Good news for Wood Storks in South Florida!

Endangered wood storks nesting in Fred George Basin, Leon County.

Environmental groups achieve wetland protections in settlement of two lawsuits near Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
By Aislinn Maestas
National Wildlife Federation

A coalition of five environmental groups, including National Wildlife Federation and Florida Wildlife Federation, has settled two lawsuits in exchange for significantly increased wetland and habitat protections. The coalition has been opposing several proposed residential and golf projects in the ecologically important Cocohatchee Slough near Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in Florida.

After over four years of litigation and several iterations of project permits, the environmental coalition and developer G.L. Homes of Sunrise, Florida, have agreed to over 200 additional acres of wetland impact reductions, restoration of endangered wood stork habitat, and relocation of Logan Boulevard onto old farm fields instead of through wetlands. This is in addition to $3 million of additional offsite mitigation secured in previous litigation on Saturnia Falls. Joining NWF and FWF in this victory are Audubon of Florida, Collier County Audubon Society, and Conservancy of Southwest Florida.

The settlement of these two federal lawsuits was preceded by other coalition legal actions at the state level challenging impacts to downstream water quality, flood protection and aquifer recharge, in addition to wetland and wildlife harm. All these water resource factors will benefit greatly from the significantly increased levels of wetland protection and restoration in this settlement.

In addition to these very positive results for wood storks and other imperiled species plus water resources, the same environmental coalition had earlier in October 2009 won a federal lawsuit against another residential golf course project called Mirasol which would destroy over 600 acres of unique wetlands in the same Cocohatchee Slough which emanates from Corkscrew Swamp. That is well over twice the acreage of wetlands destroyed on Parklands Collier and Saturnia Falls combined. In that decision a Southern District Court judge revoked Mirasol’s permit based on complaints over illegal wetland and wildlife impacts.

Jan Goldman-Carter, Water Resources Counsel for National Wildlife Federation, observed, “The revocation of the Mirasol permit offers another opportunity for the Army Corps and the South Florida Water Management District to require the avoidance of additional wetland, water and habitat impacts, additional protection, and true habitat restoration on the Mirasol site.”

Mirasol’s destruction of wetlands, combined with other wetland losses in the region, would have devastating effects on the wood stork nesting colonies at Corkscrew Swamp, the largest in the nation and vital to the species’ recovery. This cumulative destruction would also harm downstream water quality, flood protection, and water supply for the region.

Looking for opportunities to prevent further destruction of wetlands and habitat, the environmental groups are also working with state and federal agencies to improve the way they permit and compensate for wetland losses incurred when development is sited in Florida wetlands. Recommendations currently under consideration could significantly reduce or eliminate such impacts before the projects end up in court, wasting time and money, or worse, getting built and irrevocably destroying habitat for declining wildlife throughout Florida and harming the public’s interest in protection of vital water resources.



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"

Gulf Oil Spill - Take Action

GULF OIL SPILL – TAKE ACTION NOW

Incoming House Speaker Dean Cannon and Senate President Mike Haridopolos have been the biggest proponents of offshore drilling in the legislature. The tragedy of the massive oil spill in the Gulf should be a wake-up call to both, that doing so would be a disaster for Florida’s environment and economy. Sign the open letter via Progress Florida to Rep. Cannon and Sen. Haridopolos demanding to know: will they still push for offshore drilling next legislative session?

LATEST ACTIONS
Help rescue Florida’s coastal birds, via Audubon of Florida.
Oil Spill Alert: Take Action for Manatees and Other Wildlife, via Save the Manatee Club.
Help protect marine wildlife from BP drilling disaster, via Gulf Restoration Network.
Stop offshore drilling, via Environment America.
Oil Spill Threatens Critical Nesting Habitat, via National Wildlife Foundation.
Enough is enough!, via Sierra Club.
Tell White House to Reverse Offshore Drilling Plans!, via Southern Alliance for Clean Energy.
Tell President Obama to Reinstate the Ban on Dangerous Offshore Drilling, via Defenders of Wildlife.
Gulf Spill Disaster - Stop Offshore Oil Drilling, via Center for Biological Diversity.
Help prevent another drilling disaster, via Defenders of Wildlife.
Tell officials: fight for Florida’s beaches, via Emerald Coastkeeper.
Save both coasts from offshore drilling, via Oceana.
Gulf oil spill – we told you so, via True Majority.
Obama must call a time out on Arctic drilling, via Earthjustice.
Protect the arctic from oil drilling, via The Wilderness Society.

ACTIONS OPPOSING OBAMA’S DRILLING PLAN
President Obama, Drilling Is Not the Answer, via Friends of the Earth.
Tell President Obama You Oppose Offshore Oil Drilling, via Endangered Species Coalition.
Don’t Sacrifice the Oceans in the Name of Climate Change, via Oceana.Demand that President Obama protect our oceans from oil drilling, via Center for Biological Diversity.

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.
Floridians Against Big Oil social network.
Save Our Shores Florida Facebook page.
Florida Coastal and Ocean Coalition website.
Environment Florida offshore drilling page.
Southern Alliance for Clean Energy offshore drilling page.
Skytruth blog, an excellent source of info.
Not the Answer blog, courtesy Surfrider Foundation.
Eye-opening map of oil and gas leases and infrastructure in Gulf of Mexico, via MMS.
EnergyFLA.com, online hub of drilling proponents; their Twitter page is here.

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 April 16, 2010

FEATURED STORIES

In the Florida Keys.

U.S. judge says EPA fails to protect Everglades from pollution

By Christine Stapleton

Palm Beach Post

A frustrated federal judge ordered the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to appear in a Miami courtroom in October to explain how the agency will enforce the Clean Water Act in the Everglades after "failure to comply with the law for more than two decades."

EPA Proposing Taking Over Monitoring State Waterways

By Steve Newborn

WUSF Public Radio Tampa

The federal Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to take over monitoring the quality of the state's waters from Tallahassee. The public got a chance to weigh in today during a hearing held in Tampa.

Florida Forever Endangered

By Steve Newborn

WUSF Public Radio Tampa

We're at the midway point in the legislative session in Tallahassee, and one of the programs whose future is in doubt is the state's pioneering land-buying program, Florida Forever.

DEP holds hearings on ranking land projects

By Bruce Ritchie

FloridaEnvironments.com

With more than 100 land-buying projects facing a review and ranking by the state, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection is encouraging project supporters to participate in a pair of public hearings over the next four weeks.

Twenty-year-old deadline extended by bill amendment

By Bruce Ritchie

FloridaEnvironments.com

A petroleum tanks cleanup bill in the House has been amended to extend the deadline for tank site owners to replace older tanks that could leak.

"Hometown Democracy" opponents raise nearly $1 million

By Bruce Ritchie

FloridaEnvironments.com

The new group opposing Amendment 4, the "Florida Hometown Democracy" amendment to the Florida Constitution, raised nearly $1 million in its first quarter of existence with most of its contributions coming from business and development interests.

Heard endorses Amendment 4 on land use changes at Martin County rally

By George Andreassi

TC Palm

Martin County Commissioner Sarah Heard endorsed Amendment 4 Tuesday during a rally for the ballot initiative that would require voters to approve all land use changes.

Legislators must pass energy bill

Editorial

Ft. Myers News-Press

Floridians who care about jobs, economic diversity, clean alternative energy development and government that works should be raising hell with lawmakers.

Don't widen loophole for developers to exploit

Editorial

Orlando Sentinel

Even as they struggle to balance Florida's budget, state lawmakers seem poised to expand a property-tax break that'll make it harder for local governments to pay for basic services such as schools, roads and police

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 4-16-10:

Sponsor drops Fla. offshore drilling plan for now

By Bill Kaczor

The Associated Press

The House sponsor of legislation that would lift a ban on offshore drilling in Florida's state waters said Friday he was dropping the effort for this year but would try again in 2011

Proposal to drill for oil off Florida’s coast tabled for 2010 legislative session

By Eric Staats

Naples News

A Florida House panel has tabled a measure that would open the state's coastal waters to oil drilling, effectively killing the proposal for this year but teeing up another run at the issue in 2011.

Draft oil drilling legislation would direct Cabinet to sell leases

By Bruce Ritchie

FloridaEnvironments.com

A draft proposed House council bill would open Florida's waters to oil drilling but would ban permanent rigs and platforms above the water's surface within six miles of the coast.

Florida House Republicans to unveil plan for drilling in Gulf

By Jeremy Wallace

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

With two weeks remaining in the annual Florida Legislature session, House Republicans are expected to unveil a plan today that would give the governor and the Cabinet authority to allow oil drilling rigs six miles from Florida's coastline.

Oil leak in Gulf clouds Florida drilling proposals

By William Gibson

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Excerpt: "As this latest Gulf oil spill tragically illustrates, it's not a matter of if but when such a spill will happen along Florida's coast if Dean Cannon gets his way,” said Mark Ferrulo, executive director of Progress Florida and a long-time opponent of offshore drilling.

Bad timing, Dean

By Ron Cunningham

Gainesville Sun

Excerpt: “Introducing a bill to allow oil drilling in our near shore waters in the midst of Louisiana’s ongoing oil spill clean-up is a twisted bit of irony that should be lost on no one…,” says Mark Ferrulo, director of the anti-drilling group Progress Florida.

Louisiana oil spill cited by drilling opponents in Florida

By Bruce Ritchie

FloridaEnvironments.com

Environmentalists are pointing to an oil spill this week in Louisiana as evidence the state and federal governments should not allow more offshore oil drilling.

Why Off-Shore Oil Drilling is so bad for Florida

By Gimleteye

Eye On Miami

Recently I flew to Dallas on a blue bird day. After crossing the Florida peninsula-- over the lands owned by Big Sugar that deform Florida politics-- I had a crystal view over the Gulf of Mexico why off-shore oil drilling is such a bad idea for the state.

Nelson wants Robert Gates to weigh in on oil drilling, military concerns

By Alex Leary

St. Petersburg Times Buzz Blog

Sen. Bill Nelson has asked Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates to offer his view on the administration's plan to expand oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

Offshore drilling endangers Florida's future

By Jason Lawrence

The Famuan

President Obama announced a new energy plan March 31 that would extend offshore drilling in 167 million acres of water from the Mid-Atlantic to waters just southeast of Jacksonville.

County affirms stance against oil drilling

By Carl Mario Nudi

Bradenton Herald

The Manatee County Commission reiterated Tuesday its opposition to oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, adding federal waters to their concerns.

Full Text of Manatee County's "No Offshore Drilling" Resolution and Letter to Our Federal Reps

By Robin Miller

Bradenton Times

Manatee County Information Outreach Coordinator Nicholas Azzara says, "In the fall, Manatee County and each municipality sent a joint letter of opposition, specifically to drilling in state waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Four good reasons not to drill

By Jerry W. Gerde

Panama City News Herald

Following up The News Herald’s thoughtful editorial about offshore oil drilling (“Move offshore slowly,” April 4), there are four more seldom-discussed reasons not to drill in the federal waters anywhere in the eastern Gulf south of our Florida Panhandle.

Wrong on drilling

Editorial

Gainesville Sun

President Barack Obama's proposal to expand offshore oil and gas drilling shows a disappointing lack of foresight and creativity toward meeting our nation's future energy needs.

Map of areas to be opened for offshore oil and gas exploration and drilling under newly unveiled Obama administration proposal.

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.

ACTIONS OPPOSING OBAMA’S DRILLING PLAN
President Obama, Drilling Is Not the Answer, via Friends of the Earth.
Tell President Obama You Oppose Offshore Oil Drilling, via Endangered Species Coalition.
Don’t Sacrifice the Oceans in the Name of Climate Change, via Oceana.Demand that President Obama protect our oceans from oil drilling, via Center for Biological Diversity.

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

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

MORE GREEN NEWS

House energy bill gets initial committee approval

By Bruce Ritchie

Florida Environments.com

Related: Follow the Sun? House wants to encourage use of renewable energy

A proposed House committee bill that attempts to expand the use of renewable energy in the state received initial approval Friday from the House Energy & Utilities Policy Committee.

Weird winter weather creates struggle for some Everglades wildlife, other species thrive

By Eric Staats

Naples News

The water tables have turned at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary this winter.

Water crunch could come early to parts of First Coast

By Steve Patterson

Florida Times-Union

The little spring-fed creek behind Robert Palmatier's home ties his neighborhood together. Kids play there, adults sit on benches by the water and last year some families got together to scoop out sand and keep the channel clear.

Moving tortoises to cost Titusville $102K

By Dave Berman

Florida Today

The city council on Tuesday unanimously approved paying $102,100 to relocate 60 gopher tortoises found at the site of a water transmission main construction project -- or more than $1,700 per tortoise.

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 4-9-10

FEATURED STORIES

Crist links jobs, environment during Florida Forever rally

By Bruce Ritchie

FloridaEnvironments.com

Related: Top 10 at-risk land purchase areas listed

Gov. Charlie Crist on Wednesday told a rally at the Capitol that the state's land-buying program is critical to the Florida's tourism economy.

Opportunity Knocks For FL Preservation

By Glen Gardner

Public News Service Florida

Those hoping to preserve quickly-vanishing wildlife habitat in Florida will be delivering a message at the State Capitol Wednesday, centering on the Forever Florida program, which is the largest land-buying program in the country.

Florida Supreme Court raises its own questions about Everglades land deal

By Andy Reid

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Related: Everglades land deals and Big Sugar battles head to Florida Supreme Court

After nearly two years of political fights and legal battles over Gov. Charlie Crist's Everglades-restoration land deal, the Florida Supreme Court now will decide whether the public benefit is worth the cost to South Florida taxpayers.

Momentum for renewable-energy legislation lacking

By Mary Ellen Klas

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau

In the last legislative session before his death, state Sen. Jim King tirelessly pushed for an energy compromise to reduce the amount of dirty fuel the state uses to produce electricity.

Committee bill would remove climate change language in state law

By Bruce Ritchie

FloridaEnvironments.com

A proposed energy bill filed Wednesday by the House Energy & Utilities Committee appears to remove language in state law that addresses climate change and requires utilities to increase the amount of renewable energy they provide to customers.

Water bill squeaks out of committee amid opposition

By Bruce Ritchie

FloridaEnvironments.com

SB 550, dubbed the "mega-water bill" that includes springs protection measures, barely passed a Senate committee on Tuesday after development groups raised concerns about its septic tank requirements.

Endangered wood storks.

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 4-9-10:

160-Square-Mile Oil Spill Fouls Mississippi Delta Wildlife Refuge

Staff Report

Environment News Service

An 18,000 gallon spill of crude oil from a pipeline into the Delta National Wildlife Refuge has personnel from the U.S. Coast Guard, the state of Louisiana, and the Cypress Pipe Line Company scrambling to contain the spreading mess.

Thousands of gallons of crude oil spill into Louisiana wildlife refuge

By Niki Fears

Environmental News Examiner

The Delta National Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana is currently under threat from a recent pipe line disaster that has spilled at least 18,000 gallons of deadly crude oil into the waters of the wildlife refuge.

Spilled crude oil encroaching on Delta National Wildlife Refuge on the Louisiana coast. We want this here?

Obama Plan May Revive Offshore Oil

By Lloyd Dunkelberger

Lakeland Ledger

While it appeared a House Republican plan to open state waters to oil and gas exploration was not likely to happen this year, the proposal got an unexpected boost from a leading Democrat.

Obama's Offshore Drilling Pitch Sways Few Fence-Sitters on Climate Bill

By Mike Soraghan

New York Times

It's often said in Washington that if you anger both liberals and conservatives, you must be doing something right.

No-take fishing zone is 30 miles from proposed drilling buffer

By Kevin Wadlow

Florida Keys Keynoter

“This could come very close to the Dry Tortugas," said Mark Ferrulo, executive director of Progress Florida. "In terms of distance to the Keys, this is nothing."

Risks to Florida outweigh benefits of gulf drilling

By Paul Defenderefer

Panama City News Herald

I am deeply concerned about the possibility of oil drilling off Florida’s coastline.

Buchanan firm in drilling opposition

By Jeremy Wallace

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan is not budging in his opposition to oil drilling off Florida's Gulf Coast.

PolitiFact: Stearns' claim about Chinese oil drilling in Gulf of Mexico is half true

By Aaron Sharockman

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Politifact

Longtime U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns, a proponent of increased oil and natural gas exploration in the Gulf of Mexico, says drilling may be coming near Florida's shores whether we like it or not.

Obama lost me when he proposed oil drilling in the gulf

By Ernest Hooper

St. Petersburg Times

After President Barack Obama lauded my grandmother on election night, my wife theorized I would never criticize him.

Three Florida Democrats oppose offshore drilling

By Lesley Clark

Miami Herald

Related: White House says it will listen to Florida drilling critics

Florida Democrats have sent letters to President Barack Obama, protesting his plans to expand oil and gas drilling as close as 125 miles off Florida's coast.

Democrats from Florida oppose Obama's drilling plan

By Jim Turner

TC Palm

U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Miramar, and two other Florida Democratic members of Congress, have sent a letter to President Obama objecting to his plans to allow drilling off the state’s coastline.

Off-coast drilling threatens Florida economy and jobs

By Rep. Kathy Castor

The Hill

Drilling for oil off of Florida’s west coast beaches would be a serious threat to Florida’s economy and jobs.

PRO AND CON: Energy independence or slaves to Big Oil?

By David Batt and Dave Rauschkolb

Destin Log

Florida is on the brink of decisions that could forever endanger our clean waters, our clean beaches and our valuable tourism-based economy.

Offshore Drilling and Florida's Gulf: How Much Oil Is There?

By Scott Finn

WUSF Public Radio Tampa

In the long-running debate over offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, one question always comes up: how much oil and gas is really out there?

Castor says Florida 'too special' for offshore oil drilling

By Alex Leary

St. Petersburg Times

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, today sent a letter to President Obama objecting to his plan for more offshore oil drilling in Florida, saying the area is "too special" to risk environmental damage.

FRLA opposes oil exploration

By Carol Dover

Tampa Bay News Weekly

The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association is closely monitoring legislation filed by both the Florida Senate and the Florida House of Representatives on the issue of oil and gas exploration in the Gulf of Mexico.

Look at drilling's cost

By Walter C. Brown III

Daytona Beach News-Journal

From the standpoint of someone that has worked on oil-field supply vessels, it is not the platforms that worry me as much as the support systems that are needed onshore: The fuel docks, the storage facilities for drill-pipe, drill mud, etc.

Humans are the risk in drilling

Editorial

Pensacola News Journal

Related editorial: Drilling plan a loser

The Orlando Sentinel recently took a close look at the Australian drilling rig that blew out last August in the Timor Sea, leaked oil for more than two months and dumped millions of gallons of crude. It's a cautionary tale for Florida.

Drilling in Gulf makes no sense

Editorial

Highlands County News Sun

The debate over off-shore drilling is a real concern for Florida, especially since tourists flock here for a view of the beaches, not the oil rigs.

The drilling mistake

Editorial

Florida Today

The 72 miles of coast where Brevard County meets the sea is the heart of our community’s quality of life.

Map of areas to be opened for offshore oil and gas exploration and drilling under newly unveiled Obama administration proposal.

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.

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

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

MORE GREEN NEWS

Concern raised over nuclear waste storage at Turkey Point

By John Dorschner

Miami Herald

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has called a special meeting next week to discuss three apparent violations involving a spent-fuel pool at Turkey Point -- a critical issue as the long-held plans for storing waste in Nevada have collapsed.

Sugar deal's sour politics; biggest critic has self-interest at heart

By Joel Engelhardt

Palm Beach Post

In 2008, before Florida Crystals began to criticize the U.S. Sugar land deal, the company offered to be part of it.

Groups ask DEP to delay new waterway classification

By Bruce Ritchie

FloridaEnvironments.com

Environmental groups are asking the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to delay approval of a new stream classification system.

Key chairman says there is still time for DCA

By Bruce Ritchie

FloridaEnvironments.com

The chairman of a key House council said Tuesday there is plenty of time in the legislative session to approve a bill that would reauthorize the Florida Department of Community Affairs.

Rare photo shows mother Florida panther and two kittens

Submitted by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Naples News

A rare photograph taken last month of a Florida panther and her two kittens is making the e-mail rounds among wildlife biologists and conservation partners who have toiled for decades to restore the big cat’s habitat.

FPL opens solar plant

By Wayne T. Price

Florida Today

The solar energy center at the Kennedy Space Center could -- and should -- be one of many throughout Florida, Florida Power & Light President and Chief Executive Officer Armando Olivera said Thursday.

Not an Everglades setback: Judge leaves room for U.S. Sugar deal to proceed

Editorial

Palm Beach Post

U.S. District Judge Federico Moreno seemingly dealt a significant setback to Gov. Crist's plan to buy U.S. Sugar land for Everglades restoration.

Growth watchdog in danger

Editorial

Palm Beach Post

Developers believe it's too hard to exploit Florida's natural resources to build whatever they want.

Critically endangered Florida Panther and cubs.

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"