spring 2008 pelican newsletter, florida sierra club

8/9/2019 Spring 2008 Pelican Newsletter, Florida Sierra Club

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Volume 40, Issue 1The Pelican, Spring 2008

The official publication of the Sierra Club Florida Chapter

Explore, enjoy and protect the planet

The PelicanVictory over Magnolia Bay

Celebrating Big Bend residents Rick and Patti Causey, government agencies,and environmental organizations making history together.

By Linda Jamison, Education Co-Chair, Big Bend Group

Little more than a year and a half has

passed since the proposed MagnoliaBay Marina and resort ballooned intomuch more than a blip onenvironmental organizationscollective radar.

Destruction of coastal wetlands inTaylor County to construct a marinahousing over 1,000 boats, several25-story buildings and prospectiveresidents in a low-lying coastal high-hazard zone with a recent history ofextreme storm damage and multiplefatalities? Unacceptable.

Dredging a 100-foot-wide channelthrough Big Bend SeagrassesAquatic Preserve to accommodateimmensely increased boat traffic,supposedly sacrosanct from suchabuse under Florida law?Unacceptable. Seagrasses adjacentto such a channel would also hostsimilarly increased small-boat traffic,where propeller scarring would takeup to 10 years to heal, if it heals atall.

In spring 2006, Taylor County coupleRick and Patti Causey, Big BendSierrans from Dekle Beach, site ofthe proposed marina, emerged as ahuman-dynamo opposition team.Causey, a retired soil scientist, andhis wife Patti came from SidneyLaniers fabled Marshes of Glynnregion on Georgias Atlantic coast.They retired on Boggy Bay, west ofPerry, Florida, so like their coastal

Georgia home: dominated by

serenity, isolation, vast expanses ofsalt marsh, and the endless sweep ofocean sky. Seeing their retirementdream about to crumble, theyspearheaded a phenomenallysuccessful effort to stop thisdevelopment.

Hosting tours of the target area neartheir home, Rick and Patti drove anescalating effort to educate and uniteallies from all over. The crowd ofcommitted environmentalists grew,as more organizations wererepresented. Involvement in publicmeetings occupied much of Rickstime. He even organized some of hisown, contacting MelissaCharbonneau, the Department ofEnvironmental Protection official in

(Continued on page 11)

Inside this issue:

Inner City Outings 2

Everglades 3

Florida Legislature 4

Lobbyist message 5

Florida Forever 6

Chairs report 7

Chapter awards 8

More awards 9

Regional briefs 10

Rock mining 11

Aquaculture 12

Outings 13

Green Swamp 14

Growth 15

Chapter successes 16


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Volume 40, Issue 1Page 2 The Pelican, Spring 2008

Inner City Outings hatches new environmentalistsBy Ana Rodriguez, Loxahatchee Group

f you have not yet heard about the West Palm BeachInner City Outings (ICO), you'll be pleasantly enthused

to find the positive ways in which our local Sierra ClubLoxahatchee Group members are making theirturtletracks with our local hatchlings! ICO is by far the most funway to have a say in the shaping of today's kids intotomorrow's environmentally aware adults.

As a Venezuelan activist and a new volunteer for ourLoxahatchee Sierra Club and West Palm Beach ICOgroup, I am thrilled to give a small glimpse of theexperiences that I have shared with our local kids.

The first impression that I got from my first ICO Outing inJohn D. MacArthur Beach State Parkwas that this was anexperience that these children never had the opportunityto enjoy, an experience that I myself never got to enjoy attheir age. We rounded the children together and began togive them a sense of order and a small educationaloverview of the ecosystem. These starry-eyed childrensquirmed and eagerly raised their hands in the contagiousspirit to participate, ask and answer questions.

We were grouped at the foot of a wild, bright mangroveshore, circled by wading birds such as the magnificentroseate spoonbills, and overlooking brackish water alivewith living sea creatures as far as the eye could see. ICOleaders Mike Yustin and Lori Haynes explained to thechildren how to do the "sting-ray shuffle," a technique thatconsists of dragging one's feet close to the bottom of theground in order to prevent stepping on sting-rays andhorseshoe crabs. This explanation was a very necessarytask which excited the children (and us as newvolunteers), more in the realization of how alive everythingwould be that we would be coming into contact with.

We gave the children the supervised opportunity tocarefully and selectively gather some life-forms intobuckets for closer observation and group discussions, anexercise that piqued the curiosity of all and provedimmensely successful in getting hands-on experience andlimitless education. A couple of the most popular findingswere the horseshoe crabs and the puffer-fish. The finaltouch was an exercise of "silence and stillness" as thechildren were asked to focus on an area and discover thelife that scurries about, once we humans becomeimperceptible to them. This exercise impressed anddeeply touched the kids.

Similarly, on our ICO canoe trip down the LoxahatcheeRiver, we were proud to find one of our young friendspretending to be "clean-up super-hero." Others exercisedtheir muscles while canoeing in rain and shine,discovering self-confidence and pride in their effort. One ofmy favorite memories is the unanimous "aaaawww" we alllet out in the close encounter we shared with an animatedlimpkin, as it chowed down on an apple snail.

I have shared numerous other, just as exciting, treasuredmemories highlighting the value of nature with gratefulchildren, most of whom usually spend their recreationaltime within the confines of an urban and commerciallandscape.

After a couple of children declared that they had decidedthey wanted to be marine biologists when they grow up;after a few others were caught voluntarily picking up litter;and as one of the children, who had come to us with

nervous ramblings about "squishing" spiders, returned tothe shore relaying fascinating information about thenecessary roles of spiders, bats and other misunderstoodcreatures to their ecosystems... I remember thinking,"yeah, this is the most important and successful activism Ican ever be a part of."

Chapter endorses in SierraClub national board elections

embers will soon receive ballots and candidate

information for the national Sierra Club Board ofDirectors election. The Florida Chapter recommends avote forClark Buchner, Jim Dougherty, Larry Fahn,Jerry Sutherland and Lane Boldman in the upcomingelection for the Sierra Club's Board of Directors.

Those eligible to vote in the election will receive in the mai(or by Internet if you chose the electronic delivery option)your national Club ballot. You will find the ballot is quitestraightforward and easy to mark and mail. A growingnumber of members find the user friendly Internet votingoption to be very convenient as well as saving postage.

Ana Rodriguez with ICO kids and leaders.Photo by Russ McSpadden.


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Volume 40, Issue 3The Pelican, Spring 2008 Page 3

Restore historic freshwater flow to the Everglades

By Drew Martin, Co-Chair of 12th Everglades Coalition Conference

The Everglades Coalition is an alliance of the Sierra Cluband 45 local, state and national conservationorganizations dedicated to the full restoration of thegreater Everglades ecosystem, from the Kissimmee Chainof Lakes into Lake Okeechobee, through the "River ofGrass" out to Florida Bay and the Keys.

The 12th Everglades Coalition Conference featured manyhigh-level participants, such as Senator Bill Nelson,Governor Charlie Crist, former Governor Bob Graham,Secretary of the Florida Department of EnvironmentalProtection Mike Sole, and Secretary of the FloridaDepartment of Community Affairs Tom Pelham.Conservationist Nathaniel Reed was given the annualaward for his many achievements. Many citizens,members of Congress, staff from the Army Corps ofEngineers and the Department of the Interior attended theannual meeting, held January 10-13 on Captiva Island.

The highlight of the conference was a lecture by Dr.Harold Wanless, a University of Miami expert in coastalmarine environments, who said that restoration of theEverglades is more important now than ever. Dr. Wanlesssaid that establishing the natural flow of water to the 2.4million-acre marsh to rebuild its eroded peatlands couldhold back salt water intrusion from rising sea levels, andprotect South Florida's drinking water. His gripping lectureleft the group speechless. He showed clearly what is instore for South Florida without a restoration or a reversalof greenhouse gases. He pointed to conservativeestimates that predict a two-foot increase in sea levels by2100, and cited other studies that indicate the sea levelrise could amount to 20 feet by 2200, which wouldsubmerge all of South Florida.

The Sierra Club advocates an 11-mile skyway across theEverglades to restore natural sheetflow to the Shark RiverSlough in the heart of the Everglades. The U.S. ArmyCorps of Engineers opposes this popular concept,suggesting a one-mile bridge on the east edge of theborder of the Everglades instead.

The Sierra Club also continues to advocate for the

restoration of sheetflow through the EvergladesAgricultural Area EAA. Hundreds of miles of deep canalsdrained this historic 700,000-acre wetland to createfarmland. The water is pumped to the coastal estuaries,and during wet periods these estuaries are inundated withpolluted water. Sheetflow would permit water to be sentsouth rather than being sent out to tide. Restoring watersouth will save the Everglades wetlands and bring backwildlife.

There were many excellent panels which were botheducational and informative. I encourage anyone who canattend next year to do so.

Drew Martin, Co-Chair of the Everglades CoalitionConference, put a great deal of effort into organizing thisconference. He also co-chairs the Florida ChapterEverglades Committee, and is the Loxahatchee GroupConservation Chair.

The Pelican Vol. 40, No. 1

Editor: Kathy Criscola

Pelican Committee Co-Chairs: Kathy Criscola and RosalieShaffer

Published by the Florida Chapter of the Sierra Club, 319E. Park Avenue, Tallahassee FL.

Address all inquiries to: PO Box 575, Tallahassee FL32302-0575 or e-mail [email protected] [email protected]

The Pelican is mailed three times per year to members ofSierra Club in the state of Florida. Annual membershipdues include $1.00 for the chapter newsletter.

Send address changes to: Sierra Club MemberServices, PO Box 52968, Boulder CO 80322-2968 or e-mail [email protected].

Send articles to: the Pelican Committee, in Word or textformat on disk to PO Box 575, Tallahassee FL 32302-0575 or e-mail [email protected] [email protected]

Articles and letters may be edited for space and clarity.Next deadline: May 15, 2008

Pelican Committee Members:

Joan Altman, [email protected] Canelos, [email protected] H. Coleman, [email protected] Devensky, [email protected]

Joy Towles Ezell, [email protected] Goodwin, [email protected] Haines, [email protected] McSherry, [email protected] Roberts, ex-officio, [email protected]


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Florida Legislature, 2008 Regular SessionBy Susie Caplowe

The Florida Legislature will convene March 4 for its annual 60-day session. This year, according to former Sierra Clublobbyist Susie Caplowe, the issues and potential volumes of bills and amendments that will have our attention will be all

about water, energy, and growth management.

Springs legislation: In general, Floridas springs arethreatened by flow reductions and declining water quality.Many of Florida's springs show signs of ecologicalimbalance, increased nutrient loading and lowered waterflow. It is the intent of the Legislature to establish a pilotprogram for the protection of Rainbow Springs and SilverSprings, first magnitude springs in Marion County, whichmay serve as a model for other springs in the state. Localgovernments would be required to deal with point andnon-point source pollution.

Water wars: Watch for legislation that will tag waterwaysfor water resources and find ways to sustain watersupplies for current users. The tug of war continuesbetween all users and consumers of water. Who will gettheirs first and by what means? Options include:

Ramping up measures to capture runoff and treat it -Capture and storage of rain - Maximize conservation andefficiency efforts - Educating users -Wastewater treatmentand reuse - Reverse osmosis Desalination - Tappinginto more lakes and rivers - More surface-waterwithdrawals

Ocean outfall wastewater discharge: The nationalpollution permits for all the south Florida outfall pipes

have expired or are about to a violation of federal law.This discharge from pipes is damaging our coral reefs.The sewer plants have not and cannot meet the level ofproof required by the Clean Water Act and will continue tooperate in violation until enforcement action is taken. TheFlorida Legislature needs to weigh in, and no doubt theywill.

Ocklawaha River restoration: DEPs application toremove the Rodman Dam is complete, but first there hasto be a strategy developed to clean up Silver River. TheSilver River has significant nitrate and phosphorousloading in it and it dumps into the Rodman, which acts askidneys, cleaning the effluent that comes from Silver River

prior to the water making its way to the St. Johns River.

Aquifer storage and recovery (ASR): Here we go again.We fought the fight and won a few years ago. We stoppedthen-Governor Jeb Bush and the Legislature from allowingthe dumping of untreated water into our aquifers. Now,because of severe droughts in recent years, we needto be on the lookout for possible legislation similar to theASR bills from 2000 or 2001, that would allow untreatedgroundwater to be injected into the aquifer.

Energy: There are still a few who dont believe that theplanet is heating up and glaciers are melting down. Watchfor last year's legislation (vetoed by Governor Crist) to

make a comeback, in addition to new bills to set uproadblocks to any progress we strive for: legislation filledwith renewables, conservation, efficiency, biofuels,biomass, cap and trade, solar, subsidies, tax incentives,tax credits, and rebates. Watch for who gets the benefitsand who pays. It will be dynamic, intense and all-consuming.

Florida Forever: The state needs to continue to purchaseenvironmentally sensitive lands for wildlife preservationand conservation. Were hoping for a follow-on program to

Florida Forever, Floridas nine-year-old land-buyingprogram. With the state funds shortfall, any monies forland purchases will have to be maximized.

Everglades funding andrestoration: This issueaffects the restoration of LakeOkeechobee, the St. Lucieand Caloosahatchee Rivers,Everglades National Parkand ongoing needs of all whobenefit from the resource;water conservation, ways to

combat the drought through better capture of water from

runoff; homeowner association ordinances versus wateruse restrictions; models, methodology, alternatives, rulesand enforcement issues, meeting the phosphorousreduction goals and restoring the natural habitat; landacquisitions versus construction projects; whatcontributions will come from federal government sources?

Pre-emption: Wetlands delegation from the Army Corpsof Engineers to DEP of projects impacting 10 acres or less the same fight we fight every year. Wetlands

jurisdictions: local versus state control; and the recurring,general theme of preventing local governments fromhaving stronger protections: fertilizer ordinances, ormining regulations, or in this particular case, stronger

wetlands protections. Just this past summer, thedevelopers who lost the battle during session asked theHillsborough County Commission to de-fund the excellentwetlands program of the Hillsborough CountyEnvironmental Protection Commission. The developerslobbyists continue to go after strong local governmentsthat do a good job of protecting their wetlands from thebulldozer. Many of you remember how we, for three yearsrunning, stopped them from preventing local governmentsfrom having stronger wetlands protections than the state.



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A farewell message fromSusie Caplowe

Florida Chapter Sierra Club lobbyist 1993-2007

Susie Caplowe has made outstanding contributions to ourefforts as lobbyist. She recently announced that after 14years of service, she will be leaving us to pursue othercareer options.

I have been the Florida Chapter Sierra Club ContractLobbyist for 14 years. I started out as a volunteerlegislative lobby coordinator, working with several activistsand two paid lobbyists. To improve communication, Ibegan the Tallahassee Report (TR), a weekly legislativeupdate describing committee reports and proposed billsthat affect the environment. Now Sierra members, citizensand local Florida government entities can access

legislative matters with ease.Several hundred of you, volunteering when you can, havedone an excellent job contacting legislators locally and inTallahassee, reaching out to more activists, and buildingour movement and our network. We have worked incoalition with our allies and are well respected bygovernmental agencies and the Florida Legislature. Wehave a very good relationship with Governor Crist, whohas excellent staff willing to listen to us and work with uson a daily basis.

I wanted all of you to know how much I appreciate everyone of you for staying with us online for so many years,and reading ourPelican legislative reports. Even thoughthe Chapter renewed approval for me to contract for 2008,I have decided to move on.

There are so many to thank that the list would take up thewhole page. So THANK YOU to all the issue chairs,activists and environmental heroes.I will continue to workin the environmental movement and fight for those whocannot, and I thank you all for all your dedication andenergy to be with us for so long.

I hope you will look at the archives onwww.florida.sierraclub.org/tracker, a website that wasalready designed and all I had to do was fill in all thelegislative information. We compiled hundreds of pages of

detailed legislative information in each of these last twosessions.

With the departure of Susie Caplowe as the FloridaChapters legislative lobbyist, the leaders of the FloridaChapter are working together to make sure the Chapterhas a presence in Tallahassee during the 2008 legislativesession.

Florida Legislature(Continued from page 4)

Growth management: Department of Community AffairsSecretary Tom Pelham agrees with citizens that thesystem is broken, and he is trying to instill and enlightenthe home builders, developers, local governments,businesses, and industry, that if they dont like the FloridaHometown Democracy campaign for a constitutionalamendment requiring citizen approval of comprehensiveplan changes, then they'd better fix what is broken or facethe consequences. Here is the menu of the DCAs draftlegislation so far: fixing the Rural Stewardship Landsprogram; rural and urban fixes; school and transportationconcurrency; affordable housing; and public participation.

Election reform/deform: For years we have supportedhaving clean money, clean elections or voter-ownedelections. We had momentum in the beginning and had

legislators signed on, then the opposition began calling itwelfare for politicians and the make up of the legislatureworsened. Now Floridas spending limits for statewideelections are under attack in new legislation.

Manatees: No doubt because of the great success wehad before the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission tomaintain the manatees status as endangered andbecause of Gov. Crists help, the go-fast boatmanufacturers, developers and marina owners who wantto expand their facilities will come out in full force.

This is just the short list; there are always more bills thatcome our way and we have to be able to respond to them.We have won a lot of battles together and we still need to

be ever-vigilant and hold on to, or improve, whatregulations and protections we have for Floridas wildlifeand natural areas.

Everything is hitched toeverything else

Make a commitment to the next generation byremembering Sierra Club in your will. Your support willhelp others to preserve the intricate balance of nature.Bequests have played a key role on the Sierra Clubsenvironmental successes over the years.

There are many gift options available. We can evenhelp you plan a gift for your local Chapter.

For more information and confidential assistance,contact:

John Calaway, Director of Gift PlanningSierra Club 85 Second Street, 2

ndFloor

San Francisco CA 94105Phone: 415-977-5639E-mail: [email protected]


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Florida Forever II

By David Auth, Florida Chapter Biodiversity Issue Chair

As of August 2007, one-fourth of Florida -- almost 9.5

million acres -- is in public ownership. Since 1990, almost7 percent, or 2,341,000 acres, were purchased by thestate from private owners, at a cost of almost $5.4 billion.We must thank our Florida Legislature and two governorsfor passing and then signing, respectively, Preservation2000 followed by Florida Forever, which made thisadditional protection a reality. This is a magnificentachievement -- the largest land-buying success in recentUnited States history.

The Legislature cleverly funded P2000 and FloridaForever with a state tax on every home sale, so thepopulation explosion partly pays for state land buying. Inaddition, residents have been more than willing, through

referenda in 22 of 67 counties, to tax their property or payadditional sales tax for land buying. Floridians, new andold, recognize the great importance of saving naturalhabitats before they are converted into urban oragricultural areas.

Assuming the annual net increase in new residentsremains the same as between 1950 and now, according toBureau of Economic and Business Research estimates,Floridas population will be almost 36 million people by2060, twice what the land and water must now support.Seven million acres of private rural lands would beconverted to cities, including 2.7 million acres of nativehabitats, more than have been bought back by the state

since 1990. A glimmer of hope emerged in 2007, that thisprojection is too high; almost as many people left Floridaas moved in. However, the net increase continued, due tohigh birth rate, lower death rate and undocumentedimmigration.

The big question is: When the population inevitablystabilizes, will there be enough natural land left to protectFloridas biodiversity and wildlife corridors, as well asprovide us with clean air and water and carbon dioxidecapture? The Florida Natural Areas Inventory estimatesthat 3,470,000 acres of highest priority, private naturallands still need to be permanently protected through publiceffort, either bought outright or saved through

conservation easements. The average price per acre forraw land started increasing exponentially after 2000: 1980,$648; 2001-5, $2,304; 2006-7, $3,894. Even at thepresent average land price, buying only the highest priorityland at todays average price would cost $13.5 billion.

In November 2005, 16 environmental organizations, led bythe Trust for Public Lands and five other voting members,formed the Florida Forever Coalition, to ensure state landbuying will continue through 2019, rather than end in2009. Sierra Club was initially a non-voting member, but

later it was decided the Club would be the watchdog of all

proposed legislation from outside the Coalition.The Coalition is helping to write the bill, sponsored bySen. Burt Saunders of Naples/Ft Myers. This bill proposesto fund Florida Forever II at $600 million a year, twice thelevel of Florida Forever. Once the bonds for FloridaForever are paid off in 2013, funding would increase to $1billion annually through 2019, for a total decadeexpenditure of $8.4 billion. Thus, Florida Forever II wouldnot provide enough funding to protect even the still-outstanding highest priority lands. Floridians would haveto tax themselves more, not less, as has beenincrementally the case since Jeb Bush became Governorin 1998.

Floridas infrastructure costs explode along with ourpopulation. Florida Forever II funding will be only a tinyfraction of the cost of new roads, schools, police and fireprotection, environmental protection, electricity, water, etc.No one knows how much land $8.4 billion will buy by2019, but it definitely wont buy nearly enough. This is whycounty land-buying programs will continue to be soimportant.

To keep track of developments through the Floridalegislative session starting March 4, and ending hopefullywith the Governors signature on a great law, I suggestwatching the Trust for Public Land website(www.tpl.org/floridaforever), our Chapters Legislative

Tracker (www.florida.sierraclub.org/tracker) and theFlorida Legislatures website (www.leg.state.fl.us).Members can start writing now to Sen. Burt Saunders,Chairman, Senate Committee on EnvironmentalPreservation and Conservation, to stress how important itis to buy land to protect Floridas remaining water andwildlife resources for future generations. Email:[email protected].

Florida Sierra's Conservation Committee is watching andwaiting to see the first version of the Coalition bill.Probably two versions will move through the legislatureduring session, in both the House and Senate. The otherversion was less acceptable in 2000 and became law. It

wont be long before Sierra volunteers should lobby for thebest possible version of the Florida Forever Coalition bill!


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Volume 40, Issue 3

The Pelican, Spring 2008 Page 7

Florida Hometown Democracyis here to stay

By John Hedrick

First, I want to thank everyone who was involved in gettingFHD where it is today. Because if youour petitiongatherers, signers, and contributorshadn't worked sohard, it never would have gotten this far. Over 814,000signatures were submitted to the Supervisors of Electionsthroughout Florida.

However, our ballot initiative that sought to give citizensthe right to control the growth of their own communities,and hopefully bring some sanity to growth in our entirestate, is being claimed to have fallen 65,182 signaturesshort of the 611,009 needed to make the ballot. This ispartly due to a massive campaign by the development-

business industry, with its huge financial resources, tocrush this effort using massive mailouts to get signers torescind their petitions. They also created a secondarysham growth-control measure, Floridians for SmarterGrowth, that flooded the Supervisor of Elections officeswith petitions at the last minute, making it hard for our ownpetitions to get verified in time.

We are not folding our tents or giving up this effort, whichis essential for growth control, the protection of our naturalresources and water supplies. Our first job is to get all thepetitions that were submitted counted. We asked thestate to extend the time limit for verification, and werepromptly denied. The state must hold the local

supervisors to the election rules. Irregularities need to beaddressed. For example, Miami-Dade Supervisor ofElections rejected valid petitions, and Broward and BayCountys Supervisors of Elections acknowledge they didnot count all the petitions. We are also reviewing all ouroptions for both this year and election 2010, if necessary.Petitions are good for up to four years.

We will make the citizens petitions count, and we will beon the ballot. Previous polls indicate that if FHD gets onthe ballot, it will pass. If these are accurate, eventuallyFHD will be in the Florida Constitution. Thanks again,everyone, for your past and anticipated future efforts inthis important initiative.

Please contact us if you need any information or want tohelp:

John Hedrick, phone 850-339-5462; e-mail:[email protected]

Lesley Blackner, phone 866-779-5513; e-mail:[email protected]

Chapter Chair Report

By Betsy Roberts

This year brings numerous challenges and lots of politics.

We will be electing a new president and many other officeholders. It will be an exciting year politically, which willhopefully result in a huge voter turnout. We will have manylocal and state candidates as well as referenda toconsider. I know lots of requests for our club endorsementwill come our way.

As in most years, we have had many tough issues to dealwith. Thanks to our hard-working energy folks andGovernor Crist for halting coal-burning power plants.

We need to be vigilant, as issues have a way of comingback. There are five nuclear power plants and garbage,tire and wood incinerators being proposed, as well as

agrofuel and coal-burning refineries. As for solar energy,we are the Sunshine State, so lets focus on thatalternative fuel and continue to promote conservation,efficiency and lifestyle changes.

The Florida legislative session will surely bring with itchallenges in the form of bills that will be good or bad forthe environment. We will sorely miss Susie Caplowe, whohas lobbied for Sierra Club for many years. Going toTallahassee to lobby will not be the same without her.

The Chapter might get someone to take Susie's position,but no single person could ever replace her and do all thatshe did for us and the environment. I know wherever shegoes, she will always work to protect our Floridaenvironment. Thank you Susie, beyond words!

We have so much yet to do - so many important issuesface us. More of our members need to get involved. Wedo not want to see a concrete Florida that ends up underwater due to global warming.

Want to help? There are many issues and committeechairs who need assistance. Our environmental issuecommittees are listed on page 14 and on the FloridaChapter website at www.floridasierraclub.org . Call or e-mail the committee chairs for more information or to offeryour help. Please encourage others to get involved also.

Lastly, I do want to emphasize the importance of workingas a team. We all have very important roles and so manytalents to bring to the table. This year we face importantorganizational challenges in working to make our Chapterwork better to achieve all our goals. I have no doubt thatwith the help of all our dedicated volunteers, we willsucceed and come out of this a better, stronger, Chapter.


8/16


Florida Sierra Club recognizes activists

By Mary-Slater Linn, Awards Committee Chair

At the annual Florida Sierra

Club ConservationConference in November,members and communityactivists were recognized withawards for their outstandingwork.

The highest honor this year,the Red Howell LegalServices Award,waspresented to LesleyBlackner, a Palm Beachattorney dedicated to theenvironment of Florida.

Lesley is noted currently forher championing of the FloridaHometown Democracyconstitutional amendmentcampaign. The FHDamendment would provide citizenswith the final vote on substantialchanges to local comprehensiveland-use plans She was recognizedfor this and for her long-term legalassistance to the Florida Chapter,including such cases as the legalchallenge to the unneeded, sprawl-

driven Suncoast Parkway.Other awards for outstanding serviceto the community were:

Indigo Writers Award, for awriter/journalist who providesbalanced reports on Florida'senvironmental issues.

Jack Gurney, Sarasota. Jack writesabout environmental issues in ThePelican Press and consistentlycreates public awareness, the criticalfirst step toward effective, long-term

environmental protection. ThePelican Press website has proven tobe a very effective local tool used byarea environmentalists to get theword out and Jacks articles serve asimportant background informationand support for local causes.

The Barred Owl Award, for abusiness that makes environmentalconcerns a major part of its presencein the marketplace.

Southern Horticulture of St.Augustine, owned by Bill andBryanne Hamilton, sells nativeFlorida plants and also does privatelandscaping. They refuse to apply,sell or use chemicals, pesticides,fungicides or herbicides. You canbuy ladybugs there for pest control.

Laurilee Thompson, owner ofDixieCross Roads Restaurant inTitusville. Dixie Cross Roads hasconsistently made sustainablefisheries a major part of its presencein the marketplace through itsdealings with suppliers, consumersand the general public. Therestaurant also displays work byFlorida environmental artists and is asupporter of the Space Coast BirdingFestival.

Osprey Award, for extraordinary

effort by a governmental staff personto promote or effect changes inpolicy or practice to protect orpreserve Florida's environment.

Danon Moxley, nominated by thePolk Group. He is Project Leader ofthe Tenoroc Fish Management Area.Under his guidance, this area waschanged from a phosphate mine to awildlife viewing and hiking hot spot,in a short period of time and on a

shoestring annual budget

of $82,000 (FY07). Thisis especially significantbecause Tenoroc is thelargest green space inclose proximity to thegreater Lakeland metroarea.

Cypress Award, for anindividual who hascontributed greatly to thepublic's environmentalawareness in ones ownlocale or Florida as a

whole.

Karl Nurse from theSuncoast group receivedthis award for his role as

one of the founders and continuingorganizers of the Pinellas LivingGreen Expo, an event designed toprovide information, ideas,resources, products and motivationfor Pinellas County residents to livemore sustainably.

Bill Sanders, Executive Director of

Keep Pinellas Beautiful, started aneducational campaign with themiddle school students using Rosiethe Spoonbill as a mascot. Througheducational materials, Bill showedkids the impact of litter in ourwaterways.

Dolphin Award, for an outstandingrecord of long-term, invaluableservice in sustaining a vital Chapterfunction. Kathy Criscola fromTallahassee received for her work inthe past 10 years plus as volunteer

editor of the Florida Chapter SierraClub publication The Pelican.

Pine Tree Award, for outstandinggroup leadership.

Tom Larson of the Northeast Groupand Rob Brinkman of theSuwannee-St. Johns Group.


Award recipients Bryanne Hamilton, Tom Larson and BillHamilton. Photo courtesy of Tom Larson.


9/16


Awardee Lucy Peak and presenterRudy Scheffer.Photo by Tom Larson.

Ellen Peterson winsEverglades CoalitionJohn V. Kabler Award

Congratulations to Ellen Peterson,who received the Kabler Award forher lifetime service in protectingSouthwest Florida and Fisheating

Creek at the Everglades CoalitionConference held in January.

From the award:

In honor of her work to organize andeducate the public and generategrassroots support for Evergladesrestoration, we, the undersigned,nominate Ellen Peterson for theEverglades Coalition John V. KablerAward.

Ellen is a native of Georgia, whereshe graduated from the University of

Georgia with a degree in chemistry in1945 and then from Appalachia Statewith a masters in counseling. Shehas lived in Southwest Florida since1963. Ellen has been an activemember of the Regional GrowthManagement Committee since itsinception in 1988. Her long-time workalso includes efforts to preserve andprotect Estero Bay, Black Island, andFisheating Creek in SouthwestFlorida. She has worked tirelessly tohelp preserve and protect natural

Florida throughout the southwestpart of the state. Through her effortsthere is public access to FisheatingCreek and a plan to preserve it forfuture generations.

Ellen is the President of Save OurCreeks, the main group credited withre-opening Fisheating Creek as anavigable waterway and returningthis, the crown jewel of GladesCounty which winds through anenchanting cypress slough before it

empties into Lake Okeechobee, tothe public trust. She is also the Chairof the Calusa Group of Sierra Cluband the Vice President of theEnvironmental Confederation ofSouthwest Florida.

She has transformed her home onthe Estero River into anenvironmental spiritual retreat,Happehatchee Center, opening itand her heart to others seeking therestorative relief of meditativemoments in one of Lee Countys lastremaining private ripariansanctuaries.

Photo of Ellen by Rhonda Roff

Chapter awards(Continued from page 8)Manatee Award, foroutstandingservice to the Group. Gina Burrell,from the Northeast Group, andSuzanne Valencia of the TurtleCoast Group.

Panther Award, for outstandingconservation work on a project withinthe Group's area. Rick and PattiCausey, Big Bend Group, for theirwork in preventing the Magnolia Bay

Marina.Otter Award, for Group outingswork. Charles Hunt, LoxahatcheeGroup.

Whooping Crane Award, for grouppublic relations. Lucy Peak,Suncoast Group.

Sand DollarAward, for group fundraising. Sheila Calderon,Loxahatchee Group.

Susan Reske winsNational Club awardSusan Reske, the first chair of theGreater Charlotte Harbor Group, wasawarded a Special AchievementAward from National Sierra Club inSeptember. Under Sue's leadership,a brand new group was born into awhirlwind of critical issues. In lessthan two years, Sue has establishedSierra Club as an essential voice atthe table in government issues,committees and negotiations.

Under Sue's leadership, the Greater

Charlotte Harbor Group has beeninvolved in county comprehensiveplan revisions, ordinances on densityand rock mining, phosphate miningchallenges, water supply, waterquality, dredging in Florida's aquaticpreserves, and a challenge to thedevelopment of Babcock Ranch,resulting in 76,000 acres inpreservation. The group has beeninvolved in an array of communityactivities, including festivals,parades, county advisorycommittees, political endorsements,stakeholder meetings and success ofan environmental lands referendum.

Sue recruited four officers and sixcommittee chairsnone of whomever participated in Sierra Clubleadership before! Sue energizesand motivates her volunteers, andrecognizes all voices. A new andeffective Sierra Club was bornbecause of Sue Reske's outstandingleadership and dedicated service.


10/16


Florida Regional News Briefs

By Kristina Jackson, Sierra Club Florida Regional Office

Phosphate settlement deadfor now

In September 2007, mainly as a result of negotiationsbetween Mosaic, the Peace River Water Authority, andSarasota and Charlotte Counties, a proposed settlement(Mosaic Compact) of outstanding legal challenges wasreleased. It was slated for discussion and vote just twoweeks later in Sarasota and Charlotte counties. Thesettlement was inadequate, unenforceable and eliminatedthe counties ability to challenge mining permits for 30years.

The Sierra Club:

Quickly organized an anti-Mosaic Compact coalition of64 conservationists, business owners, and sportsmen

to sign a letter directed to the affected countycommissioners (those of Charlotte, Sarasota, Lee,Manatee and Desoto counties).

Distributed a second sign-on letter calling for a moredeliberate agreement and stakeholder participation.This letter was even larger with 322 signatures fromorganizations and individuals.

Used meetings and e-mail trees in Charlotte, Lee,Sarasota and Manatee counties to respond to thesubsequent settlement proposal. Area volunteerswere highly successful in drawing press attention andturning out voters in large numbers for every public

commission meeting.

The 2007 Mosaic Compact required acceptance by allthree counties (Charlotte, Sarasota and Lee), so it diedwhen Sarasota County Commission rejected it. However,we expect to face a new Mosaic settlement threat in 2008.

Florida panther corridor

Our steady building of a Florida Panther Corridor coalitionhas progressed recently with:

A continuous conversation with the Conservancy ofSouthwest Florida regarding Collier Enterprises BigCypress Community a development threat that

encompasses primary panther habitat .

Coordination between the Nature Conservancy, theCoastal Corridor Conservation Project/SouthwestFlorida Regional Planning Council, the Conservancyof Southwest Florida and the Sierra Club to organize ahighly successful Florida Panther Corridor panel at therecent Everglades Coalition Conference. Therelationships begun on the Florida Panther Corridorpanel will also support our work on mapping the landsneeded for the Florida panther corridor.

Also, kudos to Matthew Schwartz from the Broward

Group, who has tirelessly led Sierras efforts to protectpanther habitat from off-road vehicles in Big CypressNational Preserve.

Progress on clean energy in Congress

Last fall, we had a great opportunity to affect changethrough the federal energy bill. Sierra Club set up aconcentrated two-month campaign to influence the votesof key Florida congressional delegates. We asked them tovote for a bill requiring a renewable energy standard of 15percent and a corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) forcars of 35 miles per gallon -- both by 2020.

Our efforts included:

A media campaign with newspaper editorial boardmeetings and many letters to the editor in the targetcongressional districts.

Chapter-wide constituent calls and emails tocongressional offices.

Outreach to Sierra Group members via newsletters,tabling, Group meetings, house call-in parties, andlots and lots of phone calls.

Direct meetings and press events with lawmakersand/or their staff, notably: Senator Bill Nelson, Rep.Ron Klein, Rep. Kathy Castor, Rep. Gus Bilirakis,

Rep. Vern Buchanan and Rep. Tim Mahoney.

Ultimately, the energy bill passed both houses with theCAFE standards, but with renewable energy standardswere removed. Sierra Club intends to work for renewableenergy standards again this year.

Red tide

Scientist Peter Barile and horticultural technical expertMike Holsinger are helping us to advise the campaign oncurrent fertilizer use in the state of Florida. Sierra Clubstaff and volunteers attended and testified at stateconsumer fertilizer taskforce meetings in order to improve

statewide education efforts and advocate foradministrative rule changes. The Sierra Club worked incoalition with a broad spectrum of groups to blockunwarranted fertilizer preemption by fertilizer industryrepresentatives. However, Rep. Bryan Nelson (R Apopka) stated his intention to ignore therecommendations and provide a minimum mandatorystandard for the state of Florida which would effectivelypreempt cities and counties from enacting new fertilizerordinances. Watch out, this may be a key fight in the 2008legislature!


11/16


Victory over Magnolia Bay

(Continued from page 1)

charge of the Big Bend Seagrasses Aquatic Preserve andarranging for her to educate citizen groups about the

ecological and economic value of Floridas near-shoreseagrass beds.

Rick contacted the press. After the first article appeared, asteady stream of articles from a variety of newspapersfollowed. Next, Rick organized a petition-gatheringcampaign.

In April 2007, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued arare permit denial. In its permit denial letter, the Corpscited 736 petition signatures as a factor in their denial aswell as official opposition from an array of state andfederal agencies, a host of local and nationalenvironmental groups, and individual letters from more

than 1,100 citizens, including scientists, all requestingdenial. The Corps cited 20 letters supporting of theproject.

Denial and the nationwide notoriety the developmentgarnered between spring 2006 and spring 2007, would nothave occurred without the Causeys doggedperseverance. They have unequivocally elevatedawareness of coastal issues in a populace languishing inocean and coastal illiteracy. Their work to preserve BoggyBay and leave Magnolia Bay Marina parked in MemoryLane has made its mark. Today a Google search forMagnolia Bay Marina, Dekle Beach, Florida, yields severalhundred results; the verbiage does not paint it lovingly.

Leading by example, Rick and Patti Causey have becomemodels for us all to emulate as our country appearspoised on the brink of a sea change in the environmentalarena. In recognition of their work, in 2007 they receivedthe Florida Wildlife Federations Conservationist of theYear Award and Sierras Florida Chapter Panther Award.

Lets celebrate Rick and Patti! Thanks for giving morethan a year of your lives in the brilliant orchestration of anindividual history-making event. Sierra loves you!

Special thanks to supporting entities urging permit denialby the Corps of Engineers (and to the Corps for makingthe right decision): U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National

Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency, Gulf Marine Fisheries Management Commission,Florida Department of Environmental Protection,Suwannee River Water Management District, FloridaDepartment of Community Affairs, State HistoricPreservation Officer, Taylor County Soil and WaterConservation District, The Nature Conservancy , NationalAudubon Society (Apalachee Chapter), Sierra Club(Florida Chapter and Big Bend Group), 1000 Friends ofFlorida, Florida Wildlife Federation, The OceanConservancy, Clean Water Network, Heart of the Earth,Gulf Restoration Network.

Rock mining industry, DOTseek to limit local land usecontrol

By December McSherry

The rock mining industry and the Florida Department ofTransportation are launching a campaign to eliminate locagovernment zoning control over thousands of acres ofpotential mining sites across the state.

The Strategic Aggregates Review Task Force hasfinalized their report, which includes proposals to changecurrent local and state policies. The task forces findingswere presented to the Governor, President of the Senate,and Speaker of the House of Representatives in February

One of the options in particular should concern you and

your local governmentthe state would preempt localcontrol of land use for rock mining. Local governmentswould lose their authority to regulate wetlands impacts,endangered species impacts, evaluation of surface-watermanagement impacts and water quality impacts.

Please read the Final Report and notify your countycommissioners:www.dot.state.fl.us/statematerialsoffice/administration/resources/library/issues-trends/aggtaskforce/reports.htm

Also watch for state legislation this session that wouldcarry out these proposals, and be ready to comment toyour state legislators.

Tune in to Sierra Club Radio

Sierra Club has a weekly half-hour radio program that youcan listen to on the Web and via podcast. Sierra ClubRadio is designed to help us meet the mounting demandfor green news -- information Americans can use asconsumers, citizens, neighbors and parents to makeresponsible choices and to connect to the growingenvironmental community.

The program, produced by Sierra Club staff and hosted byClub publicist Orli Cotel, will feature Sierra Club content

including lifestyle tips from Sierra magazine's Green Lifeeditor Jennifer Hattam and Mr. Green, Bob Schildgen; andcommentary by Executive Director Carl Pope. Theprogram will also highlight stories from our conservationwork, our grassroots fieldwork, and our partnership work --especially our hunter/angler and faith outreach efforts.

Sierra Club radio is broadcast every Saturday in the SanFrancisco Bay area. The program will be available on theWeb and via podcast the following Monday atwww.sierraclubradio.com. You can also listen to pastshows. Please check it out.


12/16


Sierra Club opposes Gulf aquaculture plan

By Kristina Jackson, Sierra Club Staff

No national standard regulates the burgeoning field ofopen-ocean aquaculture, or offshore fish farming, in ourfederal waters. In these offshore confined feedingoperations, up to 10,000 fish are held in large cagesanchored to the sea bottom. The huge amount of wastecreated causes water pollution and may damage theexisting natural fisheries. Right now, no single federalagency has been set up to regulate and enforce waterquality, siting standards, chemicals and feed use, andprotection of natural habitat in these offshore fish farms.

In the absence of such an agency, the Gulf of MexicoFishery Management Council, which regulates commercialand recreational fishing in federal waters, is working tocreate its own rules. The official Sierra Club comments onthis document, drafted with Sierra volunteers at nationaland local levels, were submitted in January.Specific recommendations on how the document must bechanged were submitted, but the overall position of SierraClub is against open-ocean aquaculture in the Gulf ofMexico .

First, Sierra Club objects to the fact that no funded agencyor program exists to deal with the varied monitoring andenforcement required to prevent aquaculture fromdamaging natural ecosystems.

Second, many observers feel that the menhadenpopulations in the Gulf are already negativelyaffected. Menhaden, called "the most important fish in the

sea," is harvested in massive proportions, then used asomega-fatty-acid supplements and a primary source offishmeal to feed poultry or pen-raised fish. Overfishing themenhaden may already be negatively impacting marinemammals, sharks and other wild fish that depend upon themenhaden for food.

Last, other regional fishery management councils arelooking to the Gulf Council regulations as a template forpermitting large-scale fish farming in their areas. Whateverlanguage is approved here may be adopted in any of thenations seven other marine management areas. We mustdo it right the first time.

This issue is bringing together commercial andrecreational anglers, divers and conservationadvocates. We all know that the open ocean is legally inthe public trust -- belonging to everyone. So permitting aprivate, for-profit enterprise should only be allowed understrict written regulations, wisely selected, and enforceable-- or not at all.

We are proud of the many concerned Sierrans who showup for these aquaculture meetings. It is your Gulf, too! Letthem hear from youcontact the Gulf Council membersand ask them to oppose open-ocean aquaculture. Go towww.gulfcouncil.org or contact them through the CouncilOffice: Wayne Swingle, Executive Director, GMFMC, 2203

N. Lois Ave. Suite 1100, Tampa, FL 33607. Toll free: 888-833-1844. Fax 813-348-1711.For more information on Sierra Clubs Gulf SustainableFisheries work contact Kristina Jackson, (352) 375-1441or e-mail: [email protected].


13/16


Get out there! Enjoy Springtime on a Chapter outing

Here is just a sampling of the trips we have planned foryou. For more, visit www.florida.sierraclub.org, callChapter Outings Chair Rudy Scheffer at 727-726-8375 ore-mail [email protected]

Nonmembers are welcome on our outings. All participantsare required to sign a standard liability waiver. If you wantto read the waiver before signing up, go towww.sierraclub.org/outings/chapter/forms, contact theoutings Department at 415-977-5528 or ask the trip leaderfor a copy. Florida Seller of Travel Ref. No. ST37115.

March 22 -- Ocean to Lake Trail day hike. Well hikefrom Riverbend Park west of Jupiter to the JonathanDickinson State Park marina. The total distance is 11miles. More details are available at

http://lox.floridatrail.org/html/ocean_to_lake.html.Moderate to strenuous. Limit 20. Donna Brown, 561-317-8288, [email protected]. (Loxahatchee)

March 22-23 -- Collier-Seminole State Park carcamping and Big Cypress swamp walk; CorkscrewSwamp Ecowalk. For details, Sabrina Carle, 561-732-4486, [email protected], or Charles Hunt, 561-967-4770, [email protected] (Loxahatchee)

March 22/23 -- Backpack trip to Hidden Pond in theOcala National Forest. We will explore the JuniperWilderness Area trail and discover our National Forests,

and a little bit of Wilderness in our own state. A moderatehike of about 12 miles total. Co-Leaders: Mike Pici, 727-798-9227, [email protected], and Ben Berauer,727-392-2821, [email protected]. (Suncoast)

March 30 -- Off-road bike trip on the original road toFlamingo. See gators, birds and wildflowers. Moderateto strenuous. $10 members, $12 non-members. Includeslunch; park admission extra. Diane Jacobs, 305667-6962,[email protected] Lee Jacobs, 305-667-6962,[email protected]. (Miami)

April 19-20 -- Overnight backpack trip to Mossy Island

campsite - Myakka River State Park. We will explorethis beautiful park and learn about what Florida's prairiewas like. An easy backpack of only about 5 miles. Limit 6.Leader Mike Pici, 727-798-9227 [email protected] (Suncoast)

May 2-4 -- Cayo Costa weekend kayak and camping.Come join us for a great weekend at one of the state'spremier island state parks. Cayo Costa State Park, truly aGulf Coast paradise located on Lacosta Island west ofFort Myers, has one of the top rated beaches in thenation. We'll paddle out on Fri. morning with a stop atlegendary Cabbage Key restaurant for lunch and paddle

back on Sun. We've rented 3 primitive cabins and 3campsites for the trip. This trip is rated moderate tostrenuous because of open water and possible windconditions. Reserve early. Contact Don Kirkley, (941)493-3085 or [email protected], for cost info andreservations (Manatee/Sarasota)

Outings Leadership Training Event

April 12-13 --Wilderness First Aid (WFA) course atPaynes Prarie State Park Park. Cost is $170 for the 16hour course. No CPR just WFA. Includes book and threeyear certification from the American Health and SafetyInstitute. Instruction by UF staff. Contact Rudy Scheffer at727-726-8375 or e-mail: [email protected]

Outing tip: Pack it in, pack it out!

Repackage food into reusable containers or combineingredients in plastic bags. This not only helps avoidinadvertently leaving litter behind, but also reduces theweight of the food packed in and the amount of garbagepacked out.


14/16


New Green Swampsigns grace PolkCounty roads

Lots of folks know the importance ofthe Green Swamp and itsrelationship to the Floridan Aquiferthey just don't know where it is,exactly. New signs like the onepictured will help.

Marian Ryan, Green Swamp Issue

Chair, approached Jeff Spence,Director of Polk County NaturalResources Division, about creatingthe signs. The signs were made andinstalled in November at theentrance to the Green Swamp Areaof Critical State Concern on four PolkCounty roads.

We hope that more signs will beinstalled on state roads onceapproval is granted by the FloridaDepartment of Transportation.

Moving?

Don miss any Club publications!

Send your address change to:

Sierra Club, P.O. Box 52968,Boulder CO 80322-2968

OR e-mail:[email protected]

Get involved!

ConservationCommittee contacts

The Florida Chapter is run entirely byvolunteers. We pursue a wide varietyof conservation projects withinFlorida with special emphasis onlobbying the Florida legislature andfighting the negative impacts ofgrowth.

Conservation Chair: Joy TowlesEzell, phone 850-584-7087; e-mail:[email protected]

Our conservation committee isorganized along the lines of that of

Sierra Club's national conservationprogram featuring:

Safe Energy SolutionsChair, JoyTowles Ezell, phone 850-584-7087;e-mail:[email protected]

Subcommittees: No Nukes, OffshoreOil Drilling, Solar Energy, Stop theCoal Rush.

Americas Wild LegacyChair,John Hedrick, phone 850-339-5462;e-mail: [email protected]

Subcommittees: Agriculture,Biodiversity, Bone Valley,Everglades, Green Swamp,Growth/Sprawl, Manatees,Protecting Floridas Native Habitat.

Safe and Healthy CommunitiesChair, Karen Orr, phone 352-372-8712; e-mail:[email protected]

Subcommittees: Marine andCoastal, Safe Drinking Water, St.

Joe/ Panhandle, Toxics, Wetlandsand Water

Democracy and theEnvironmentChair, PedroMonteiro, phone 954-525-3324; e-mail: pedro_monteiro @yahoo.com.

Subcommittees: CitizenParticipation, Clean MoneyElections, Election Reform, FloridaHometown Democracy, Trade.

Park honorsBroward Sierran

By Sara Case, Broward Group

In February, Broward Countysnewest natural area -- the 13-acreHelene Klein Pineland Preserve --opened in Coconut Creek. The site isdedicated to the lateenvironmentalist Helene Klein, whospearheaded the drive to preserve itthe land. It is located at thenorthwest corner of HillsboroBoulevard and Lyons Road (south ofNW 71st Place).

The preserve is one of the smallestsites in the Parks and Recreation

Divisions natural areas system, butalso one of the most diverse. Up to55 species of wildlife have beenobserved in the preserve. Siteamenities include seating areas, acovered information kiosk, a coveredpicnic table, interpretive signage, acovered overlook, and 1,250 feet ofnature trails, including a boardwalk.The property was acquired in 2002through the 2000 Safe Parks andLand Preservation Bond programand a Florida Communities Trust

grant, at a total cost of $3.4 million.Helene Klein was an outstandingenvironmental activist and politicalchair from the Broward Sierra Group.She worked tirelessly, and oftensingle handedly, gatheringsignatures for an ultimatelysuccessful referendum to saveenvironmentally significant land fromdevelopment.

For more information, see:www.broward.org/parks/hk.htm


15/16


Changing the future, one county at a time

By Marian Ryan and Frances Howell-Coleman, Polk Group

espairing of a future scenario that shows sprawlingsubdivisions with high maintenance lawns, dwindlingwater supplies in the heartland of the Floridan Aquifer,disappearing farmland in an agricultural county, over-stretched infrastructure and congested roads, PolkSierrans are going for a bold fix. Polk is a charter countyand the proposed fix is an amendment to the charterwhich will:

Limit the total number of residential units allowedunder County and municipal comprehensive plans tothe total that exists upon approval of the amendment.

Polk's population is roughly 600,000 and currentcomprehensive plans will allow housing for anotherestimated 1.2 million people. Polk's growth rateoutpaces Floridas as a whole.

Set Urban Service Areas to limit sprawl into ruralareas and allow for the transfer of residential densityfrom rural areas into said Urban Service Areas.

Prevent cities from increasing residential densityoutside of the established Urban Service Area.

Apply to both Polk County and all its municipalities,and should institutionalize cooperation among citiesand the county.

Will encourage redevelopment in city cores andshould make mass transit feasible.

Concentrate population, which will cause the costs ofproviding infrastructure to decrease. Therefore, taxesand fees should also go down.

Preserve open space, which will enhance wildliferesources and water quality.

The free market concept in the proposal should make itmore palatable to large landowners. No one will ever forceranchers or farmers to give up their development rights.

However, if the landowner wants to stay in agriculture andpay taxes based on that use, then he can sell hisdevelopment rights to a developer in an Urban ServiceArea. The developer can then increase residential densityin an area where infrastructure is already in place.

The Growth Cap Coalition spearheaded by Sierrans isgoing through all the procedures necessary to startcollecting the required 25,000 petition signatures. Thebest-case scenario would see the amendment on theNovember 2008 ballot. But if we miss that goal, thesignatures gathered will still be good for the 2010 election.Sierrans in other charter counties might want to considerthis as a future course of action.

Endangered Species Day: May 16

May 16 is the third annual U.S. Endangered Species Dayand the timing couldnt be better.

Not only are birds migrating and prairies, forests, deserts,marshes, pastures and parks greening across America,but Sierra Club and other environmental groups areconcerned about actions from the Bush administration thatimpact the plight of endangered speciescts and reptiles.These include the repeal of logging restrictions in PacificNorthwest old-growth forests that are the habitat of theendangered Spotted Owl; future protection for GrayWolves, Grizzly Bears and American Bison in YellowstoneNational Park; and with development issues in theEverglades that may adversely affect the imperiled FloridaPanther.

While many Washington legislators have expressed astrong desire to further protect threatened andendangered wildlife, especially Polar Bears, funding ischronically short for for federal listing and speciesprotection programs.

But one concrete action by the the U.S. Senate is itsdesignation of May 16 as Endangered Species Day.

Dedicating a specific day to public outreach aboutEndangered Species is a wonderful way to help everyonefrom school children to politicians to Joe Q. Public aboutthe importance of maintaining strong protections forwildlife around the world that is threatened by habitatdestruction, neglect, excessive exploitation and globalclimate change.

To learn more about the Endangered Species Act and theSierra Clubs efforts to protect wildlife, see:www.sierraclub.org/esa

For more information about Endangered Species Day,see: www.stopextinction.org/endangeredspeciesday

D


16/16

FLORIDA CHAPTER SIERRA CLUB NONPROFIT ORG.THE PELICAN U.S. PostageP.O. Box 575 PAIDTallahassee, FL 32302-0575 Tallahassee FL

Modern MailersPermit 236

How your Chapter works to protect Floridas natural resources

lorida Chapter successes are built upon ourgrassroots activists working in our excellent

conservation, education, political, litigation andlegislative lobbying teams, often in collaboration with ourenvironmental allies, neighborhood associations, localgovernments and elected officials.

Strong advocacy, combined with legal intervention,stopped the rush to build eight new coal-burning powerplants in Florida. Our grassroots participation in decisionmaking and legal intervention resulted in victories overenergy giants such as the Florida Power & LightGladesPlantcases; JEA, Tallahassee, FMPA, Disney's TaylorEnergy Center Coal Plant, Tampa Electric Company'sIGCC Plant and Orlando utilities' Stanford IGCC plant.

Watchdogging the Florida Legislature is a very importantpart of our work (see page 4). We work with legislators toadvocate for good bills, and against bills that would harmour environment. We engage all our members incontacting their representatives. Last session formerSierra lobbyist Susie Caplowe and dedicated volunteersworked with local governments to prevent the statelegislature from pre-empting, or not allowing, localgovernments to have their own, stronger rules forprotecting wetlands, and instead being forced to use onlythe less protective state wetlands rules. The team alsostopped the recurring attempts to prevent local

governments from having stronger rules for the use ofpolluting fertilizer, and for mining activities.

We deal with some very complex issues, and often thepublic needs to learn more about them before they can geinvolved. To that end, our groups hold countlesseducational programs to inform the public about ourFlorida natural resources, how our ecosystems work andthe threats to their quality. Speakers also visit schools andgive talks to organizations. They lead Inner City Outings,so children will grow up with an appreciation for howspecial our natural surroundings are (see page 2). Ouractive outings program for all ages helps to get folks outinto our environment to enjoy and work to protect (seepage 13).

And lastly, we try to get environmentally consciousdecision-makers into office. Working through our PoliticalAction Committee, we endorse and fund good candidatesfor office, and work for their campaigns. The Sierra Clubendorsement is highly sought after by candidates.

Protecting our environment can be a lot of work. But itsalso very rewarding and a lot of fun. Want to becomemore active? Visit our website athttp://florida.sierraclub.org or contact one of theconservation leaders listed on page 14.

spring 2008 pelican newsletter, florida sierra club

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