The Nature Coast Coalition strives to unite communities and organizations along Florida's Nature Coast to protect these last, best places in our state. Help us share information and resources that help us work together to conserve our natural heritage.
New DCA Secretary Billy Buzzett, a former St. Joe Company developer, says: “I think it’s really more important — not me, but what’s the state’s role in community planning in the future, whether it’s DCA or whoever it will be.”
Excerpt: Former county Commissioner Bobbi Mills spoke out against the project saying, “In the long run, it’s going to cost this county a tremendous amount of money in services that are needed.” Local resident Richard Ross also urged a no vote. He said if commissioners approved the project, they should hire someone to change the signs calling the county the “Nature Coast” to “Asphalt Jungle.”
Excerpt: ”Scott’s “Jobs Budget” would move the Division of Community Planning at the Florida Department of Community Affairs to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. DEP would retain only 10 of the 61 planning positions now at DCA as it focuses less on overseeing growth management decisions by local government, according to the governor’s budget staff.”
“Scott also proposes moving the Division of State Lands from DEP to the Department of Management Services, which manages office buildings and state lands other than conservation lands.
That recommendation suggests that Scott thinks the role of managing Florida’s “vast” public lands for people and wildlife is unimportant, said Eric Draper, executive director of Audubon of Florida.”
“I would say taking it (Division of State Lands) and putting it over with the people who run office buildings its a recipe for neglect,” Draper said.
Gwen Keyes Fleming, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Southeast, explains why cooperation to meet clean water standards in Florida is so important. “We must find common ground because poor water quality directly affects not only public health and the environment, but also tourism and jobs. Florida’s tourism industry — the state’s No. 1 industry — employs nearly 1 million Floridians and pumps billions into the state’s economy each year. In an average year, tourists spend more than $60 billion in the state — generating thousands upon thousands of jobs as well more than $3 billion in taxes.”
Congress is now back in session. But, will they act for a healthy Gulf?
Next Tuesday, December 7th, folks across the nation are making calls to tell Congress that the Gulf needs a Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council to help prevent future disasters and that Clean Water Act fines paid by BP should go towards restoring the coast.
We need all hands on deck for Gulf Coast recovery. Pick up your phone and make a call to your legislator today!
The United States Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121
Who is your Senator?
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Who is your Congressperson?
http://whoismyrepresentative.com/
What should you say?
Ask to speak with your Representative/Senator. They should transfer you to their office, and if they are not available, just leave a message with the operator or secretary. Then you can use the talking points below.
• Hello! My name is ________________, and I’m calling to ask (Representative/Senator)_ to make a commitment to the Gulf.
• The BP Drilling Disaster spewed 180 million gallons of oil and tons of toxic dispersant into the Gulf of Mexico and much of it is still out there. This disaster is severely impacting the jobs, lives, and futures of millions of Gulf Coast residents.
• In response to the disaster, I urge you to support the creation of a local Citizen’s Advisory Council that will give Gulf citizens a voice in making sure the oil industry does not repeat the mistakes that lead to BP’s Drilling Disaster.
• Also, please hold BP accountable for their violation of the Clean Water Act and guarantee that the penalties are used to fund restoration efforts in the Gulf of Mexico.
• It will be a long road to restoration, and the government needs to stay focused on the disaster and environmental impacts that are just beginning to play out. It is the only way to ensure that the people and places affected by the disaster are made whole again. Thank you.
***
One way to spread the word:
Find ” All Hands on Deck: Pick up the Phone for the Gulf” on Facebook at:
The need for regulation and oversight of drag mining in Florida is clear, and it’s what we need before the Levy County Commission commits the Nature Coast to a blighted future of extractive industry. The purpose of cautious study and permitting regulation is to take the long-term view on the safety of our water supply for future generations.
In case anyone missed the connection, as Mosaic plans a luxury resort and golf courses amidst old phosphate mine pits, Polk County has requested a seat at Tampa Bay Water.
-Darden Rice, GRN
Excerpts from Wall Street Journal article:
“Conservation groups have fought back, publishing their own advertisements in local papers and arguing that more jobs would be generated if the land was used for agriculture.”
“Earlier this month, [Mosaic] also unveiled plans to build a 140-room luxury resort—with two 18-hole golf courses designed by Ben Crenshaw—on 16,000 acres of formerly mined land. The Polk County resort is scheduled to open in 2013.” “The Environmental Protection Agency says the three-decade-old environmental-impact statement on phosphate mining in central Florida is outdated and that a comprehensive review will allow for better decision-making.” “Despite the tough economy, some locals support the push for greater scrutiny and are skeptical that the industry has been doing enough to clean up after itself.”
In a stroke of good news for the Gulf Coast of Florida, the Obama Administration will announce today that it will continue to uphold the drilling ban in new Florida waters for the next seven years. We are not quite sure where they get the seven years calculated, but this reversal of an earlier White House policy (announced just prior to the Deepwater Horizon explosion) is attributed to the BP oil spill disaster, which will be an ongoing crisis affecting water quality, seafood safety, marine life, coastal environments, and community public and mental health for years to come.
For more info, go to this link below:
by Joe Murphy
In this season of celebration and giving thanks, we should celebrate the natural wonders of our public lands. Florida’s rich natural heritage is woven through the wild places that all of us own together, and that are managed for us in trust by our local, state, and federal governments. These amazing natural places, places that define what it means to be a Floridian, are the birthright of every Floridian and belong to future generations as they belong to us.
My wife and I recently adopted two children and one of the most incredible and enjoyable things our new family has shared together is time spent exploring and enjoying our public lands. We have hiked through Cypress Lakes Preserve, paddled down the Withlacoochee River, snorkeled in the Gulf of Mexico at Pine Island, looked for wildlife at Chinsegut Nature Center, and swam in the cool clear waters of Juniper Springs. These places helped our new family bond, and helped introduce our children to their natural heritage.
My kids and I have explored the Withlacoochee River in the big old red canoe that my father bought when I was a kid. The first time we went paddling together on a cool fall day my children got to see the same places and wildlife that I saw in the canoe on that river decades ago.
The legacy being passed to them was passed to me by my parents and grandparents. I want my children to see a Florida Black Bear in the wild as I have been so blessed to have seen. I want them to fish clean waters, hike through longleaf pines, hear birds and frogs calling, and pass those experiences on to their children.
We should all work to ensure that our public lands are valued and protected, and that our grandchildren know the Florida our grandparents knew. Each generation must protect the right of the next generation to know and love natural Florida.
Anyone who hunts, fishes, paddles, sails, snorkels, birds, rides horses, hikes, or otherwise recreates on our public lands understands what an incredible resource they are and how valuable they are. We must continue the work to acquire new public lands and manage our current public lands for their highest conservation value.
Our public lands provide tremendous public benefits at little cost to Floridians. They help filter our water, protect our communities from flooding, provide critical habitat for wildlife that we love, and create economic activity through recreation and eco-tourism.
In the Nature Coast they provide some of the best and most sustainable economic development opportunities we have. People come here to explore and enjoy nature and the amazing mosaic of wetlands, uplands and sandhills, rivers, and coastlines we are blessed with. Our public lands nourish our spirits, and our economy.
As we begin to formulate our resolutions for 2011, let us resolve to spend more time outside under the sun or the moon and in and on the waters, trails, and back roads of our public lands. Let’s take our kids out into the woods and share with them all the wonders of nature. Our public lands are our children’s public lands, and they bind generations together in a shared love of nature. All of us have the responsibility to be good stewards of our public lands, and future generations will thank us for protecting their natural heritage.
Joe Murphy is a conservation campaign consultant for non-profit groups in Florida. He and his family live in Florida’s Nature Coast.
Click the above link to read mixed reviews about Mosaic’s plans to transform phosphate mines in Polk County into luxury resorts. Questions remain about lingering radon and potential impacts to neighboring wetlands. This kind of ‘second nature’ concept probably isn’t what Frederick Law Olmstead had in mind…
The EPA finally sets numerical nutrient pollution limits, but why the delay? From the St. Pete Times: ”Gwen Keyes Fleming, the EPA’s regional administrator, says the delay is necessary to counteract all the “exaggerated, doomsday claims” that opponents have been spreading around about the new water pollution standards.” http://bit.ly/c3DAdE See Earthjustice news release below. Earthjustice New Release: November 12, 2010 Contacts: David Guest, Earthjustice, (850) 681-0031 Manley Fuller, Florida Wildlife Federation, (850) 567-7129 Andrew McElwaine, Conservancy of Southwest Florida, (239) 438-5472 Frank Jackalone, Sierra Club, (727) 804-1317 Neil Armingeon; St. Johns Riverkeeper, (904) 635-4554 New EPA Limits on Fertilizer, Animal Waste, and Sewage Pollution Are Key To Cleaner Florida Waters WASHINGTON, D.C. – Five major Florida environmental groups join together today to welcome the first-ever limits on the widespread water pollution that poses a major public health threat in Florida. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced new limits to reduce contamination from inadequately treated sewage, animal manure and fertilizer. The new standards will be phased in gradually so that industries have time to make needed changes to clean up dirty discharges into public waters. These pollutants wash into Florida waters every time it rains. They trigger toxic algae outbreaks – green slime that covers lakes, rivers, bays and streams. Exposure to these algae toxins – when people drink the water, touch it, or inhale vapors from it - can cause rashes, skin and eye irritation, allergic reactions, gastrointestinal upset, serious illness, and even death. Fish and wildlife can also be killed by the toxins. The EPA committed to set nutrient pollution limits after the Bush Administration determined that they were needed in Florida. That determination produced a settlement of related litigation by Florida Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club, St. Johns Riverkeeper, Conservancy of Southwest Florida, and Environmental Confederation of Southwest Florida. In January, 2009, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection endorsed the determination and agreed that pollution limits are needed in Florida. “These toxins cause massive fish kills and harm wildlife,” said Florida Wildlife Federation president Manley Fuller. “We’ve let this pollution go on for decades, and the EPA’s new limits are a key step in the right direction.” “The EPA’s limits are based on sound science,” Fuller continued. “We know more about the effects of pollution from sewage, animal waste and fertilizer now. Scientists have clearly documented how damaging this pollution is. Knowing that, we have a responsibility to keep these poisons out of our public waters.” EPA’s action today sets pollution limits for Florida’s flowing freshwaters, lakes and springs. Pollution limits for estuaries and South Florida canals will be set by August 2012. “The cost of doing nothing is far greater than the cost of cleaning up Florida’s waterways. Fertilizer runoff, industrial pollution and raw sewage spills have added enormous loads of nitrogen and phosphorus to our rivers, lakes, streams and bays,” said Frank Jackalone, Florida Staff Director of the Sierra Club. “That pollution feeds red tides and harmful algae blooms which devastate our fisheries, make people sick, lower property values and shut down coastal tourism. Thankfully, EPA has stepped in to rescue Florida from the powerful gang of polluters who for decades have used campaign gifts and intimidation to stop state government in Tallahassee from taking this action on its own.” Florida’s worst polluters – including sewage companies and pulp mills – have publicized a series of fallacious reports claiming preposterously high costs for pollution reduction. For example, the sewage lobby published a report claiming that needed sewage treatment costs would be 1,000 times higher than the actual costs, claiming that everybody’s sewage bill would increase by $700 per year. EPA calculated the actual upgrade cost for each individual major and minor sewage plant in Florida and found that the annual cost would be $55 million per year, which amounts to 25¢ per month per Floridian. Earthjustice attorney David Guest, said “This scare campaign is aimed at convincing middle class Floridians that stopping this contamination of their water is impossibly expensive. It’s a routine tactic by industry lobbyists” “We know what happens when nitrogen and phosphorus pollution builds up: dead fish on our beaches, algae piled three feet high along the shore and dead zones in our sounds and estuaries.” Conservancy of Southwest Florida President Andrew McElwaine said. “Without meaningful standards for nutrient pollution, our water will never recover. Fishing, boating and outdoor recreation are more than amenities in southwest Florida – they are our life blood. They are the backbone of our economy, and without them we may never see a recovery. In our part of the world, numeric nutrient standards will not only protect our health and our environment, they will help us restore the reason people want to live and invest here.” http://bit.ly/c3DAdE St Johns Riverkeeper Neil Armigeon added: “The St. Johns River is the poster child for why we need the EPA’s numeric nutrients standards. Last summer, the river experienced toxic algae blooms, massive fish kills, and a meringue-like foam that had a devastating effect on Jacksonville’s economy and quality of life. The State has failed the citizens of northeast Florida — our only hope is the EPA.” The EPA reports that it has received 22,000 public comments on the proposed new nutrient pollution standards, and 20,000 of those comments were in support of the standards.
