Eco-Voice Digest
Saturday, December 6th, 2014 #2241

If you want your green event on the Eco-Voice calendar, send details to:

 

 

The Lake O dike repairs and the future

 

 

 

 

In This Issue
Conservancy of SWFL - An Everglades Coalition Member
Fight FPL's fracking proposal
Everglades Coalition 2015 Conference...
Herbert Hoover Dike getting needed repairs
Florida red tide organism, was not detected in samples collected this week
Florida's Water and Land Legacy Newsletter
Eagle Advocacy update
CREW
Drummond Joins CREW...as...New Education Director
Ag Water Newsletter
Acquisition and Restoration Council Meeting
Warmest Year On Record,
Indian River IWW maintenance dredging starts
Gulf Coast to get $600 million plus in NRDA oil spill money
Caloosahatchee Condition Summary
The "Festival in the Woods"
NRC report..."2014: Progress in 'Glades Restoration
Annual Right Whale Festival
Conservation Easement Program
Lacewings, lady beetles, and flower flies
Watery Foundation Blog
Marshall Foundation Events
Seminole Big Cypress Reservation Water Conservation Plan
Cape Coral Butterfly House
Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife is an Eco-Voice sponsor
Eco-Voice Sponsor Wildlands Conservation
Restore America's Estuaries Conference in DC
Wetlands and CWA - connected
Kids - Go outside and play!
Green News Links

 

 

           An 2014 Eco-Voice Sponsor

               and member of the Everglades Coalition

               Conservancy of Southwest Florida

                  

 

 

 

 

 Fight FPL's proposal to make Florida taxpayers pay for fracking

 

Florida Power and Light (FPL), Florida's largest electric utility company, is right now seeking permission from state regulators to expand its business to fracking at the expense of its customers. The company intends to charge customers up to $750 million to fund its investment to expand into oil and gas production -transferring the risk of this investment to its customers.

FPL is proposing to first pursue gas extraction in the Woodford Shale of Oklahoma. However, the company is also proposing policies to allow it to pursue future projects without regulatory oversight. These projects could potentially include future fracking in Florida!

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida is dedicated to protecting our area's water, land, wildlife and future.  We ask for your support in voicing opposition to FPL's proposal. Take action by telling the Florida Public Service Commission what you think of this proposal. 
 

The FPL proposal will not protect customers from fluctuating gas prices
    • FPL argues that customers will benefit financially because FPL investments in natural gas will allow the company to avoid fluctuating natural gas prices. However, market prices and the cost of production are outside of FPL's control-FPL cannot promise stable gas prices or savings to its customers.

    • FPL proposes to recover the cost of its investment in natural gas regardless of the cost of gas production and quantity of gas produced. FPL has no experience in the competitive natural gas extraction industry making this a high risk investment for customers with no guaranteed return.
This would allow utility companies to charge their customer base for other future natural gas projects without any regulatory oversight.
    • FPL is proposing policies to charge customers for future gas investments without state review. FPL may then require customers to subsidize oil and gas extraction elsewhere, including in the state of Florida, forcing customers to shoulder financial and health and safety risks involved.
       
    • No utility company has ever sought to invest in gas extraction and seek reimbursement from customers. If approved, the FPL proposal would be precedent setting prompting other utility companies to pursue risky investments funded by customers.

Fracking is not regulated in Florida sufficiently to provide the minimum assurances of public health and safety and protection of our water supply. Giving utility companies the ability to get into the fracking business is bad for FPL customers and protection of Florida's fragile unique environment.

 

 TAKE ACTION  

Submit your comments to the Florida Public Service Commission requesting the Commission to deny the FPL Woodford proposal and associated proposed guidelines that would allow FPL to charge its customers to get into the business of fracking.

 

 

 

 

Save the Date:  Everglades Coalition 2015 Conference

 

 

The 30th Annual Conference - Key Largo, FL
January 8th, 9th & 10th, 2015 

 

   Click here for more information

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

Herbert Hoover Dike getting much needed repairs

 


 

 

 Chad Gillis, cgillis@news-press. October 5, 2014

Thousands dead. Billions of dollars in damages. Years of rebuilding. Irreversible damages to the Everglades and drinking water aquifers.

 

It may sound like a trailer for a sci-fi movie, but those phrases were taken from state and federal agency reports, university findings and insurance risk assessments to describe the Herbert Hoover Dike, a 143-mile earthen dam that's been eroding for the last half century.

 

Engineers have warned about the looming threat for decades, and those concerns have only been reinforced in the last 10 years as storms such as Hurricanes Wilma (2005), Katrina (2005) and Sandy (2012) ravaged Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi and the Northeast.

 

 

"When I was a young man I didn't think about it a lot," said Butch Wilson, a South Bay native and director of the Clewiston Museum. "All that changed in 2005, when a naughty woman named Wilma came through. After the storm I got on my bicycle and got on the dike and rode to Belle Glade. The weedline was about 10 feet just below the road on the dike. I talked to a firefighter in Belle Glade and he said the water was 2 feet from the top. It's things like that that make me uncomfortable."

A 2006 South Florida Management District report warns: "Seldom have we seen dam safety concerns voiced by so many engineers so consistently for so long."

The Army Corps of Engineers started a rehabilitation project in 2007 in hopes of making the dike safe for nearby residents, the Everglades and farming operations. The News-Press spent several weeks touring the dike and talking to people who live near it to better understand Lake Okeechobee and its massive dike system.

A $1 billion berm

Replacing sections of the dike and reinforcing others costs about $10 million a mile, according to the Army Corps.

The priority is protecting the lives of the 40,000 people or so living in Clewiston, South Bay, Belle Glade and Pahokee. Historically, Lake Okeechobee was the heart of the Everglades, and the lake swelled each summer before toppling and sending sheet flow all the way to Florida Bay.

That natural process stopped about a century ago, when early farmers first started piling muck in the mounds in hopes of redirecting the summer rains. The first large levee was constructed in the 1930s. Another storm breached the dike in 1947, and the state and federal government, in response, built extra canals and levees to tame the lake and the hurricanes that upset it. Today's Herbert Hoover Dike was completed in the late 1960s.

The current project is aimed at improving the structural integrity of water release points, sometimes called culverts. The corps assessed 32 water control structures and is now replacing or removing each structure. These areas, engineers say, are the most prone to seepage and leaks.

"We want to strengthen it to the point where it will handle major events," said John Campbell, with the Army Corps, while touring a construction site near Pahokee. "When it gets up to 18 to 20 feet, it's a concern."

The Army Corps keeps lake levels at 12.5 to 15.5 feet above sea level. The lake has been kept higher in past decades, but water levels of 17 or 18 feet can destroy vegetation in the lake and kill the fishery. Higher water levels also mean more pressure on the dike. More pressure, in turn, leads to seepage, leaks, and, eventually, a breach.

"Typically, a breach would erode from the inside out, so what happens is the crest of the embankment falls onto itself and that opening would widen until we reach equilibrium," said Tom Willadsen, Army Corps project manager for the dike rehabilitation. "If it was a storm condition, the water would be cresting over the top of the embankment and begin eroding the outside of the dam."

To replace water control structures, engineers must dig more than 35 feet (the height of the dike) to the bottom of the old structure - which is usually below the lake. The old structure is removed and a larger, more substantial one is built in its place. Replacing a single water control structure takes about 18 months.

Willadsen said the Corps hopes to have all projects under contract by 2017 and work to be completed in 2021.

 

Assessing the risk

Florida International University's International Hurricane Research Center lists Lake Okeechobee as the No. 2 threat of catastrophic flooding from a natural disaster, behind only New Orleans.

"The current condition of Herbert Hoover Dike poses a grave and imminent danger to the people and the environment of South Florida. In this, we join many other investigators, from grassroots engineers to eminent specialists, who for 20 years have warned that Herbert Hoover Dike needs to be fixed," reads a South Florida Water Management District report from 2006. "We can add only that it needs to be fixed now, and it needs to be fixed right. We firmly believe that the region's future depends on it."

The report goes on to say that making the dike truly safe would likely cost more than the Army Corps of Engineers entire budget for projects across the nation, which was $4.7 billion in 2013. Billions of dollars in Everglades restoration could be lost in one event, which could also damage drinking water aquifers and cause irreversible harm to Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve.

It's not just engineers and nearby residents who are concerned. Lloyd's of London issued a firm warning to companies that insure homes and property in South Florida.

"The dike was built from uncompacted earth, made up of naturally porous materials such as peat, gravel, sand and shell and is therefore prone to leaks," Lloyd's forecasters wrote. "Since the construction of the dike, the land outside of the dike has been eroding, particularly on the south side of the lake."

Willadson said the threats are real, and that the Corps works with other federal agencies to plan for worst-cast scenarios - which would likely be a major hurricane hitting Okeechobee.

"I know there's higher level of coordination, because we do have issues with regards to a breach," he said. "Damages would be rather significant."

Ecology and the economy

Florida's ecology and economy are tied closely together. The state promotes itself as the "Fishing Capital of the World" and as the home to the Everglades as well as thousands of beaches, rivers, creeks and lakes. Florida generates nearly $30 million a year just from saltwater fishing licenses.

Lake Okeechobee was once an ecological treasure, a pristine lake unlike any in the world. With development came change, and restoring the area to its original brilliance is impossible.

Some groups have pushed the state and federal government to purchase farm lands south of the lake. That idea nearly came to fruition in 2008, but a lack of funds kept the South Florida Water Management District from buying out all of U.S. Sugar.

Karson Turner, a Hendry County native and commissioner, said farming will always be a reality on Lake Okeechobee, and that small towns around the lake can't survive on tourism alone.

"I don't care how pretty they make the lake, there aren't going to be enough people coming out on airboats to tour the lake to employee all the people in Clewiston," Turner said while fishing for bass on Okeechobee on a recent morning. "(The Army Corps project) is $640 plus million dollars in repairs and not one ounce more of water able to be stored, a delay with no end in sight."

People in the Fort Myers area want fewer releases from the lake during high-water periods, mostly late summer. Lake releases from 2013 were blamed, partly, for algal blooms in the Caloosahatchee River. Some swimming beaches were closed, and freshwater plumes were flushed 15 miles or more into the Gulf of Mexico.

Kurt Harclerode, with Lee County's Division of Natural Resources, said local governments want the lake to be healthy. At the same time, they don't want heavy lake releases that flush out the estuary and kill off the marine food chain.

"You need a dynamic lake that rises and falls. That's what we want, but we want flexibility so there's no drastic change," said Harclerode, who worked for the Water Management District for several years. "If you had an additional six inches of water, that would be 225,000 acre-feet. If you look at what the district is doing - hold water on any piece of land they can get - the cost is enormous compared to what it would cost to hold that water in Lake Okeechobee."

By the numbers

Herbert Hoover Dike

* 143: Miles of earthen structure

* $500: Million in repairs

* 2,500: Estimated death toll in 1926, 28 hurricanes

* 32: Culverts repaired or replaced

* 451,000: Acres in size

* 15.5: Maximum feet in sea level for lake management

Source: Army Corps of Engineers

 

 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District will adjust the target flows to the Caloosahatchee Estuary as part of its efforts to manage the water level in Lake Okeechobee. 

 

Beginning Friday (Dec. 5), the new target flow to the Caloosahatchee Estuary is a seven-day average of 1,500 cubic feet per second (cfs) as measured at W.P. Franklin Lock and Dam (S-79) near Fort Myers.  Runoff that accumulates in the Caloosahatchee River (C-43) west of Moore Haven will continue to be allowed to pass through the structure.

 

The target flow for the St. Lucie Estuary is unchanged at 0 cfs as measured at the St. Lucie Lock & Dam (S-80) near Stuart.  However, local basin runoff that accumulates in the St. Lucie Canal (C-44) will continue to be allowed to pass through the spillway as necessary.  

 

"We continue to see regular rain in the Kissimmee River basin, all of which flows into the lake," said Jim Jeffords, Jacksonville District Operations Division Chief.  "The lake has been above 15.5 feet for most of the past two months.  With long-range forecasts calling for precipitation above normal over the winter months, we believe increased discharges are necessary to benefit the lake ecology and reduce chances of higher releases next year."

 

Today, the lake stage is 15.57 feet.  

 

For information on water level and flows data for Lake Okeechobee, visit the Jacksonville District water management website page at

http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/WaterManagement.aspx

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Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, was not detected in samples collected this week throughout southwest Florida. No samples were analyzed this week from northern Monroe County.
 

  


http://myfwc.com/research/redtide/events/status/statewide/

 

 

 

 

 

 

Florida's Water and Land Legacy Newsletter, Vol 3, Issue 25, Dec 5, 2014

IN THIS ISSUE

 

Coalition Update

 

Legislative Strategy

 

 
CONTACT US
Florida's Water and Land Legacy
1700 N. Monroe St. #11-286, Tallahassee, FL 32303
(850) 629-4656

 

Coalition Update

Amendment 1 coalition leaders met in Miami earlier this week to discuss implementation of Amendment 1, the Water and Land Conservation Amendment. Organizations represented included Trust for Public Land, Audubon Florida, Florida Wildlife Federation, Conservancy of Southwest Florida, The Nature Conservancy, Defenders of Wildlife, League of Women Voters of Florida, Florida Land Trust Alliance, Sierra Club, The Conservation Fund, Florida Conservation Coalition, and Everglades Foundation.

The purpose of this meeting was to discuss our common goal moving forward. All agreed that maintaining the coalition is essential to ensuring the Florida Legislature and Governor Scott adhere to the intent of Florida voters to fund water and land conservation, management, and restoration. From that meeting we'd like to share a few key points with you:

  1. Florida already has a proud history of water and land conservation programs that have proven to be highly effective. In recent years those programs, such as Florida Forever, have not been funded. Amendment 1 dollars should go toward these already established and successful conservation programs.The project selection processes currently in place for water and land conservation--which are apolitical, based on objective criteria, and guided by science--have resulted in the best acquisition, management, and restoration projects being selected for state funding.
  2. During the summer of 2013, while we were collecting signatures to place Amendment 1 on the ballot, Florida suffered one of the greatest ecological disasters in recent years in both the Indian River Lagoon and the Caloosahatchee River, thus highlighting the need to protect our waterways from pollution and degradation. Meanwhile, our springs continue to suffer immensely and are in dire need of conservation and restoration. Amendment 1 provides a long-term, sustainable fund for water and land conservation to address those needs, but the funds must be spent wisely in order to maximize their benefits.
  3. We won Amendment 1 for Florida because we had thousands of volunteers working tirelessly to spread the word. Voters turned out to the polls and voted YES because they want to see our water and land protected and conserved for future generations. It is our job as Florida's Water and Land Legacy coalition to see that the intent of Amendment 1 is honored and with your help in the coming months, we will be working hard to do just that!

 

 

 

Pd. pol. adv. paid for and sponsored by Florida's Water and Land Legacy, Inc.

 

 

  

 

 

 

Welcome to the first Eagle Advocacy update for the 2015 Legislative Session.  Our goal for these updates is to keep members of the FGCU community informed about state legislative issues that may potentially impact the university and the State University System. Throughout the 2015 Legislative Session and the preceding Committee Weeks, Eagle Advocacy will be sending out periodic updates that highlight important state legislation, FGCU legislative funding requests, and events that support the University's advocacy efforts.

 

On January 5, 2015, the Florida Legislature will begin holding committee meetings leading up to the legislative session, which starts March 3, 2015. I have provided a legislative calendar below. SWFL is comprised of five county legislative delegations: Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee.  Below you will find a list of the members who serve within each delegation.

 

Currently, FGCU's Board of Trustees and I are developing the 2015 legislative agenda. This process involves an extensive review of the university's priorities and mission to ensure our students receive the support and resources necessary to achieve academic excellence. The final 2015 legislative agenda will be discussed and voted on at the Board of Trustees meeting on January 20, 2015.  Once the agenda has been approved by our Board of Trustees, I will send out the details. 

 

  Additionally, this year FGCU will be hosting its first ever FGCU Day at the Capitol.  Please stay tuned for further details in the coming months.  I look forward to working with you again this coming legislative session and I am counting on your support as an Eagle Advocate.

Go Eagles!

Wilson G. Bradshaw
President

 


2014-2015 LEGISLATIVE CALENDAR


Interim Committee Weeks
January 5-9, 2015
January 20-24, 2015
February 2-6, 2015
February 9-13, 2015
February 16-20, 2015


Legislative Session
Regular Session Convenes: March 3, 2015
Last Day of Regular Session: May 1, 2015

 

SWFL LEGISLATIVE DELEGATIONS

 

Charlotte County Delegation
Senator Lizbeth Benacquisto (R) - FL Senate District 30
Senator Nancy Detert (R) - FL Senate District 28
Senator Bill Galvano (R) - FL Senate District 26
Representative Kenneth Roberson (R) - FL House District 75

 

Collier County Delegation
Senator Dwight Bullard (D) - FL Senate District 39
Representative Matt Hudson (R) - FL House District 80
Representative Kathleen Passidomo (R) - FL House District 106
Senator Garrett Richter (R) - FL Senate District 23
Representative Carlos Trujillo (R) - FL House District 105

 

Glades County Delegation
Senator Bill Galvano (R) - FL Senate District 26
Representative Cary Pigman (R) - FL House District 55

 

Hendry County Delegation
Senator Dwight Bullard (D) - FL Senate District 39
Representative Matt Hudson (R) - FL House District 80

 

 Lee County Delegation 
Senator Lizbeth Benacquisto (R) - FL Senate District 30
Representative Matt Caldwell (R) - FL House District 79
Representative Dane Eagle (R) - FL House District 77
Representative Heather Fitzenhagen (R) - FL House District 78
Senator Garrett Richter (R) - FL Senate District 23
Representative Ray Rodrigues (R) - FL House District 76

 

 

 

 

 

  
  
 
  

 

 

 

Jessi Drummond Joins CREW as 

New Education Director continues CREW's education efforts 

  FGCU graduate Jessi Drummond joins the CREW Land & Water Trust as of November 19, 2014 in the role of Environmental Education Specialist. Drummond originally started with the CREW Trust in 2010 as a volunteer and her role transitioned to include an internship in 2014. With her degree in Environmental Studies and extensive hours logged as an intern and volunteer at CREW, Drummond is a perfect fit for the position, left vacant when long-time CREW Trust employee Deb Hanson who recently retired. "Last year we educated over 4,600 students on the CREW trails. Drummond will continue the legacy that Hanson began in 2002 of helping others to understand the importance of protecting our water and preserving our natural environment", explained Brenda Brooks, Executive Director.  In her new role, Drummond's work will include leading field trips for 3rd graders from Collier County schools, high school and college students along with CREW Trust's adult education programs. 

 
For more information on Drummond's appointment and the continued work of the CREW Land & Water Trust to educate the public and preserve the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed, please feel free to contact Brenda Brooks at 239-657-2253.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • BMP Enrollment Figures as of September 2014
  • Mobile Irrigation Lab Update
  • BMP Manual Updates
  • BMP Implementation Assurance Update
  • Water Supply Planning
  • Drip Irrigation in Sugarcane Production
  • The Nature Conservancy - Supporting Agricultural Stewardship
  • Highlight: Florida Aquaculture
  • Field Notes
  • Cost-Share Funds
 

 

 

 

 

 

Acquisition and Restoration Council Meeting to be Held in Tallahassee

 

 

 

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection will host an Acquisition and Restoration Council (ARC) meeting on Dec. 11 and 12 at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Building in Tallahassee. This will be the final meeting of the council for the year.

ARC is a 10-member group with representatives from four state agencies, four appointees of the Governor, one appointee by the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and one appointee by the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services. ARC has responsibility for the evaluation, selection and ranking of state land acquisition projects on the Florida Forever priority list, as well as the review of management plans and land uses for all state-owned conservation lands.

The first day of this meeting will focus on regular business and taking public testimony on new project proposals for the Florida Forever priority list. Regular business and the ranking of Florida Forever projects will take place on the second day.

To view the entire agenda, click here.

WHAT:   Acquisition and Restoration Council Meeting

WHEN:   Thursday, Dec. 11, 2014
               9 a.m.

               Friday, Dec 12, 2014
               9 a.m.

WHERE: Marjory Stoneman Douglas Building 
               3900 Commonwealth Blvd - Conference Room A and B
               Tallahassee, FL 32399

 

 

 

 

 

2014 To Be Warmest Year On Record, U.N. Weather Agency Says


The World Meteorological Organization says that so far, 2014 is 1.03 degrees Fahrenheit above a benchmark average. It would be the 38th consecutive year with an above normal global average, it says.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 susan.j.jackson@usace.army.mil 


 

 

Jacksonville, Fla. - Navigation maintenance dredging of the Intracoastal Waterway (IWW) Indian River Reach 1 in the Indian River Lagoon will start in early January.  The dredging area begins a half-mile north of the Indian River County line and extends south for approximately eight miles to the Wabasso Causeway.  In addition to improving navigation safety, the dredging will also provide significant environmental benefits by removing muck from the federal navigation channel. 

 

      The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded the $6,058,675 maintenance dredging contract for the Indian River Reach 1 in September to Cavache, Inc., of Pompano Beach, Fla. The contract is funded in partnership with the Florida Inland Navigation District.  The Corps anticipates project construction to last approximately five months.

 

      Currently averaging a depth of 9 to 10 feet, the maintenance dredging will remove approximately 300,000 cubic yards of material from the federal channel.  The work will return the channel to its federally-authorized depth of 12 feet and provide for safer navigation along the waterway.   The dredging will also remove muck from the channel, which is an added bonus for the environment, said Corps project manager Brandon Burch.  Muck is a combination of fine sand and decayed organic material that, when stirred by storms or boat wakes, clouds the water and reduces sunlight penetration that is vital to the health of the aquatic environment.  

      Cavache will place the dredged material in the Dredge Material Management Area IR2, located between U.S. Highway 1 and the IWW near Sebastian in Indian River County.  The material has been tested and provides no health risk, but the fine silt material is regrettably not suitable for beach placement. 

       .  For more information about the Indian River Reach 1 dredging project, please contact Burch at 904-232-2451 or Ms. Shelley Trulock at 904-232-3292.  For more information on Corps of Engineer projects, go to www.saj.usace.army.mil

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Gulf Coast to get $600 million plus in NRDA oil spill money
 Ledyard King, The News-Press Washington  . EDT October 4, 2014

WASHINGTON - Nearly $627 million in oil spill money - including $105 million for Florida - has been approved for dozens of restoration projects designed to help Gulf Coast communities recover from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

It's the third - and by far the largest - installment of money for 44 projects designed to reverse damage from the nation's worst environmental catastrophe.

The announcement was made Friday by the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustees, created to oversee the distribution of fines and penalties collected from BP for the spill. The coalition includes representatives of several federal agencies and the five Gulf Coast states.

In this latest phase, the trustees will distribute $340.4 million to Louisiana, $105 million to Florida, $93.8 million to Alabama, $69 million to Mississippi, and $18.4 million to Texas.

The single largest project award - $318.4 million - will go to the Louisiana Outer Coast Restoration program to help the state that suffered the most from the spill. Florida boasts the most projects - 30 - on the list, largely because it's letting a regional council of local governments take charge of project funding.

Kathryn D. Sullivan, head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said the money will be instrumental in helping communities as they continue to recover. NOAA is one of the trustees.

"These projects reflect an earnest commitment to the Gulf and will enhance the region's economic, social, and ecological resilience in the future," she said.

Friday's release is the first since the Obama administration finalized rules this summer on how to distribute the money. Gulf Coast officials have been frustrated by what they call the slow pace of approval, considering that BP agreed in April 2011 to provide a down payment of $1 billion to help communities recover.

Only $71 million was distributed prior to this latest round.

The Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded and sank off the Louisiana coast in April 2010, killing 11 workers and spewing nearly 5 million barrels of oil into the Gulf over more than 80 days. Marine life, including dolphins, died in record numbers and sugar sand beaches as far away as the Florida Panhandle were matted with tar balls. Vacationers abandoned the region in droves, fearing coastal waters were unswimmable and too dirty to fish.


 

In response, Congress passed the RESTORE (Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States) Act of 2012. The law directs how as much as $21 billion in civil fine money will be parceled out.


 

Under the law, 80 percent of any civil and administrative penalties under the Clean Water Act are steered into the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund for ecosystem restoration, economic recovery and tourism promotion in the region. The remaining 20 percent flows into the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund.

Most of that fine money - $5 billion to $20 billion - is expected to come from BP once federal court proceedings conclude.


 

 

Thirty Florida projects are among 44 in the Gulf Coast approved to get restoration money as a result of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.


 

They include:

* Gulf Islands National Seashore Ferry Project - $4,020,000

* Florida Cat Point Living Shoreline Project - $775,605

* Florida Pensacola Bay Living Shoreline Project - $10,828,063

* Florida Seagrass Recovery Project - $2,691,867

* Perdido Key State Park Beach Boardwalk Improvements - $588,500

* Big Lagoon State Park Boat Ramp Improvement - $1,483,020

* Bob Sikes Pier Parking and Trail Restoration - $1,023,990

* Florida Artificial Reefs - $11,463,587

* Florida Fish Hatchery - $18,793,500

* Scallop Enhancement for Increased Recreational Fishing Opportunity in the Florida Panhandle - $2,890,250

* Shell Point Beach Nourishment - $882,750

* Perdido Key Dune Restoration Project - $611,234

* Florida Oyster Cultch Placement Project - $5,370,596

* Strategically Provided Boat Access Along Florida's Gulf Coast -- $3,248,340

* Walton County Boardwalks and Dune Crossovers -- $386,291

* Gulf County Recreation Projects - $2,118,600

* Bald Point State Park Recreation Areas - $470,800

* Enhancement of Franklin County Parks and Boat Ramps - $1,771,385

* Apalachicola River Wildlife and Environmental Area Fishing and Wildlife Viewing Access Improvements - $262,989

* Navarre Beach Park Gulfside Walkover Complex - $1,221,847

* Navarre Beach Park Coastal Access - $614,630

* Gulf Breeze Wayside Park Boat Ramp - $309,669

* Developing Enhanced Recreational Opportunities on the Escribano Point Portion of the Yellow River Wildlife Management Area - $2,576,365

* Norriego Point Restoration and Recreation Project - $10,228,130

* Deer Lake State Park Development - $588,500

* City of Parker-Oak Shore Drive Pier - $993,649

* Panama City Marina Fishing Pier, Boat Ramp, and Staging Docks - $2,000,000

* Wakulla Mashes Sands Park Improvements - $1,500,000

* Northwest Florida Estuarine Habitat Restoration, Protection, and Education- Fort Walton Beach - $4,643,547

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Caloosahatchee Condition Summary: The oligohaline zone extends to Fort Myers.  Flows are currently in the suitable range for tape grass in the upper estuary and oysters in the lower estuary.


 

Reports and background information on Caloosahatchee conditions are available online at: http://www.sccf.org/201/Caloosahatchee-Condition-Reports.aspx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The "Festival in the Woods" is a free environmental education event for families in Southwest Florida that will take place at Picayune Strand State Forest in Naples, Florida, on Saturday January 24, 2015 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. This will be the second year that the Florida Forest Service has hosted the Festival, which is focused on raising awareness of and appreciation for the native wildlife and plant communities found in our area, as well as on the management and conservation of these resources. Last year, more than 250 people attended, and we expect to have 300 or more attendees in 2015.

 

The Festival will offer educational presentations and guided hikes lead by various professionals in the community who have generously volunteered their time. In addition, children's activities will also be offered and numerous public agencies and non-private environmental organizations will be present to provide environmental education information and materials to Festival attendees.

The Friends of Florida State Forest and the Florida Forest Service would like to invite Eco-Voice to join us and help us to spread our message in your Eco-Voice Digest about protecting and preserving Southwest Florida's natural resources and beautiful outdoor places through environmental events like the "Festival in the Woods".

 

 . If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Heather Ferrand (Heather.Ferrand@freshfromflorida.com), Mitigation Specialist at Caloosahatchee Forestry Center in Fort Myers, (239) 690-3500, ext. 104. For your information, some of our confirmed Exhibitors are:

  • Big Cypress National Preserve
  • Collier Seminole State Park
  • Conservation Collier
  • Florida Native Plant Society, Naples Chapter
  • Friends of the Florida Panther Refugee
  • Florida Master Naturalist Program
  • Conservancy of Southwest Florida
  • Collier County EMS Search and Rescue
  • CREW
  • Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park
  • University of Florida - IFAS
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

We look forward to having you there. Thanks a lot for your support!

Sincerely,

  Manuel De La Vega

  Forester

  Florida Forest Service

  Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

   

  (239) 690-3500, Ext 121

  (239) 690-3505, Fax

  Manuel.DeLaVega@FreshFromFlorida.com

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 "2014: Progress Toward Restoring the Everglades"


 

here it is. 

  

 

The National Research Council released a new report assessing progress towards Everglades Restoration. This independent review stresses the need to re-invest in restoration efforts, noting that the ecosystem continues to be in peril. Insufficient funding and delays in project authorization have slowed the pace of restoration efforts, leaving this unique habitat cutoff from the freshwater flows that keep the Everglades healthy.  

.

 

buy  a printed version or download

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DEP, SFWMD 2014 Issue
South Florida Environmental Report


The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) have released the 2014 South Florida Environmental Report detailing a year of science, engineering and environmental restoration progress to improve the Everglades, Lake Okeechobee, the Kissimmee Basin and South Florida coastal areas.

The 2014 report marks the 16th year of unified, streamlined environmental reporting by the two agencies.

"With the support of Governor Rick Scott and his landmark $880 million Everglades water quality plan, we have accelerated projects designed to improve water quality and flow to the River of Grass," said DEP Secretary Herschel T. Vinyard Jr.

"That commitment continues in 2014, with Governor Scott's $130 million recommendation to further Everglades restoration."

Spanning three volumes, the 2014 South Florida Environmental Report unifies more than 75 individual documents.

The volumes, plus a 27-page executive summary, provide extensive peer-reviewed research summaries, data analyses, financial updates and a searchable database of environmental projects.

"We continued to make progress during the last year to construct projects that improve Everglades water quality and increase water storage while also managing record rainfall," said SFWMD Executive Director Blake Guillory. "The 2014 South Florida Environmental Report documents these efforts and our plans to move forward with the state's Restoration Strategies initiative to benefit the entire South Florida environment."

http://www.sfwmd.gov/portal/page/portal/xweb%20about%20us/agency%20reports

 

 

 

 

  January 8-10, 2015
Annual Right Whale Festival
www.myfwc.com
 

 

 

Annual Right Whale Festival
Jacksonville Beach
January 8 - 10, 2015


Everglades Coalition Annual Conference
Hilton Key Largo Resort
www.evergladescoalition.org/conference
January 23-25, 2015


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Division of State Lands Conservation Easement Program

 

 

 

 

 

Conservation Easements

 

 

http://www.dep.state.fl.us/lands/files/ConservationEasement_WhitePaper.pdf 

 

The conservation easement begins with a statement of the purposes of the easement. Then the landowner and acquisition agent negotiate the terms of the easement until both parties are satisfied with the final document. Conservation easements are intended to restrict the property in perpetuity, so all parties must be comfortable with the prohibitions and permissions contained in the document. If the state is not happy with the level of resource protection or the landowner is unhappy about what can be done on the property, the easement will not work. Conservation easements can be amended with agreement by both parties, but it is much better to have a document from the beginning that provides resource protection and enough flexibility for the landowner to continue to use the land in a manner that offers the protections being sought by the state.

Steps to Acquisition - Appraisal

After both parties agree on the final easement document, DSL's Bureau of Appraisal begins its process of determining the value of the property as restricted by the terms of the easement. An appraisal cannot be done until the final terms of the easement are known. Unlike appraisals for fee-simple acquisitions, conservation easements require a two-step appraisal process. The first step is identical to a normal fee-simple appraisal. The property is appraised for its highest and best use as determined by the local comprehensive plan, local zoning ordinances and current market conditions. The property is then appraised a second time with all the conditions of the easement taken into account.

For instance, if we have a 1,000-acre property that allows one home per ten acres, the property would be appraised as though 100 homes could be built on it. If the terms of the conservation easement restrict the number of residences to only two, the property would be appraised a second time as though that restriction were in place. The difference in the two appraisals would then be the appraised value of the conservation easement. In our example, the value of the easement would reflect the state's purchase of the development rights for 98 of the 100 residences allowed on the site. Of course, there are many other factors that go into the pre-easement and post-easement appraisals, but this simple example demonstrates the basic technique used for appraising property covered by easements.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

photo courtesy of Mark Renz 

 

 

Fish and Wildlife Service May Overhaul Rule Permitting Incidental Take of Eagles 

 

 

 

 

By Andrew C. Bell and Svend Brandt-Erichsen 

Just as the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) issues its first permit under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (BGEPA) authorizing a wind energy project to "take" golden eagles over the next five years, the agency also has announced that it intends to conduct a comprehensive review of its eagle permitting program under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

The questions USFWS intends to address during this review could result in a more workable permitting regime, such as by replacing the "no net loss" and "unavoidable take" concepts of the existing rules with more flexible, practicable standards. However, the outcome of the NEPA process is, by its nature, uncertain and will take time (USFWS optimistically projects 18 months). This raises questions regarding how BGEPA permits will be processed in the interim. USFWS has received at least 13 programmatic permit applications, and is in advanced pre-application discussions with multiple wind energy projects. The agency's stated intention to develop a standardized mitigation regime for BGEPA permits will also require close attention. Finally, it is an open question as to whether USFWS can make changes to the permitting rules flexible enough to avoid additional rule revisions in the future. The existing regulations are less than five years old, and yet they have already had a storied and complicated life.

USFWS will host scoping meetings in five cities during a 90-day public comment period that ends on September 22, 2014. USFWS aims for a draft NEPA document in early 2015, followed by a final NEPA document and promulgation of revised permitting rules in late 2015.

Read the full article > 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FARMING WITH NATIVE BENEFICIAL INSECTS 

 

Lacewings, lady beetles, and flower flies are just a few of the beneficial insect groups that attack crop pests and reduce the need for pesticides. To increase the abundance and diversity of these hardworking insects on farms, the Xerces Society is pleased to announce the release of Farming with Native Beneficial Insects, the most comprehensive book ever developed on the subject of natural pest control.

 

 

Following in the footsteps of our best-selling Attracting Native Pollinators, Farming with Native Beneficial Insectsprovides clear, effective, science-based conservation strategies that increase beneficial insect populations on farms through conservation systems such as native hedgerows, insectary strips, beetle banks, wildlife buffers, cover cropping and more. These systems are complemented by sections on pesticide risk reduction, case studies of natural pest control across the U.S., information on assessing the quality of beneficial insect habitat, and a guide to common beneficial insect groups. All of this is accompanied by stunning color photography, step-by-step how-to illustrations, region-specific wildflower seed mix formulas to attract beneficial insects, and research results presented as easy-to-understand graphs. 

Along with direct benefits to pest management, the strategies highlighted in Farming with Native Beneficial Insects also improve farm conditions for pollinators and other wildlife, support soil and water quality protection, and enhance farm aesthetics. All of these features make this book a conservation milestone. 

Praise for the book includes:

 

"This thorough, easy-to-follow treatment shows how to better integrate natural enemies of insect pests into landscapes of all scales, from backyard gardens to large-scale agriculture. Building on Attracting Native Pollinators, the Xerces Society hits another home run with Farming with Native Beneficial Insects."
- WHITNEY CRANSHAW, entomology professor and extension specialist, Colorado State University

 
"If you are a grower or a backyard gardener, this is a 'must-have.' Readable and filled with gorgeous photos and handy charts, this book provides reams of information about how to get the upper hand on your pest issues with reduced or no pesticide use."
- CLAIRE KREMEN, professor and co-director of the Berkeley Food Institute, University of California, Berkeley

 
The release of Farming with Native Beneficial Insectscoincides with the Xerces Society's launch of a new nationwide workshop series on the subject of natural pest control, called the Conservation Biological Control Short Course. The course, which will begin in the West and Midwest, provides farmers, crop consultants, and government farm agency staff with a comprehensive, hands-on training in the natural pest management strategies described in the book. A similar workshop model previously offered by Xerces trained tens of thousands of people in farm communities across the U.S. to conserve bees and restore pollinator habitat, and helped facilitate the restoration of more than 100,000 acres of wildflower habitat for bees.
 

 
More than 250 pages in length, Farming with Native Beneficial Insects was co-authored by Xerces ecologists Eric Lee-M�der, Jennifer Hopwood, Mace Vaughan, and Scott Hoffman Black in partnership with co-author and Canadian entomologist-extraordinaire, Dr. Lora Morandin. Dr. Morandin's latest work through the University of California, Berkeley studied the effects of native plant hedgerows on beneficial and pest insects in some of the most intensively farmed landscapes on earth. Findings from that research are included throughout the book. Farming with Native Beneficial Insects is published by Storey Publishing.


To order a copy of Farming with Native Beneficial Insects, visit www.xerces.org

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Watery Foundation Blog
--

If Florida has the most "special" water resources in the United States, why should we protect and enhance them? Is it to provide water supplies for more development? Is it because there are jobs associated with the outdoor recreation industry? Is it because polluted drinking water is nasty? Those are all pretty good arguments but can quickly swing the other way. If ...

Read online. 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

For more information about any of these events call the Foundation at 561-233-9004 or email info@artmarshall.org.

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 Seminole Big Cypress Reservation Water Conservation Plan

 

The Seminole Big Cypress Reservation Water Conservation Plan

 consists of constructing water control and treatment facilities in the western portion of the Big Cypress Reservation that will improve the water quality of agricultural water run-off within the reservation and restore water storage capacity and native vegetation.

 

The Seminole Big Cypress project was authorized in the Water Resources Development Act of 1996 as a critical project. The project will rehydrate wetlands, improve water quality and water storage capacity on the Seminole Tribe's Big Cypress Basin Reservation, the Big Cypress National Preserve, and the Everglades Protection Area. The project accommodates the Seminole Tribe of Florida's water entitlement, supports sustainable agriculture, and contributes to the restoration of the western Everglades ecosystem basin. The project is 50-50 cost shared with a $60 million total project funding cap.

 

 

 

 

DSC_0806ba
Florida snow flurries
Snowy egret and chick, The Alligator Farm, St. Augustine, FL
Mark Renz photo

For Mark Renz web site (Florida Time Forgot), click here

For Mark Renz Facebook page, click here

 

 

  

 Rotary Park in Cape Coral

 

Tom Allen Memorial Butterfly House Tour - free

 

 Available every Monday, Friday and Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Reservations are not required. Courtesy of the Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife. Donations accepted. Call 549-4606, email rotaryparkinfor@capecoral.net

 or visit www.capeparks.com

for information. Rotary Park, 5505 Rose Garden Road, Cape Coral

 

 

 

CCFW Logo
  
  An Eco-Voice Sponsor
  
  
Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife is a volunteer organization whose purpose is to preserve and enhance the habitats of protected wildlife species and to educate the community about Cape Coral's wildlife resources
  

 

 

 

 

2014 Eco-Voice Sponsor
 
"Protecting our natural heritage"
 
Try using case studies, success stories, testimonials or examples of how others used your product or service successfully. Solicit material

 

 

 
  

The Nature Conservancy is collaborating with Florida DEP- Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves and the City of Punta Gorda to launch an oyster reef restoration project adjacent to the Trabue Harborwalk. 

Volunteers are needed to help with all aspects of this project:

  • Prepare mat material
  • Make oyster mats and fill bags with shell
  • Deploy the materials in the water

There's something for everyone! Civic groups, schools, clubs, boating groups, recreational clubs, church groups - or anyone looking for a fun way to help restore the estuary are welcome to participate. Please email Katherine Aug, FDEP, to coordinate a volunteer opportunity.   Katherine.aug@dep.state.fl.us>;

It is the first oyster restoration project in the northern portion of the estuary and three methods will be tested here: oyster mats, oyster bags and loose shell secured by a perimeter of oyster bags. These materials will provide a foundation for oyster larvae to settle and grow.

The three-dimensional structure of an established oyster reef can help protect the project site's mangrove shoreline from the future impacts of erosion and sea level rise and provide valuable habitat and food for other species such as fish, crab, shrimp, and birds. Oyster reefs have the potential to also benefit the juvenile stage of the endangered smalltooth sawfish, a species that relies on healthy red mangrove habitat for food and shelter in the Charlotte Harbor region. This project will add to the scientific understanding of how oyster reefs might also benefit sawfish.

Learn more about our work in the Gulf.

- See more at: http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/florida/events/bringing-back-oysters-in-charlotte-harbor.xml#sthash.mqmntqmI.dpuf
Try using case studies, success stories, testimonials or examples of how others used your product or service successfully. Solicit material

 

 

others used your product or service successfully. Solicit material

 

 

 

 

  

 

  

http://news.wildlife.org/featured/proposed-rule-to-clarify-clean-water-act-coverage/

 

 

Approximately 20 million acres of wetlands have cumulatively lost protections under the Clean Water Act  as a result of EPA and USACE guidance issued in 2003 and 2009 as well as Supreme Court decisions made in 2001 and 2006. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found the rate of wetland loss accelerated by 140 percent between 2004 and 2009, after the Supreme Court rulings. This lack of protection particularly affected isolated wetlands such as prairie potholes and ephemeral or intermittent streams. Under the proposed rule, protections for most seasonal and rain-dependent streams and wetlands near rivers and streams will be reinstated. For example, most tributary streams in the southwestern U.S. do not flow year-round and have been under uncertain jurisdiction. The proposed rule would clearly cover these waters.

 

 

 

 

Do Your Part for the Next Generation of Hunters and Anglers

 


K.J. Houtman

 

"Go outside and play!" It was the mantra of most mothers and fathers a few years back. But somewhere along the line, being outdoors became too scary. Not safe. Moms and dads encouraged their kids to stay indoors and play under a watchful eye and parental protection.  That's where today's parents have learned: it just doesn't work......

 

 


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