"The conservation of our natural resources and their proper use constitute the fundamental problem which underlies almost every other problem of our national life." President Teddy Roosevelt, 1907

Support the Sawgrass Nature Center

Here are 3 great ways you can support the Sawgrass Nature Center in October.

1) Bring your little ones to Nature Explorers on Wednesdays at 10a.m. for a fun nature adventure. Please call to pre-register.

2) Shop for a Cause at Macys. The Sawgrass Nature Center has partnered with Macy's for a one-day benefit. You can purchase a coupon for up to 25% off merchandise on October 16, 2010. The cost of the coupon is $5 which goes directly to the Sawgrass Nature Center & Wildlife Hospital. Call or come by the Center for coupons.

3) School's out on Oct. 29th. Do you need a place for your 6-12 year old? Camp Wild is offering Day's off camp from 9a.m-3p.m. Please see our website for a registration form and a Camp Wild Calendar. sawgrassnaturecenter.org

Please find a way that you can support the Sawgrass Nature Center & Wildlife Hospital this October. For more about us and upcoming events, check out our website, sawgrassnaturecenter.org, and become a fan on Facebook.

Thank you for your support,
Robin Reccasina, Education Director
Sawgrass Nature Center & Wildlife Hospital
3000 Sportsplex Drive
Coral Springs, FL 33065
954/752-9453
www.sawgrassnaturecenter.orgSee us on Facebook

Read columns written by Patricia Behnke of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)
http://www.myfwc.com/NEWSROOM/Forecast/News_Resources_WildlifeForecast.htm

Read the Hernando Audubon newsletter here http://www.hernandoaudubon.org/Newsletter.html

Rain Barrel Art Project
The South Florida Water Management District, Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority, Be the Change, and Coca-Cola Enterprises are proud to sponsor The Great EcoWeek Rain Barrel Art Project. Participating art classes in Keys Middle and High Schools will paint rain barrels with scenes of the Florida Keys natural environment which will then be auctioned off at adult evening events during EcoWeek with proceeds going to an international organization devoted to providing safe drinking water to people in developing countries.

The Project has four goals.
1. Promote water conservation
2. Celebrate the natural environment of the Florida Keys (through the scenes painted on the rain barrels)
3. Showcase the artistic talent of our middle and high school students
4. Raise money for Water for People by auctioning the barrels during EcoWeek events (Water for People is an international charitable organization devoted to providing clean water and sanitation in developing countries).

There will be an auction of 2 or 3 rain barrels at the Big Chill HallowGreen Party in Key Largo on October 31st and TJ’s EcoMusic Fest and EcoFashion Show at the Hampton Inn in Islamorada on November 6th.

Participating schools:
Horace O’Bryant Middle School, Key West
Key Largo School
Plantation Key School, Tavernier
Key West High School
Marathon Middle School
Island Christian School, Islamorada
Coral Shores High School, Tavernier
Treasure Village Montessori, Islamorada
Mary Immaculate Star of the Sea, Key West
Academic Connections for Excellence, May Sands School, Key West



Birds

Birder’s World readers have selected their top 25 favorite places to watch owls; once again, Florida has 3 prominent spots
1. Huachuca Mountains (Ramsey, Carr, and Miller Canyons), AZ
This 38-mile-long mountain range south of Sierra Vista is consistently rated one of the best birding destinations in North America. Three east-slope canyons within Coronado National Forest — Ramsey, Carr, and Miller Canyons — are the most productive for birders. Big draws include Elegant Trogon, Red-faced Warbler, Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, and White-eared Hummingbird. In addition, at least six species of owl are recorded in the canyons: Western and Whiskered Screech-Owls, Northern Pygmy-Owl, and Flammulated, Great Horned, and Spotted Owls.

2. Madera Canyon, AZ This beautiful wooded canyon within the Santa Rita Mountains 25 miles southeast of Tucson provides breeding habitat for more than 130 bird species. Birders visit from all over the world to find Elegant Trogon, Yellow-eyed Junco, Lucy's Warbler, Varied Bunting, Flame-colored Tanager, and many other species. Seven owl species — Great Horned, Elf, Spotted, and Flammulated Owls, Northern Pygmy-Owl, and Western and Whiskered Screech-Owls — occur in the canyon and are most often heard after dusk. At the Santa Rita Lodge, look for Elf Owl and Whiskered Screech-Owl in nearby power poles, and head to the upper canyon for Spotted and Flammulated Owls.

3. Sax-Zim Bog, MN A vast conifer bog located about an hour northwest of Duluth, the Important Bird Area provides habitat for birds that are typically found much farther north, including Northern Hawk Owl, Great Gray Owl, American Black-backed Woodpecker, Gray Jay, Boreal Chickadee, and Rough-legged Hawk. Snowy and Boreal Owls are also possible at Sax-Zim. Start your visit in the town of Meadowlands, which has kiosks that show maps of the birding areas. Meadowlands is also home base of a birding festival held each February.

4. Cave Creek Canyon, AZ This canyon within Coronado National Forest, three miles southwest of the town of Portal (site No. 10), is one of the best places in the Southwest to see the Elegant Trogon. Among the 200+ bird species that have been sighted here are Rose-throated Becard, Olive Warbler, Red-faced Warbler, Magnificent Hummingbird, and Blue-throated Hummingbird. Ten owl species have been reported, including Flammulated, Elf, and Mexican Spotted Owls, and Whiskered Screech-Owl.

5. Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, FL Corkscrew Swamp is An Important Bird Area and is one of the most significant natural areas in Florida. Migrating songbirds visit in spring and fall. Winter residents include Pine Warbler and Painted Bunting. And egrets, ibises, herons, Limpkin, and Anhinga are seen year-round. Corkscrew supports the third-largest Swallow-tailed Kite roost and the largest colony of Wood Storks in the United States. Also look for Barred, Great Horned, and Barn Owls and Eastern Screech-Owl. A raised 2.25-mile boardwalk leads through four distinct environments: a pine upland, a wet prairie, a cypress forest, and a marsh.

6. Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, TX One of the best birding sites in North America, The Rio Grande Valley hosts one of the most spectacular convergences of birds on earth, and it’s the only region of the United States where you can see tropical bird species typical of Mexico. At the park, approximately 325 bird species have been documented. It’s a great spot to listen for Barn, Great Horned, and Elf Owls and Eastern Screech-Owl. And the park’s list of rarities includes a 1983 record for a Mottled Owl.

7. Everglades National Park, FL A World Heritage Site, an International Biosphere Reserve, a Wetland of International Importance, the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States, and the largest national park east of the Mississippi River. Primarily known for its egrets, herons, ibises, spoonbills, Short-tailed Hawks, Snail Kites, and the occasional flamingo, the park is also home to six owl species. Barred, Great Horned, and Barn Owls and Eastern Screech-Owls breed in the park, and Short-eared and Burrowing Owls are rare.

8. Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve, MN Located at the western tip of Lake Superior, on bluffs overlooking East Duluth. The reserve is best known for hawks — 94,000 raptors fly past the hawk watch each fall — but it’s also a great spot to see owls. Banders from the Hawk Ridge Banding Station band an average of 555 Northern Saw-whet Owls and 61 Long-eared Owls each year, as well as smaller numbers of Great Horned, Barred, Boreal, and other owls. The pine grove along Skyline Parkway, accessible from the Pinewoods Trail, is where to look for roosting owls.

9. Cape Coral, FL Burrowing Owls are the main draw for birders to this city of 163,000 residents located between Fort Myers and Sanibel Island. The city’s population of Burrowing Owls — more than 1,000 nesting pairs — may be the largest in the world. The birds nest in front yards, parks, outside the library, and at City Hall. At 120 square miles, Cape Coral is the second largest city in Florida by area, and it has more miles of canals — over 400 — than any other city on earth.

10. Portal, AZ This small town is the gateway to Cave Creek Canyon (site No. 4) and home base for birding trips to nearby sites like Willow Tank, Stateline Road, Paradise, and Rustler Park. Elf Owls are often found in Portal, and Whiskered Screech-Owl, Spotted Owl, Northern Pygmy-Owl, and other species occur throughout the local area.

11. Amherst Island, ON This Island in the northeast corner of Lake Ontario, where more than 200 species have been seen, is best known for its owls. Short-eared, Long-eared, and Great Horned Owls and Eastern Screech-Owl are resident. In winter, Amherst attracts Snowy, Northern Saw-whet, Boreal, and sometimes Great Gray and Northern Hawk Owls. Good places to watch owls include Owl Woods and the Kingston Field Naturalists’ property at the east end of the island.

12. Duluth Harbor, MN In winter, this is the most reliable place in Minnesota to look for Snowy Owls. One or two individuals are present most years from November to March, and more owls may be seen as they pass through the area. Also look for Red-tailed and Rough-legged Hawks, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, and Gyrfalcon. Good spots to bird include Park Point, the Port Terminal (site of our pin), and Erie Pier at 40th Avenue West. And don’t forget neighboring Superior, Wisconsin. Snowies and other winter raptors are often found on its side of the harbor.

13. King Ranch, TX The four units, or divisions, of King Ranch cover 1,289 square miles between Corpus Christi and Brownsville. The private ranch raises cattle and quarter horses and has large farming operations. In addition, it's a fantastic place to bird. More than 350 species are on its bird list, including Audubon’s Oriole, Botteri’s Sparrow, Green Jay, White-tailed Hawk, and Olive Sparrow. Its breeding populations of Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl and Tropical Parula are the largest in the United States. Burrowing, Barn, and Short-eared Owls are also found here. The best unit for birding is the Norias Division, and the only way to see it is on a tour. The ranch offers birding tours from October through June, and you can also take a tour with Victor Emanuel Nature Tours or through the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival. Pin is at the King Ranch Visitor Center in Kingsville.

14. Magee Marsh, Ottawa NWR, OH The best area in Ohio to witness the migration of warblers and other neotropical migrants is also a favorite place to watch owls. Together, Magee Marsh Wildlife Area and 5,000-acre Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge preserve the largest uninterrupted area of coastal wetlands habitats remaining in the state. The entire western basin of Lake Erie, including Magee Marsh, Crane Creek, Ottawa NWR, and environs, has been named an Important Bird Area by Audubon Ohio. The Lake Erie Marsh Region has been designated a Wetland of Regional Importance by the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN).

15. Mt. Lemmon, AZ Resident Northern Pygmy-Owls and Spotted Owls are the target birds in this high-elevation mixed conifer forest in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson, but Lemmon Rock Lookout is another attraction: It provides a great vantage point for watching Zone-tailed and Red-tailed Hawks and Peregrine Falcons. USFS national forest pass required.
16. Scheelite Canyon, Fort Huachuca, AZ Scheelite Canyon on Fort Huachuca is often described as the most beautiful in the Huachuca Mountains. It’s famous for its resident Mexican Spotted Owls, an endangered species, but is also good for Strickland’s Woodpecker, Red-naped Sapsucker, Bridled Titmouse, Montezuma Quail, and other birds. Fort Huachuca is an active military installation, and it is closed occasionally. Please note: Fort regulations prohibit not only the use of cell phones while driving but also the use of recordings, pishing, tooting, and other methods for attracting birds.

17. Yosemite National Park, CA An 1,189-square-mile park of astonishing natural beauty. It protects essential habitat for the resident “California” Spotted Owl, an endangered species, a genetically distinct subspecies of Great Gray Owl, Flammulated Owls, and about 165 other species of migrating, wintering, and breeding birds and another 91 species recorded as transient or vagrant. Designated an Important Bird Area by the American Bird Conservancy.

18. Aitkin Co., MN Worth birding at all times of the year. Nowhere else in the state are Sharp-tailed Grouse, Yellow Rail, Great Gray Owl, and Le Conte’s and Nelson’s Sparrows seen more often. The county contains large areas of boreal forest and sedge meadow habitat and is the home of Savanna Portage State Park, Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge, and Hedbom Forest Road. Our marker sits at the intersection of Aitkin County Road 18 and 320th Place, where eBirders reported Northern Hawk Owls in the winter of 2009-10 and Great Gray Owls several times over the last decade.

19. Jakes Landing Road, Cape May, NJ Wintering raptors and Bald Eagles are a huge attraction here, but Short-eared Owls steal the show. The parking lot at Jakes Landing may be the best place in the state to see them. Several are found from November through March every year. 1.3-mile-long Jakes Landing Road leads through Belleplain State Forest onto salt marshes that are part of Dennis Creek Wildlife Management Area.

20. Yellowstone National Park, WY Notable birding spots in Yellowstone, America’s first national park, located in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, are the Lamar Valley, Mount Washburn, the Mammoth Hot Springs area, Hayden Valley, and Yellowstone Lake. Owl surveys conducted along Bunsen Peak Road (five miles south of Mammoth) and Beaver Ponds Trail in 2009 recorded six species of owl: Great Horned, Great Gray, Long-eared, Boreal, Northern Saw-whet, and Northern Pygmy-owl.

21. Gunflint Trail, MN A 55-mile-long paved road (County Road 12) running north and west from Grand Marais, on Lake Superior, through the Superior National Forest to Sea Gull Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Northern Hawk Owls nest here, as do Three-toed Woodpeckers, Black-backed Woodpeckers, Yellow-bellied and Alder Flycatchers, Boreal Chickadee, and over a dozen warblers. The first confirmed Boreal Owl nest in the lower 48 states, found in 1978, was between the South Brule River and Poplar Lake. Boreals are still in the area. They're most vocal in March and early April.

22. Plum Island and Salisbury Beach, MA Salisbury Beach State Reservation and Plum Island are two of the better places in Massachusetts to see Snowy Owls in winter. 11-mile-long Plum Island is the home of 4,662-acre Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. The 77-acre Sandy Point State Reservation is located at the island's southern tip.

23. Whitefish Point Bird Observatory, MI A concentration spot for migrating raptors, waterbirds, and songbirds at the northeastern tip of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. In spring, hawks, falcons, and eagles fly past in significant numbers. The staff of the Whitefish Point Bird Observatory band owls nightly from March 15 to May 31, from July 1 to August 25, and from September 15 to October 31. Whitefish Point was designated an Important Bird Area in 2007.

24. Edwin B. Forsythe NWR, NJ This 47,000-acre refuge, formerly known as Brigantine NWR or “the Brig,” lies north of Atlantic City near the coast. Its tidal salt meadows, marshes, bays, and other habitats have attracted 290 bird species. Barn Owl, Eastern Screech-Owl, and Great Horned Owl are known to nest on or near the refuge. Snowy, Barred, Short-eared, and Northern Saw-whet Owls are rare.

25. Point Pelee National Park, ON One of the best locations in inland North America to observe migrating birds, including warblers and birds of prey, both in the spring and fall. More than 370 species of birds have been recorded in the park and surrounding area, including Barn (provincial rarity), Eastern Screech-Owl, Great Horned, Long-eared, Northern Saw-whet, Short-eared, and Snowy Owls.

An interview with Don and Lillian Stokes about their new field guide
Don and Lillian Stokes have published a new field guide. The Stokes Field Guide to the Birds of North America offers descriptions and photographs of 854 species, and it comes with a CD containing songs of 150 common species. We liked the guide so much we included it in the semi-annual roundup of books coming in our December issue. We interviewed the authors recently about the guide, other field guides, bird watching in general, American bird watching in particular, and other matters.

Read an interview with the Stokes’s.

Gentoo penguin with leucism on the Falkland Islands
A Gentoo penguin was recently spotted on the Falkland Islands recently. Around 250,000 Gentoo penguins breed on the Falklands every year, at more than 80 locations. With so many, it isn't surprising that there are 1-2 unusual looking birds, the trouble is spotting them.
Leucism is a very unusual condition whereby the pigmentation cells in an animal or bird fail to develop properly. This can result in unusual white patches appearing on the animal, or, more rarely, completely white creatures.
Click here to see a gallery of albino and leucistic animals and birds

Invasive species

Orange Park firm to build research facility in Davie
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District awarded$1,601,216 for the design and construction of a biocontrol rearing facilityin Davie, Fla. The annex will contain two laboratories, four scientists'offices and support systems adjacent to the U.S. Department of Agriculture'sInvasive Plant Research Facility.

The Corps awarded the contract to Native American Service Corp., asmall disadvantaged business located in Orange Park, Fla. Funding for thecontract comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)Program.

The Melaleuca Mass Rearing Annex is part of the ComprehensiveEverglades Restoration Plan (CERP) to help combat invasive plants in theEverglades. The decades-long endeavor will help prevent invasive species fromdegrading and damaging natural south Florida ecosystems, and contribute tothe quality of south Florida's natural areas, native plants and wildlife.

It's estimated that as many as 25,000 non-native species have found ahome in the region and account for more than one-third of all plants inFlorida. Of all these species, four are the most infamous: Melaleuca,Brazilian pepper, Australian pine and Old World climbing fern. The contractinvolves constructing a 2,700-square-foot facility for the mass rearing ofbiological agents - bugs that harm or kill select plants - to manage theseinvasives.

Biological control agents are used to decrease the invasive plants'competitive advantages over native species and to weaken the invadingpopulation by increasing leaf mortality, decreasing plant size, reducingflower and seed production, and/or limiting population expansion.

Biocontrol is an essential component of an integrated pest managementstrategy to combat Melaleuca in central and south Florida. "It complementsthe more traditional mechanical removal and chemical treatment managementmethods that the Corps and others use," said Project Manager Kim Vitek. "Thework that scientists will conduct in this facility will significantly helpour efforts to protect and restore the Everglades."

Endangered Species

[Here are two more examples of the trend toward urbanization of wildlife. We have taken so much land and destroyed so much native habitat, that animals must become urbanized to exist. A whole new concept of coexistence will need to be developed in the near future.]

Cougar spotted twice in Troy; officials skeptical
Cougar sightings have been reported in a suburban Detroit community. Margaret Nye is one of two Troy residents who recently reported seeing a cougar in their neighborhoods. The 37-seven-year-old Nye tells the Detroit Free Press she felt like she was at the zoo when she and her 8-year-old daughter spotted a cougar while driving about 12:30 a.m. Friday. She said the animal with shiny eyes stopped to look at them.

A similar sighting was reported Sept. 27 near Harlan Elementary.

Southeast Michigan Wildlife supervisor Tim Payne remains skeptical because officials have never been able to confirm a cougar in the area.
Payne said the closest verified cougar sighting in Michigan was about a year ago in the Upper Peninsula

Michigan hunter KO's attacking black bears
A 21-year-old Walloon Lake bow hunter who fended off an attack by multiple black bears while trapped in a tree stand in northern Lower Michigan is disputing the state's version of his story.

Chad Fortune tells The Detroit Free Press he punched, kicked and screamed at two of four “full-grown” bears that made separate attempts Saturday evening to climb into the stand about 15 feet off the ground in Emmett County's Bear Creek Township.
Fortune was rescued about two hours later, and needed 40 stitches for a gash in his leg.

Department of Natural Resources and Environment officials said Fortune was attacked by a sow bear after two of her young cubs unsuccessfully tried to climb into the stand.

Officials suggested the attack may have been caused by the smell of fried food on Fortune's clothing.

Burmese tycoon ravaging world’s largest tiger reserve
In August, Burma proudly announced that Kachin state's remote Hukawng Valley, in its entirety, would be designated as a Protected Tiger Area - a declaration welcomed by environmentalists trying to conserve the remaining 3,200 tigers that live in the wild.

But now, a report and video released by a network of civil society groups and development organizations in Kachin state shows that a powerful Burmese tycoons is clearing swathes of forests across the reserve to create sugar and tapioca plantations and to plant jatropha for biofuel.

The report, Tyrants, Tycoons and Tigers, published by the Kachin Development Networking Group (KDNG) details how forests are being destroyed, and with them animal corridors, leaving only the conservation signboards standing.
Bulldozers are ripping up forests

The report says the tycoon Htay Myint is establishing massive mono-crop plantations in the world's largest tiger reserve. Htay Myint's Yuzana Company, a Burmese conglomerate with close ties to the ruling military, was granted 200,000 acres in the Hukawng Valley Tiger Reserve in 2006 to establish sugar cane and tapioca plantations, five years after the reserve was established.

According to the KDNG report, “Fleets of tractors, backhoes, and bulldozers rip up forests, raze bamboo groves and flatten existing small farms. Signboards that mark animal corridors and ‘no hunting zones’ stand out starkly against a now barren landscape; they are all that is left of conservation efforts”.

Read more

Florida sea turtles have productive 2010 nesting season
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), all three species of sea turtles that nest regularly on the state’s beaches had annual nest counts well above average for the previous 10 years.

This news is especially good for loggerhead sea turtles, which have experienced declines in nesting in recent years. Loggerheads, the species that most commonly nests in Florida, had nest counts that were 30 percent higher than the 10-year average.

“We’re encouraged by the high count, especially considering the oil spill and the extreme cold weather earlier in the year,” said Dr. Blair Witherington, an FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute scientist. “However, one good year can’t reverse a declining trend. It will take many years of data to determine if this is a new nesting trend – obviously one that we would like to see continue in the future.”

Nest numbers for leatherback and green sea turtles also continued to increase, with nests in 2010 totaling the second-highest since standardized counts began in 1989.
Nest counts are performed each year through Florida’s Index Nesting Beach Survey, which was created to measure seasonal sea turtle nesting, and to allow for accurate comparisons among beaches and years. The standardized index counts take place on 248 miles of selected beaches along both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.

In one of the largest wildlife counts in the nation, hundreds of partners diligently survey Florida’s Index Nesting Beaches throughout the summer sea turtle nesting season.
“It’s a big job that requires a dedicated group of nest-counting experts,” Witherington said. “It’s especially rewarding for those involved when the turtles make a good showing.”

FWC’s role in coordinating Florida’s sea turtle nest counts is funded by sales of the sea turtle license plate. For more information about sea turtles, including nesting information, visit MyFWC.com/SeaTurtle. Sick or injured sea turtles can be reported by contacting the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).


FWC seeks information on listed species
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is conducting biological reviews on all species on the state’s list of threatened species and species of special concern. The FWC seeks specific information on these species from the public.

After new rules were adopted in September for conserving and managing threatened species in Florida, the work began for compiling information on the 61 listed species that have never had reviews completed, or the reviews were done so long ago that the information is no longer current. The list of species is available at MyFWC.com/ImperiledSpecies (follow the link under “Latest Updates”).

FWC staff needs information on population size and trends, distribution and range, and threats to the species.

“We want to make sure we have the best available scientific and commercial data as we conduct these reviews,” said Dr. Elsa Haubold, leader of the FWC’s Species Conservation Planning Section. “That is why we are requesting information about these species from the public. We also will research published studies and contact known experts for information.

“Specific aspects of the species’ life history that may influence the range and status of the species in Florida will help us make well-informed decisions on whether to continue listing each species.”

After gathering information from the public and completing the research, biological review groups, appointed by the Commission, will evaluate the information this fall, using the newly approved listing process. Based on these reviews, staff will then make recommendations to the Commission on whether the species should be on Florida’s threatened list. Before a change in status is made, no matter if the species is listed or not, all reviewed species will have a management plan developed that will outline the conservation goal and objectives needed to improve or maintain the species. The management plans will be developed with extensive public and stakeholder input.

Information and data on any of the 61 species should be sent to: Biological Status Reviews, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 620 South Meridian St., Mail Station 2A, Tallahassee, FL 32399-1600 or e-mailed to Imperiled@MyFWC.com. Responses will be accepted until 5 p.m., Nov. 1.

If providing information on more than one species, send a separate, clearly identifiable section of the response devoted to each species.

Everglades and Water Quality Issues

Special Everglades Update, October 2010 from the Audubon magazine “Restore” Audubon congratulates the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and all who made it possible to close the land deal to purchase nearly 27,000 acres of land from U.S. Sugar Corporation after nearly two years of hard work, effort, and difficult choices.

Audubon and other Everglades advocates have consistently supported the purchase and with your help, we have seen this monumental conservation land acquisition through to completion. The final purchase focuses on the most critical water quality improvement areas and was completed for the right price, without incurring any debt.

Two different federal judges have recently criticized the state and federal delay in ensuring that water entering the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge (Loxahatchee NWR) and other areas in the Everglades meets water quality standards. Land that is part of this purchase can be used immediately to improve water quality to mandated levels and will allow more water to be delivered to the southern end of the Everglades ecosystem where it is desperately needed.

The final purchase includes acquisition of 17,900 citrus acres in Hendry County to improve water quality in the C-139 Basin, where phosphorus loads have been historically high, and 8,900 acres of sugarcane land in Palm Beach County to benefit the Loxahatchee NWR by expanding existing Stormwater Treatment Areas.

Under the agreement, the district board also has options to buy about 153,200 additional acres over the next 10 years if economic resources become available. Your continued support will ensure that Audubon of Florida researchers have what they need to successfully advocate for a more vibrant and healthier Everglades ecosystem well into the future.

Improving water quality throughout the Everglades is a critically important component of restoring more natural flow patterns, and Audubon will continue to promote projects that move us closer to achieving true ecological benefits for wildlife and people alike.

We congratulate and thank all of those involved who have finally made this monumental land acquisition a reality.

This is truly a conservation event to celebrate and we hope it can be a model for public land acquisition in the future.


Florida Panhandle legislators seek to repeal septic tank inspection requirement
Two Panhandle legislators say they have filed a bill to repeal a new requirement in state law that all septic tanks be inspected every five years. SB 550 was introduced by Sen. Lee Constantine, R-Altamonte Springs, in response to concerns about nitrogen pollution of waterways and groundwater. The law was amended by the Senate Ways and Means Committee to include the inspection requirement signed by Gov. Charlie Crist in June.

The bill had support from the Florida Home Builders Association, the Florida Onsite Wastewater Association and the Sierra Club. But complaints about the legislation emerged in July when some Panhandle residents became aware of the inspection requirement. The Florida Department of Health has estimated that inspections for the state's 2.5 million septic tanks will cost between $100 and $300, plus an additional $200 if the tank needs to be pumped out. DOH and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommend that septic tanks be inspected every five years.

EPA delays new Florida water pollution rules after opposition by Nelson, LeMieux
Florida’s two U.S. senators may be in different parties, but they have found something they agree on. They both oppose strict new water pollution standards that the Environmental Protection Agency was supposed to impose on Florida starting in two weeks.

In fact, Republican Sen. George LeMieux and Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson are so opposed to the pollution cleanup that on Wednesday night they tried to cut the EPA ' s funding for enforcing the new rules. A procedural move by another senator blocked them.

"This is a lawsuit-driven mandate without a sound scientific basis, and the result will be unnecessarily catastrophic for Florida," LeMieux said afterward. "The EPA ' s actions threaten Florida ' s economy and is unlikely to provide little, if any biological benefit compared to its estimated cost."

In the face of such opposition, EPA officials announced Wednesday that they would push back the effective date of the new pollution rules by a month, to Nov. 14.

Environmental group seeks tougher pollution protections for Everglades restoration
With one legal showdown delayed, another is brewing in the fight over slow-moving Everglades restoration and the future of a land deal with U.S. Sugar Corp. that would cost South Florida taxpayers $197 million.On Friday, U.S. District Judge Alan Gold delayed a Thursday hearing where he had called for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson to answer for her agency's enforcement of the Clean Water Act when it comes to polluted storm water discharges to the Everglades.On Monday, the environmental group Friends of the Everglades, filed a measure calling for Gold to reject the EPA's newly revamped plan to start enforcing water quality requirements.

The group also called for the judge to bring the South Florida Water Management District into the legal fight. Friends of the Everglades called for the EPA to take action against the water management district "to stop poisoning the Everglades."This additional legal wrangling over restoration comes as the water management district gets ready on Oct. 12 to close on a $197 million land deal to use U.S. Sugar farmland to store and treat more storm water bound for the Everglades. Lingering legal cases could still scrap the deal.

Read the article

Water District: we can't afford EPA's plan to cut Everglades pollution
The South Florida Water Management District has conceded to an angry federal judge that it will not be able to comply with proposed deadlines and standards the judge ordered to lower phosphorus levels in the Everglades.

In a six-page, single-spaced letter to U.S. District Judge Alan Gold dated Sept. 30, the district's Executive Director, Carol Wehle, said the $1.5 billion price tag and 2020 deadline are "regrettably, not achievable within our existing revenue streams."In April, the judge issued a scathing 48-page order in which he accused the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection of failing to enforce the water quality law standards in the Everglades for over 20 years.

The judge ordered the EPA to draft a plan to reduce phosphorus levels.The EPA's proposal, issued in early September, gives the district until 2020 to build over 40,000 acres of water treatment areas to clean water headed to the Everglades.

R ead more

Former farmland doesn't have to meet water quality standards
In a ruling that could affect as many as 53 million acres of cropland nationwide, a federal judge has temporarily stopped the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from imposing federal water quality standards on former croplands in the Everglades.

U.S. District Judge Michael K. Moore said in his ruling Tuesday that the Army Corps had changed its rules about water quality standards on former croplands without proper public notice and hearing. The Army Corps argued that public notice was not necessary because the new rule is merely a policy statement and not a substantive rule change.

"This is a great victory for Florida against the federal government ' s continued attempts to impose burdensome barriers to economic development in these trying times," Gaston Cantens, vice president of Florida Crystals said in a news release. Florida Crystals sued the Army Corps about building a landfill to dispose of ash beside its Okeelanta renewable power plant.

Immediately after the ruling was issued on Tuesday, it was used to slap an injunction on the Army Corps in a similar lawsuit filed by the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Association of Home Builders against the Army Corps.

"This ruling has a huge impact on farm values and the flexibility of farmers to use their property," said Danielle Quist, a lawyer for the American Farm Bureau Federation. "I think farmers will be relieved that the uncertainty has been removed — unless there is an appeal."

The Clean Water Act sets nutrient standards in "navigable waters" in the U.S. But growers argue that under the current law, "prior converted croplands" are exempt from the standards because they were converted prior to the Clean Water Act.

Foot-dragging over, EPA finally does its job
At last, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has taken the necessary steps to save the Everglades. In a clear and direct response to a federal judge ' s order, EPA has ended decades of foot-dragging.It is instructive that decisive action to save the Everglades has come about only as a result of two decades of litigation. Not one, but two federal judges ' rulings have been necessary to obtain life-saving action for the ecosystem.The state of Florida was sued in 1988 by the Department of Interior.

That lawsuit resulted because the sugar industry ' s lobbyists prevented the state ' s pollution-control agency from stopping sugar-cane growers ' dumping highly polluted water into canals leading to Everglades National Park and the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. The thick soup of agricultural runoff was causing marshland within the park and refuge to choke with dense growths of cattails and abnormal algae.

Florida Gov. Lawton Chiles wisely responded to the rulings of U.S. District Judge William Hoeveler, and settled the first lawsuit. The 1994 Legislature passed the Everglades Forever Act, which put the terms of the settlement agreement in state law. It directed the construction of tens of thousands of acres of stormwater-treatment areas to clean runoff water. It required that the Florida Department of Environmental Protection set a numerical phosphorus standard for the Everglades by 2003, with enforcement by 2006.

But just as the new phosphorus standard was about to go into effect, Big Sugar struck again. In 2003, more than 40 sugar-industry lobbyists descended on Tallahassee, and euchred the Florida Legislature into devastating amendments to Florida ' s water-quality law. The date for enforcing the phosphorus standard in the Everglades was effectively put off for 20 years. And, when the phosphorus standard did finally take effect, the law that sugar lobbyists wrote diluted it with moderating provisions, allowing pollution to continue.While the EPA is required by the federal Clean Water Act to veto such changes to state water-quality standards, the EPA was cowed by the same mob of sugar-industry lobbyists and took a pass, declining to do its job.

Enter federal judge No. 2. A lawsuit brought by the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians and environmental groups challenged the EPA ' s inaction. U.S. District Judge Alan Gold ruled that the 2003 legislative maneuver constituted an egregious violation of the most basic requirements of the federal Clean Water Act.

He ordered that the Environmental Protection Agency redo its evaluation of the shenanigans sugar lobbyists had managed to pull off through their legislative gamesmanship.In response to Judge Gold, the EPA ' s "amended determination" issued on Sept. 3 provides clear guidelines and milestones to assure Florida will save the Everglades .

EPA has clarified the need for construction of treatment areas necessary to meet the standard — an additional 42,000 acres — and has identified the most easily utilized lands for these facilities: property the state already owns, or has already committed to buy.

Also, EPA has wisely offered Florida the opportunity to submit an alternative plan in which the state could reduce the number of acres of treatment area that would have to be constructed at public expense — by ordering the polluting sugar industry to spend its own money to clean up phosphorus on its own land.However, the fight for the life of the Everglades is not over.

The same gang of Big Sugar lobbyists and their cronies are about to jump into action again. Look for them to howl about "mandates from Washington” and how it will cost Florida taxpayers too much to comply.

But the truth is that the harmful "mandates" Florida has followed for far too long are those issued in the form of demands from sugar-industry lobbyists.Florida should just stop listening to the sugar lobbyists, and enforce the law. If Florida ' s political leaders had done that two decades ago, the Everglades would be cleaned up today, and the costs, much lower.Charles Lee is director of advocacy for Audubon of Florida .

Georgia senators seek to undo judge's favorable ruling for Florida
Two Georgia senators have introduced bills in Congress to overturn a federal judge's ruling in 2009 that was favorable to Florida in the states' lengthy battle over water.Alabama, Florida and Georgia have been fighting in federal court since 1990 over water from the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river system.

Alabama and Georgia want water for future growth while Florida wants water for fish and wildlife along the river and the seafood industry at Apalachicola Bay.U. S. District Judge Paul A. Magnuson in July 2009 ruled that Georgia and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had illegally taken water from Lake Lanier, a huge federal reservoir on the Chattahoochee River north of Atlanta, without authorization from Congress. He gave the states three years to get congressional authorization before water use from Lake Lanier is essentially cut off.

On Thursday, Georgia senators Johnny Isakson and Saxby Chambliss, both Republicans, jointly introduced four pieces of legislation that they said would ensure that their state's water needs are met as the state continues to negotiate a long term agreement.

EPA chief averts order to testify on Everglades
It appears a Miami federal judge won't get a chance to grill a top federalenvironmental chief on expanding pollution problems in the Everglades.

Under an appellate ruling, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson won't have toappear in federal court on Everglades issues despite a Miami judge's order.

An appeals court in Atlanta on Thursday granted a request from the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency to allow the agency to send an aide totestify instead of forcing administrator Lisa Jackson to appear in personbefore U.S. District County Judge Alan Gold next week.

A three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a briefdecision letting Jackson off the hook, citing the time crunch before theOct. 7 hearing but retaining jurisdiction to rule on the judge's authorityto compel a high- ranking federal executive to appear in court.

Gold had demanded that the EPA chief and the secretary of the FloridaDepartment of Environmental Protection both show up in his courtroom toexplain in person how they are going to end the ``glacial delay'' incleaning up the Everglades.

The ruling followed up a 48-page order that found state lawmakers and watermanagers had crafted ``incomprehensible'' rules and loopholes pushing back a2006 cleanup deadline by a decade and that the EPA erred in approvingwatered-down standards.

But last month, EPA attorneys asked to instead send an assistant who workedon Everglades water quality issues, arguing that schedule demands, includingtravel to Asia as part of an official government delegation beginning Oct.8, would create a hardship for Jackson to prepare for and attend thehearing.

The judge rejected the request, a decision the EPA appealed.

The judicial panel gave the parties that originally sued the agencies, theFriends of the Everglades and Miccosukee Tribe, until Monday to respond tothe decision. It also invited Gold to respond.

Paul Schwiep, an attorney for the environmental group, said he would file aresponse supporting the judge's authority to get answers directly fromJackson, ``given the EPA's history of failing to enforce the Clean WaterAct.''

Earlier this month, the EPA filed a report requested by Gold calling for a42,000-acre expansion of the state's existing network of reservoirs andpollution treatment marshes -- projects that could cost taxpayers billionsof dollars -- and endorsing Gov. Charlie Crist's controversial land dealwith the U.S. Sugar Corp. The proposal would again push back deadlines tomeet the standard for levels of phosphorus, a fertilizer ingredient thatflows from farms, ranches and yards and can poison native marsh plants.

Offshore & Ocean

Algalita Marine Research Foundation Announces Call for Qualified Advisors & Assistants for New Explorer Post Program
WHAT WE ARE DOING. AMRF is developing an Explorer Post program to work with a motivated group of young people as they explore careers in the sciences, particularly those regarding the issues and challenges inherent in plastic marine pollution.

WHO ARE THE EXPLORERS? Explorers is Learning for Life's career educational program whose goal is to engage its members (15-20 year old boys and girls) in activities centered on career opportunities, life skills, citizenship, character education and leadership experience.

HOW WILL THIS PROGRAM REFLECT AMRF'S GOALS. Education is a key AMRF component. The future health of our oceans is dependent on how well we equip our younger generation with accurate information about ocean stewardship. Linking AMRF to Explorers will provide the opportunity these young people need as they participate in hands-on activities directly tied to AMRF goals.

WHAT WE NEED. In order to provide the necessary knowledge, expertise and resources this Project requires, two Explorer Advisors and Assistant Advisors will be recruited as essential elements of the Program. Please feel free to share this with anyone you know who might be qualified and interested.

ADVISOR & ASSISTANT ADVISOR POSITION REQUIREMENTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
Requirements: Leaders must be at least 21 years old and will undergo screening. (Youth Protection Training is available for leaders.)
Responsibilities: Coordinate Post programs under the guidance and assistance of an AMRF Post Committee. Arrange meeting facilities. Commit 4-8 hours per month.

HOW TO APPLY. If you, or someone you know, is interested, please contact Algalita Board Member, Duane Laursen at laursen1@aol.com Interested parties will be sent an application by email the last week of October. Once the applications are received by November 1 and reviewed by the AMRF Explorer Committee, selected applicants will be required to attend an informational meeting. The last step is a review by the Learning for Life Program. All information will remain confidential. Thank you for your interest in helping young people explore careers.

Energy

Protect Florida’s coasts from drilling
The Florida Wildlife Federation and other conservation groups are supporting a citizens' petition drive to put the issue of near-shore oil drilling on the November 2012 ballot.

Please go to www.sosbs.org to download the petition and mail in to the Save our Seas PO Box. Feel free to make as many copies as you wish - get family, friends and neighbors to sign petitions!

Florida Wildlife Federation
(The Petition is also available here for you to download. It is a pdf file.)

A controversial oil pipeline under the St. Clair River is expected to be replaced as early as next year.
Enbridge Inc. submitted repair plans to the Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, calling for the 3,600 feet of pipeline under the river to be replaced.
The 30-inch-diameter pipeline, installed in 1969, runs from Griffith, Ind., to Sarnia. It transports crude oil to refineries.

It was learned that a dent in the pipeline beneath the river was found in 2009, and the company has been operating the pipeline at a reduced pressure. During a congressional hearing about the July 25 oil spill near Marshall, caused by a rupture in Enbridge's pipeline, U.S. Rep. Candice Miller, R-Harrison Township, called for further investigation.

"I'm very pleased that they certainly understood that we thought there was a much greater sense of urgency than they did initially," Miller said. "But they've responded appropriately so I think it's win-win all the way around."

Preliminary plans call for work on a new pipeline to start in January and be completed by spring, said Joe Martucci, Enbridge project spokesman. "The engineering assessment indicates the dent is a smooth dent and it's probably been there since the pipeline was installed," he said.

While the company doesn't believe the dent presents a threat, Martucci said, "In abundance of caution and because of the location, we think this is the best way."
A new pipeline will be built close to the existing pipeline, which runs through Marysville to the St. Clair River.

Miller said she was pleased with the rapid pace at which the company plans to work.
"They're moving very expediently, working with regulators," she said. "And, as I said when I first raised the issue, I didn't want to be an alarmist, but I do think that is was something that had to have a much greater sense of urgency, so I'm appreciative they are responding."

Report: Offshore wind could replace petroleum in Florida’s power sector
Last week, the environmental group Oceana issued a report calling on states along the Atlantic Coast to build offshore wind farms instead of offshore oil rigs.

The report points out that Florida consumes more oil via electricity than any other state. In 2008, the most recent year for which Energy Information Administration data is available, Florida’s petroleum-fired plants produced just over a gigawatt-hour of electricity, nearly 40 percent of the national total.

While its offshore wind potential pales in comparison to that of states like North Carolina, Florida could theoretically install some 10 gigawatts in generation capacity, “enough energy to more than replace petroleum use in Florida’s electric industry,” according to the report.

In total, the report estimates an offshore wind capacity of 127 gigawatts for the states along the Atlantic, minus Maine and New Hampshire, where deep waters complicate wind installations. That could require building some 30,000-50,000 wind turbines, according to Reuters.

The report says it accounts for such barriers as shipping channels and environmentally sensitive areas of the sea floor, where wind turbines cannot be safely installed, but offshore wind projects in Florida would likely face a different kind of barrier: opposition from a tourism industry wary of placing windmills in view of beaches.

Land Conservation

50000 voices, one statement
When one person says something, it can often be overlooked — when 50,000 people say something, well, then everyone listens.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is listening. In late September they announced they will conduct a wilderness review for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This review is the first step to getting a full presidential recommendation to Congress that the Arctic Refuge be permanently protected as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System.

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Air Quality

DEP Awards Port Everglades Diesel Emissions Reduction Grant
The Department awarded a $750,000 grant to Broward County’s Port Everglades on Wednesday for diesel emissions reduction through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Clean Diesel Campaign.

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Miscellaneous

Jellyfish stings spike at Lee County, other Gulf Coast beaches
Wildlife experts say jellyfish stings are on the rise in Southwest Florida, and while thestings in local waters usually aren't fatal, the pain and irritation are real.

Talk to almost anyone this time of year and there's a good chance they'll know someone who has been zapped by one of these tentacled, often translucent creatures.

"We think that they are more numerous this time of year because of all the rain," said Renee Wilson, a coastal training specialist for Rookery Bay Reserve in Naples. "There are lots of nutrients and things running off providing food for them."

Wilson said jellies eat plankton and plankton algae. They also will eat small fish that get caught in their tentacles.

Officials said specific local sting numbers are hard to calculate, especially since many of them are minor and not reported. But there are about 150million jellyfish stings every year around the world, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Wilson said there are several types of jellyfish to watch out for. Comb jellies are all over the place, but they don't have stinging cells. Moon jellies also are common, but those stings are usually minor.

The ones to really look out for are sea nettles.

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North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida release cooperative plan
On Monday The Governors’ South Atlantic Alliance, a voluntary effort led by officials from each state, released its draft plan to address common challenges and called for public comments on the proposal.

The four priorities of the 15-page plan include: healthy ecosystems, working waterfronts, clean coastal and ocean waters, and disaster-resilient communities.

The waterfronts group says the states should share lessons from the Savannah Harbor deepening project and the work in Southport, N.C. It also calls for identifying ways to lessen environmental damage when operating and expanding a port, including “beneficial public use” of dredge spoil material. The need to identify brownfields for port expansion also figured into the draft, as did a call to limit the spread of invasive species across the region by coming up with different ways to manage ballast water.

Other coastal regions across the country have already organized their own versions of the Alliance , leaving the South Atlantic group the last to form. Discussions about forming a cooperative bloc began between officials in the Carolinas about five years ago.

“Management of South Carolina’s coastal and ocean resources has recently come into sharp focus with heightened awareness of coastal hazards, expanding energy development and the need to preserve traditional coastal economies and recreational uses,” said Carolyn Boltin-Kelly, deputy commissioner of the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control’s Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management.

The plan was a group effort by state and federal agencies and non-governmental groups, such as The Nature Conservancy.

Before the proposal’s release the four states’ lead Alliance officials each said there were no turf tensions between them, and that there were no instances in which one state’s interests played against another’s. On Monday, Mary Conley, the Southeast Marine Conservation Director for The Nature Conservancy and a participant in the process, said environmental interests, too, were not distinct from the other focal points of the proposal.

With more than 12,000 miles of recreational trails on Florida’s land and waters, hikers, bikers, equestrians, roller-bladers and paddlers are never at a loss for places to enjoy their leisure pastimes and passions.
Now, when it seems like it couldn’t get any better, the Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Office of Greenways & Trails partnered with VISIT FLORIDA in the development of a ‘Trails-Tourism’ component to its website that will help trail users make the most of their outdoor adventures.

This new component of VISIT FLORIDA.com, which launches on Monday, October 4, features maps and information about other travel-related services including lodging, restaurants and outfitters. Rising to the ranks of traveler destinations such as beaches, resorts, golf courses and themed attractions, trails will now be featured for Florida visitors and residents to include in their vacation plans. The website features more than 100 trails throughout the state and it will continue to expand over time to include even more trails.

Florida’s greenways and trails provide an infrastructure to help connect communities with nature.

With nature-based tourism steadily on the rise – according to VISIT FLORIDA, 65 percent of Florida visitors include nature-based activities in their travel and 80 percent of Florida residents suggest nearby natural, cultural and historical sites to out-of-state friends or family when they visit -- it’s no wonder that last year, the DEP's Office of Greenways & Trails recorded the highest annual visitation ever for the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway and eight State Trails with more than 4 million visitors, generating an estimated economic impact of $95 million.

The weather is changing, fall is definitely in the air and Governor Charlie Crist has proclaimed October as Florida Greenways & Trails Month – so it’s the perfect time to get outside and explore the miles of trails that Florida has to offer. Grab your shoes, bike, skates, paddles or horse and find a trail to your liking. To learn more go to www.floridagreenwaysandtrails.org or www.visitflorida.com.

Governor Crist Announces Mimi Drew as Secretary of Department of Environmental Protection
Governor Charlie Crist and the Florida Cabinet unanimously voted to approve Mimi A. Drew as Secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) on Tuesday.

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DEP Announces Fifteen Finalists for the 2010 Governor's Serve to Preserve: Green Schools Awards
The Department, in conjunction with the Florida Department of Education (DOE), Florida’s Foundation, the Collins Center for Public Policy’s Sustainable Florida Program and the Florida Association of School Administrators, announced the finalists for the 2010 Governor’s Serve to Preserve: Green Schools Awards last Friday. For the second consecutive year, partners selected 15 finalists from schools throughout the state that are dedicated to learning, practicing and promoting habits that will make Florida’s future more environmentally friendly
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“I applaud all 15 finalists who are doing their part to make Florida a leader in environmental protection,” said DEP Office of Environmental Education Director Greg Ira. “Teaching students the importance of conserving water, energy and reducing waste promotes environmental stewardship and also saves schools money, like the 53 million kilowatt-hours of energy saved by Florida schools this year alone, thanks to green initiatives.”

Three finalists were selected in each of five categories – students, schools, teachers, classrooms and school districts that have implemented resource-saving projects. One finalist per category will be chosen as the winner, receiving cash awards and certificates.

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