Florida environmental and wildlife news for the week ending 11-20-09

FEATURED STORIES

Regulating growth now much harder, Pelham says
By Nathan Crabbe
Ocala Star-Banner
Making his second run as secretary of the Florida Department of Community Affairs, Thomas Pelham said the process of regulating growth has taken a turn for the worse.

Sierra Club petitions to have critical habitat for endangered Florida panther
Staff Report
Ft. Myers News
The Sierra Club today filed a petition with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to designate critical habitat for the endangered Florida panther.

Industry reps slam DEP bag ban recommendation
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
Representatives of stores and packaging industries slammed the Department of Environmental Protection today for a draft report's recommendation to tax and then ban plastic and paper bags in Florida.

Gore's presentation on climate change draws 800 as 200 protestors gather outside
By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
Confused Palm Beach County voters helped thwart Al Gore's 2000 bid to become president of the United States, but he was introduced as "president of the planet" when he returned here Saturday night to deliver an environmental lecture.

Feds to Set State Pollution Limits
By Bill Kaczor
The Associated Press
The federal government will attempt to set Florida's water pollution standards - the first time it'll try that for any state - under an agreement approved Monday.

Hometown Democracy: Pols fear power of the people
By Scott Maxwell
Orlando Sentinel
You know who really scares Buddy Dyer and the rest of the folks down at Orlando City Hall?

Full speed backward on growth management
By Robert M. Weintraub
Gainesville Sun
In 1985, Governor Graham’s administration placed an important legal framework in place in Florida to control rampant, undisciplined growth that threatened wetlands, induced traffic congestion, and promoted random sprawl.

Growth debate pits amendment backers, detractors
By Derek Catron
Daytona Beach News-Journal
Both sides see something wrong with Florida's growth patterns, but the question of how to fix it could fuel one of the biggest political fights Florida has ever seen.

FSU Professor studying impact of Gulf of Mexico 'dead zones' on marine life
By Doug Blackburn
Tallahassee Democrat
Kevin Craig may have the largest lab of any biology professor at Florida State University.

Nuclear companies face reactor design problems, ethics questions
By Sue Sturgis
Facing South
Federal regulators have expressed serious safety concerns about the design for 14 of the nation's 25 proposed new nuclear reactors, raising questions about the future of what the industry calls its "renaissance."

Half-inch crack found inside containment wall while Crystal River nuclear plant closed for maintenance
By Richard Danielson
St. Petersburg Times
Progress Energy and federal officials continue to investigate the cause of a half-inch-wide crack recently found inside a containment wall at the Crystal River nuclear plant.

Investing in nuclear power
Editorial
Daytona Beach News-Journal
Say you want to build a nuclear power plant. It won't be easy, cheap or quick. Nor has it been done for three decades in the United States.

Florida Preservation: Forever's Time Runs Out
Editorial
Lakeland Ledger
Forever, as it turns out, arrived in 2009. That is when the shortsighted members of the Florida Legislature managed to kill all funding for the Florida Forever program.

Whooping cranes on the way
By Amanada Nalley
Tallahassee Democrat
Related AP story: Whooping cranes make annual journey to Fla.
Somewhere in LaSalle County, Ill., 20 whooping cranes are awaiting better weather. The cranes are part of Operation Migration, a nonprofit group establishing a migrating flock of endangered whooping cranes that will nest in Wisconsin and winter in Florida.


An endangered whooping crane takes flight in North Florida.

THE BIG OIL ROUNDUP

Drilling: wrong way to go
By Waldo Proffitt
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
You will remember, I hope, that last week this space was occupied by the story of a huge oil spill 155 miles off the coast of northern Australia -- how that spill came from a 2-year-old drilling rig using the latest technology, how it spread an oil slick over a vast area of the Timor Sea, and how a spill of such size off the Gulf coast of Florida would endanger both hundreds of miles of white, sandy beaches and billions of dollars worth of income from tourism.

Report compares drilling to coast's natural value
By Mary Landers
Savannah Morning News
In an attempt to shift the focus away from the profits of offshore drilling and onto the risk, two national environmental groups are comparing the value of sustainable ocean activities to the predicted value of extractable oil and gas.

Oil and water will never mix in the Sunshine State
By Dave Rauschkolb
Fort Walton Sun
Dear Mr. Shaffer, Thank you for your thoughtful comments regarding Hands Across The Sand and this proposed oil legislation.

Brakes tapped on oil drilling
By John Kennedy
News Service of Florida via Sarasota Herald-Tribune
By ordering an environmental panel to study the wide-ranging effects of offshore oil drilling, Senate President Jeff Atwater is "sending a serious message," the committee's chairman said.

A fact check on Big Oil backers
By Fred Buehler
Fort Walton Sun
In a Nov. 7 local perspective column, Mr. Swiercz demonstrates the problems in discussing the facts about offshore drilling.

Don't risk our future by drilling off our coasts
By June Girard
Gainesville Sun
Here we go again. How many times must Floridians say "No" to drilling in the Gulf?

Tell the EPA to Protect the Everglades from Mining
Action Alert
National Parks Conservation Association
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to issue mining permits for the destruction of up to 15,000 acres of wetlands near Everglades National Park.

Thumb up: Atwater keeps drillers at bay, for now
Editorial
TC Palm
He hasn’t said “no” yet, but Florida Senate President Jeff Atwater hinted he might not consider offshore drilling next year.

State should beware of drilling promises
Editorial
Tampa Tribune
State lawmakers and the people of Florida should see it is an affront to conservative government and fiscal prudence to risk priceless resources and the state's economy for the dubious promises of a secret group of oil interests.

US Senate call for Montara well probe
By John Phaceas
Business News
A senior US senator has demanded a federal investigation into the company responsible for operating the crippled oil rig at the Montara oil project which spewed thousands of barrels of condensate into the Timor Sea.


The Montara West Atlas oil rig. Part of PTTE's Safety, Security, Health and Environment statement: "PTTEP’s ultimate SSHE goal is to conduct its activities without undue impact on the personnel and properties of the Company and its contractors, the general public and the environment." Note the inclusion of the word "undue" and how protection of the company's property ranks higher than that of the general public and environment!


TAKE ACTION NOW

Click the picture above to urge Senate President Jeff Atwater to oppose state legislative efforts that would allow offshore oil drilling off Florida’s coast.

LATEST ONLINE ACTIONS
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.
Related action: Don't go drill crazy in the Everglades, via Democracy in Action.
Related action: Keep oil drilling out of climate change legislation, via Oceana.

MORE ONLINE ACTIONS
Write a letter to the editor, via Audubon of Florida.
Write your state legislators, via Audubon of 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.

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.
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

Jeff Corwin: We're losing a species every 20 minutes
Video Interview
Mother Nature Network
MNN sits down with wildlife biologist and animal expert Jeff Corwin to talk about how climate change is wiping out animal species.

Cabinet approves land-buying bonds, Keys oversight
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
Gov. Charlie Crist and the Cabinet today approved a resolution issuing $250 million in bonds for buying conservation lands, representing the last money approved by the Legislature for the program.

Releasing two captive manatees stirs controversy in Homossasa Springs
By Barbara Behrendt
St. Petersburg Times
When Amanda is hungry, she rolls onto her back and makes a coy little flipper gesture toward her mouth.

Environmental activists protest FPL's attempt to emit more greenhouse gases at new western plant
By Paul Quinlan
Palm Beach Post
A small group of environmental activists spoke out against Florida Power & Light's request to emit a relatively tiny amount of additional greenhouse gases at its new western Palm Beach County power plant.

Florida Keys, land-buying on Cabinet agenda
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
The Cabinet could have a somewhat busy agenda today on environmental issues.

Everglades: North Florida is committed
By Joseph Z. Duke
Florida Times-Union
In a September statewide poll, 79 percent of North Florida voters indicated that Everglades restoration was personally important to them.

Manatees arriving for winter
By David Fleshler
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Here come the manatees, and right behind them, here come the police.

Brown pelican soars back
Staff Report
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
The brown pelican, as the late Herald-Tribune nature writer Mina Walther once noted, is “a symbol of the inshore seacoast . . . a large, bulky bumbler on foot but marvelous at soaring parallel to the waves, peerless at diving, and nearly always successful in gulping a fish into its pouch.”

FDA delays raw oyster ban, Florida reaction mixed
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today backed off a proposal to ban the sale of raw oysters from Gulf states during summer months by 2011.

DEP meeting follows withdrawal of plastic bag ban report
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
Following an uproar last month over a draft proposal to ban plastic shopping bags, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection on Thursday holds another public workshop on whether to regulate bags.

Florida offers $5,000 to turn Prius hybrids into electric plug-ins
By Angel Streeter
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Anyone looking to convert a Toyota Prius into a plug-in electric vehicle can get $5,000 from the state to cover some of the cost.

Solar energy plant at KSC generates jobs
By Jim Waymer
Florida Today
Kennedy Space Center plans by late next year to start building one of the largest solar power plants of its kind in the world, bringing 1,000 temporary construction jobs and 50 long-term science and engineering jobs.

Consumer advocate, FPL make last argument in rate-hike battle
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times Tallahassee Bureau
Customers of Florida Power & Light deserve a rate decrease, not an increase, because the company's request for a $1.3 billion annual hike is ``a conglomeration of extreme positions and excessive demands,'' Florida's consumer advocate argued in a final brief filed Monday with state regulators.

Sunshine Amid The Clouds
Editorial
Lakeland Ledger
Florida's prospects for producing clean, renewble energy are growing brighter.


An example of plastic bag pollution – reduce, reuse and recycle!

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 9-25-09

FEATURED STORIES

Getting Serious About Global Warming
The Progress Report
Think Progress
Even as pressure builds for the U.S. Senate to take action on global warming, polluters have intensified their campaigns to block clean energy reform.

Group formed to help resolve tri-state water dispute
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
A diverse coalition of groups within Alabama, Florida and Georgia is trying to encourage a discussion of water issues that have divided residents of the three states in the past.

Are you drinking dirty water? Florida among 10 worst states for tap water
By Daniel Vasquez
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
A recent New York Times series called "Toxic Waters" has rightly drawn attention to the issue of drinking safe - or unsafe, as the case may be - tap water.

Do gopher tortoises need federal protection from the building industry? Feds to ponder the issue
By Paul Quinlan
Palm Beach Post
Federal officials are considering whether to add protections for the gopher tortoise that environmentalists say are long overdue but that builders industry experts warn could be catastrophic for Florida's economy.

Activists want bigger 'critical’ area off Florida-Georgia coast for right whales
By Steve Patterson
Florida Times-Union
Related: Training range OK for whales, Navy says
Wildlife activists are asking the federal government to enlarge an area off the Florida-Georgia coast where special efforts are made to protect endangered right whales.


Critically endangered right whales.

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 9-25-09

Group pushes for Gulf drilling legislation
By Carl Mario Nudio
Bradenton Herald
Looking to influence the future of oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, an advocacy group has been traveling Florida promoting its ideas.

Offshore drilling supporter tells tourism agency: It's safe
By Valerie Whitney
Daytona Beach News Journal
State Rep. Dean Cannon, a big supporter of offshore drilling, brought his platform Thursday to the people charged with attracting visitors to Florida.


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. This map was created two weeks ago – it would in fact be much worse now because it's still leaking 400 barrels a day and the rig isn't expected to be plugged UNTIL AT LEAST MID-OCTOBER! Moreover, this ongoing catastrophe emanated from a new oil platform that the fossil fuel lobby has touted as safe. Per the article above, did Rep. Cannon tell tourism officials any of this? He's just another Big Oil shill, baby, shill.

Sarasota County opposes drilling
Staff Report
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Related editorial: Taking a stand against drilling
Pristine beaches should trump oil exploration, Sarasota County leaders said Tuesday in opposing any oil exploration in Florida waters.

Expanded Oil Drilling Within 3 to 10 Miles Of Florida's West Coast? (audio story)
By Robert Lorei
WMNF Community Radio Tampa
There's a renewed effort to try to lift the ban on oil drilling close to Florida's coastline.

Mike Haridopolos: Oil drilling, low taxes on tap for Florida
By Mike Haridopolos
TC Palm
Economic growth. Increased sovereignty. Transparency in government. Citizen participation. Tax relief. Spending restraint.

Chamber survey seeks support for 'energy exploration'
By Mary Ellen Klas
St. Petersburg Times
The Florida Chamber of Commerce is ratcheting up the oil-drilling debate with a new "survey" of its members that asks whether they would support or oppose cap and trade, renewable energy standards for electric companies and "energy exploration in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida as long as any permanent structures necessary for oil and natural gas production are not visible from shore?"

Alex Sink is following legislation 'very closely'
By Tom McLaughlin
Northwest Florida Daily News
Alex Sink, Florida’s chief financial officer and the leading Democratic candidate for governor, said she’s following “very closely” state legislation that would allow oil drilling near the coast.


Click the picture above to urge Senate President Jeff Atwater to oppose state legislative efforts that would allow offshore oil drilling off Florida’s coast.

MORE ONLINE ACTIONS
Tell Salazar: No drilling off Florida's Coast, via Environment Florida.
Tell new Senator LeMieux to Repower America, via Environment Florida.
Tell Your Senator No More Offshore Drilling, via Oceana.
Tell Sen. Atwater Not To Allow Oil Drilling In Special Session, via Audubon of Florida.

MORE GREEN NEWS

World Leaders Bring Hope to the Sunshine State? (includes audio)
By Gina Presson
Public News Service Florida
As leaders of the world's largest economies begin the Group of Twenty (G-20) summit today in Pittsburgh, many in Florida are watching for discussion of climate change.

Feds Again Petitioned for Florida Panther Critical Habitat
Staff Report
Environmental News Service
As a species, the endangered Florida panther needs about 4,860 square miles in southern Florida to be protected as critical habitat to save the animal from extinction and recover the species, according to a new scientific petition submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by three nonprofit organizations.

Florida rural lands rule withstands farm groups' challenge
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
Florida farm groups supported the Rural Land Stewardship Act in 2001 because they said it would preserve agriculture while helping the economies of rural communities.

Enviro group joins in criticism of PSC
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
One of the most active environmental groups before the Florida Public Service Commission says recent controversies show the panel is overly influenced by utilities and lobbyists, including former PSC staff and commissioners.

Polluted Lake Okeechobee getting dirtier
By Curtis Morgan
Miami Herald
Water managers, environmental agencies and conservation groups have been talking about cleaning up Lake Okeechobee for decades.

Atlanta Floods May Bring Temporary Peace to Water Wars
By Mike Vasilinda
Capitol News Service
The is a silver lining in the more than 20 inches of rain that has beset the Atlanta area.

Salty St. Johns River could change wetlands in Duval, Clay, St. Johns
By Steve Patterson
Florida Times-Union
Wetlands in Jacksonville and northern St. Johns and Clay counties could be changed by rising salt levels if utilities withdraw water from the St. Johns River far upstream, a state researcher told scientists Wednesday at a symposium on possible withdrawals.

High Mercury Levels Found In North Fla. River Fish
The Associated Press
WKRG News 5 Pensacola-Mobile
Researchers are warning north Florida residents to be careful about consuming mercury-contaminated fish from some area rivers.

Project to map Everglades water levels aims to protect wildlife
By Kimberly Miller
Palm Beach Post
Fat alligators are happy alligators and a sign that water levels in the Everglades are just right.

New, nastier python enters Everglades fray
By Curtis Morgan
Miami Herald
As if one giant python wasn't enough, a cluster of captures in a single square mile of West Miami-Dade has scientists worried about a new species spreading across South Florida.

Florida senator proposes python ban
By David Fleshler
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
You wouldn't be able to buy a Burmese python as a pet anymore in Florida, under a bill drafted by a state senator who said the state should shut off the source of "dangerous reptiles" that have colonized the Everglades.

Volusia County gives 1st approval to Farmton -- city in the wilderness
By Ludmilla Lelis
Orlando Sentinel
A plan that would conserve more than 40,000 acres of remote timberland while establishing a new city of more than 20,000 homes has passed its first round of approvals.

Some get it right, some get it wrong on local growth decisions
By Jane Healy
Orlando Sentinel
Gov. Charlie Crist and the Cabinet got it right last week when they flatly rejected a project in the middle of Ocala horse country.

Time to end canned hunts on Treasure Coast
Editorial
TC Palm
Owners of JR Outfitters deny that they’re running “canned hunts” out in Indiantown. But charging hunters for the privilege of shooting exotic animals inside an enclosed area pretty much fits the bill.

Manatees are symbolic
Editorial
Tallahassee Democrat
The story of a manatee's death, descriptively told by reporter Amanda Nalley in Saturday's Democrat, is a reminder of the resources in peril in Florida waters.

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 9-4-09

FEATURED STORIES

Is Florida better off with a shrinking population?
By Gimleteye
Eye on Miami
Related: Florida Hometown Democracy
A front page article in the Sunday New York Times addressed Florida's shrinking population.

Push for drilling off Florida's coast is well-oiled
By Mary Ellen Klas
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
A secretive group of powerful legislators, business groups and Texas oil companies has been laying the groundwork since December to win legislative approval to open Florida waters to oil exploration and end the 20-year drilling moratorium.

Lawmakers wary about oil drilling talks in special session
The News Service of Florida
Palm Beach Post
Gov. Charlie Crist is fueling the hopes of groups that want to open Florida waters to offshore drilling while getting the state potentially billions of dollars from oil companies.

Crist the climate-change crusader is gone with the wind (power)
By Mike Thomas
Orlando Sentinel
Everything is a political calculation with Charlie Crist.

Group gives Florida D+ on water quality
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
The Gulf Restoration Network today said Florida gets a D+ grade for its efforts to protect water quality, which was about the average grade for Gulf coast states.

Florida DEP, PEER tussle over carbon cap-and-trade
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility says Gov. Charlie Crist has abandoned carbon emissions cap-and-trading in his quest for a U.S. Senate seat, but a state Department of Environmental Protection response suggests it's all untrue.

Report: Loggerhead Turtles at Risk of Extinction
The Associated Press
New York Times
It's a scene that scientists say is all too common: A commercial fishing boat pulls in a net full of shrimp or tuna and finds a loggerhead sea turtle mixed in with the catch.


Threatened loggerhead sea turtle.

MORE GREEN NEWS

Crist again distances himself from environmental movement (includes audio)
By Mitch E. Perry
WMNF Community Radio
Five states have asked U.S. Senate leaders to let them impose stricter limits on greenhouse gas emissions than would be permitted under the climate legislation working its way through Congress, saying both levels of regulation are necessary to fight global warming.

Now what? US Army Corps of Engineers must take sea-level rise into account
By Gimleteye
Eye on Miami
The US Army Corps of Engineers has played a central role in the unsustainable development of Florida.

Former U.S. Senators and Admiral: Climate Change Threatens National Security (includes audio)
By Gina Presson
Public News Service Florida
Three men who should know something about the matter are calling climate change a national security issue.

Groups urge House speaker to support lands program
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
Environmentalists today met with House Speaker Larry Cretul to urge his support for Florida's conservation land-buying program, but the issue of using oil drilling revenue to buy land was not discussed.

Keep swimming with manatees; feds say it's OK
By Tom Palmer
Lakeland Ledger
The practice of swimming with manatees, which I really don't understand, will continue for now without additional restrictions, federal officials have decided, despite criticism of the idea.

Streams or ditches? DEP considers waterways reclassification
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
Few people who drive along Franklin Boulevard east of the state Capitol notice a ditch between the lanes of traffic or realize it may have historical significance.

Forest of staghorn coral thrives
By Susan Cocking
Miami Herald
Dropping 12 feet below the ocean's surface less than a mile off Fort Lauderdale's beach-front towers, a diver might wonder if he or she somehow got magically transported to a remote coral reef in the Caribbean.

Wakulla industrial park owners want rule change to allow biomass
By Dave Hodges
Tallahassee Democrat
Two county commissions in the area will address the same topic Sept. 8 in communities where the outcome could be markedly different.

Florida's Public Service Commission probed amid FPL rate bid
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times Tallahassee Bureau
The state's top law enforcement agency is investigating the Public Service Commission on grounds that commissioners and staff members may have had improper relationships with the utilities they regulate.

Miami-Dade boasts Florida's first eco-friendly school
By Elaine De Valle
Miami Herald
Mariana Botero looks like the typical ninth-grader with blue nail polish and a dozen or so bracelets on each arm.

Hurricanes Add to the Stresses on Wildlife and Coastlines
By Patricia Behnke
FWC via Wakulla.com
More than one-half of the U.S. population lives within 50 miles of a coast. In Florida, 72 percent of the 18 million residents live or work in coastal areas, with approximately 12 million people living in Florida’s coastal counties.

Bill to drill hits too close to home
Editorial
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Gov. Charlie Crist and state lawmakers think they've found a solution to Florida's ongoing revenue woes.

Why rush drilling bill?
Editorial
Orlando Sentinel
Winter Park's Dean Cannon drew richly deserved criticism in the spring for trying to rush a bill through the Legislature in its final hours that would rid the state of its offshore-drilling ban.

Oil spills still a threat
Editorial
Pensacola News Journal
One of the arguments made by those who favor offshore drilling for oil near Florida's coastline is that modern drilling equipment is so advanced, safe and effective that oil spills from rigs are virtually a thing of the past, so there's no real risk to Florida's beaches.


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).

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 7-24-09

FEATURED STORIES

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

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

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

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

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


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

MORE GREEN NEWS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Endangered indigo snake.

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

"it's all connected"

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

FEATURED STORIES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

MORE GREEN NEWS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Endangered Kemp ridley turtle.

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

"it's all connected"

Florida environmental and wildlife news for the week ending 6-5-09

FEATURED STORIES

Crist signs growth bill, sells Florida down the river
By Howard Troxler
St. Petersburg Times
In the defining moment of his career Monday, Gov. Charlie Crist sold the state of Florida right down the river.

Bailing Out the Land Speculators
By Alan Farago
Counterpunch
As Democrats approach a filibuster proof US Senate, every race will be a heated battle. In 2010 one of the key contests will be in Florida where a governor perceived to be moderate, Charlie Crist, is locked in a primary against the former House Speaker in the Florida legislature, Marco Rubio.

Group looks to bring drilling vote to ballot
By Michael Peltier
The News Service of Florida via FloridaEnvironments.com
With efforts stalled over whether to allow drilling off Florida's Gulf Coast, the fight may go directly to Florida voters.

FWC sets June 17-18 meeting in Crystal River
Press Release
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Take action: Email turtles@myfwc.com and urge support for the freshwater turtle ban.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will meet at the Plantation Inn in Crystal River June 17-18. FWC meetings are open to public participation.

What next for Florida's springs after bill dies?
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
Former state biologist Jim Stevenson said he recently asked a teenager who had grown up in Tallahassee if he'd ever been to Wakulla Springs.


Editorial cartoon by Andy Marlette, Pensacola News Journal

MORE GREEN NEWS

River pipe postponed until dioxin level drops
By Peter Guinta
St. Augustine Record
Georgia-Pacific's paper plant in Palatka will not be allowed to build its proposed new 40-million-gallons-per-day pipeline into the middle of the St. Johns River until the company lowers its discharge of dioxin, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection said Monday.

New jobs or healthy river: Which is more important?
By Ron Littlepage
Florida Times-Union
I'm fearful that we will soon face a classic confrontation - the health of the St. Johns River vs. jobs.

Crist Environmental Enforcement Initiative Fizzles
Press Release
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility
The Crist administration's touted 2007 pledge to toughen anti-pollution enforcement in Florida has been a failure, according to an analysis of state enforcement statistics released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).

Judges: South Florida water managers did not violate Clean Water Act
The Associated Press
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Related: Earthjustice criticizes Okeechobee reversal
A federal appeals court has reversed a Miami judge's ruling that Florida water managers violated the Clean Water Act by pumping contaminated water from farmland into Lake Okeechobee.

Zoning Commission gives nod to expanding rock mining in Everglades
By Andy Reid
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Rock mining would claim more former Everglades land under a development plan endorsed by the Palm Beach County Zoning Commission on Thursday.

Progress Energy warms up to solar energy
By Robert Trigaux
St. Petersburg Times
Hard to believe, but the electric company that once routinely panned solar power as too expensive and inefficient is about to introduce a whole bunch of new solar initiatives for its customers and eventually market it all here under a brand name called SunSense.

What we think: Kill destructive water bill
Editorial
Orlando Sentinel
It's a tough slog getting water managers today to meet or even think about meeting their responsibility to safeguard Florida's water supply.

MORE SB 360 NEWS

Taxpayers will feel the cost of sprawl
By Charles Pattison
Tallahassee Democrat
This year's growth management bill, SB 360, was opposed by most of the leading newspapers and conservation, planning and advocacy organizations, including 1000 Friends of Florida, the Florida League of Cities and the Florida Association of Counties. The governor signed the bill Monday afternoon, despite many requests to veto it.

Crist's environmental record hurt by growth legislation, critics say
By William March
Tampa Tribune
Reader poll: Is the governor still green?
Gov. Charlie Crist's long-standing reputation as an environmentalist could take a hit because of his signing this week of a controversial bill on growth management.

Gov. Crist changes his colors
By Mark Lane
Daytona Beach News-Jouranl
Gov. Charlie Crist has worked hard to get out from under his party's image as reflexively anti-environment. Until this week, it kind of worked.

Great news for developers, not so good to everyone else
By Ron Littlepage
Florida Times-Union
Legend has it that Juan Ponce de Leon came to Florida looking for the Fountain of Youth.

Home building and construction is to Florida as opium production is to Afghanistan
By Gimleteye
Eye On Miami
Opium production is 60 percent of the economy of Afghanistan.

Crist's environmental image takes a hit
By Beth Reinhard
Miami Herald
Gov. Charlie Crist waited until 5:05 p.m. tonight to quietly send out a press release saying he had signed a "growth management'' bill that environmentalists say will result in worsening sprawl.

Crist refuels the bulldozers
By Kenric Ward
TC Palm
Gov. Charlie Crist cleared the way for developers by signing Senate Bill 360. Watch out, Treasure Coast.

Governor Gridlock
Editorial
St. Petersburg Times
Gov. Charlie Crist just made it easier to pave over what's left of Florida.

Reckless rollback
Editorial
Florida Today
Brevard County residents, you've just been had. And you can thank Gov. Charlie Crist and Republicans in the state Legislature for guaranteeing that you'll get stuck with the bill for more urban sprawl and traffic gridlock when growth returns to Florida.

Gov. Charlie Crist made a bad call on growth limits
Editorial
Miami Herald
A new growth-management law signed by Gov. Charlie Crist this week broadly redefines ''dense urban land areas'' as land with less than one home per acre.

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 5-8-09

FEATURED STORIES

Groups bemoan loss of Florida Forever money
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
Related: Money for Everglades, petro tanks but not Fla. Forever
Florida Forever Coalition statement: No New Funding for Florida Forever in 2009-2010
Environmental groups this afternoon issued statements expressing regret that the state's land-buying program next year will receive no state money or bonding authority.


Editorial cartoon by Andy Marlette, Pensacola News Journal

Crist urged to veto new growth management law
Bu Mitch E. Perry
WMNF Community Radio
Today Hillsborough County Commissioners voted to send a letter to Gov. Charlie Crist, asking that he veto a new Growth Management Bill that critics say would no longer require developers to add road capacity in nearly half the state's municipalities, as well as several entire counties.


Editorial cartoon by Jim Morin, Miami Herald

Obama's budget shows support for Everglades and beach restorations
By William E. Gibson
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Dealing with other buyers could help state get all of U.S. Sugar's land
The Everglades came out a big winner for the third time this year when President Barack Obama submitted his proposed budget to Congress on Thursday.

U.S. Curbs Use of Species Act in Protecting Polar Bear
By Andrew C. Revkin
New York Times
The Obama administration said Friday that it would retain a wildlife rule issued in the last days of the Bush administration that says the government cannot invoke the Endangered Species Act to restrict emissions of greenhouse gases threatening the polar bear and its habitat.


The government says the Endangered Species Act cannot be invoked to fight emissions blamed for loss of polar bear habitat.

MORE GREEN NEWS

Everglades land deal faces six-month delay
By Paul Quinlan
Palm Beach Post
The economy's recent nosedive could push Gov. Charlie Crist's monumental land deal with U.S. Sugar Corp. back at least six months.

Clean Energy Bill Backed by Crist Dies
By Brendan Farrington
The Associated Pres
One of Gov. Charlie Crist's top priorities died Friday as lawmakers failed to take up a clean energy bill before going home.

Lobbyists gush over progress on drilling
By Joe Follick
Ocala Star-Banner
Once political taboo in Florida, prospects for offshore oil drilling have roared back with a secretive group forcing the issue into the center of political and public debate for months to come.

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

Sen. Alexander defends septic tanks budget language
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
Sen. JD Alexander is defending proposed budget language that would prevent the Florida Department of Health from implementing "any nitrogen reduction strategies" for a year until a septic tanks study is completed.

Environmentalists sue again over Fla. water rules
The Associated Press
Miami Herald
Environmentalists again have sued the federal government for allegedly letting Florida flout federal clean water requirements.

Pinellas County allocates Brooker Creek Preserve land for water treatment plants, pipelines
By David DeCamp
St. Petersburg Times
Over the objections of some environmentalists and residents, Pinellas County commissioners on Tuesday designated part of Brooker Creek Preserve for water treatment plants, storage tanks and pipelines.

House to probe drywall fallout
By Gary Taylor
Bradenton Herald
The U.S. House on Thursday voted to study the effects of tainted drywall on housing, and an area construction consultant nodded to the action as a needed first step.

Audubon Calls on Law Enforcers to Pursue Penalties in Rookery Bay Bird Shooting Case
Blog entry
Audubon of Florida
Audubon called on state and federal law enforcement agencies and the Navy to continue to pursue charges and disciplinary action against one woman and six men suspected of participating in an incident in February in which 21 protected wading birds were shot out of the sky as they flew to roost for the night in a secluded rookery.


Florida black bear

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 action alerts March 2009

FLORIDA ENVIRONMENTAL AND WILDLIFE ACTIONS MARCH 2009

Act Now to Protect Florida Forever
Florida Forever Coalition

Protect America's Waters -- The Clean Water Restoration Act
Earthjustice

Save Florida's Renewable Energy Future
Southern Alliance for Clean Energy

Restore the Ocklawaha River – Take Action for Manatees!
Save the Manatee Club

Tell the Power Companies: Invest In Clean Power, Not Coal
CREDO

Take Action against the 11 Fast Food Junkies
Dogwood Alliance

Tell Dade County Commissioners to Hold the Line on Everglades Protection
Environment Florida

Obama Issues Historic Call for Clean Energy
League of Conservation Voters

Passage of a Strong Climate Bill Must be a Top Priority for Congress
Union of Concerned Scientists

Safeguard Species: Reverse Bush's Last Minute Rules
Endangered Species Coalition


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"

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"

Leon County Commission unanimously supports Fred George Basin Greenway land purchase

Yesterday the Leon County Commission voted unanimously to complete the purchase of the first – and most environmentally sensitive – of five land parcels slated for conservation in the Fred George Basin. This marks the culmination of a two and a half year process that, although not yet completed, will eventually create the 170+ acre Fred George Basin Greenway.

Wildwood Preservation Society would like to thank our entire Save Fred George Basin coalition and everyone that has contributed to this victory for conservation. Without the overwhelming public support this project has received we would never have gotten this far. We would especially like to acknowledge the FSU Environmental Service Program, Preston Robertson of the Florida Wildlife Federation, Tom Asbury and the late Pepper Ghazvini with RP Properties, and the entire Leon County Commission but especially Commissioners John Dailey and Cliff Thaell for their leadership on this issue from the beginning.

It is important to emphasize that more important work lies ahead. There are four additional land parcels identified for inclusion in the Fred George Basin Greenway. Wildwood Preservation Society will not rest until all these lands are protected, and the complete vision of a preserved Fred George Basin is realized.

Below is local news coverage from yesterday’s meeting.

Fred George Basin news coverage 12-9-08


Saving the Fred George Basin
Reported by Liza Park
WCTV CBS News Tallahassee
December 9, 2008

Environmentalists have been working for two years to save what's left of the Fred George Basin and Tuesday night their work paid off.

The Fred George Basin is a large sinkhole and ecosystem along Fred George Road in northwest Leon County.

Those who want to preserve the area say much of the original basin has been lost to development.

Tuesday night Leon County Commissioners agreed to offer $900,000 of "Blueprint 2000" funds to purchase the land and another $200,000 for clean-up costs.

"The city of Tallahassee gets water directly from this sinkhole and we really need to preserve this area for future generations and we finally did it today and we're just very pleased," says Misty Penton of the Wildwood Preservation Society and who spearheaded efforts to save the basin.

The state is matching the funds spent on the preservation which will be turned into a public park.


Endangered wood storks nesting in Fred George Basin, May 2008.



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"

Action Alert: Help needed for critical vote to save Fred George Basin

Endangered Wood Stork in Fred George Basin, photo courtesy Richard Baas.

This Tuesday afternoon, the Leon County Commission will vote on agenda item 21 (purchase of Fred George Basin Greenway), approving the allocation of funds already identified through Blueprint 2000 and Florida Communities Trust, to be used for the acquisition of the ‘core’ parcel (76 acres). This parcel is the first of 5 to be acquired which will preserve the last 172 acres of the Fred George Basin that remain of the more than 500 originally identified for conservation in Blueprint 2000.

Conserving this critical land will help protect:

• The quality of Leon County’s drinking water;
• Natural flood storage and aquifer recharge karst area;
• Fragile ecosystems from the closed Fred George Basin all the way to Wakulla Springs; and
• Endangered and threatened species including the American Wood Stork, Little Blue Heron, White Ibis and Gopher Tortoise.

Please take action by:

1. Sending the email below (scroll down and feel free to cut and paste) or, even better, write one of your own to the commissioners and their aides:
proctorb@leoncountyfl.gov; gleer@leoncountyfl.gov; saulsj@leoncountyfl.gov; summerlinl@leoncountyfl.gov; daileyj@leoncountyfl.gov; doughertyj@leoncountyfl.gov; deslogeb@leoncountyfl.gov; tannerb@leoncountyfl.gov; rackleffhsd@earthlink.net; bradyk@leoncountyfl.gov; akinyemia@leoncountyfl.gov; jonesc@leoncountyfl.gov; thaellC@leoncountyfl.gov; greenm@leoncountyfl.gov

2. Calling your County Commissioner:
Bill Proctor (District 1): 850-606-5361
Jane Sauls (District 2): 850-606-5362
John Dailey (District 3): 850-606-5363
Bryan Desloge (District 4): 850-606-5364
Bob Rackleff (District 5): 850-606-5365
Akin Akinyemi (at large): 850-606-5369
Cliff Thaell (at large): 850-606-5367

3. Most importantly, attending the County Commission meeting to show your support:
Tuesday, December 9th at 3pm
Leon County Courthouse, 5th Floor
301 South Monroe Street, Tallahassee 32301

Thank you for your support of this critical conservation project. For more information, go to www.myspace.com/wildwoodpreservation or call Wildwood Preservation Society founder Misty Penton at 850-559-9661. The Agenda Item for Tuesday’s meeting may be viewed on the County website here.

Sincerely,

Your friends at Wildwood Preservation Society

PS – Supporters include:
Florida Wildlife Federation
Florida Audubon Society
Environment Florida
1000 Friends of Florida
The Habitat Trust for Wildlife
Cornwall's Voice For Animals
Heart of the Earth
Ochlockonee River Soil and Water Conservation District
Blueprint 2000
Leon County Commission
Apalachee Audubon Society (local Audubon Chapter)
Friends of Lake Jackson
Lake Jackson Protection Alliance
FSU Environmental Service Program
Big Bend Sierra Club
Wildwood Neighborhood
Erin Brockovich
Former State Rep. Loranne Ausley
State Sen. Al Lawson
U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Endangered Wood Stork landing in Fred George Basin, photo courtesy Richard Baas.

EMAIL TO COMMISSIONERS Note: please blind copy (bcc) wildwoodpreservation@gmail.com.

Subject: It’s time to bring Fred George Basin acquisition in for a landing

Dear Commissioner:

Two years ago, on December 12, 2006, the Leon County Commission voted unanimously to acquire the last 172 acres of Fred George Basin that remain of the more than 500 originally identified for conservation in Blueprint 2000. On Tuesday, your vision and leadership are needed again to bring this critical acquisition in for a landing. As you know, conserving this critical land will help protect:

• The quality of Leon County’s drinking water;
• Natural flood storage and aquifer recharge karst area;
• Fragile ecosystems from the closed Fred George Basin all the way to Wakulla Springs; and
• Endangered and threatened species including the American Wood Stork, Little Blue Heron, White Ibis and Gopher Tortoise.

The creation of the Fred George Basin Greenway will also provide a much-needed park in northwest Leon County and help reduce traffic and school overcrowding in this area that has been so impacted by intense development.

With the establishment of the Fred George Basin Greenway the Leon County Commission is taking a critical first step toward protecting our way of life and natural resources for generations to come.

Thank you in advance for your support.

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"