You are invited to an event: Film Screening "Beyond the Motor City". There will be a discussion with Mayor of Lauderhill, Richard Kaplan and a transportation expert from Jacobs Engineering. Click here for details.

Quote of the Week

"In these difficult economic times, renewing our commitment to our natural places will foster jobs in the tourism and recreation industries while conserving our great outdoors. Moreover, as Americans, we are responsible for protecting our heritage, including the raw beauty of our lands and waters. Together, let us rise to meet that responsibility and safeguard our cherished outdoor spaces for our children and grandchildren."

--Barack Obama, in his Presidential Proclamation of June 2010 as Great Outdoors Month

Birds

Wading Bird Nesting Population in South Florida Up Significantly
According to a report from the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), which includes Everglades National Park, the number of nests of wading birds, such as herons and egrets, in the district are estimated to have more than quadrupled between 2008 and 2009.

The estimated total number of wading bird nests in South Florida was 77,505 in 2009, which eclipses the number of nests recorded during the previous high recorded year of 2002 by about 8,000 nests, and represents the largest nesting effort since the 1940s.

Increases in nesting occurred for most wading bird species and especially for the endangered Wood Stork. Approximately 6,452 Wood Stork nests were recorded in 2009; about four times the number of nests over the average of the past decade.

“These numbers are certainly a welcome one-year finding, but we must be mindful of the long-term forecasts of great concern for birds that depend on wetlands across the United States. The 2010 State of the Birds Report, co-authored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, American Bird Conservancy (ABC) and others, tells us that waterbird populations will likely be hard hit by climate change impacts as changes in temperature and rainfall reduce the quantity and quality of wetlands,” said George Wallace, Vice President for the Oceans and Islands Program of ABC.

According to the SFWMD report, the 2009 survey numbers may be the result of extensive drought conditions in recent years that reduced predatory fish densities, allowing crayfish and small fish populations, which are food sources for wading birds, to increase in size and abundance. “Given the magnitude of the wading bird increases, one cannot rule out influxes of birds from other locations, where water conditions and prey supplies were not as favorable to nesting birds as they were in south Florida,” Wallace added.

Scientists also found that wading birds appeared to increase nesting activity on the recently restored section of the Kissimmee River floodplain.

Over 1,500 nests were recorded there, which is considerably greater than the six nests that were recorded there in 2008 and greatly surpasses the previous high count of 637 nests in 2006.

Additional highlights in the report include:
1. The 2009 season represented an 83 percent increase over the average of the last nine seasons.
2. The wading bird nest count around Lake Okeechobee, 8,169 nests, was the fourth highest count since aerial surveys began in 1957.
3. White Ibis nest numbers were double the average of the past nine years.

Four Great bustard chicks hatch in the wild in the UK June 2010.

One of the most spectacular birds on the planet, the Great Bustard looks set to consolidate its return to the UK with the news that four chicks hatched so far this year and that there are 4 confirmed nests.

The Great Bustard, which became extinct in Britain as a nesting bird in 1832, successfully nested last year, when two pairs fledged two chicks on Salisbury Plain, in Wiltshire.

David Waters, Founder and Director of the Great Bustard Group, said: "Last year was a milestone for the project, this year really does give confirmation that the project is well on its way to achieving its aims of a self sustaining population in the UK. After so many years of work, it is great to see the results. "
Read the article

Birds rescued from oil released into safety of Merritt Island
About a dozen birds rescued from the oil spill washing ashore in Louisiana were released Sunday into the safety of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge east of Orlando.
"It was a feel-good moment," said Dorn Whitmore, supervisory park ranger. "We've seen the images of these oil birds and it does feel good to see them fly again and being released into the wild."

The birds, victims of the offshore-drilling disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, spent weeks in recovery after being cleaned of oil that coated their bodies. They arrived from Louisiana aboard a U.S. Coast Guard airplane, escorted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Read the article

Three more peregrine falcon chicks hatch
The sexes of three peregrine falcons hatched in a nest in the framework of Michigan’s Blue Water Bridge were determined the morning of June 2, when officials were on the bridge to band the birds.

Two males and one female were born in May. The Michigan Department of Transportation has been helping to rescue the endangered species and has worked to keep a nest of the birds thriving beneath the bridge. This is the third year that the pair of peregrine falcons have had young hatch in their nest high above the water where Lake Huron empties into the St. Clair River.

A contest is underway to name the chicks from names selected in May. The Port Huron Times Herald received about 300 reader suggestions for what the Michigan Department of Transportation should name this year's brood of chicks. Officials weren’t sure how many birds are in the nest, but Bill Fockler, the bridge's maintenance supervisor, narrowed the suggestions to eight female and eight male names. A pot of $100 in prize money will be divided among people who suggested the winning names.

Bird list Earth Survey Project
For those of you not familiar with my project, it is something that I started in the summer of 2006. Since that time, I have been conducting a short survey regarding personal views of the environment and nature.

To date I have gotten back almost 900 responses from around the globe, which I am posting at the blog.

I created for the project, http://earthsurvey.blogspot.com/ At some point in the future I hope to turn this into some sort of book or other printed publication, possibly a more detailed website, or perhaps even a documentary. For now, I continue to accept and post responses as they come in.

Anyone who has not taken part and would like to can access the survey online at http://earthsurvey.blogspot.com/

Please share this with your other contacts/colleagues, as I am looking for as wide a range of responses as I can get for this project. Not being affiliated with an organization or institution has made spreading the word about my project and increasing participation somewhat challenging, so I would appreciate any assistance I can get in getting the word out!

So far I have gotten responses back from scientists, environmentalists, religious leaders, school children, and villagers in Nairobi, a few world leaders and many more. The greater an audience I can reach the better, so again, please share this as widely as you are able to! I am particularly interested in personal views of nature and the environment, and in the intersections between religion, culture, society, and nature/the environment. Please feel free to contact me off-list if you have any questions or comments about this, and I welcome your participation in my project should you choose!

Regards,
Jeremy

Answer my Earth Survey questionnaire at http://tinyurl.com/nx4ng7

Rare parrot rescued from brink of extinction
A bleak future for the echo parakeet seemed guaranteed at the end of the Eighties, when just two breeding females remained, but thanks to the efforts of UK conservationists 500 birds are now flourishing in Mauritius.

Once the rarest parrot in the world, it was regarded by the bird and conservation world as doomed - especially as requests for funding for a rescue attempt were repeatedly rejected. But thanks to the expertise of Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Chester Zoo, International Zoo Vet Group and World Parrot Trust, about 70 chicks a year are now fledged in the wild.

Read more


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Florida Panthers


Cat at a crossroads
There is only one Florida panther, and it is standing at a crossroads. The path so far has led the lonely panther to the edge of extinction and back again.

The journey hasn’t been easy and not without controversy. Some say the panther now standing before them is not the same animal it once was. But it is healthier and more abundant than it has been in at least a half-century.


No one is quite sure where they will end up. Prosperity? Status quo? Extinction?


Experts agree on this: Panthers won’t reach a sustainable population unless their caretakers find more space for the cat. And that is unlikely to happen without a high political and financial cost.
“It’s going to be a rough future for the panther,” said Deborah Jansen, a National Park Service biologist who has tracked panthers in Southwest Florida for more than a quarter-century.
“I think we succeeded with finding out why its numbers were so low, and that was the inbreeding problem. But we failed over the last 25 years to buy the land it needed when it was at an affordable price,” Jansen said.


The humbled predator looks to the greatest source of its problems for help: Us.
Deadly crossroads: State of the Florida Panther

Endangered Species

Appreciating tropical coastal wetlands from a landscape perspective
Freshwater forested wetlands are often found just upslope from mangrove forests in both high- and low-rainfall areas in the tropics. A case study on the island of Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia, demonstrates how important both wetland types are to each other hydrologically and to local economies as well.



Together, these wetlands form a landscape that provides goods worth the equivalent of nearly two-thirds the median household income in the region. Elsewhere around the world, similar contiguous pairs of wetlands are extensively used by local populations.


However, while the importance of mangroves is well recognized, goods and services provided by freshwater wetlands – which are also much threatened by coastal development – are not nearly so well documented. Because such landscapes provide sustenance for millions of people, the natural and socioeconomic roles that both types of wetlands play must be better understood and protected as plans for coastal development proceed.

Paper on mangroves and interior wetlands

Study reveals sawfish 'hot spots'
For the past five years, a team of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission scientists delved beneath the surface of the Charlotte Harbor estuary in an attempt to reveal the secret lives of the endangered smalltooth sawfish.

Their goal was to determine why a species that has disappeared from most of its original range, from North Carolina to Texas, still inhabits Charlotte Harbor and the 10,000 Islands.

They've begun to get some answers, according to a 90-page report the team recently published. And they hope to get a lot more in the next five years, if the federal government funds a $2.5 million grant.

The funding would be used to continue the study with several high-tech methods and to tap half-dozen universities from Canada to Southwest Florida to analyze the data, according to Gregg Poulakis, lead researcher at the FWC's Charlotte Harbor Field Lab. "We've certainly taken some nice steps," he said Friday. "There's certainly a lot more steps to take. "From a local perspective, I think we're really fortunate these animals are still found in our waters."

To conduct their study, Poulakis and six other local FWC researchers recorded the numbers and locations of the fish they caught using nets and longlines. They tagged the fish with acoustic signaling devices to track their comings and goings.

They clipped off bits of their fins to test their DNA. They wanted to determine if clusters of them found in the same spots were related. They weren't; the 14 juveniles found in one Cape Coral canal were found to have five different mothers.

They documented the types of parasites that infested them. They measured salinity and dissolved oxygen levels in the water where they were found, and recorded other habitat parameters such as shoreline vegetation and water temperature.

They made several interesting discoveries. They found out the harbors estuary has certain "hot spots" where the juvenile smalltooth cluster.

Those hot spots are generally located at the mouths of the Peace, Myakka and Caloosahatchee rivers.

Read the article

FWC: Rare bat found living in Gulf coast forest NAPLES, Fla.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says that a rare bat has been found living in the Picayune Strand State Forest in the Gulf coast area.
FWC says researchers found a bonneted bat during a monitoring project between August 2009 and May 2010.


The bonneted bat is listed as endangered by the state. It is Florida's largest bat with a wingspan of 19 to 21 inches. It is named for its large ears that slant forward over its eyes. An environmental group has petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to add the bonneted bat to the federal list of endangered species.


FWC is collecting data on species diversity in the forest to help guide management efforts there.


DEP Agent Makes Arrest for Destruction of Mangroves

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Division of Law Enforcement recently arrested Gregg Schoener, 50, for the destruction of mangroves. Schoener is charged with Failure to Comply with Environmental Rules, a first degree misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and/or a fine up to $10,000.


“Destroying or harming Florida’s natural resources is a crime and will not be tolerated,” said DEP Division of Law Enforcement Director Henry Barnet. “Enforcing Florida’s environmental laws is an important part of DEP’s mission.”


While on patrol on Card Sound Road in Homestead, a DEP agent observed a vessel tied to the shoreline and stopped to investigate. The agent made contact with Schoener, who admitted to cutting the mangroves to gain access to and around his vessel. An identification check on Schoener revealed a warrant for his arrest for an unrelated charge. Schoener was arrested on May 21, 2010, and booked at the Plantation Key Jail in Monroe County on $5,000 bond.

Environmental crimes are violations of state or federal environmental laws that could impact public health and the environment, such as illegal mangrove trimming.



Mangroves are an important part of the of the coastal ecosystem providing food, habitat and breeding grounds for fish, crustaceans and shellfish, nesting and rookeries for coastal birds, filtration for pollutants and trap sediments, as well as storm protection and shoreline stabilization.


DEP’s Division of Law Enforcement is responsible for statewide environmental resource law enforcement, as well as providing law enforcement services to Florida’s state parks and greenways and trails. Division personnel from the three operational bureaus patrol state lands, investigate environmental resource crimes, and respond to natural disasters, civil unrest, hazardous material incidents and oil spills that threaten the environment.


To report an environmental crime, wireless customers can dial #DEP. Callers can also report environmental crimes to the State Warning Point by calling (877) 2-SAVE-FL (1.877.272.8335). General environmental inquiries should be directed to DEP district offices during normal business hours. For more information about DEP’s Division of Law Enforcement, visit http://www.dep.state.fl.us/law/.


Additional information on trimming and altering mangroves may be found in the Department’s Mangrove Trimming Guidelines for Homeowners at

www.dep.state.fl.us/water/wetlands/mangroves/index.htm.


Residents are encouraged to contact their local DEP Regulatory District Office for more information on requirements for authorizations or exemptions for mangrove trimming.

Snapper fishing ban has angry anglers seeing red
Despite angry calls from fishermen about bad science and ruined livelihoods, fishery managers went ahead Wednesday with a long-term ban on red snapper fishing.

By a 9-4 vote, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council made permanent an interim ban that was set to expire Dec. 5.

The council compromised -- a little -- shrinking the area affected from 6,161 square miles off Florida -- from near Melbourne to Georgia -- to 4,827 square miles. The ban covers depths of 98 to 240 feet.

Originally, officials had proposed closing off as much as 10,300 square miles from Florida to South Carolina.

Read the article

The biggest threat to whales in decades
On June 21 the International Whaling Commission (IWC) will meet in Morocco where they could decide on a proposal that would resume commercial whaling, once again opening the door to the destruction of these amazing creatures.

Greenpeace is gearing up for one of the biggest battles the war against whaling has ever seen. Please make your most generous donation today to help Greenpeace in our fight for the whales. This is an "all hands on deck" moment!

Picture a Japanese harpoon ship cutting through the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. Suddenly, the harpooner spots a mother whale and her calf. The ocean quiet is shattered by the blasts of exploding-tip harpoons hitting the whales. It can take as “little” as 20 minutes to a couple of hours of agony for these magnificent creatures to die.

If countries like Japan, Norway and Iceland -- now supported by the USA -- get their way at the next IWC meeting, this horrific scene will see itself played out over and over again.

We can not allow this newest threat to their existence to come to pass. The international ban on commercial whaling must not be overturned.

Everglades and Water Quality Issues


EPA plans strict limits on lakes, streams and rivers throughout Florida
The Hillsboro Canal slices through the sugarcane fields south of Lake Okeechobee and heads east through the houses and strip malls of Parkland, Boca Raton and Deerfield Beach. Empty plastic bottles, candy wrappers and other trash litter the banks. An occasional wading bird pokes for food in the black water.

The canal is among hundreds of streams, canals, lakes and rivers that face tough and controversial new pollution standards proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The rules are intended primarily to keep algae from choking the springs, lakes and rivers of North and Central Florida, but the EPA has included all the state's waterways, with special criteria for South Florida's canals.

Read the article

Project to Preserve Clean Water for the Everglades Moves Forward with Key Agreement
The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Governing Board has taken action in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to clear the way for the start of construction on a project to retain clean water and improve habitat in the 221-square-mile Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge.

The Site 1 Impoundment Project (Fran Reich Preserve) will capture and store stormwater that would otherwise be lost to tide for use during dry times, preserving clean water in and lessening demands on the Refuge along with related environmental benefits. Located in southeast Palm Beach County, the project involves construction of an approximately 1,600-acre, 8-foot deep, aboveground impoundment and a pump station.

“Clean water is a key to Everglades restoration,” said SFWMD Governing Board Chairman Eric Buermann. “Projects that focus on improving water quality such as the Site 1 Impoundment are the tools that will help us achieve restoration goals.”

The Governing Board approved in May and signed today a Project Partnership Agreement that is a necessary step for the Corps to start work on the Site 1 Impoundment, a component of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). SFWMD Governing Board Chairman Buermann and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers District Commander, Jacksonville District, Col. Alfred A. Pantano Jr., signed the agreement.

The agreement spells out the terms and conditions of the project’s construction. The Corps is responsible for contracting for construction of the impoundment. Phase 1 is scheduled to begin in September 2010 and will strengthen and enhance the structural integrity of the L-40 levee. Under a separate and pending Project Partnership Agreement, completion of Phase 2 of the project will achieve dam safety standards.

“The Site 1 Impoundment will be used to capture and store stormwater runoff during wet times instead of discharging it to the Intracoastal Waterway, then release water during dry times when it is needed to provide groundwater recharge and avoid saltwater intrusion,” said Kenneth Ammon, P.E., SFWMD Deputy Executive Director - Everglades Restoration and Capital Projects. “This will reduce the need to remove clean water from the Refuge for water supply and allow that water to remain in the Refuge and flow south.”

Once complete, the project will bring several benefits to the Everglades and local communities, including:


• Maintaining water levels in the Refuge to improve habitat for native plants and animals. The ecosystem is home to the American alligator, the critically endangered Everglades snail kite and as many as 257 species of birds that may use the Refuge's diverse wetland habitats.
• Capturing and storing excess surface water runoff from the Hillsboro Watershed.
• Reducing dry season demands on water from the Refuge and Lake Okeechobee.
• Improving quantity, quality and timing of freshwater flows to the estuarine portion of the Hillsboro Canal.


The District acquired the approximately 1,800 acres needed for the project through a 50-50 cost share grant agreement with the U.S. Department of the Interior. The total investment for these lands was approximately $8.4 million. The estimated amount to be invested in construction is $118 million, including the costs of land acquisition. Federal funding for Phase 1 construction was invested through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed by Congress in 2009.

The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan is a framework for restoring, protecting and preserving the water resources of central and southern Florida. CERP is a 50-50 partnership between the State of Florida and the federal government. The State of Florida and the South Florida Water Management District have invested approximately $2.4 billion toward this effort, including approximately $300 million in construction. Through March 31, 2010, 60 percent — or approximately 233,277 acres — of the estimated lands needed to implement CERP have been acquired.


Blue-green algae found floating near Palm City as Lake O releases continue

Reports of green algae in the St. Lucie River have been coming in to environmental officials and health departments since the last week of May. So far, algae has been reported near Ballantrae in the North Fork, Poppleton Creek in Stuart, Cabana Point on the east side of the South Fork and Palm City near the bridge on the west side.


Contact with blue-green algae can cause skin irritations and hay fever-like symptoms not only in people but in their pets.


As water temperatures climb steadily and more fresh water is added to the St. Lucie River estuary from Lake Okeechobee, advocates of the river fear this is just the first sign of what could be a long summer for the health of the St. Lucie.


“It might get worse before it gets better,” said Mark Perry, director of Florida Oceanographic Society.


On May 26, the Martin County and St. Lucie County health departments and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection said a 10-by-30-foot blue-green algae bloom was reported a week earlier in the estuary along the Ballantrae golf course. The DEP confirmed the bloom was “dominated” by “microcystis aeruginosa,” potentially toxic cyanobacteria.


Perry said if releases from Lake Okeechobee stop, the estuary might have a chance to regulate its algae problem. The algae will not survive in saltwater.


The Army Corps of Engineers has been releasing water from Lake Okeechobee into the St. Lucie Canal and then the St. Lucie River at an average rate of about 810 million gallons a day for the past 20 days. Rainfall runoff has also added freshwater. That freshwater is contributing to conditions that are favorable for more algae blooms and possibly more environmental concerns, some worry.

Read the article


Building of Everglades cleanup reservoir near Loxahatchee refuge to begin by 2011

Construction of a 1,600 acre, 8-foot deep stormwater storage area in southwest Palm Beach County will begin by year's end under a partnership between the South Florida Water Management District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The reservoir, adjacent to the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, will store stormwater runoff instead of discharging it into the Intracoastal Waterway. During droughts the water will be released.


The project is a component of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration plan.
Through 50-50 cost sharing agreement with the U.S. Department of Interior, the water management district was able to purchase 1,800 acres needed for the project for $8.3 million. The estimated construction cost is $118 million.


EPA Begins Review of Science for Florida’s Coastal Water Quality Standards
WASHINGTON – In an effort to ensure the use of the best available science and robust public participation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced plans to send its underlying data and methodologies to support development of coastal water quality standards, also known as nutrients criteria, to the Science Advisory Board
(SAB) for peer review. The process will also allow the public to comment on the science.

By extending the deadline to allow for public and scientific review, EPA is reaffirming a longstanding commitment to sound science and transparency in developing standards to protect and restore waters that are a critical part of Florida's history, culture and economic prosperity.

Nutrient pollution can damage drinking water sources and exposure to nutrient pollution can cause rashes, dizziness, nausea and possibly even damage the central nervous system. These proposed water standards aim to protect people’s health, aquatic life and the long-term recreational uses of Florida’s waters.

...more..

Parks seek input on $330M 'Glades project; Public comments taken until July 27
Everglades National Park officials, backed by the Obama administration, have endorsed a plan they say would increase water flow beneath the Tamiami Trail and help restore Florida Bay.

The $330 million proposal to build four more bridges totaling 5.5 miles on the eastern portion of U.S. 41 would allow for unconstrained flow into northeastern Shark River Slough, Everglades Superintendant Dan Kimball wrote.

The plan ultimately would allow more freshwater to reach the Gulf of Mexico and Florida Bay while rehydrating land in eastern portions of the park

....more...

Strained by spring rains, South Florida water managers ready for summer storms
After one of the wettest dry seasons since 1932, soggy South Florida heads into hurricane season more susceptible than in recent years to storm flooding.

During the November-to-May dry season, when water levels in lakes and canals usually recede, South Florida saw water levels go up after averaging about 25 inches of rain.

That was six inches above normal and in the top 10 percent of dry season rainfall totals during the past 78 years that the regional records have been kept, according to the South Florida Water Management District.

The influx of water has prompted the water management district to dump more stormwater out to sea, trying to get drainage canals ready for summer rains.
Flooding concerns also have the Army Corps of Engineers dumping water out of Lake Okeechobee, despite the damaging environmental effects to coastal estuaries and wasting water that backs up South Florida supplies.

The wettest part of the storm season already is under way.

Read the article

Comment: Charles Dauray - An unusually wet “dry” season
An unusually wet “dry” season has forced South Florida’s water managers into an all-too-familiar balancing act. Since Nov. 1, the 16-county region of the South Florida Water Management District, including Lee County, has received an average of almost six inches of rain more than normal. As recently as May 10, Lake Okeechobee’s water level stood above 15 feet — on the upper end of the management range used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The high lake level, the arrival of the wet season and forecasts for an active hurricane season have created the balancing act for the Corps and the district between the competing needs of flood control, public safety, water supply and the ecosystem. Working with a fixed system with limited storage and a 730-square-mile lake surrounded by the aging Herbert Hoover Dike, the Corps has been releasing water from the lake into the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers to protect public safety.

Southwest Florida residents are understandably frustrated with that decision. They do not need to be reminded of the harmful effects these freshwater releases have had on the Caloosahatchee River and its estuary in past years.

...more...

Wildlife and Habitat

FWC biologists and support staff prepare for the potential effect oil might have on our wildlife
For more than a month, FWC biologists and support staff have prepared for the potential effect oil might have on our wildlife living near the coast of Florida. So far, Florida has seen no impacts as of June 1. We hope it remains that way, but if the tide should change, the FWC and partner agencies stand ready to do what they can to lessen the impacts on our precious fish and wildlife resources.

Oil spills in other parts of the world give our biologists some basis for determining how wildlife might be affected. Direct contact with oil or consumption of oil-tainted items can cause some serious health problems for wildlife, from skin irritations to organ failure and breathing problems, all of which can lead to death.

The Washington Post reported some of the early impacts seen by the wildlife in one area of the Louisiana coast: shorebirds dunking their heads in the oily water, trying to wash off the oil residue and pelicans not able to flap their wings.


“There are few studies conducted on the long-term effects of oil on wildlife,” said Carol Knox, one of the oil response wildlife leads and manatee management coordinator for the FWC. “It’s been documented that mangroves, corals, shorebirds and other wildlife can die from the effects. However, we don’t have any data on manatees, but we can make theoretical assumptions, because we know that manatees are air-breathers and have to come to the surface to breathe frequently. “Therefore, the manatee, along with dolphins and whales, could be exposed to volatile chemicals during inhalation, Knox added.

It is said that with a natural phenomenon, animals know instinctively what to do. During the tsunami in 2008, very few animals perished. The wildlife fled for higher ground long before the ocean surge wiped out their habitat. It’s speculated they could feel the earth’s vibrations for the coming earthquake. Folks in the Everglades say wildlife are often the harbinger of impending storms. Gators head for their holes in the mud and birds hunker down or flee, sensing what they need to do to survive the floodwaters and high winds.
But what’s a pelican to do when the oil arrives onshore unannounced and covers its home, food and breeding grounds? It gets oiled.

“Individuals should not go out on the beaches to attempt to rescue these animals,” Knox warned. “The oil covering them is highly toxic, and untrained individuals could do more harm than good to the wildlife by adding to their distress.”

We all want to help, and the FWC appreciates all the folks who have stepped forward to assist. However, rescuing wildlife requires skill and knowledge of the species. Shorebirds and seabirds are vulnerable right now because many of them are nesting. Sea turtles are nesting now and those eggs will begin hatching in July. We can all help by staying out of areas clearly marked as nesting areas and refrain from driving vehicles on the beach. Go to MyFWC.com/OilSpill for complete information and links on the oil spill.

Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research teamed up with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to oversee the wildlife-rehabilitation response if needed in Florida. A process has been put in place for becoming a trained wildlife rehabilitator in this crisis. Also, Volunteer Florida is keeping tabs on opportunities for volunteers who are needed for other meaningful activities relative to the oil spill. Visit http://www.volunteerfloridadisaster.org/ for more information.

Wildlife experts assess oil's impact ... and shudder




Five species of sea turtles already on the verge of extinction face an even gloomier future, as oil gushing from a mile deep in the Gulf of Mexico continues to poison their food and foul their nesting beaches.
Numerous photographs of oil-slicked birds have evoked emotional responses and symbolized the BP oil spill's environmental impact, but the oil lurking out of view poses a more ominous threat to sea turtles and 20 other threatened and endangered animals -- from beach mice to manatees -- dependent on a healthy Gulf.


Read the report Oil spill threatens turtles

Global Warming and Climate Change

A draft paper Global Surface Temperature Change

From the Desk of Dr. James Hansen

[Dr. Hansen is one of the world’s foremost authorities on global warming]


Draft Paper


A draft paper Global Surface Temperature Change to be submitted to Reviews of Geophysics is available. Criticisms are welcome.


To view past communications from Dr. Hansen, please visit his website at:

http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1



Offshore & Ocean

FWC encourages boaters to slow down in areas of oil cleanup efforts
Because of the large number of oil containment booms and cleanup equipment being deployed around the state in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Boating and Waterways Section is asking boaters to slow down where oil cleanup is under way.

The FWC encourages all boaters to operate at slow speed within 300 feet of all authorized booms. Boaters operating near any oil-containment booms or cleanup equipment should exercise extreme caution and comply with all applicable navigational rules. Oil-skimming equipment is large and cumbersome, and it is restricted in its ability to maneuver. As a result, boaters should be prepared to stay clear of these vessels when operating near them.

Failure to operate at slow speed in these areas could result in injury, damage to vessels and damage to the containment booms. Additionally, the wake that results from a vessel operating above slow speed in areas where a boom has been deployed can reduce the effectiveness of the boom, resulting in further environmental damage.

FWC officers and local marine units will be on the water encouraging boaters to operate at slow speed in those areas where cleanup efforts are under way.

For more information, go to MyFWC.com/Boating.

Energy

Recovered crude will create gas, pavement
Believe it or not, some of the oil that is being skimmed up from the surface of the Gulf of Mexico very well will wind up in your car as refined gasoline.
"It's a fairly normal practice, it's something that is done all the time," said Patrick Eakins, whose family owns Edison Oil Co. in Fort Myers.


He was referring to the recycling of oil from spills.

more...


Debate over Gainesville biomass plant highlights Florida’s renewable energy challenges

Florida’s Public Service Commission recently approved plans for a new biomass plant in Gainesville. At 100 megawatts, it will be one of the largest power stations in the country that produce electricity from discarded plant matter.


Proponents of the plant say biomass represents one of Florida’s only opportunities to wean itself off fossil fuels; others question whether Florida’s forests can sustain a significant increase in biomass energy production. The debate illustrates the significant challenges the state faces as it attempts to increase its investment in renewable technologies.


Josh Levine of American Renewables, the company building the plant, says he expects more Florida utilities to look to biomass as a source of power. Gov. Charlie Crist passed what amounted to a moratorium on new coal plants in 2007, when he signed executive orders requiring the state to slash greenhouse gas emissions and develop mandates for renewable power.


Read more

Oil layers below Gulf's surface may be cleanup challenge
Researchers have confirmed that oil is floating as deep as 3,300 feet below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico in layers that may pose unprecedented challenges to efforts to clean up the effects of the spewing BP Deepwater Horizon well.


Jane Lubchenco, the head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said oil in "very low concentrations" was found 40 miles northeast of the well and also 142 nautical miles southeast of the well. It was not clear whether the oil found to the southeast came from the well however; Lubchenco said the oil was "not consistent" with the BP spill, but a scientist involved in collecting the samples said only that the concentrations were too small to determine the oil's source.


“We know there is some oil at depth in layers. We don’t know its origin, its extent. The layers are definitely oil. The origins are less clear,” said Ernst Peebles, a University of South Florida scientist who was aboard NOAA's R/V Weatherbird II when it sampled Gulf waters May 23-26.
The subsurface oil could prove to be a challenge to clean up efforts. Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said Tuesday that the Coast Guard had little experience in cleaning up oil suspended in the water.


"We have not generally done subsurface response" to an oil spill, Allen said, except in instances where heavy oil has sunk to the seafloor. "In my on personal experience, I have not dealt with it."

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Coastal protesters to link hands against spills

In a grass-roots movement inspired by the 1980s Hands Across America human chain effort, beachgoers in 30 states and nearly a dozen countries plan to join hands this month to form symbolic barriers to protect the shoreline from oil spills.


The Hands across the Sand movement started in February in Florida, before the Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster off Louisiana created America's worst oil spill.


On June 26, people will stand up and hold hands for 15 minutes to form human chains.
They will also pledge to take steps to conserve energy in their lives and let elected officials know they oppose offshore oil drilling.


"Our collective message is `no' to offshore oil and `yes' to clean energy," said Dave Rauschkolb, a restaurateur and surfer on the Florida gulf coast who organized the first such protest in February. "People in California will be metaphorically holding hands with people in Florida and Virginia and New Jersey."


Events include nearly 70 in Florida and 30 in California, and one at a Colorado reservoir.



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Blog post by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. President, Waterkeeper Alliance; Professor, Pace University
A common spin in the right wing coverage of BP's oil spill is a gleeful suggestion that the gulf blowout is Obama's Katrina.


In truth, culpability for the disaster can more accurately be laid at the Bush Administration's doorstep. For eight years, George Bush's presidency infected the oil industry's oversight agency, the Minerals Management Service, with a septic culture of corruption from which it has yet to recover. Oil patch alumnae in the White House encouraged agency personnel to engineer weakened safeguards that directly contributed to the gulf catastrophe.


Read the Huffington Post article here Sex, Lies and Oil Spills

Burning Coal, Burning Cash: States That Import the Most Coal
The cost of importing coal is a major drain on the economies of many states that rely heavily on coal-fired power. UCS's analysis, Burning Coal, Burning Cash, shows the scale of this annual drain on state economies, and suggests how they can keep more of those funds in-state through investments in energy efficiency and homegrown renewable energy.

Thirty-eight states were net importers of coal in 2008, from other states and, increasingly,
other nations. Burning Coal, Burning Cash ranks the states that are the most dependent
on imported coal. This fact sheet shows the scale of this annual drain on Florida ratepayers, and discusses ways to keep more of that money in-state through investments in energy efficiency and homegrown renewable energy.

Florida imported all the coal its power plants burned in 2008—from as far away as
Colorado and Colombia. To pay for those imports, Florida sent more than $1.56 billion
out of state. Progress Energy Florida, the state’s second-largest provider of electricity services, purchased $401 million in coal imports—one quarter of Florida’s total, and more than any other power producer in the state. The utility’s Crystal River coal plant, north of Tampa, accounted for all those expenditures.

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New Developments: Enzymes for Cellulosic Ethanol Production Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo
Learn from the developers themselves just how much progress has been made in the past year to bring those costs down and improve performance. MODERATOR: Lew Christopher South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Joshua Michel Genencor Biomass Enzymes for the Production of Ethanol from Second Generation Feedstocks James Croonenberghs Novozymes Performance Improvement of Advanced Cellulase Enzymes on Commercial Lignocellulosic Feedstocks Manjo Kumar DSM White Biotechnology Fully Integrated Lignocellulosic Biorefinery with Onsite Production of Enzymes and Yeast Kasi Muthu South Dakota State University Combination of Novel Pretreatments for Effective Bioethanol Production Industry Tour Thursday, June 17th I 8:00 am - 3:30 pm

Limited seats available and will sell out. You must be registered for conference to register for the tour. National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center (NCERC) The FEW is excited to offer this return trip to the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center (NCERC) - located just 20 miles from downtown St. Louis in University Park on the campus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.


The NCERC supports a diverse clientele, including academia, government, technology providers, trade associations, and domestic and foreign ethanol producers. Its capable, skilled staff offers third-party validation and commercial testing of products, technologies, concepts and ideas. On this tour, you'll get an in-depth look at how NCERC researchers are helping clients validate technologies that enhance the economics and sustainability of renewable fuel production and bioprocessing scale-up. You'll see the NCERC's analytical and fermentation labs, as well as its renowned pilot plant.

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With Bob Graham at helm, oil commission gets started
Bob Graham, the former Florida governor and U.S. senator, will be at the White House tomorrow for the first discussions with President Obama on the oil spill commission Graham will co-chair.

"This is probably one of the most important environmental issues that the U.S. has faced maybe in my lifetime," Graham, 73, told the St. Petersburg Times moments ago after his plane landed at Dulles International Airport. "To be asked to be part of this and to render an opinion as to both the past and the future is a humbling challenge."

Graham said he and co-chair Bill Reilly spent Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of last week together "to do some initial planning." They will visit tomorrow with the president at 11:15 a.m. in the Oval Office and also with EPA director Carol Browner.

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Massive Underwater Plumes Spell Disaster
Scientists Say Independent scientists and government officials say there's a disaster we can't see in the Gulf of Mexico's mysterious depths, the ruin of a world inhabited by enormous sperm whales and tiny, invisible plankton.

Researchers have said they have found at least two massive underwater plumes of what appears to be oil, each hundreds of feet deep and stretching for miles. Yet the chief executive of BP PLC – which has for weeks downplayed everything from the amount of oil spewing into the Gulf to the environmental impact – said there is "no evidence" that huge amounts of oil are suspended undersea.

BP CEO Tony Hayward said the oil naturally gravitates to the surface – and any oil below was just making its way up. However, researchers say the disaster in waters where light doesn't shine through could ripple across the food chain.

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Florida takes giant step with huge solar-power plant
Florida Power & Light Co.'s newest solar-energy plant will have enough mirrors to cover 80 football fields. But those mirrors will focus sunlight onto surfaces that add up to slightly less than the area of a single football field.

That concentration of solar power will generate temperatures of more than 700 degrees — hot enough to make electricity for 11,000 homes.

The Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center here will rank as the world's second-largest solar plant when it begins pumping out as many as 75 megawatts of electricity late this year. It will also be the only system of its kind in the world.

Conventional wisdom holds that solar plants using mirrors — which generate heat that produces steam that, in turn, spins an electrical generator — aren't worth the effort in Florida because of the regularity of afternoon rain clouds much of the year. So far, all of the solar plants built in the state convert sunlight directly into electricity using photovoltaic panels, which produce a charge, if only a reduced one, even on cloudy days,

But FPL is building its "thermal" solar plant on a campus near Lake Okeechobee that already has 13 generators fueled by oil and natural gas. Steam from the solar plant will be combined with steam produced with the heat exhaust from four natural-gas plants to spin an existing generator — an approach not taken before. FPL thinks that makes thermal more feasible, because the utility won't have to spend millions of dollars building a generator for the solar plant.

The project costs about $420 million, which will add about 16 cents a month to the average FPL residential customer's bill.

FPL also owns the world's biggest solar plant, a thermal unit in California's Mojave Desert that is four times the size of the Martin County project. The Florida plant is based largely on the technology of the 30-year-old Mojave system, though it has been given far stronger pylons, frames and mirrors to withstand hurricane winds of up to 130 mph.
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Hands across the Sand
Hands across the Sand is a movement made of people of all walks of life and it crosses political affiliations. This movement is not about politics; it is about protection of our coastal economies, oceans, marine wildlife, fishing industry and coastal military missions. Let us share our knowledge, energies and passion for protecting all of the above from the devastating effects of oil drilling.

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What will it take to end our oil addiction?
It’s time we moved on to something else, or this is going to kill us. Not only are world oil supplies running out, but what oil is still left is proving very dirty to obtain. We need to kick our oil addiction now if we expect to preserve any hopes of economic prosperity, or unspoiled habitats.

We have the Deepwater Horizon oil spill now precisely because the easy to obtain oil is already tapped. You don’t drill in mile deep waters if you have somewhere else you could go.

The worst is yet to come. If we don’t kick oil now, we will see more disasters as oil companies move to the Arctic offshore, clear more forests for tar sands, and rape the American West to develop oil shale. Worldwide droughts, floods and dead seas will also ensue from global warming caused from burning oil.

Richard Heinberg of Post Carbon Institute said it best: “This is what the end of the oil age looks like. The cheap, easy petroleum is gone; from now on, we will pay steadily more and more for what we put in our gas tanks—more not just in dollars, but in lives and health, in a failed foreign policy that spawns foreign wars and military occupations, and in the lost integrity of the biological systems that sustain life on this planet. The only solution is to do proactively, and sooner, what we will end up doing anyway as a result of resource depletion and economic, environmental, and military ruin: end our dependence on the stuff.”

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Land Conservation

Rural and Family Lands Easement Will Keep the Land in Farming, Prevent Development
A historic Hastings farm near St. Augustine, Florida will be the first family farm protected through Florida’s Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. Florida’s Governor and Cabinet approved option agreements on Tuesday to acquire perpetual conservation easements over the 343-acre Smith Family Farm. The proposal was represented by Muller and Associates, Inc. and Southern Realty.

The Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, administered through the Florida Department of Agriculture’s Division of Forestry, was initiated to halt Florida’s loss of valuable agricultural lands to urban development, estimated to be 5 million acres from 1964 to 1997. Funds from Florida Forever, the state’s comprehensive conservation land acquisition program, are used to buy easements on selected agricultural lands to ensure the land will not be developed. Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles Bronson said that the easement would keep agricultural land in production, keep property on the local tax rolls, and provide jobs.

Jim Muller of Muller and Associates, Inc. prepared the Smith’s application with Patrick Hamilton, Southern Realty of St. Augustine. Muller said the Smith Family Farm project was compelling due to “Hastings’ strong agricultural character, the threat of development in this coastal county, and the Smith family’s commitment to farming.” The farm’s location near important black bear habitat was another significant factor. The easement will prevent development and provide a buffer to bear habitat.

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Miscellaneous

What Happens To Dogs Left in Hot Cars?
Nothing good. Exposure to excessive heat causes the body’s cell to stop working properly and release dangerous chemicals, which can lead to nerve damage, heart problems, brain damage and often death. Essentially, all the dog’s organ systems shut down at once. Signs a dog is suffering from heat-related illness include:
• Excessive panting
• Excessive drooling
• Increased hear rate
• Trouble breathing
• Disorientation
• Collapse or loss of consciousness
• Seizure
• Respiratory arrest

Florida summers are brutal. At this time of year your dog cannot tolerate even short periods of time in a car while you shop. Cracked windows have proven to have little effect in the summer. Riding in the back of a pickup truck is no treat either when the metal bed is heating up and the sun is beating down. Shop at pet friendly businesses or let Fido enjoy the AC at home while you do errands.....

The Animal Refuge Center of Fort Myers is a not for profit animal welfare society dedicated to stopping the escalating cost to impound, care for, kill and dispose of dogs and cats dying for no reason other than having been born. ARC is helping to cut the large numbers of homeless animals which eventually cuts the costs to taxpayers, which to date has reached over half a million dollars a year.

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Protecting Hallowed Ground at Gettysburg
Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania is one of America's most significant historical treasures. In fact, the echoes of history extend well beyond the park's boundaries. The three-day battle took place in and around the town of Gettysburg as well as on the land that's now protected as a national park, making the entire area a reminder of a time of valor, bloodshed, tragedy, and, ultimately, hope for what our nation could become.

Unfortunately, the sacred nature of this place is at risk once again from a proposed gambling casino that would be built within a mile of the park. In 2006, NPCA and our allies successfully fought and stopped a similar proposal. In 2010, our position remains unchanged: We simply cannot risk inappropriate development near this hallowed site.

Join us and take action by writing the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. Let them know that you oppose this latest proposal on Gettysburg's hallowed ground.

Together we can ensure that park visitors experience the historical character that defines Gettysburg for generations to come.

Take Action Today > >


ORV VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Big Cypress National Preserve is seeking people interested in helping visitors in the backcountry. These Volunteers will be trained in the use of Off-Road Vehicles (ORVs) and will travel along trails that allow for ORV use assisting and educating visitors as needed. Volunteers will also perform minor trail maintenance and identify major trail issues that need to be addressed. For info, call 695-4757 or 695-1117.

EPA Proposes New Permit Requirements for Pesticide Discharges
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing a new permit requirement that would decrease the amount of pesticides discharged to our nation's waters and protect human health and the environment. This action is in response to an April 9, 2009 court decision that found that pesticide discharges to U.S. waters were pollutants, thus requiring a permit.

The proposed permit, released for public comment and developed in collaboration with states, would require all operators to reduce pesticide discharges by using the lowest effective amount of pesticide, prevent leaks and spills, calibrate equipment and monitor for and report adverse incidents. Additional controls, such as integrated pest management practices, are built into the permit for operators who exceed an annual treatment area threshold.

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Transportation

Florida to receive funding for high-speed rail
Funding for high-speed rail comes from many sources. In 2008, California voters approved nearly $10 billion in bonds for a high-speed rail project that will connect many of the state's major cities.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced on May 27 that it has delivered nearly $80 million in grants to five states as part of President Obama's high-speed and intercity passenger rail program. The bulk of the funds—$66.6 million—will go towards program management and preliminary engineering on a planned high-speed rail service in Florida, running between Tampa and Orlando. The project will include 84 miles of track and will feature trains running at 168 miles per hour (mph).

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Does your child want to have a “wild” time this SUMMER?
If so, they need to attend a Special Nature, science and environmental arts camp being run by THE sawgrass NATURE CENTER & WILDLIFE HOSPITAL

The Sawgrass Nature Center & Wildlife Hospital’s “Camp Wild” is for children from ages 6-12. Camp will be held during the months of June and July.

Camp runs from 9 am- 3 pm. (with extended hours available if needed). Cost is $200 a week (or $180.00 for SNC members), which included all activities, supplies and T-shirt. Children will have the opportunity to interact with many live animals, explore a wetland, do science experiments, gardening projects, nature crafts and participate in many hands on activities at the new Sawgrass Nature Center & Wildlife Hospital at Sportsplex Park in Coral Springs. Registration is now open and space is limited so call today to make sure your child will have a wildly wonderful summer vacation. For more information please call the Sawgrass Nature Center at (954) 752-WILD (9453).