve Patterson
Florida Times-Union
A federal agency is taking a fresh look at whether gopher tortoises need new protections that could have big impacts on development in Florida and Georgia.

State leaders clash over growth plans
By Charlie Whitehead
Naples News
With all the controversial changes in Florida growth management regulations in the past few years, the sharpest disagreement during a recent seminar in Fort Myers was over a change that hasn’t been made.

Trees or homes? Miami Corp. land use hinges on Volusia, Brevard OK
By Ludmilla Lelis
Orlando Sentinel
During the next 50 years, a new city of residential villages and business districts could be carved out of remote timberland in central Volusia and northern Brevard counties where Florida black bears and panthers still roam.

Catching On To Florida's Economic 'Ponzi Scheme'
By Diane Roberts
NPR
For the first time since World War II, Florida is losing population.

Mine expansion plan worries Everglades restorers
By Paul Quinlan
Palm Beach Post
South Florida water managers are raising concerns about a proposal to expand a rock mine that borders future Everglades restoration land.

Costs grow for Everglades reservoir left unfinished by sugar deal
By Andy Reid
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Tack on another $12 million to the taxpayers' tab for the cost of a massive, unfinished reservoir rendered obsolete by a proposed half-billion-dollar Everglades-restoration land deal with U.S. Sugar Corp.

Florida's waterways must be a priority
By Joe Murphy, Gulf Restoration Network
St. Petersburg Times
Few things unite Floridians like water. We swim in it, fish in it, paddle over it, and rely on it for our very survival.

Filmmaker not content to watch Orange Lake wetlands die
By Jared Leone
St. Petersburg Times
Some make movies for the glitz and glamor of Hollywood. Terry Neal made his movie to save Orange Lake.

A contract with nature
By Tom Bayles
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
It has been nearly 60 years since the start of the great Florida building boom where those involved were more focused on the millions they were making rather than any damage they were doing to ecosystems.

Progress, FP&L argue for nuke cost recovery
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
Witnesses for an environmental group and utilities wanting to build nuclear power plants sparred Tuesday before the Public Service Commission over the predicted costs of construction and how to pay for them.

Progress Energy, FPL nuclear costs face double challenge
By Kevin Spear
Orlando Sentinel
Environmental activists and the state advocate for utility customers plan to challenge Florida's two biggest power companies this week when the companies urge state regulators to let them continue charging for the early costs of nuclear plants not yet under construction.

2 Fla. PSC staffers resign as nuke plant weighed
By Bill Kaczor
The Associated Press
Two top Public Service Commission staffers resigned Tuesday and two others went on administrative leave as alleged ethics lapses again overshadowed a hearing on proposed rate increases - this time to pay for new nuclear power plants.

A toxic, exotic mess in the Everglades
Editorial
St. Petersburg Times
With the environmental focus on global warming and greenhouse gases, it's easy to forget that other pollutants continue to need regulatory attention.


Critically endangered Florida panther.

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

"it's all connected"

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

FEATURED STORIES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

MORE GREEN NEWS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Endangered Kemp ridley turtle.

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

"it's all connected"