Birds

Christmas Bird Count documents 99 species at Everglades Treatment Wetland
An Everglades restoration project maintained its status as a national bird watching destination as volunteers with the Hendry-Glades Audubon Society partnered with the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) to document 99 species and nearly 106,000 individual birds during the 110th Christmas Bird Count this January. Known as "citizen science," bird counts are vital to studies of the long-term health and status of bird populations.

On January 2, Audubon and 35 volunteers made the trip to Stormwater Treatment Area (STA) 5 just south of Lake Okeechobee in Hendry County for a day of intensive bird watching. Of the diverse array of bird species sighted at the constructed wetland, American coots were by far the most abundant — as they were in 2009 — with more than 60,000 counted. Birders also took note of 45 endangered snail kites, which are native to South Florida and the Everglades, and spotted some rarer species such as a short-tailed hawk and a Cassin's kingbird, a species more common in states west of Texas.

"We are honored to be part of a more than century-old tradition that helps us follow trends in bird diversity and numbers, which ultimately aids in their protection," said SFWMD Executive Director Carol Ann Wehle. "We manage treatment wetlands to improve Everglades water quality, yet their extensive use as havens for wildlife demonstrates the significance of our restoration work."

The District recently renovated STA-5 by enhancing plant growth and water movement through the treatment marsh to improve its ability to remove phosphorus from Everglades-bound waters. In conjunction, the District is expanding the treatment wetland by 4,656 acres, connecting STA-5 to STA-6 to the south and more than doubling water treatment capability at the site. Both of these significant efforts to improve Everglades water quality will benefit bird watching in the area.

The bird count at STA-5 once again served as a prelude to another partnership year of Audubon/SFWMD birding tours that showcase wildlife and public access on lands managed in perpetuity by the District for Everglades restoration. The 6,000-acre constructed wetland, just south of Clewiston, is today one of 489 sites on The Great Florida Birding Trail. Sponsored by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the sites are selected for their prolific bird watching or bird education opportunities.

1000 Grey parrots rescued from trappers in Cameroon
14/02/2010 14:30:59The World Parrot Trust (WPT) has sent emergency funds to aid in the treatment and housing of over 1000 Grey Parrots (Psittacus erithacus), the largest group of illegally trapped Grey Parrots ever seized in Cameroon.

The seizure, which occurred in early February, is the third such confiscation of this species in the country since December 2007. The aid is being directed to Limbe Wildlife Centre (LWC) and the Last Great Ape Organization (LAGA), two independent African wildlife rescue groups working with government officials to coordinate the seizures and subsequent care of the birds - in an attempt to reduce the trade in this species.

For more information on the PT visit http://www.parrots.org/

Mosaic to destroy 100 acres of Threatened Jay habitat
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans to allow a fertilizer company to clear 100 acres of land occupied by four families of the threatened Florida scrub-jay, in exchange for a 200 acre conservation easement for the scrub-jay in the same area.

Mosaic Fertilizer of Florida wants to clear the land to begin a phosphate mining operation. Mosaic is the world's largest producer and marketer of phosphate and potash fertilizers. On its Web site Mosaic claims that it rehabilitates land it has mined by removing invasive species, and that it has earned recognition from the Florida Native Plant Society and the Corporate Conservation Council of the National Audubon Society for its reclamation efforts.

The Florida scrub-jay is endemic to Florida and is known for its tameness. It will take food from human hands. The scrub-jay was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1987. The principal threat to the species is suppression of wildfire which is necessary for the germination of plants on which the scrub-jay feeds.

Judge again refuses to void Mosaic mining approval
A judge again has rebuffed environmentalists’ efforts to block Mosaic Fertilizer from expanding its Four Corners phosphate mine, but opponents said Monday they plan to continue their legal fight.

In an order issued last week, Manatee County Circuit Judge Edward Nicholas declined to re-consider his earlier refusal to review Manatee County’s approvals of the expansion. In doing so, he again rejected mining opponents’ arguments that the county’s decision-making process was tainted.

Deputy County Attorney Jim Minix said the county was “pleased with the judge’s decision” and is preparing for an appeal. Mosaic spokesman Russell Schweiss said the company also was “pleased with the ruling” and hoped it would end the legal case.“It’s unfortunate that taxpayer dollars continue to be wasted on frivolous motions like these when facts and science have proven no merit to the challenges,” he said.Nicholas’ Jan. 25 decision was the latest salvo in the battle over Altman.

It began in September 2008, when county commissioners denied Mosaic’s request for approval to mine Altman because of wetlands concerns. Mosaic quickly appealed and threatened to file a $618 million property-loss claim, leading to a negotiated settlement in which the county agreed to reconsider.

With newly elected commissioners Larry Bustle and John Chappie providing the swing votes, the county approved the expansion in a series of votes in January and February 2009.
­­­­­­
New population of a rare and endangered Long-Whiskered owlet found in Peru
The extremely rare Long-whiskered Owlet (Xenoglaux loweryi), a nocturnal species that wasn’t discovered until 1976, and until now was only known from a few specimens captured in nets at night, has been seen in the wild for the first time by researchers monitoring the Area de Conservación Privada de Abra Patricia – Alto Nieva, a private conservation area in Northern Peru. The sighting is considered a holy grail of South American ornithology and has not been accomplished in thirty years, despite the efforts of hundreds of birders.

The species is among the world’s smallest owls. It is so distinct that it has been named in its own genus: Xenoglaux meaning ‘strange owl’ on account of the long wispy feathers or whiskers that stream out from its wild-looking reddish-orange eyes. The owl inhabits the dense undergrowth of mountain forests in a remote part of northern Peru. ‘Seeing the Long-whiskered Owlet is a huge thrill,’ said David Geale of Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos (ECOAN) who was part of the research team. ‘Its population is estimated to be less than 1,000 birds, and possibly as few as 250. Due to the rapid destruction of its forest habitat and its tiny range, it is inferred that the species is in serious decline. Until recently, the owlet’s key habitat was completely unprotected.’

The Long-whiskered Owlet has previously been captured by researchers on at least three occasions, but until 2002 nothing was known of the bird’s natural history. At that point, calls were recorded from a captive bird, but its biology still remained virtually unknown. Last month, researchers Geale and Juvenal Ccahuana encountered the owlet three times during daylight hours and recorded its calls frequently at night. Several photographs were also taken of a bird captured in a mist-net and later released onto a tree branch where it posed for photographs before disappearing into the night.

Three eaglets in local nest
When a pair of Bald Eagles decided to set up housekeeping in a tall Australian pine just off busy Pines Boulevard near US 27in Pembroke Pines, Florida, they initiated an interesting chain of events.

They were first "discovered" in March of 2008 by Kelly Smith, a local Middle School science teacher, who saw adults and a nearly full grown eaglet in the nest. For a year or two before that, several local residents (and even a bus driver who regularly ran the Pines Boulevard route) had seen eagles roosting and carrying nest materials and prey in that general location.

This is the first pair of Bald Eagles to fledge young in Broward County since 1972, when the ban on DDT was placed in affect. They fledged 1 eaglet in 2008, 2 in 2009 and are working on 3 this year. Bald Eagles usually lay two eggs, but three is not all that unusual.

Of 186 Central Florida rural and urban nests studied by Brian Millsap between 1997 and 2001, only three produced three fledglings. Since eggs are laid at 2-4 day intervals, and the female begins incubating as soon as the first egg is laid, the first chick has an age, size and strength advantage of a week or more over the third.

Interestingly, the oldest of these three chicks seems to ignore the smallest one, while the middle chick has been aggressive at times. Happily, the parents take pains to see that all three chicks are fed. If food were scarce, the oldest chick would out-compete the smaller chick(s), and they would starve, be forced out of the nest, or even eaten by the larger sibling.

The City of Pembroke Pines, along with a steering committee made up of local environmentalists and city officials, is establishing an “Eagle Ordinance” and will declare the City of Pembroke Pines an Eagle Sanctuary.

California Brown Pelicans dying
A new mystery is plaguing California beaches. At least 1,000 brown pelicans have turned up dead or in distress along the state's beaches during the past month, overwhelming wildlife rescue centers from the Bay Area to San Diego. The birds appear to be hungry and disoriented and many of them are suffering from hypothermia, which is linked to a chemical in contaminated water which causes their feathers to lose insulation properties thus exposing the birds' skin.

Burwood takahe breeding facility bursting at the seams
The road to recovery for the critically endangered takahe just got a little easier with a record number of chicks born on the islands this summer. At least 21 chicks hatched on predator free island sanctuaries and, for the first time, the small mainland population on Maungatautari Ecological Island, Waikato, produced a chick.

The increased numbers are a result of Mitre10's sponsorship and the work done to increase the number of functional breeding pairs at the various sites, takahe recovery manager Phil Tisch says.

A long way off course: an American bird arrives in Abu Dhabi
A bird never before seen in the UAE has been spotted at Abu Dhabi's Al Wathba Wetland Reserve. Wilson's phalarope (Steganopus tricolor), a small wader, is a remarkable new find as they are generally found only in the Americas.

The species has only been recorded on four previous occasions in the Middle East, in Oman (twice) and in Turkey (twice in the 1980s). The species is well known for its far-flung wanderings, and is recorded annually in Western Europe in autumn. It has also reached the Falkland Islands, southern Australia and even Antarctica.

Recent condor mortalities used to expand conservation efforts
After 3 years without a confirmed mortality from lead poisoning, three California condors have recently died from the biggest challenge to the species' recovery. The condors, including a female and her chick from the previous year, were recovered by The Peregrine Fund.
Necropsies to determine the cause of death were performed at the San Diego Zoo's Institute for Conservation Research. Testing confirmed the presence of lead fragments in the digestive tracts of all three birds. Lead shuts down the condors' digestive system, which leads to starvation, weakness and death.

Invasive Species

Ban on importation of dangerous snakes to be considered
SB 318 by Sen. Eleanor Sobel will be heard in Senate Environmental Preservation and Conservation, calling for a ban on several large constrictors including the Burmese python. This bill is helping call attention to the incredible threat invasive exotics pose to our native wildlife, especially in light of recent cuts to invasive exotic eradication funding provided to state agencies.

FWC moves forward with changes to nuisance wildlife rule
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved changes to the nuisance wildlife rule at a Commission meeting in Apalachicola.

The most significant change offers an option other than euthanasia for live-captured nuisance wildlife. Previously, captured nuisance wildlife could only be released on the same property where capture occurred or transported for purposes of euthanasia. Under the change, relocating nuisance animals to another site will be allowed under certain circumstances. The nuisance wildlife must be native to Florida, and the release site must be at least 40 contiguous acres and within the same county where it was captured. Written permission of the landowner must be received before releasing the animal. Also, transportation of the animal may not violate any rabies alert or area quarantine by county health or animal control authorities.

FWC Chairman: Let’s remain tough on pythons
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Chairman Rodney Barreto has directed staff to develop tough measures for dealing with pythons in South Florida.

“The state of Florida has taken the lead on this issue,” Barreto said. “We should be considering an outright ban. It is paramount that we keep doing everything we can to keep these animals out of the wild.”

Barreto’s comments came after the Commission approved draft rules for reptiles of concern. Under the proposed rule, all reptiles of concern would be required to be permanently identified by a microchip when the animal reaches one inch in diameter.

Most reptiles of concern reach that length shortly after birth. The current rule requires micro chipping at two inches in diameter for any reptile of concern, which includes Burmese pythons, Indian pythons, reticulated pythons, African rock pythons (northern and southern), amethystine or scrub pythons, green anacondas and Nile monitor lizards.

Python-hunting season set for next month
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has announced a special hunting season targeting Burmese pythons on state lands in South Florida March 8 through April 17.
The special season, created by executive order, will allow anyone with a hunting license and a $26 management area permit to take reptiles of concern -- including Indian python; reticulated python; northern and southern African rock python; amethystine or scrub python; green anaconda; and Nile monitor lizard. Hunters may use rifles, pistols or shotguns, but no centerfire rifles. They may not bring reptiles out alive and must report all they kill to the FWC within 36 hours.


FWC official Chuck Collins said government isn't always the best solution to stopping the spread of invasive, exotic species.
``Better solutions are developed when we work with people closest to the issue -- in this case, the hunters,'' Collins said.

The snake harvest in the Everglades and Francis S. Taylor, Holey Land, and Rotenberger Wildlife Management areas is timed to follow the close of small game season and enable hunters to target the reptiles during cooler months when they are out in the open and easier to spot.

Fish Brought In To Clear Out Invasive Plants
An invasive species growing in South Florida canals now has a new predator.
More than 5,000 Asian grass carp have been unleashed in two canals in Miami-Dade County. The fish feed on hydrilla, a weed that is known to grow thickly and clog canals. A clogged canal leads to urban flooding following heavy rains.

"It's the most affordable way for us to do weed control," said Ellen Donlan, an environmental scientist with the South Florida Water Management District. "Hydrilla is their favorite. It is a plant from Asia that is here in South Florida, and these are Asian fish."

The carp delivered to the canals are sterile, which means they cannot reproduce. The fish live out their lives in the water, but as Mother Nature takes its course, water management officials have to add more fish to the canals.

"We do this every year," Donlan said. "It reduces our chemical use, also our use of equipment to manually remove (hydrilla), so it helps us in manpower costs, fuel costs, chemical costs. But we have to use it as part of an integrated program. We can't use only fish."
Hydrilla was introduced into Florida in the 1950s and has steadily grown into a problematic plant throughout North America.

The fish delivered to the canals were transported in a specially designed truck from a fish farm in Arkansas.

Unwelcome Intruder
The stately yet unwelcome Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois volitans) is a fish out of water, so to speak, and has become an intruder in Florida’s marine community. Although its apparent accidental introduction to the eastern seaboard and Caribbean was in the 1990s, the first confirmed sighting within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) occurred in January 2009.

However unsolicited, the species has been steadily expanding its range and the gluttonous alien poses a serious threat to the coral reefs in Bermuda, the Caribbean islands, Central America, northern South America and the Gulf of Mexico, in addition to the American tropics of Florida. Since the lionfish has no known natural predators in the Atlantic, left unmanaged its voracious appetite for native fish and crustaceans could seriously affect the indigenous reef fish population. Add that to its ability to spawn year-round, the species could be disastrous to the natural balance of the reef ecosystem – and that greatly concerns ecologists, as well as biologists.

Prior to the lionfish’s arrival in the Keys, FKNMS and other partners developed an early detection and rapid response plan for the invasive fish. Stickers were distributed to Keys dive operators and marinas, and workshops and outreach campaigns were held to raise awareness of the potential threat. When lionfish sightings increased during 2009, resource managers began enlisting the dive community to help remove the fish and trained divers were deployed to capture the lionfish. More than 100 dive operators, marine life collectors and members of the research community attended workshops which were a prerequisite for a sanctuary permit to remove the species, via hand nets, from the sanctuary’s 18 no take zones.

Anglers are encouraged to be cautious if they hook a lionfish and divers are advised not to approach it. If it becomes hooked, the line should be cut releasing the fish into a cooler. No attempt should be made to remove the hook itself since the venomous spines of the lionfish release a toxin that can be extremely painful. If accidentally stung, it is suggested that the wound be immersed in hot water and immediate medical attention sought. The 24-hour Aquatic Toxins Hotline at the Florida Poison Information Center in Miami has medical experts on hand and can be reached by calling 1-888-232-8635. http://www.dep.state.fl.us/secretary/post/2010/0205_1.htm

Feds outline plan to nurse Great Lakes to health
The Obama administration has developed a five-year blueprint for rescuing the Great Lakes, a sprawling ecosystem plagued by toxic contamination, shrinking wildlife habitat and invasive species.

The plan envisions spending more than $2.2 billion for long-awaited repairs after a century of damage to the lakes, which hold 20 percent of the world’s fresh water. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the document, which Lisa Jackson, head of the Environmental Protection Agency, is releasing today at a news conference in Washington.

“We’re committed to creating a new standard of care that will leave the Great Lakes better for the next generation,” Jackson said in a statement.

Among the goals is a “zero tolerance policy” toward future invasions by foreign species, including the Asian carp, a huge, ravenous fish that has overrun portions of the Mississippi River system and is threatening to enter Lake Michigan.

Others include cleanup of the region’s most heavily polluted sites, restoring wetlands and other crucial habitat, and improving water quality in shallow areas, where runoff from cities and farms has led to unsightly algae blooms and beach closings.

Also promised is a strategy for monitoring the ecosystem’s health and holding federal agencies accountable for carrying out the plan.

Florida Panthers

Land deal is a loser for Florida panthers
In theory, the way the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service preserved 4,000 acres of raw land east of Fort Myers for the endangered Florida panther seems reasonable. The ranchers who have owned the property since 1947 get to keep grazing their cattle and make a significant amount of money by agreeing to not alter the tract in ways detrimental to the panther.
But make no mistake, Florida's "state animal" loses big time. As reported Thursday by the St. Petersburg Times' Craig Pittman, the Milicevic family ranch is only marginally useful for panthers. Cats crowded out of their South Florida domain pass through it as they cross the Caloosahatchee River into new territory. In a three-tiered ranking system devised by panther researchers, this land falls in the third-ranked "dispersal zone.''

But that won't keep the Milicevic’s from cashing in. The federal government has authorized the family to sell up to $144 million worth of credits, or "panther habitat units'' to people who want to develop other panther-friendly habitat elsewhere.
Ideally, it's a win-win. The land is preserved without taxpayer investment. And there's nothing wrong with using the market to achieve an environmental good. But in this case, the federal government will allow development of property that falls in the panther's crucial habitat, dubbed "primary zone," if the owner buys credits from the Milicevic’s' inferior panther habitat.

It's as though someone traded your house for space on the sidewalk outside, then shoved you out and changed the locks.

The 4,000 acres does sit across an important panther travel route. So something needed to be done to keep that pathway open. But this is not the way to go about it. As Pittman notes, others with marginal land are lining up in hopes of cashing in the same way. Will the panther's prime breeding and hunting grounds be traded away piecemeal until what is left cannot sustain it?

The federal authorities charged with preserving panthers do not inspire much confidence with this latest move. And neither does their record. The Fish and Wildlife Service has not raised an objection to any development in panther habitat since 1993.
The panther has been on the endangered species list since 1967, and it has been literally losing ground ever since to every quick-buck artist with a plat and a plan.
It is past time to take this responsibility — this obligation — to future generations seriously. Save this graceful animal from oblivion. Don't sacrifice irreplaceable habitat with these dubious trades. Learn to say no.

Federal agency rejects habitat protection for Florida panthers
For the second time, federal wildlife officials have rejected a request that they designate thousands of square miles of South Florida as critical habitat for the Florida panther.

Although the Florida panther has been on the endangered species list for 40 years, the government has never officially designated what its "critical habitat" would be. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has not objected to any development affecting panthers since 1993.

Designating a certain area as critical habitat for the panther would require increased scrutiny when developers, farmers and miners want to alter the swamps and forests where the big cats live.

The decision, announced Thursday by the agency, has left U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings extremely troubled, according to spokeswoman Lale Mamaux, who promised Hastings would be following up on the issue.

Last year, Hastings sent a letter to the White House urging President Barack Obama to grant the panthers their critical habitat. The letter was co-signed by Reps. Robert Wexler, D-Boca Raton, Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton, Corinne Brown, D-Jacksonville, and Alan Grayson, D-Orlando.

Panthers are Florida's state animal. About 100 prowl the forests and swamps in an area that begins at the Caloosahatchee River and stretches down through Everglades National Park. Last year a record 17 panthers were killed by cars and trucks, and one was shot.
After five years of silence, in 2008 Fish and Wildlife rejected a 2003 petition to designate critical habitat for the panther. Paul Souza, the head of the agency's Vero Beach office, said he feared limiting development in panther habitat might "cause unintended harm by inducing negative public sentiment" toward the animal.

On inauguration day as Obama was sworn in as president, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida submitted a new petition for critical habitat. Several months later a coalition of groups led by the Center for Biological Diversity filed a similar petition.

Both petitions focused on an area known as the Primary Zone, which covers 3,548 square miles in Collier, Lee and Hendry counties. A 2006 study by scientists defined that as the minimum area essential to support the existing panther population. But a 9,000-home development named Big Cypress has been proposed for more than 3,000 acres of the Primary Zone.

The developer of that project is now working with three state or national environmental groups — Audubon of Florida, Defenders of Wildlife and the Florida Wildlife Federation — on tailoring a plan that would offer enhanced protection for some panther habitat while still allowing development in some areas.

In announcing Thursday's decision, Souza said his agency believes a cooperative approach is a better way to go. In the meantime, he said, "We believe our current strategy and priorities are the best paths forward at this time."

Conservancy president Andrew McElwaine said he and his allies at the Sierra Club strongly disagree with the decision, and Michael Robinson of the Center for Biological Diversity said it "is at odds with the law and places the Florida panther at greater risk of extinction. This denial will not stand."

Florida Panther Cat Fight Heats Up
In a blow to one of the world's most fascinating wild felines, last week the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service denied a petition by the Center for Biological Diversity and allies to protect 3 million acres of habitat for the Florida panther. The situation is so dire, today we took emergency action and hauled the agency into court. With just 100-120 panthers left and deaths at a record level, there's no time to waste getting panther habitat protection back on track.

As Florida's human population explodes with no regard for wildlife's needs, endangered panthers are dying brutal and unnatural deaths at unprecedented numbers -- last year, a record 17 panthers were killed by vehicles alone in south Florida; fewer than 100 Florida panthers now survive in the wild. The Center's petition asks for three areas, identified in the panther's federal recovery plan, to be set aside as "critical habitat" and be spared from further development so the panther will have room to roam. Our lawsuit aims to make sure the critical habitat -- and the panther's recovery -- become a reality.

Five Conservation Groups Sue U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Over Repeated Failure to Protect Endangered Florida Panther
Five conservation groups, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, the Sierra Club, the Center for Biological Diversity, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER,) and the Council for Civic Associations, filed a lawsuit on February 18, 2010 in Federal District Court in Fort Myers, Florida against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the Service’s failure to protect the

Less than 100 Florida Panthers survive in the wild clinging to less than five percent of their historic range.
Their entire remaining habitat is located in a handful of South Florida Counties. It is the last of the eastern cougars which once roamed across the southern U.S., and is the last species of large cat east of the Mississippi River.

Although the panther has been listed as an endangered species since 1967, the Service has never designated critical habitat for the species. Critical habitat is a geographic area necessary to help an endangered species recover its population, and its designation is a critical tool within the Endangered Species Act. By its refusal to make this designation, only the panther is protected. But its habitat – the living and breeding space it must have to survive – is not.

Panther Habitat
While the state's largest cats teeter on the edge of extinction, federal regulators are accused of hastening the Florida panther's demise over the last few years by allowing some of their best habitat to be bulldozed.

Between 2003 and 2008, federal regulators said they gave developers permission to build on nearly 25,000 acres — almost double the size of Oscar Scherer State Park — that many scientists consider essential for the panthers' survival.Three national environmental groups recently asked the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to set tougher development restrictions on panther land, but they are not counting on cooperation. Instead, leaders with Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Council of Civic Associations are preparing to sue the government, likely next month. The groups meet soon to discuss legal strategies.

Everglades and water quality issues

Crist shakes up South Florida water board
Gov. Charlie Crist appointed two new members to the South Florida Water Management District and confirmed that he demanded assurances from the newcomers that they would support his plan for a $536-million purchase of U.S. Sugar property for Everglades restoration.

Crist appointed Anne "Sandy" Batchelor-Robjohns, 56, of Miami Beach, co-CEO of The Batchelor Foundation, and environmental and land use lawyer Glenn Waldman, 49, of Weston. Crist also reappointed Shannon Estenoz, 42, a research assistant at FAU, to a new four-year term. Batchelor-Robjohns will replace Gladys Perez on the five-member governing board, and Waldman will replace Michael Collins.

Crist's litmus-test approach to the water-board appointments recalls his insistence that new appointees to the Public Service Commission take a skeptical view of a major rate increase sought by Florida Power & Light.

"I did that personally. Damn right," Crist said. "The litmus test is that you'll protect the Everglades. You'll protect the environment. You'll protect the water down there. It is the Water Management District."

Clean springs
Once a mermaid, Barbara Wynn became a militant −at least, for a day.
From the steps of Florida's old capitol, the former siren of Weeki Wachee Springs described an underwater paradise of crystal sands and emerald grass. Then she waved a zipped bag of dark muck at the crowd gathered for the Florida Springs Rally. "This," she said, as quoted in the Tallahassee Democrat, "is what our sand and eel grass looks like now."

Muck like that scooped from the former mermaid's lair can be found in springs throughout the state. It's the result of high nutrient concentrations in drainage from lawns and farms, septic tanks and wastewater plants. The nitrates from fertilizers and other pollutants quicken algae blooms, which block sunlight, killing eel grass and other aquatic life essential to healthy spring ecosystems.

Everglades and nutrient issues
Eric Draper of Audubon made a presentation to the Joint Everglades Oversight Committee about the amount of Phosphorous (P) that is present and that continues to accumulate in the Lake Okeechobee watershed. The current Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for the watershed is 105 metric tons per year, yet the net imported P amounts to 5,600 metric tons/year (53 times more than the goal.)

About a third of this phosphorous is coming from sewage sludge (bio-solids) that are used as fertilizer but are exempted from regulation. Dumping sludge is a cheap way of disposing of it for sewer treatment facilities and a cheap source of fertilizer for agriculture. The problem is that it is poisoning the watershed. Accumulated phosphorous at the bottom of Lake Okeechobee is estimated at 190,000 metric tons, or enough to meet the annual TMDL for the next 1,800 years.

This “legacy’ phosphorous together with the newly added P each year contributes to the nutrient pollution suffered by the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee Rivers when the lake suffers stormwater events.

Mr. Draper called for reducing the import of nutrients into the lake’s watershed, stopping the dumping of sewage residuals (sludge), EAA acreage to clean the lake’s water, removal of the lake’s mud bottom, storage and treatment north of the lake, and management of lake levels to balance environmental and supply needs.

Co-Chairman Robaina asked DEP to comment on the presentation and they confirmed that sludge was being used as fertilizer. They added that it should be used at “agronomic rates.” Mr. Draper pointed out that the law calls for rates that do not harm the water quality of Lake Okeechobee. DEP said they’d be willing to work with the committee to close loopholes.

Numeric Nutrient Criteria
The issue of Numeric Nutrient Criteria and the limits proposed by the EPA surfaced again in the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee this week. DEP Secretary Mike Sole said EPA had established a link between nutrients and problems for lakes and springs though he thinks the numbers are too low.

He disagrees with the methodology on Streams - characterizing it as taking all of the healthy streams and arbitrarily saying that 25% of them are impaired. He says the method for canals is worse and he can’t guess how EPA came up with those numbers.

Finally, with respect to the impact of considering the impact of nutrients on downstream waters, he said, “Be afraid.”

Various representatives of wastewater treatment plants, stormwater associations, and agriculture all complained that the proposed rules were too strict, not backed up by legitimate science, and were counterproductive.

Sierra Club presented a slide show illustrating the threat to public health, property values, and the environment posed by algae blooms caused by nutrient pollution. We also rebutted some of the more egregious statements by opponents.

US Sugar lands purchase - status
The purchase of the US Sugar lands to provide property to address Everglades Restoration has hit a snag. The date set by the court for bond validation (needed to sell the bonds to fund the purchase) is April 7 and the purchase contract expires on March 30. The South Florida Water Management District will vote on whether to extend the contract at their March meeting.

The delay in proceedings is due to a lawsuit by Florida Crystals (rival of US Sugar) and the Miccosukee Tribe. The suit has already gone through Palm Beach Circuit Court where the judge approved the bond financing. But the decision was appealed to the Florida Supreme Court and has been held up by various motions filed by the appellants. US Sugar has expressed willingness to extend the date to close the deal.

The uses of the 73,000 acre purchase will include reservoirs and water treatment facilities.

Maintain 'Glades momentum
The C-111 and other canals that cut across the southern Everglades divert the freshwater so important to the wildlife that once flourished there. Reducing the drainage capacity of these canals will begin to rejuvenate the wetlands and the fish communities that support wading birds and other top predators. The opportunity to un-do decades of damage caused by draining, ditching and damming the Everglades is always reason to celebrate.
For this reason, spirits were high as Audubon scientists and advocates joined Everglades restoration partners on Jan. 26 at a ceremony to begin construction of the C-111 Spreader Canal project. The crowd soaked in an important message: We must keep this momentum moving forward to advance progress on Everglades restoration.

The massive C-111 canal complex began operation in 1968 and drained more than half of the headwaters basin of Taylor Slough, the primary freshwater entry point to Florida Bay. Additions to the C-111 canal system in 1983 diverted even more water away from its natural entry to Florida Bay.

As a result, wetlands were drained and saltwater began to inundate Everglades National Park, harming the freshwater plant communities and causing decreased productivity of the prey species that are primary food sources for wading birds. The large super-colonies of wading birds once supported by these freshwater wetlands have declined dramatically.
The successful completion and operation of the first phase of the C-111 Spreader Canal project will create a hydraulic ridge and push freshwater back into Taylor Slough, its intended entry point to Florida Bay. When greater quantities of water enter Florida Bay through Taylor Slough, rather than the C-111, the productivity of wetlands will return.

First, submerged grass species favored by prey fish will expand their coverage, followed by increased densities of prey fish that are critical to supporting populations of not only wading birds, but also to support the fish species popular for recreational fishing in Florida Bay. Rejuvenating these plant and animal species are some of the ecological benefits that will indicate whether the C-111 restoration is successful.

Breaking ground on the C-111 project is a good start to restore the flows necessary for an ecosystem rebound. The South Florida Water Management District deserves special recognition for expediting this critical project.

The next step is to make sure the project is operated to send sufficient volumes of freshwater into the parched system. This will be a true measure of restoration success.

Megan TinsleyEverglades
Science coordinator
Audubon of FloridaTavernier

Farming water: new plan for Everglades restoration would pay ranchers to use land for storing water
Last month I reported that a pilot program led by World Wildlife Fund to develop a new tool for water management that could forever change Florida's cattle business — one that pays ranchers to, essentially, farm water.
The Palm Beach Post has an interesting article about the plan. Read it here:
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/farming-water-new-plan-for-everglades-restoration-would-221751.html

Proposed Water Quality Standards for the State of Florida's Lakes and Flowing Waters
EPA has proposed numeric nutrient water quality standards for lakes and flowing waters, including canals, within the State of Florida and has proposed regulations to establish a framework for Florida to develop “restoration standards” for impaired waters. EPA issued this proposed rule pursuant to a determination that EPA made on January 14, 2009, under section 303(c)(4)(B) of the Clean Water Act. The determination states that numeric nutrient water quality standards for lakes and flowing waters and for estuaries and coastal waters are necessary for the State of Florida to meet the requirements of Clean Water Act section 303(c). EPA signed the proposed rule addressing lakes and flowing waters on January 14, 2010, per the terms of a consent decree. This proposed rule will be published in the Federal Register shortly.

Press Release (January 15, 2010) http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/393728cbe28ce582852576ac00515a61!OpenDocument

Fact sheet (January 2010) http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/standards/rules/florida/factsheet.html

Federal Register Notice http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-1220.pdf

Technical Support Document
http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#docketDetail?R=EPA-HQ-OW-2009-0596

If you have questions about the proposed rule contact Danielle Salvaterra at 202-564-1649.

Cleaning up fouled Florida waters can't wait
The clean water standards the Environmental Protection Agency has proposed for Florida are good for public health and the state's economy. For too long, polluters and their enablers in state and local government have allowed industrial waste, sewage and runoff from lawns, farms and golf courses to foul the state's lakes, rivers and drinking water. It is long past time to provide better protection to a precious resource critical to Florida's future, and the EPA will need to back up the rules with solid enforcement.

The standards would end 13 years of foot-dragging by the state and EPA over establishing strict limits for phosphorus and nitrogen pollution in Florida's surface waters. The state uses a vague "narrative" standard that allows nutrient pollution to be interpreted on a case-by-case basis. Environmental groups sued EPA in 2008 to compel the federal government to write specific limits for Florida under the Clean Water Act. The case was settled in August, and the EPA proposed rules are set to go into effect in October.

Business groups, including the Florida Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries of Florida, are predictably attacking the standards as too expensive to meet. But business and agricultural interests fought the standards even before they were proposed, calling them a "back-door" federal tax on water. The real back-door water tax is what Floridians pay for now in the costs associated with polluted water and fish-killing algae blooms — the medical costs of infections and respiratory illness, the loss in tourism and fishing income, the expense of beach closings and environmental cleanup and the depressed taxable value of waterfront property.

The EPA's proposal is hardly half-baked. It worked in cooperation with Florida's Department of Environmental Protection, and indeed, used the state's own data in proposing the new pollution limits. Cleaning up old sewage systems and changing wasteful farming and fertilizing practices will not come free. But Florida's waterways can no longer serve as inexpensive dumping grounds. The DEP acknowledged in 2008 that 1,000 miles of rivers, 350,000 acres of lakes and 900 square miles of estuaries in Florida were tainted by nutrient pollution. The state's refusal to fix the problem the past 13 years is not an argument for more stalling.

State to buy 2,800-acre Panhandle Natural Resource Area from the Nature Conservancy
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and the Florida Cabinet today approved buying from The Nature Conservancy 2,800 acres to add to the Aucilla Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Jefferson County. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will manage the property, purchased through the Florida Forever program using FWC’s funding for in-holdings and additions to their managed areas.

The Nature Conservancy originally bought the property because of its significant resource value and its key location: It forms a two-mile boundary with the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge and a three-mile boundary with the Aucilla WMA.

The Conservancy acquired the land as part of a 10,000-acre transaction in January 2008 from Flint Rock Investments, LLC after it was sold by St. Joe Timberland Company of Delaware, LLC. The land is part of the St. Joe Timberland Florida Forever Project, a top-21 ranked project, and is also valued for its future benefit to allow species and habitat to adapt to climate change.

“The state greatly expanded connectivity between the Aucilla Wildlife Management Area and the St. Marks on an almost nonexistent north/south corridor of public managed lands with this purchase,” said the Conservancy’s Callie DeHaven, public lands protection manager in Tallahassee. “We are grateful to be able to continue to assemble these landscape linkages and for the partnerships we continue to forge in working to benefit future generations.”

The property is part of a vision for a landscape linkage that includes the 2008 Wood Sink purchase to the north, important to the water quality of not only the St. Marks River but Apalachee Bay and the estuary at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. The land provides habitat for an abundance of wildlife, and the adjacent refuge is a known aggregation area for wading birds, waterfowl and songbirds — in the fall an astonishing migration of monarch butterflies occurs. In addition, the tract is home to important species such as Florida black bear, river otter, Eastern indigo snake and flatwoods salamander.

New Orleans Wetlands Remediation Project Authorized
The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) funded a $150,000 validation grant, which confirmed that Ferrate treatment is the preferred disinfection technology compared to chlorine, ultraviolet, and ozone due to its ability to neutralize Emerging Pollutants of Concern (EPC), such as endocrine disruptors and pharmaceutical byproducts. This is of great concern to the LDEQ and the EPA because there are currently no other processes available to combat these pollutants. These agencies are interested in utilizing Ferrate for the reuse of treated wastewater effluents for coastal restoration. LDEQ and Tulane University confirmed that Ferrate is the best choice for wetland assimilation.

Springs Legislation
The upcoming legislative session will be crucial to winning passage of springs legislation, speakers on Tuesday told a crowd of more than 400 at a springs rally outside the state Capitol.Springs across the state have become choked with weeds and algae as nitrogen in groundwater has increased. But legislation that would either create pilot programs or regulate the release of nitrogen from farms, septic tanks and stormwater have failed during the last five legislative sessions.Residents came by bus from Gainesville, Ocala and the Dunnellon area for the rally and school children relayed a bottle of Wakulla Springs water 17 miles from the state park to the Capitol. Audience members held signs for springs elsewhere around the state: Sun, Manatee, Hornsby, Troy and Three Sisters, to name a few. A costumed Creature from the Black Lagoon from the 1954 movie filmed at Wakulla Springs State Park was on hand.

Sen. Lee Constantine, R-Altamonte Springs, is expected to introduce springs legislation again this year after his bill last year failed to receive a vote in the Senate.Constantine, who will leave the Senate this year because of term limits, told the crowd, "This is the year, as somebody yelled out in the audience, that we have to do something.""There is no question," he said, "if we don't do it this year we might have gone too far in devastating the natural resource that is our springs. We have to do it in a way that balances both our environment and economic opportunities in Florida. We can do it." He is chairman of the Senate Committee on Environmental Preservation and Conservation.

The crowd cheered as senators and representatives vowed to support springs. But cheers for Rep. Leonard Bembry, D-Greenville, turned to some jeers when he criticized a proposed federal rule that would set limits for nitrogen and phosphorus in Florida waterways. Environmental groups sued to force the EPA to set limits, with the state and federal agencies saying that specific limits were needed to protect springs and other waterways. But industry and agriculture groups and utilities say the standards are based on flawed science and will be costly to try to meet.

Bembry, whose district includes many of Florida's largest springs along the Suwannee River, said farmers are working to help protect groundwater. But he drew jeers when he said reducing nitrogen and phosphorus could harm commercial fishing -- without explaining how that could happen."This is not the time for single-issue politics, or private agendas, nor is it a time for political partisanship," Bembry said. "We all as Floridians have too much at risk for those kinds of issues. It is time for good, solid, fiscally-responsible solutions that are based on scientific information that has been tested and proven to be valid."

Cabinet to consider 2,800-acre purchase
The Governor and Cabinet will consider paying The Nature Conservancy $5.2 million or $1,841 per acre, for land previously owned by The St. Joe Co. The land has been managed as a portion of the Flint Rock Wildlife Management Area by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.The area extends from U.S. Highway 98 south to the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. The purchase would protect a corridor of habitat between the refuge and another state wildlife management area along the Aucilla River.The area is has been designated a "strategic habitat conservation area" by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. It provides habitat for black bears and swallow-tailed kites and is potential habitat for the eastern indigo snake and flatwoods salamander.The Nature Conservancy purchased the property in January 2008 as part of a deal for 10,905 acres in the area.

More rock mining under consideration in the EAA
Palm Beach Aggregates plans to expand its rock mining to 2,300 acres — allowing 25 more years of digging — in an area environmentalists contend threatens Everglades restoration.
The mining company west of Royal Palm Beach is teaming up with sugar-producing giant Florida Crystals in a joint venture that would spread rock mining deeper into the Everglades Agricultural Area where hundreds of thousands of acres south of Lake Okeechobee were drained to make way for farming.

Environmental groups are waging a legal challenge to try to stop the spread of rock mining to more agricultural land, which they hope to use to store and treat water that could rehydrate the Everglades.

Mining opponents also argue that the digging and blasting to create deep pits can allow pollutants to foul underground freshwater supplies relied on by the public.
Land-buying in crosshairs of Florida House panel

Members of a house budget-writing panel have taken another shot at the Florida Forever land-buying program.Florida Forever is the largest land-buying program in the nation and is a budget priority for environmental groups and Gov. Charlie Crist. But the program received no money from the Legislature last year for the first time since the program was created in 1990. Members of the House Natural Resources Appropriations Committee have ranked Florida Forever at No. 2 on a list of 51 spending programs that could be cut in fiscal year 2010-11. Committee members failed to include Florida Forever on a list of programs that should be protected.

Democrats on the committee have not turned in worksheets as Democratic leaders have protested the budget exercise.Some committee members raised concerns about the district's planned purchase of 72,500 acres of U.S. Sugar Corp. land for $533 million to pay for Everglades restoration. Both Democrats and Republicans said they agreed with Rep. Ralph Poppell, R-Vero Beach and council chair, that the state should not be buying more land."I don't think we ought to spend one more dime on land until we pay off our debt," said Rep. Charles Van Zant, R-Keystone Heights.Some committee members also suggested that the state look for land that it can sell to help meet its revenue needs, which is also proposed in the draft "Jobs for Florida" bill in the Senate.

Audubon of Florida's Julie Wraithmell said after the meeting that the state should wait rather than sell when land prices are low. "We think there is a strong case to be made for our work is not over yet and we have some tremendous opportunities given the state's real estate market," she said.The committee is expected to discuss Florida Forever in more detail when it meets on Feb. 18. Poppell said Carol Ann Wehle, executive director of the South Florida Water Management District, will be asked to speak at the meeting.

The committee agreed with a request by Rep. Stephen L. Precourt, R-Orlando, to request information about the environmental purposes of individual state landholdings.Audubon's Wraithmell said Precourt's questions were insightful."I'm optimistic that, with a further vetting of all those benefits of the program, there will be meaningful discussion about continuing that legacy" of Florida Forever, she said.

Wildlife & Habitat

To report a dead or distressed manatee, call the FWC Wildlife alert hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).
Visit http://research.MyFWC.com/manatee for more information on manatee research.


January's Cold took heavy toll on Florida wildlife
Despite four decades of slogging through Everglades’s marshes and mangroves, wildlife ecologist Frank Mazzotti had never experienced anything like the aftermath of frigid January. The confirmed casualty count so far:

• At least 70 dead crocodiles.
• More than 60 manatee carcasses.
• Multiple frozen-stiff Burmese pythons, the scourge of the Everglades.

And also, perhaps the biggest fish kill in modern Florida history. ``What we witnessed was a major ecological disturbance event equal to a fire or a hurricane,'' said Mazzotti, a University of Florida associate professor. ``A lot of things have happened that nobody has seen before in Florida.''

The cold was simply brutal on many tropical plants and animals. Toxic iguanas, dropping into the mouths of unfortunate pooches, was only the tip of the iceberg that descended for two weeks on South Florida.

While scientists are still surveying losses, it's already clear that the record chill wiped out shallow corals in the Keys and devastated manatees. A preliminary assessment that Everglades National Park scientists completed last week also documented a broad and heavy toll on everything from crocodiles to cocoplums to butterflies.

FWC: Help wildlife beyond the cold snap
The figures are astounding and unprecedented. More than 4,500 sea turtles were rescued from the cold water in January. Manatee carcasses continue to appear, putting the deaths for 2010 at more than 200 after only one month. For comparison, the highest number of manatee deaths for a single calendar year is 429.

Massive efforts by the state’s wildlife agency, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), to rescue, save and recover the cold-stressed animals saved the lives of at least 80 percent of rescued sea turtles. Since the beginning of the year, biologists have rescued more than a dozen manatees statewide and transported them to rehabilitation facilities as needed and transported manatee carcasses to the FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute’s lab in St. Petersburg for examination. Volunteers, other government agencies and partners from the corporate world all assisted in the efforts during this unprecedented event.

The public can help efforts to conserve and fund research for both sea turtles and manatees by purchasing a specialty license plate or decal. measures necessary to maintain manatees throughout the state.

Manatee deaths
A record number of manatees have died because of Florida's lengthy winter, and so many manatees are turning up stressed by the cold that it's straining the statewide system for caring for the injured marine mammals.

So far this year the number of manatees killed by the cold is approaching 200, which Martine DeWit of the state Fish and Wildlife Research Institute called "really unprecedented."
By mid February, 301 manatees had turned up dead from various causes. The average number of deaths for this time of year over the previous five years is just 10, DeWit said.
Of that number 167 were killed by the cold, she said. Another 50 were spotted dead in the Everglades by park rangers but could not be recovered, and they are also presumed to be cold-related deaths, she said.

Global Warming and Climate Change

Southeast Florida Regional Climate Leadership Summit Update
The October 23, 2009 Southeast Florida Climate Leadership Summit was organized to educate local leaders on some of the challenges presented by climate change and to generate dialog on how the region’s governments could work together to address adapting to its impacts.

At the press conference following the Summit, representatives of the four counties unveiled the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact and promised to seek the formal support of their governing boards. The Compact outlines a collaborative effort to participate in a Regional Climate Team toward the development of a Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Action Plan. The Compact also commits the Counties to work on federal and state climate policies and joint advocacy in Tallahassee and Washington, DC on climate policies related to the shared challenges of climate change.

The Compact has now been ratified by the four County Commissions. Joint efforts are now underway to encourage Congress to consider the region of Southeast Florida for a national climate adaptation pilot project. With the momentum generated by the Summit and the ratification of the Compact, the Counties are now moving beyond words to collaborative actions as they implement the features of the Compact.

The Compact includes several major commitments:
• To develop joint federal and state climate and energy-related policies;
• To develop a Southeast Florida Regional Climate Action Plan addressing both the mitigation and adaptation needs of the region;
• To create a Regional Climate Team for the purpose of constructing a Regional Action Plan; and
• To reconvene with the hosting of a second annual Regional Climate Leadership Summit in 2010

Southeast Florida's climate initiative highlights local government leadership and through this regional commitment will serve to develop a blueprint for regional climate action. Miami-Dade County Commissioner Katy Sorenson declared that, "We have each been working as individual counties to combat climate change impacts. The Compact provides an opportunity for our highly vulnerable region to speak with a bigger, united voice in Washington and Tallahassee."

Offshore & Ocean

MPAs will protect coral reefs - but it takes time
A new worldwide study shows how Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), zones where fishing and other potentially harmful activities are regulated, provide an added bonus - helping coral reef ecosystems ward off and recover from threats to their health.

Researchers also found the protective effects of MPAs generally strengthen over time. The findings are the first comprehensive global study to gauge the impact of marine protected areas on the health of corals.

Protesters draw line in sand over oil drilling
Thousands of people at scores of locations throughout Florida showed up to hold hands and form a human chain to protect Florida's beaches. People stood in bright, cold weather to show that communities from the Keys to the Panhandle are united in opposition to proposals to open Florida's nearshore waters to drilling

All up and down Florida’s coastlines protesters clad in black to simulate the tar that could spoil Florida’s beaches joined hands to show solidarity against offshore and nearshore oil drilling. Although beaches across the state were filled Saturday, February 13, the only sign protesters left of their presence was footprints in the sand.

"There's been a huge push to open Florida waters for offshore drilling," said event organizer Matthew Schwartz with the Sierra Club. "We look at the issue of offshore drilling as a looming storm. People think it's a step backwards," Schwartz said of possible legislation allowing offshore drilling. "My own concern is the wildlife and the wildlife habitat in case of a spill."Schwartz said drilling poses a unique threat to Florida's coastal mangroves. He fears it would be impossible to clean up if there was ever a spill. "The risks are way too great, and the benefits way to small," he said.

Near Shore Drilling - House Select Policy Council on Strategic and Economic Planning
The Select Council is continuing its series of hearings on near-shore exploration and production of oil and natural gas. Chairman Cannon introduced presenters from the US Coast Guard (which is responsible for responding to spills) and Thomas Campbell, PE and Debbie Flack who spoke about dwindling sources of sand suitable for beach renourishment.

The gist of the beach renourishment presentation was that oil exploration and pipeline development be postponed until sand source mapping was completed so new infrastructure would not interfere with future beach projects.

The presentation by the Coast Guard was more instructive. The presentation is available at: http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Documents/publications.aspx?CommitteeId=2546&PublicationType=Committees&DocumentType=Meeting Packets&Session=2010&SessionId=64
Click on the Feb 10th meeting packet.

Unrestricted burning of fossil fuels threatens a new wave of die-offs
A Nature Geoscience survey shows that oceans are acidifying 10 times faster than they were 55 million years ago when a mass extinction of marine species occurred - Unrestricted burning of fossil fuels threatens a new wave of die-offs

The acidification of the ocean in particular is a grave threat. Marine life faces some of the worst impacts. We now know that global warming is “capable of wrecking the marine ecosystem and depriving future generations of the harvest of the seas”.

Miscellaneous

USFWS Director Sam Hamilton, dead at 54
The director of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service died after suffering an apparent heart attack at a Colorado ski resort, NBC News reported.
Sam Hamilton, 54, was pronounced dead at 1:16 p.m. after being transported off the mountain at Keystone Ski Area. Hamilton had been reported having chest pains, according to the Summit County coroner. Hamilton's circumstances were consistent with an underlying heart-related medical condition, the coroner said.

Agreement with Port Everglades officials, SFAS and FDEP
In a January 27 meeting with Port Everglades officials, a plan was established whereby a portion of the existing conservation easement over the mangrove stand in Port Everglades will be released to allow the conversion of the turning notch to additional berthing space for container ships and for the building of an aggregate handling facility.

Port Everglades will convert 16 acres of upland habitat to mangroves to replace the 8.7 acres needed for the expansion, and will make improvements to mangrove areas in West Lake Park and to a manatee nursery area within the FPL discharge Canal. The improved areas will then be deeded to FDEP and SFAS will monitor the entire area within guidelines of the FDEP to assure compliance with the terms of the conservation easement. The entire area is slated to become an Audubon Sanctuary.

The agreement was reached after several meetings, several stoppages of work, and the involvement of FDEP, who decided that SFAS will be the monitors. It was further decreed that the new mangrove area is to be monitored for 1 year to assure that the transplants are flourishing before any work can take place on the conversion of the turning notch.

South Florida Audubon Society not only endorses the plan as laid out at the meeting, but also looks forward to working with Port Everglades officials in the future in the maintenance of the conservation easement to be placed on the mangroves in the port.

Conservative budget advisor for Gov. Bush to head Fla. Senate Budget Office
The state Senate's newest office is going to be staffed by a familiar name from the recent past.Donna Arduin, formerly budget director for ex-Gov. Jeb Bush and adviser to then-House Speaker Marco Rubio, will lead the new Senate Budget Office, created in November by Senate President Jeff Atwater to shape state spending and economic policy.Arduin is a partner in the firm; Arduin, Laffer and Moore Econometrics, which helped shape Rubio's 2007 plan to swap property taxes for a higher sales tax and continued to advise the House into 2008.

Among conservatives, the firm's nameplate carries the added sheen of including Arthur Laffer, a former economic adviser to President Reagan and a champion of supply-side economics, including the theory that tax cuts can yield higher tax revenues."We need good ideas, and who could be better to help us than a firm with President Reagan's former economic adviser?" Sen. Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, told the News Service of Florida.

Terms of Arduin's contract have not been finalized, said Jaryn Emhof, Atwater's spokeswoman. But the firm will effectively serve in the role of senior executive for the budget office, a position that had been advertised in the salary range of $70,000 to $175,000 annually. A senior accountant, Noah McKinnon, also has been hired for the office at $65,344-a-year, Emhof said. The Senate Budget Office will report directly to Senate Ways and Means Chairman J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales.

While Arduin comes in with a long Republican resume, the SBO is envisioned as performing functions similar to those of the Congressional Budget Office, Atwater has said. The North Palm Beach Republican said he wants the SBO to provide independent analyses of agency operations, financial structure, revenue sources and spending patterns."Although individual state agencies are directed to recommend agency specific reductions to the Legislature, there is no single office responsible for an impartial and unbiased budgetary review of Florida's governmental agencies," Alexander said when the office was created.

First Annual 24.7.365 green conference goes off without a hitch
On Friday, February 12, the first annual 24.7.367 conference was held at the Broward Community College South Campus in Pembroke Pines. Attendance was above expectations and the programming was excellent.

Panel discussions included Funding Florida’s Sustainable Future, Everglades Restoration and Environmental Safety as relates to Toyota Motors. The Keynote address covered sea level rise and its likely affect on South Florida.

Program planners Doug Young and Devin Avery plan to make this an annual event.

Good News about Foot-dragging on DCA and Growth Management?
Legislators signaled relatively smooth sailing for the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and Growth Management issues in recent weeks. The House Governmental Accountability Act Council, responsible for state agency "sunset reviews," evaluated a long list of DCA programs. The all-important Division of Community Planning which handles most DCA regulatory activities, and reviews local comprehensive plans and plan amendments, was spared from any recommendations of abolishment or change.

In recent remarks to the American Planning Association, Senator Mike Bennett signaled he would oppose any efforts to deauthorize DCA through the sunset process. Bennett, who is known for clashes with DCA, declared "not on my watch." While the above sounds like good news, don't breathe easy too soon. What the Legislature needs to do is to reauthorize DCA this year. Senator Bennett's "watch" will likely end when new leadership takes over the House and Senate in 2011, leadership that includes incoming House Speaker Dean Cannon, an avowed opponent to Florida's current growth management structure.

Fair Districts Florida
While this is not directly an environmental issue, the outcome in some jurisdictions could have environmental implications should the Senator or Representative from a specific district be anti-environment.

Ellen Freidin, Chair of the Fair Districts Florida campaign appeared before a joint meeting of Senate Reapportionment and the House Select Policy Council on Strategic and Economic Planning to address objections and questions from legislators about Constitutional Amendments 5 and 6 dealing with how reapportionment will be carried out in the state.

She told the joint meeting that the amendments were certified and would be on the November 2010 ballot and that they had garnered 1.7 million signatures from members of both major parties and independents. She also quoted at least twelve editorial boards that favor Fair Districts Florida because it will reduce gerrymandering, return integrity to the political process, and help fix a broken system.

Sierra Club Florida has endorsed Fair Districts Florida as has the Florida League of Cities, the Association of Mayors, the NAACP, and the Black Caucus of Elected Officials.

FWC presents wildlife award to Colonel Julie Jones
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), meeting in Apalachicola Wednesday, recognized Julie L. Jones, former director of the FWC’s Division of Law Enforcement, as the 2009 recipient of the Louise Ireland Humphrey Achievement Award.

The award, named after former Commissioner Louise Ireland Humphrey of Tallahassee, is conveyed annually to an agency employee who provides outstanding leadership or contributions in managing the state’s fish and wildlife resources.

“Julie was instrumental in gaining the Division of Law Enforcement accreditation,” said Col. Jim Brown, current director of Law Enforcement. “And she was instrumental in developing a national standard for waterborne response team training, which is critical to our nation’s homeland security.”

DEP’S DIVISION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT GOES GREEN
BY SWITCHING TO LEAD-FREE AMMUNITION
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) Division of Law Enforcement (DLE) announced today that the agency will be switching to lead-free ammunition during training exercises and practice scenarios. The bullet casings to be used are made from recycled brass, and the bullets are compressed copper with a lead-free primer.

“Lead-based ammunition can cause soil and groundwater contamination,” said DEP Division of Law Enforcement Director Henry Barnet. “With this change, the division is increasing its conservation efforts at firing ranges and practice sites, where thousands of rounds of ammunition are discharged.”

In the proposed SFAS Wildlife policy, I ask that all lead based ammunition be discontinued in Florida. Some raptors and scavenger birds have been found dead from lead poisoning induced by eating other animals that were shot with lead ammunition.

Florida depends on groundwater for its drinking water supply, and on surface water for the outdoor recreation industry. Florida’s high rainfall and acidic conditions cause lead from ammunition to be more mobile in the environment. Therefore, proper management of outdoor shooting ranges is especially important.

State law enforcement officers from the Florida Park Police and special agents from the DEP Department of Law Enforcement’s Criminal Investigations Bureau train with firearms in accordance with agency policies and accreditation standards.

Corkscrew sanctuary officially designated as a Wetland of International Importance
Fans of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary have always viewed its towering cypress forest and long vistas of wet prairie to be world-class. On Wednesday, about 130 people gathered at the sanctuary to make it official.
In a ceremony under a big white tent at the sanctuary on Immokalee Road, the Secretary General of the Ramsar Convention presented Audubon of Florida and the neighboring Panther Island Mitigation Bank with certificates naming Corkscrew a Wetland of International Importance.

Take A Hike With The FFC!
"Take A Hike, Florida!" is almost here! The Coalition and supporters have organized hikes across the state to celebrate public land acquisition and the Florida Forever program on February 20, 2010. Hikes are planned in Alachua, Brevard, Columbia, Escambia, Leon, Miami-Dade, Nassau, Okeechobee, Pinellas and Seminole counties.

Suit threatened over pesticide risks to Florida's animals
From panthers to shy salamanders in Baker County’s woods, Florida’s federally protected species have become players in a bid by environmentalists to tighten controls on pesticide use.

The nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity told the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency it will sue unless EPA makes major steps to protect endangered or threatened species from chemicals used for killing plants or animals.

“The whole process has been pretty much flawed,” said Jeff Miller, a conservation advocate at the Arizona-based nonprofit. “We’ve been looking for quite a while at how to reform the entire pesticide registration process. This seems like a good way to start.”
Pesticide makers have to register new products with EPA, which studies the chemicals and sets limits on how they can be used. That includes looking for unintended impacts on wildlife and plants.

Corps of Engineers completes construction ahead of schedule
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announces completion of the latestphase of Kissimmee River restoration and the temporary opening of the C-38waterway to navigation. Waters are open from structures S-65A through S-65Cand will remain open until May.

Outdoor recreation enthusiasts can now enjoyseveral miles of newly restored river, along with multitudes of wading birdsand schools of fish!Corps of Engineers contractors completed restoration work in January- a record-setting year ahead of schedule. Workers backfilled four miles ofthe C-38, reconnected historic oxbows and re-carved sections of the riverthat were lost during the 1960s channelization project constructed to reducearea flooding.

This latest section of work is located south of the Avon ParkBombing Range Boat Ramp, and connects with a previously backfilled segment ofthe canal. The Corps has restored 13 miles of the C-38 (lower basin) todate.

Everglades Coalition Releases Its 2020 Vision for Everglades Restoration
At its 25th Annual Conference, the Everglades Coalition released its 2020 vision for Everglades restoration. Highlights include:
The U.S. Congress and the Florida State Legislature must fund key restoration projects, which will result in critical on-the-ground benefits throughout the ecosystem
Congress must authorize 4 key restoration projects: the Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands, C-111 Spreader Canal phase 1, C-43 Reservoir, and the Broward County Water Preserve Area

The State of Florida must immediately announce the commencement of a restoration project on newly-acquired lands and begin negotiations to act on its option to acquire the remaining 100,000+ acres

The 2020 Vision will provide direction for local, state, and federal officials as they proceed forward with restoration planning and projects

View the Coalition's 2020 Vision for the Everglades Restoration online at http://www.evergladescoalition.org/

Manatee County could see higher buildings and fewer wetlands
In a rush to implement changes to the comprehensive plan before voters weigh inon the Hometown Democracy amendment, the Manatee County Planning Departmenthas drafted proposed changes to the “urban core” that would increase building heightand density and reduce wetlands protection. The county currently limits building heights to 35 feet and density to 16 dwelling unitsper acre in most areas. The new plan would set a maximum height of 120 feet and amaximum density of 50 units per acre along the U.S. 41 corridor, including parts of Bayshore.
­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­
FWC committed to Youth Conservation Center initiatives
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) heard a report Wednesday on an ambitious plan to help youngsters connect with nature. Vice Chairman Dick Corbett of Tampa is the FWC’s spearhead to establish a statewide network of youth conservation centers, modeled after the Beau Turner Youth Conservation Center near Monticello.

Turner contributed property and other resources to establish the first center to begin the task of saving children from what conservationists call “nature deficit disorder.” Meanwhile, Corbett has been rallying people and the business community to keep up the momentum.

“It’s a very simple strategy,” Corbett said. “We have the chance to help create the next generation who cares for Florida.”

The centers will provide opportunities for young people and families to participate in outdoor activities and share experiences that strengthen connections with and support for fish and wildlife conservation. Some of the activities include hunting, fishing, kayaking, archery, wildlife viewing and nature encounters.

FDEP on plastic bags
Mary Jean Yon of DEP presented the Department’s findings on the issue of single use plastic bags to the Senate Environmental Preservation and Conservation committee. The report can be seen at www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/retailbags . She noted that 241,000 tons of plastic bags were added to Florida’s waste stream each year and that they contribute to litter, landfill and recycling machinery problems (they get wrapped up in the gears) and blow away in the wind, and also clog stormwater drainage systems.

Additionally, they cause serious problems for wildlife by entanglement them or by ingestion. DEP has offered a menu of options for the state to choose from, but has refrained from making any recommendations.

The twelve options range from enacting an educational campaign to an outright ban. The Committee was addressed by representatives from Associated Industries of Florida and the Retail Federation who both said that mandates were not the way to go and that industry was recycling bags on a voluntary basis. Chairman Constantine noted that current law prevents localities from enacting restrictions on single use bags. While he understands that business would prefer a state wide approach with no mandates he favors setting benchmarks that, if not achieved, would trigger mandates.

DCA Secretary receives award
Florida Department of Community Affairs Secretary Tom Pelham is to receive 1000 Friends of Florida’s Bill Sadowski Award, which is presented annually to a public servant at the regional or state level whose work exemplifies the strong sense of vision for which the former DCA Secretary was known. The award will be presented at the 26th Annual Growth Management, Climate Change and the Environment Short Course, being held at the Wyndham Resort in Orlando. 1000 Friends President Charles Pattison explains that Pelham is receiving the award for his decades of visionary leadership promoting growth management, sustainable development, and protected rural and natural lands in Florida.