"The sun, the moon and the stars would have disappeared long ago... had they happened to be within the reach of predatory human hands." Havelock Ellis, 1923
Announcements
GOVERNOR AND CABINET RECOGNIZE DEP, DACS, FWC RESOURCE MANAGERS WITH HIGHEST ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD Governor Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet today signed four resolutions sponsored by Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putman honoring recipients of the 2010 Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Jim Stevenson Resource Manager of the Year Award, one of the state's highest environmental honors.
  "These four employees have demonstrated how we can continue to improve the way we do business in Florida by being more resourceful, efficient stewards of our land and resources," said Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam. "Each of these individuals took the initiative–not because they were asked, but because it was the right thing to do. We can all learn by their example and work together to create a better and brighter future for all those who call Florida home."
  The award recipients are Lee Edmiston, director of DEP's Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve; Jason DePue, lead biologist for District Three of DEP's Florida Park Service; Don Francis, area manager and biologist of the Joe Budd Wildlife Management Area with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC); and Winnie Schreiber, manager of the Withlacoochee Forestry Center with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' (DACS) Florida Forest Service. They represent the state's leaders in natural resource management.
  "Each year, DEP uses this award to recognize state employees who demonstrate outstanding commitment to land management and protecting our state's natural resources," said DEP Secretary Herschel T. Vinyard Jr. "This year, the selection committee chose four recipients who are truly deserving of this honor, and I commend them on their contributions to our state."
  The recipients were recognized for the following accomplishments:
  DEP: For more than 18 years, Lee Edmiston worked tirelessly to improve the scientific understanding of the Apalachicola River and Bay system as the research coordinator at the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve. Because of his extensive knowledge of coastal ecosystems, Lee was appointed as the state's Natural Resources Damage Assessment Trustee for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Lee has distinguished himself through tireless work and self-sacrifice to protect Florida's coastal resources.
  DEP: Jason DePue is the lead biologist for District Three of the Florida Park Service. Jason's work ethic, experience and resourcefulness give him the ability to translate his resource management knowledge into action. Jason has actively assisted in achieving the resource management objectives of District Three parks and has been a great asset to prescribed fire, exotic plant, listed species and habitat restoration projects. Jason enthusiastically shares his knowledge of resource management and willingly answers questions from park staff and visitors. His dedication to the Florida Park Service ensures that Florida and its visitors will have invaluable natural and recreational benefits that will endure far into the future.
  FWC: Don Francis has served as area manager and biologist on the Joe Budd Wildlife Management Area, in Gadsden County, for more than 30 years. He is known as a tireless leader and champion for the stewardship of slope forests. His measures to catalog and protect rare natural communities have included discovering and recording the presence of a new state and national champion Pyramid Magnolia.
"Don Francis is a tireless steward of the land," said Nick Wiley, executive director of FWC. "His commitment as a manager and biologist on the Joe Budd Wildlife Management Area for more than 30 years has touched the lives of thousands of Floridians, of all ages, who enjoy the outdoors."
  DACS: Winnie Schreiber is the manager of the Withlacoochee Forestry Center, which is headquartered near Brooksville, and includes the Withlacoochee and Seminole State Forests. Her leadership has led to numerous accomplishments on these forests including significant contributions to forestry, recreation, endangered species and fire management. Winnie's cooperative spirit toward land management has established lasting relationships with local, state and federal partners, as well as the general public, to ensure that forest management decisions always meet the state's public service responsibilities, and that our land stewardship ethic is advanced for future generations of Floridians.
DEP SECRETARY APPOINTS CLAY SMALLWOOD AS DIVISION OF STATE LANDS DIRECTOR The Florida Cabinet, acting as the Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund, today confirmed the appointment of Clay Smallwood as Director of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) Division of State Lands. DEP Secretary Herschel T. Vinyard Jr. announced the appointment on Sept. 13, 2011. Florida law requires the DEP Secretary to appoint a Director of State Lands, who must be confirmed by the BOT.

  "Clay brings a tremendous amount of land management knowledge and conservation experience to DEP," said Secretary Vinyard. "As the Director of the Division of State Lands, he will play an integral role protecting Florida's valuable natural, cultural and recreational resources by overseeing the management of our public lands."
  Smallwood began his career as a forester in 1978 with the St. Joe Company, working his way to president of St. Joe Timberland in 2000. He retired from the St. Joe Company in 2010. During his 30 years at the St. Joe Company, Smallwood managed more than 1.1 million acres of land and planted more than 18 million trees. He also worked with various conservation groups and state agencies to identify environmentally-sensitive lands for protection.
  "I have dedicated my career to the efficient conservation and management of Florida's lands, and am excited to continue this work at DEP," said Clay Smallwood. "I look forward to working with Secretary Vinyard, the DEP staff and engaging the public on the important issues related to Florida's valuable land resources."
  The DEP Division of State Lands Director is responsible for the administration, planning, programming, budgeting and execution of the operations of the Bureaus of Appraisal, Public Land Administration, Land Acquisition, Survey and Mapping and the Office of Environmental Services.
FPL wants to run high-voltage powerlines through Everglades National Park. Let them know we don't want the aesthetic value of our park to be spoiled by unsightly powerlines. Please visit these links to sign the petitions against this monstrous idea, then tell all your friends about it.
Petition Voice, Go Petition, Petition online, Petition Site, You Choose
Fall/Winter Birding Schedule. Trips led by Paddy Cunningham Pascatore
OCTOBER 10/9 Fairchild Gardens Bird Day with special guest David Sibley 10/15 & 16 Florida Keys Hawk Watch Getaway weekend 10/29 Secret Woods Bird Walk 9:15 am
NOVEMBER 11/5 Deerfield Island bird walk-reservations required, contact Quiet Waters Park
DECEMBER 12/3 Deerfield Island bird walk-reservations required, contact Quiet Waters Park 12/10-Plantation Preserve, 8 am 12/ 17 OR 18-Annual Christmas Bird Count
JANUARY 1/12-16 Everglades Birding Festival with special quest by James Currie of Birding Adventures TV 1/25-31 Space Coast Birding Festival, Titusville
FEBRUARY 2/18-20-Florida Adventure Getaway weekend-Merritt Island, 3 Lakes and much more
MARCH 3/28-31 Big "O" Birding Festival
Of interest to all
Audubon's Mission: To conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity.
For more than a century, Audubon has built a legacy of conservation success by mobilizing the strength of its network of members, Chapters, Audubon Centers, state offices and dedicated professional staff to connect people with nature and the power to protect it.
  A powerful combination of science, education and policy expertise combine in efforts ranging from protection and restoration of local habitats to the implementation of policies that safeguard birds, other wildlife and the resources that sustain us all-in the U.S. and Across the Americas.
Demystifying Ocean Mysteries Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (RBNERR) fisheries biologist Pat O'Donnell always knew his job was pretty cool, but last month the coolness factor skyrocketed by about 100 percent as his project became the subject for a segment of a new ABC TV series called, "Ocean Mysteries with Jeff Corwin."
  "It's not every day you get to be featured on TV with an Emmy Award winner," said O'Donnell upon learning that his shark project would be seen by millions of TV viewers nationwide. "And it's summer, so at least we should get some sharks," he added.
  A few years ago O'Donnell's monthly shark monitoring program in the Ten Thousand Islands caught the interest of biologists from the Florida Aquarium and Georgia Aquarium in need of live sharks for their blood gas testing study. As that collaborative effort grew, plans were also getting underway for Georgia Aquarium's new TV series.
  "Ocean Mysteries with Jeff Corwin" airs Saturday mornings at 9:30 on ABC stations nationwide beginning Sept. 3. The episode featuring Rookery Bay Reserve's shark work in Pumpkin Bay will air before the end of the year.
Mounds of fill from tunnel project has environmentalists worried Miami city officials want the tons of fill from the port tunnel project, but environmentalists are leery of a plan to send it to Virginia Key, which has been a dumping ground for unwanted debris for years.
  Disposing fill from the tunnel will be part of a forum sponsored by the Urban Environment League, which is discussing the Virginia Key Master Plan.
  The forum is scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon on Sept. 21 at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Rickenbacker Causeway.
As the late-October start date for the Port of Miami tunnel dig approaches, one big question about the massive project remains unresolved: Where on earth are they going to put the giant mountains of excavated dirt and rock?
  Finding an answer has proven no simple matter.
  Environmental regulators are considering a couple of options proposed by the tunnel contractors, who say they expect a decision in plenty of time to start digging. But one proposal -- a city-supported plan to deposit what's expected to amount to more than 400,000 cubic yards of limestone rock and dirt from the dig on Virginia Key's North Point -- has kicked up dust among activists worried about further damage to the ecologically rich but oft-abused island.
  City of Miami officials want to use the free material to build a berm to conceal the Virginia Key sewage treatment plant and to fill in an old toxic landfill next door, helping the cash-strapped city advance a plan to turn the island into a natural and recreational showcase.
But where the tunnel fill ends up could be determined by what's in it.
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Birds
Record flock of migrating Sociable Lapwings recorded in Kazakhstan Birdlife International scientists monitoring migrating Sociable Lapwings in the heart of the Great Steppe have recently discovered the largest single flock seen in Kazakhstan since 1939.
  The study team from BirdLife's Kazakhstan Affiliate ACBK who, with support from RSPB (BirdLife in the UK), are conducting breeding research and migration monitoring around Korgalzhyn, in central Kazakhstan, found the record flock of more than 500 birds on August 16th - at Arykty - about 35 km east of their main study site.
  "Our autumn migration monitoring kicked of with a bang when we located a huge flock of Sociable Lapwings at Arykty", reported ACBK project leader Ruslan Urazaliyev. "It is often quite difficult to accurately assess the size of an active flock but during my first count I recorded 523 birds and a little later my colleague Timur, who was watching from another viewpoint, estimated that by then it probably contained more than 650 individuals!"
  Data gathered in previous years indicates that many local breeders from around Korgalzhyn depart during July. It is therefore most likely that the majority of the birds in this record flock had originated from breeding sites further east in the Steppe and had joined the few remaining juvenile Sociable Lapwings that had hatched locally. The site at Arykty is now regarded as a regular staging site for migrating Sociable Lapwings and sizeable post-breeding flocks have been recorded there in July and August for the past six years. Maximum previous counts at Arykty were 273 birds in 2006, 98 in 2007, 261 in 2008, 400 in 2009 and 345 in 2010.
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Two kakapo found dead Two young female kakapo have been found dead - one on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island, off Stewart Island, the other on Anchor Island in Fiordland.

Kakapo Recovery program manager Deidre Vercoe Scott said the two birds were discovered by rangers doing transmitter changes during the weekend. The first, Purity, hatched during the bumper 2009 breeding season. It was estimated she had been dead around ten days. The other, Monoa, which hatched in 2002, was found Sunday on Anchor Island. She had been dead for quite some time, indicating the two deaths were not linked.
  "At this stage, we have no idea what the cause of either death is. Initial autopsies have been carried out at Auckland Zoo and showed no obvious reasons," she said. "Tissue samples have been sent to Massey University. We now have to wait for further results."
  The news comes during the same week "star" bird Sirocco officially launched his career as an advocate for Kakapo Recovery. Sirocco is on display at Orokonui Ecosanctuary, near Dunedin, for most of September before he heads to ZEALANDIA, in Wellington.
  Ms. Vercoe Scott said the kakapo deaths were a reminder that, although Kakapo Recovery had achieved much during the past 21 years - increasing the total population from 49 to 131 this year - the kakapo was still a critically endangered species and vulnerable.
  "While it is such a shame to lose two young females, it's a fact that, as kakapo numbers increase, we can expect a natural increase in mortality rates for a variety of reasons. The good news is more than half the kakapo population is young breeding age birds, so the recovery of kakapo is still in good shape."
Endangered vultures still in peril as pharmacies flout deadly drug ban More than a third of Indian pharmacies are flouting a ban on a veterinary drug that has brought the country's vultures to the brink of extinction, according to a new study.
  The manufacture and sale of diclofenac for veterinary use has been illegal since 2006, but farmers and livestock owners are purchasing human diclofenac illegally in conveniently large bottles to treat their cattle.
  This is difficult to prevent, given the wide availability of the drug. Some of the other diclofenac on sale was formulated for veterinary use and had been manufactured illegally after the 2006 ban.
Diclofenac is responsible for all-but wiping out three species of Gyps vultures, endemic to South Asia. The population crash of these vultures was first noted in the late 1990s. Since then their rate of decline has been steeper than nearly any other bird species, including the infamous dodo.
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New Reserve in Peru Protects Birds, New Plant and Frog Species A new nature reserve in central Peru has been established through the efforts of American Bird Conservancy - the leading U.S. bird conservation organization - and Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos (ECOAN) - a leading Peruvian conservation group. The new San Marcos Private Conservation Area (PCA) covers more than 2,400 acres, protecting important high-altitude cloud forests.
  Five new plant species and two new frog species have been discovered within the new reserve, which also supports birds like the Fire-throated Metaltail, Powerful Woodpecker and Brown-flanked Tanager. Only thirty percent of the forest has been surveyed, however, and it is possible that the endemic and endangered Golden-backed Mountain-Tanager may also occur here. The new reserve protects watersheds important to San Marcos, as well as to the city of Huánuco and 11,800-acre Tingo Maria National Park further downstream.
  The new reserve will help "safeguard and maintain water supplies to assure its use for irrigation and domestic consumption" said René Calderón, advisor to the Regional President of Huánuco. "It is incredible to witness how much the local community supports this reserve and the level of local media coverage it has attracted in Huánuco" said ECOAN President, Constantino Aucca.
  The San Marcos PCA is located on land owned by 125 families from San Marcos and will be managed by the local community. With support from ABC and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, ECOAN worked with the local residents of the San Marcos community to design the reserve, earning final approval from the Peruvian government in June 2011.
  "Private Conservation Areas are an increasingly effective means of preserving lands in Peru and serve as strong examples of the solid conservation results that can be achieved when local communities, government agencies and private non-profit groups work together," said ABC Conservation Biologist, Dr. Daniel Lebbin.
ABC and ECOAN have also established seven community-owned and operated Private Conservation Areas in the Cordillera Vilcanota of southern Peru to protect Polylepis forests. Polylepis trees are characterized by gnarled trunks covered with flaky reddish bark and small leaves, and often grow at higher elevations than where other trees can survive. The woodlands act like sponges, slowly releasing moisture during dry seasons and thereby reducing water scarcity for local peoples. These Polylepis forests support several threatened bird species, including the Royal Cinclodes, White-browed Tit-Spinetail, and Ash-breasted Tit-Tyrant.
Washington Western Bluebird Reintroduction Effort a Success! Birds Now Thriving on San Juan Island Following Completion of Five-Year Project A five-year cooperative effort involving several organizations has succeeded in returning the Western Bluebird to Washington's San Juan Islands. The bird had historically inhabited the islands, but changing land use practices and a paucity of nesting sites meant the species had not nested there for over 40 years.
  Over the course of the five-year project, biologists with the Western Bluebird Reintroduction Project captured and translocated 45 breeding pairs of Western Bluebirds from an expanding population at Fort Lewis Military installation, Washington, and another four pairs from the Willamette Valley in Oregon. The birds were kept in aviaries on San Juan Island for acclimation prior to release to their new surroundings.
  One pair of translocated birds nested in the first year, and in each succeeding year the nesting population size has increased. Over the five years, 212 fledglings were produced. Most encouragingly, some of those fledged birds have returned each year and are now part of the breeding population, giving hope that the population will be able to sustain itself into the future.
  "It is gratifying to have the hard work of so many people bear fruit with the result that we now see these birds coming back to an area they had once called home. This year, the islands are home to 15 breeding pairs of Western Bluebirds that fledged 74 birds," said Bob Altman, project leader with American Bird Conservancy. "We are very optimistic about the future of this population," he said.
  The project collaborators included American Bird Conservancy, Fort Lewis Military Installation, Ecostudies Institute, San Juan Preservation Trust, San Juan Islands Audubon Society, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and The Nature Conservancy of Washington.
Thirty birds returned to the San Juan Islands this year. Ten were translocated birds from previous years, 18 were fledged from previous years, and two were of undetermined origin. The 15 pairs of birds built 25 nests, of which 14 were successful.
  "This year saw record breaking cool, wet weather through June, meaning everything, including bluebird nesting, was about three to four weeks behind. This resulted in reduced productivity from the previous year. House Sparrows also caused three or four nesting failures, which is something we may need to address in coming years," Altman said.
  The project is now moving into a two-year monitoring phase to determine the stability and growth of the population, and the need for future population management.
  "We are very pleased to have achieved our goal of establishing a breeding population, however, 15 pairs is by no means a large enough population to be considered secure, so we are exploring ways to enhance it beyond the initial five-year period," he said.
  One potential enhancement is Western Bluebird translocations in nearby British Columbia that may be starting next year. The San Juan Islands are only 20-25 miles as the bluebird flies from the proposed release site on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, and it is likely that the continuation of translocations in British Columbia will help to sustain the San Juan Islands population in the future.
  In tandem with the translocations, project partners also are working to conserve the oak-prairie ecosystem that the birds depend on. Toward that end, the San Juan Preservation Trust made a key prairie-oak land acquisition – 120 acres in the center of the San Juan Valley- which hosts two nesting pairs of bluebirds and is a primary location at which flocks of bluebirds congregate during the post-breeding season. In addition, approximately 600 nest boxes have been put up on the islands to provide additional nesting opportunities for the returning birds.
  Altman said that "the project would not have been possible without the help of numerous people on the San Juan Islands, who hosted aviaries and nest boxes on their properties, helped construct nest boxes and move aviaries, provided materials and project equipment, and helped monitor nest boxes and look for released birds. Further, he added "I don't know of any other bird reintroduction project that relied completely on so many private landowners".
New Bird Species Revealed to Science after 50 Years in Museum Drawer A bird specimen that sat in a drawer at the Smithsonian for nearly 50 years has been revealed to be a totally new species to science, the first in the United States for 37 years.
  The discovery of the true identity of the bird was thanks to a sharp-eyed scientist at the Institute for Bird Populations (IBP), who realized that the specimen had been misidentified after it was collected on Midway Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands in 1963. Differences in measurements and physical appearance compared to other similar species were confirmed by DNA analysis, and the bird was given the name Bryan's Shearwater, Puffinus bryani.
  "I was doing research for a book I was working on, dealing with birds of Hawai'i when I came across this particular specimen of a seabird that was identified as a Little Shearwater. After examining the specimen, I knew that what I was looking at was not a Little Shearwater or anything else that occurred in the Pacific basin. Ultimately, I decided we needed to do the DNA testing, which determined that we had a completely new species," said Peter Pyle, the IBP researcher who made the discovery.
  Researchers rarely discover new species of birds, most of the world's 9,000-plus species (including about 21 other species of shearwaters) having been described before 1900. The majority of new species described since the mid-1900s have been discovered in remote tropical rain- and cloud forests, primarily in South America and southeastern Asia.
  The Bryan's Shearwater is the first new species to be described from the United States and Hawaiian Islands since the Po'ouli was discovered in the forests of Maui in 1974. The Bryan's Shearwater is the smallest shearwater known to exist. It is black and white with a black or blue-gray bill and blue legs. Biologists found the species in a burrow among a colony of petrels during the Pacific Ocean Biological Survey Program in 1963.
  The Bryan's Shearwater is closest in morphology to the Boyd's Shearwater, which is found in the Atlantic Ocean, but is more genetically distinct than all its other shearwater cousins. Based on this DNA evidence, researchers estimate that the Bryan's Shearwater separated from other species of shearwaters perhaps more than 2 million years ago. These findings have been published in a paper, A new species of Shearwater (Puffinus) recorded from Midway Atoll, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, in the current issue of the scientific journal The Condor.
  Researchers do not know where Bryan's Shearwaters breed today. According to Pyle, shearwaters and other seabirds often visit nesting burrows on remote islands only at night, and researchers have not discovered the breeding locations of many populations. Individual seabirds from colonies also often "prospect" for new breeding locations, often far from existing colonies. Bryan's Shearwater could conceivably breed anywhere in the Pacific Ocean basin or even farther afield.
  "We don't believe that Bryan's Shearwaters breed regularly on Midway or other Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, based on the extensive seabird work in these islands by biologists with the Pacific Seabird Project," Pyle said. The specimen was the only observation during this extensive project, which occurred on islands and atolls throughout the North Pacific from 1963 until 1968. "They would almost certainly have encountered more Bryan's shearwaters then and since if they bred regularly in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands."
  Given that Bryan's shearwaters have remained undiscovered until now, they could be very rare. It is sadly even possible that they went extinct before ever being recognized, although there is at least one more record of a bird in a burrow on Midway from 1990, and observations at sea of what could be Bryan's Shearwaters as recently as 2005.
  "If we can find where this species breeds, we may have a chance to protect it and keep it from going extinct," said Andreanna Welch, who works for The Smithsonian and is the co-author of the paper on the new species. "Genetic analysis allows us to investigate whether an animal represents an entirely different species, and that knowledge is important for setting conservation priorities and preventing extinction."
  "American Bird Conservancy is not opposed to the judicious collection of specimens for scientific reasons, we oppose the collection of endangered species. If this bird had been found today, the data needed could have been obtained using digital imagery and DNA sampling on the live bird," said ABC Vice President Mike Parr.
  Bryan's shearwater is named after Edwin Horace Bryan Jr., who was curator of collections at the B.P. Bishop Museum in Honolulu from 1919 until 1968.
  A new study by researchers from the University of Exeter, in the United Kingdom, shows that in the world of zebra finches, it's all about the personality. According to the study, which assessed personality traits in 150 finches, adventurous females choose mates with similar personalities -- regardless of the males' fancy feathers, body size, beak color or other physical (dis)advantages. More adventurous females, said the study, are more likely to favor more outgoing and confident males.
  The study is apparently is the first to show that the nonsexual behavior -- er, personalities -- of both mates influences partner choice in species other than humans. We're not surprised; we knew those birds weren't all about the booty.
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Invasive species

Giant snails invade Miami subdivision, spur local alert The silent, slithery invasion of an army of Giant African Snails in a southwest Miami subdivision has federal and state agricultural officials launching a time-consuming expensive counter-attack to remove the large slimy creatures.

  "It's us against the snails," said Richard Gaskalla, director of plant industry at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

  The snails, of the species Achatina fulica, can grow up to 10 inches long and four inches wide and are considered one of the most damaging land snails in the world. They eat at least 500 different types of plants, lay about 1,200 eggs a year, and can carry a strain of non-fatal meningitis. Prolific breeders, they contain both female and male reproductive organs and live as long as nine years.

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Florida Panthers
Florida Panther Festival
Saturday, October 29, 2011
10:00AM - 4:00PM
North Collier Regional Park
Naples, FL
FREE ADMISSION
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Read the Florida Panther update
here
Newnan Man Sentenced for Killing Florida Panther in Georgia The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that David Adams, 60, formerly of Newnan, Georgia, was sentenced today in United States District Court, Northern District of Georgia, after pleading guilty to the unlawful take of a Florida panther, a species listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
  "Today's sentencing affirms our commitment to investigate violations of the federal wildlife laws intended to protect our Nation's most imperiled species," said Luis J. Santiago, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Southeast Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement.
Adams was sentenced to two years' probation, with a special condition of probation that he may not hunt or obtain a hunting license anywhere in the United States during the period of probation. In addition, he was sentenced to pay a fine of $2,000.
  According to court documents and other information presented in court, on November 16, 2008, Adams shot and killed a cougar known as a Florida panther while deer hunting in Troup County, Ga. At the time of the shooting, Adams knew he was shooting at a species of cougar, for which there was no open hunting season in the State of Georgia. The bullet fired from Adams' gun entered the Florida panther in the rear portion of the rib cage by the right hindquarters just below the spine and lodged in the inside of the panther's right front shoulder.
  The Florida panther has been listed as an endangered species since March 11, 1967. The Puma concolor coryi (the scientific name for the Florida panther) is a sub-species of the Puma concolor, which is known by many names such as, cougar, puma, catamount, and mountain lion.
  The Endangered Species Act prohibits the "take" of an endangered species. As defined within the Endangered Species Act, "take" means to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct. The maximum penalties for criminal violations of the Endangered Species Act can result in imprisonment of up to one year, and/or up to $100,000 in fines.
  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission have worked for years to bring the Florida panther back from the edge of extinction. The population has been growing since its low point of less than 30 panthers in the wild in the late 1980s, to more than 100 to 160 adults today. Genetic testing showed this panther was an offspring of panther FP137 (South Florida).
  This case was investigated by Special Agents of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Law Enforcement Rangers with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
Endangered Species
Four tons of ivory seized in two hauls Two massive hauls of ivory bound for China have been seized in the past month on top of the 1000 ivory tusks seized in Tanzania last week.
  In Hong Kong, customs officers seized 794 pieces of ivory, weighing 1.9 tons - while the Royal Malaysian Customs has seized two containers filled with 695 elephant tusks in the country's largest port. At least 750 elephants must have been butchered to provide such a huge quantity of ivory. This comes just 1 week after more than 1000 ivory tusks were seized in Tanzania.
  The Hong Kong consignment was in a shipping container that had come from Malaysia. It was declared as non-ferrous products for factory use, but upon examination by officers of the Ports and Maritime Command was found to contain African elephant ivory, concealed by stones. A 66-year-old man was arrested and follow-up investigations are in progress.
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Agreement on Illegal Fishing to Help Bluefin, Other Species
The United States and the European Commission have signed a joint statement vowing to fight illegal fishing that hurts Atlantic bluefin tuna and other imperiled ocean creatures. The agreement -- while only a small step against the devastating environmental and socioeconomic effects of black-market seafood -- at least acknowledges the problem and affirms a commitment to ending the lax fishing-regulation enforcement that has devastated many species. Bluefin tuna, for example -- one of the most unique, massive and majestic fish in the sea -- are declining so dramatically due to illegal harvest that their fishery could collapse as early as next year.
  Besides petitioning to protect the Atlantic bluefin under the Endangered Species Act, the Center for Biological Diversity is leading a global pledge by consumers and restaurateurs not to eat or serve imperiled bluefin.
  Read more in our press release

Court Approves Historic Agreement to Speed Endangered Species Act Protection for 757 Imperiled Species TUCSON, AZ. — A federal judge has approved a landmark legal agreement between the Center for Biological Diversity and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requiring the agency to make initial or final decisions on whether to add hundreds of imperiled plants and animals to the federal endangered species list by 2018. The court also approved an agreement with another conservation group that it had previously blocked based on legal opposition from the Center.
  "The court's approval will allow this historic agreement to move forward, speeding protection for as many as 757 of America's most imperiled species," said Noah Greenwald, endangered species director at the Center. "The historic agreement gives species like the Pacific walrus, American wolverine and California golden trout a shot at survival."
  The Center wrote scientific listing petitions and/or filed lawsuits to protect the 757 species as part of its decade-long campaign to safeguard 1,000 of America's most imperiled, least protected species. Spanning every taxonomic group, the species protected by the agreement include 26 birds, 31 mammals, 67 fish, 22 reptiles, 33 amphibians, 197 plants and 381 invertebrates.
  "With approval of the agreement, species from across the nation will be protected," said Greenwald. "Habitat destruction, climate change, invasive species and other factors are pushing species toward extinction in all 50 states, and this agreement will help turn the tide."
  Individual species included in the agreement include the walrus, wolverine, Mexican gray wolf, New England cottontail rabbit, three species of sage grouse, the Miami Blue butterfly, scarlet Hawaiian honeycreeper ('i'iwi), California golden trout and Rio Grande cutthroat trout — as well as 403 southeastern river-dependent species, 42 Great Basin springsnails and 32 Pacific Northwest mollusks.
The agreement, formalized September 9th with the judge's approval, was signed by the Center and the Fish and Wildlife Service on July 12. Already dozens of species have been proposed for listing, including the Miami blue butterfly, one of the rarest butterflies in the United States.
  While the agreement encompasses nearly all the species on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's official list of "candidates" for Endangered Species Act protection, two-thirds of the species in the agreement (499) are not on the list. This corresponds with the conclusion of numerous scientists and scientific societies that the extinction crisis is vastly greater than existing federal priority systems and budgets.
  "The Endangered Species Act specifically allows scientists, conservationists and others to submit petitions to protect species," said Greenwald. "These petitions play a critical role in identifying species in need and help the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with the ever-expanding task of protecting species threatened with extinction."
  The species in the agreement occur in all 50 states and several Pacific island territories. The top three states in the agreement are Alabama, Georgia and Florida, with 149, 121 and 115 species respectively.
Florida species include Florida brown checkered summer sedge, Florida cave amphipod, Florida cave crayfish, Florida fairy shrimp, Florida Keys mole Skink, Florida pondweed, Florida red-bellied turtle, Miami Blue Butterfly and Florida willow.
Click here for an alphabetical list of the included species.
Bears' appetites soar in fall, so stash your garbage Florida black bears turn into eating machines this time of year, stuffing their stomachs in preparation for winter. For gluttonous bears, raiding a garbage can may be more appealing than foraging in the woods. To reduce human-bear conflicts during the surge of bear activity in late summer and fall, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) urges people to keep food sources around their homes and businesses secure from bears.

  "Due to the current drought, Florida black bears are starting earlier and roaming farther this year in pursuit of the high-calorie meals that prepare them for winter," said FWC Bear Management Program Coordinator David Telesco. "People should respect the fact that bears are large, powerful wild animals. If people secure their garbage and other sources of food, bears will be less tempted to hang around in places where they don't belong."
  So what exactly is food for a bear? In the wild, black bears eat berries, nuts, fruits and insects, with small animals filling just 5 percent of their diet. In neighborhoods, bears are typically dining on household trash, birdseed or pet food.
  "If a bear has to choose between spending a few minutes chomping on a bag of dog food or several hours trying to find and eat 5,000 acorns to get the same amount of calories, the bear is going for the dog food," Telesco said. "Bear-proofing your property, however, can be as simple as storing garbage in a garage or shed and bringing in your pet food and birdseed at night."
  Preventing access to food is the most important thing people can do to keep bears wild and out of neighborhoods. Black bears are normally shy and afraid of people. But bears can lose their natural fear if they become accustomed to getting food from people, and a bear's sense of smell is so keen that it can detect food more than a mile away. It is illegal in Florida to leave out food or garbage that will attract bears and cause human-bear conflicts.
  With the number of Florida black bears up to about 3,000 and with cities and suburbs pushing farther into bear habitat, there are more chances people will encounter bears. Bears that leave forests to seek food are more likely to be killed: either hit by a vehicle, shot by a resident or euthanized by the FWC. If a bear is judged to present a risk to public safety, the FWC will euthanize the bear.
  "Conflicts between people and bears are preventable," Telesco said. "The majority of people who follow the FWC's advice on how to safeguard food from bears don't have conflicts." He suggested that business owners and residents interested in getting bear-proof dumpsters and trash cans contact their waste service providers.
Go to MyFWC.com/Bear to learn more about living in bear country.

Feds move to protect one-of-a-kind S.F. bush Federal wildlife officials recommended endangered species protection Wednesday for a San Francisco manzanita plant that was believed to be extinct until 2009 when a single shrub was discovered in the Presidio.
  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed listing the Franciscan manzanita under the Endangered Species Act. The finding, reached after a yearlong study of the plant, opens a 60-day public comment period.
  Environmental groups including the Wild Equity Institute, Center for Biological Diversity and California Native Plant Society petitioned for the listing two years ago. The Wild Equity Institute then sued in June, accusing Interior Secretary Ken Salazar of failing to protect the last remaining specimen in the wild.
  The ground-hugging shrub, known scientifically as Arctostaphylos franciscana, was thought to have been wiped out in 1947, when the old Laurel Hill Cemetery was bulldozed.
  Then, in October 2009, Daniel Gluesenkamp, the director of habitat restoration at Audubon Canyon Ranch, spotted the plant's distinctive white flowers flowing down a bluff next to Doyle Drive that had recently been cleared of trees.
  The endangered designation would mean anyone who removes or tampers with the plant could face criminal prosecution and fines. It would also qualify the plant for federal conservation funds. A final decision is expected within a year.
Read more
Border Species, Wildlands Threatened by New Legislation press release and learn about the Center's campaign to protect borderlands and boundary waters.A new bill from Arizona Sen. John McCain would give border patrol agencies free rein on all federal lands within 100 miles of the U.S-Mexico border. That means they'd be exempt from bedrock environmental laws like the Endangered Species Act, Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act. McCain's harmful and unnecessary legislation came Wednesday as an amendment tacked on to the Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill.
  "Politicians are playing games with important border-security legislation at the expense of laws that protect clean air, water and endangered species," said Randy Serraglio, a conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. "The losers will be jaguars, ocelots, Sonoran pronghorn and residents of border communities."
Mexico to Release Five Wolves Near Arizona In other borderlands news, U.S. wildlife officials just learned that Mexico will soon release five captive-bred Mexican gray wolves in the state of Sonora -- possibly within a wolf's walking distance of Arizona and New Mexico. The release, long delayed after its first proposal in 2009, is "extraordinarily good news" for the endangered canine's recovery in both the United States and Mexico, said the Center for Biological Diversity's Michael Robinson. In fact, he says, "It's hard to conceive of recovery actually taking place without a population of wolves sustaining itself in Mexico and being connected to those in the United States."
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Appeal Filed to Protect Goshawk, Spotted Owl, Old-growth Trees The Center for Biological Diversity on Tuesday appealed a timber sale in New Mexico's Lincoln National Forest that threatens sensitive and threatened wildlife like the northern goshawk and Mexican spotted owl.
  The "Bonito" project would log and burn trees on more than 11,000 acres outside of Ruidoso. But the Forest Service's own assessment admits that the logging will remove more forest canopy habitat for the goshawk than is allowed. The agency also admits that it's allowing the cutting of some of the area's largest trees, even though the forest doesn't have enough old growth.
  There are two other similar forest restoration projects in New Mexico that the Center isn't appealing; in the case of Bonito, it's clear the project needs to change before it moves ahead.
Read more

Everglades and Water Quality Issues
Senator wants a 10-year ban on water bottling permits A Republican senator from Ormond Beach is raising the controversy over water bottling to another level with a bill filed Wednesday.
SB 216 by Sen. Evelyn Lynn would place a 10-year ban on permits for the purchase of water with the intent to resell the water to the public for a commercial profit.
  Lynn said the aim of the bill is to prevent new water bottling operations from being permitted and she said it wouldn't apply to water utilities. Last month, she filed SB 118, which would place a 6 percent tax on the retail sale of bottled water under one gallon in size.
  The senator said she hears all the time that there is less water available for Florida's growing population and that severe conservation measures are needed, such as desalination and reuse of treated wastewater. "I'm not against the companies," she said. "But you cannot be so contradictory in what you are saying to the people. Either we have no water problem or we do have a water problem."
  A spokeswoman for Nestle Waters NA said she could not immediately provide comment on the bill and other industry representatives were not immediately available.
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EPA retreats in Florida clean water fight Floridians who banked on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to protect the state's waters have a right to be disappointed. The agency appears to have capitulated again by approving this month the state's request to lower standards for water bodies too polluted or physically altered to be redeemed in a "cost effective" way. The true impact remains to be seen, but this puts a new weapon into the hands of the environmental wrecking crew in Tallahassee.
  Florida's current standards divide the state's waterways into five categories, from Class I, for drinking water, down to Class V, or water for industrial use. Under federal law, no one is supposed to pollute the waterways to the point that any is downgraded from one class to the next. Most of Florida's water bodies are designated Class III, safe for swimming and fishing. The EPA approved the state's request to create a subcategory, Class III-Limited, which is aimed at waterways the state says are not worth the time or expense to clean up.
  The rule change was years in the making, and to a degree it addressed a legitimate concern about maintaining the quality of man-made canals and other small water bodies that lacked the aquatic diversity of a natural, thriving ecosystem. But the EPA will give Florida wide latitude to define what Class III water bodies are fit to be downgraded to the new subcategory. The state would determine a waterway's highest use and whether it was feasible to restore a water body to its original condition. Waters that would be relegated to Class III-Limited status would not be allowed to deteriorate further or harm any waters downstream.
  The EPA downplayed the move, insisting it is in keeping with the federal Clean Water Act and noting it must approve any downgrade. The agency said it merely hoped to give Florida "flexibility" to apply standards to water bodies that were already compromised.
  But the proof of the agency's judgment is still to come as it oversees the implementation of the new subcategory. At best, Washington has written off an unknown number of waterways and lessened the imperative for environmental restoration. And it sent a terrible sign to heavy polluters and their enablers in state government who have long appeared more interested in saving money than being good stewards of the water resources all Floridians own. Floridians are right to wonder how much faith they can put in the EPA long term when it gives up so much at the outset.
Melissa Meeker: South Florida Water Management District streamlining, not curtailing Everglades restoration efforts Contrary to the unsubstantiated cries of a handful of environmentalists, reducing spending at the South Florida Water Management District is not bringing Everglades restoration to a grinding halt.
  Reducing taxes by more than 30 percent, the district is streamlining operations, eliminating unnecessary expenses and getting back to its core mission of flood control, water supply and ecosystem restoration. In doing so, we are saving South Floridians $128 million, the majority of which has been realized by cutting excessive overhead and building a leaner, more efficient agency.
  Even with these changes, the district still employs a dynamic 1,647 employees, close to half of which are dedicated to operating South Florida's massive flood control system.
  More than 25 percent of our workforce hold Ph.D. or master degrees, and we have more than 150 certified professional engineers and geologists. This highly qualified, capable and competent workforce is focused on effectively achieving the agency's water management responsibilities.
  As for funding our core mission, more than 70 percent of the agency's $557 million budget this year will go toward flood control and protecting the environment.
  With an investment of more than $850 million in 2011 and 2012 combined, we will bring a half dozen restoration projects to construction completion this year.
  It is important to note that agency reductions were not made at the expense of restoration. In fact, over the next five years, the district will use reserves to invest an additional $350 million primarily to improve water storage and water quality in the northern and southern Everglades, Lake Okeechobee and the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee watersheds.
  These efforts will engage our federal partners — and those constituents with an interest in being a part of the solution — in achieving our shared restoration objectives.
Just like most businesses, governments and households today, the district is cutting back on excess spending and focusing its resources on priorities.
  Despite the invalid complaints of a vocal few, prudent fiscal planning and a streamlined operation is allowing the district to both lower taxes and press ahead with important projects that will protect the environmental and economic interests of South Florida.
Restore: State of the Everglades - summer 2011 It has been an exciting year thus far for the Everglades. Restoration projects and project agreements are moving forward. Audubon's Everglades team has been hard at work requesting increased protections for Lake Okeechobee's water quality and the quantity of water available for wildlife such as the endangered Everglade Snail Kite. As we continue to keep a close eye on restoration progress, including moving forward the discussion of operating structures and completed projects to provide maximum benefit for the ecosystem, we hope you will join us in our efforts by continuing to take action on important decisions. Please also consider making a contribution so our team can maintain its diligent efforts to protect and restore America's Everglades. We appreciate your continued support!
  Our Everglades team of science and policy professionals works tirelessly throughout the year in the four corners of the Everglades. In the Northern Everglades, Charles Lee advocates for water quality improvements through partnerships involving landowners to store water to filter pollutants on their lands. Julie Hill-Gabriel, Megan Tinsley and Jane Graham work toward restoring the Water Conservation Areas, Southern Everglades and Florida Bay as Brian Moore works to get Everglades projects funded from Washington D.C. Brad Cornell leads the fight for issues impacting the health of the Western Everglades, while Eric Draper, Julie Wraithmell, and Mary Jean Yon head up our efforts in Tallahassee. Audubon's science experts are stationed in various locations to inform us about the needs for the health of the Everglades: Dr. Paul Gray near Lake Okeechobee, Dr. Jerry Lorenz and Peter Frezza based in Tavernier, and Ed Carlson and Jason Lauritsen at Audubon's Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.
Wildlife and Habitat
Wildlife responding increasingly rapidly to climate change New research by scientists in the Department of Biology at the University of York shows that species have responded to climate change up to three times faster than previously appreciated. These results are published in the latest issue of the leading scientific journal Science.
  Species have moved towards the poles (further north in the northern hemisphere, to locations where conditions are cooler) at three times the rate previously accepted in the scientific literature, and they have moved to cooler, higher altitudes at twice the rate previously realised.
  Analyzing data for over 2000 responses by animal and plant species, the research team estimated that, on average, species have moved to higher elevations at 12.2 metres per decade and, more dramatically, to higher latitudes at 17.6 kilometers per decade.
  Project leader Chris Thomas, Professor of Conservation Biology at York, said: "These changes are equivalent to animals and plants shifting away from the Equator at around 20 cm per hour, for every hour of the day, for every day of the year. This has been going on for the last 40 years and is set to continue for at least the rest of this century. "
  This study for the first time showed that species have moved furthest in regions where the climate has warmed the most, unambiguously linking the changes in where species survive to climate warming over the last 40 years.
  First author Dr I-Ching Chen, previously a PhD student at York and now a researcher at the Academia Sinica in Taiwan, said: "This research shows that it is global warming that is causing species to move towards the poles and to higher elevations. We have for the first time shown that the amount by which the distributions of species have changed is correlated with the amount the climate has changed in that region."
  Co-author Dr Ralf Ohlemüller, from Durham University, said: "We were able to calculate how far species might have been expected to move so that the temperatures they experience today are the same as the ones they used to experience, before global warming kicked in. Remarkably, species have on average moved towards the poles as rapidly as expected."
  These conclusions hold for the average responses of species, but individual species showed much greater variation. Some species have moved much more slowly than expected, others have not moved, and some have even retreated where they are expected to expand. In contrast, other species have raced ahead, perhaps because they are sensitive to a particular component of climate change (rather than to average warming), or because other changes to the environment have also been driving their responses.
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Global Warming and Climate Change
The evidence of climate change is all around us. Every day, new stories and scientific studies pour in documenting impacts of climate change we're already experiencing. The message is clear: Climate change is not an abstract problem for the future. Climate change is happening now, we are causing it and the longer we wait to act, the more we lose and the more difficult the problem will be to solve.
  With the passing of another summer, we find another scary new summer sea-ice low: Scientists at the University of Bremen announced that this year, the Arctic's summer sea ice reached its minimum extent since it was first recorded in 1972. And that's a mighty measly minimum -- in fact, researchers reported, summer sea ice has retreated by 50 percent since that first year, and further declines are expected even this month.      
  The news of record sea-ice loss comes just after the announcement that this summer was the second-hottest on record since 1895.
  The Arctic's imperiled species are feeling the heat: In August, about 8,000 Pacific walruses had to haul out on land in Alaska -- facing deadly threats like trampling and predators -- because the sea ice they need for resting was gone. Polar bears and seals are suffering as global warming melts their icy habitat. And with the wave of climate change-related natural disasters that has stuck the globe this year, people are suffering too.
  Polar scientists say that Arctic sea ice has melted to a level not recorded since satellite observations started in 1972 – and almost certainly not experienced for at least 8,000 years.
  Daily satellite sea-ice maps released by Bremen university physicists show that with a week's more melt expected this year, the floating ice in the Arctic covered an area of 4.24 million square kilometers on 8 September. The previous one-day minimum was 4.27m sq. km on 17 September 2007.
  The German researchers said the record melt was undoubtedly because of human-induced global warming. "The sea-ice retreat can no more be explained with the natural variability from one year to the next, caused by weather influence," said Georg Heygster, head of the Institute of Environmental Physics at Bremen.
"It seems to be clear that this is a further consequence of the man-made global warming with global consequences. Climate models show that the reduction is related to the man-made global warming, which, due to the albedo effect, is particularly pronounced in the Arctic," he said. The albedo effect is related to a surface's reflecting power – whiter sea ice reflects more of the sun's heat back into space than darker seawater, which absorbs the sun's heat and gets warmer.
  Floating Arctic sea ice naturally melts and re-freezes annually, but the speed of change in a generation has shocked scientists – it is now twice as great as it was in 1972, according to the NSIDC, with a decline of about 10% per decade.
Read more: Guardian; Climate change is now; What we can do
Energy
Proposed Amendment Would Ban Near-Shore Drilling A Tampa Democrat has filed a Senate version of proposed constitutional amendment to ban oil drilling within about 10 miles of Florida's coastline.
The proposed amendment (SJR 90), filed Tuesday by Sen. Arthenia Joyner, matches a House version (HJR 23) filed earlier this year by Rep. Rick Kriseman, D-St. Petersburg. It would ask voters to put into the constitution a ban on exploration, drilling, extraction or production of oil in Florida waters.
  "There are people still suffering from the big spill," Joyner said Wednesday. "Do you want to expose Florida to the possibility of another spill – but closer to our shore? I just can't believe people want to bring it that close, after seeing what happens when it's farther out.
  "To open up our shoreline to the possibility of oil is ludicrous," Joyner said.
  The move, which would need three-fifths approval of both chambers to get the proposal before voters, comes as backers of drilling have begun again raising the prospect of new exploration for both oil and gas to combat high energy prices, as well as and reducing American dependence on foreign sources of energy.
  Just over a year after the BP Deepwater Horizon spill, largest oil spill in the history of the United States, Joyner said the push for drilling is regaining strength. She pointed to suggestion this week by Republican presidential candidate Michelle Bachmann to consider new drilling in the eastern Gulf and, possibly in the Everglades, if it can be done safely. When Bachmann brought it up at a South Florida campaign stop, she was greeted by calls of "Drill Baby, Drill." "It seems like we need it now more than ever," Joyner said of a constitutional ban.
  Senate President Mike Haridopolos has said he has no intention of pushing for new drilling in Florida waters this year. Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, was a backer of a bill in 2010 that would have removed a moratorium on drilling in Florida waters, but changed his stance after the BP oil spill began in April of that year. Since then, Haridopolos has said there is a need for new drilling in American waters, but has given assurances that Florida waters – which extend about 10 miles in the Gulf, and closer in the Atlantic – would remain off the agenda in the coming year.
  The moratorium on drilling in Florida waters remains, but nothing would prevent lawmakers from lifting it, which is the impetus for the proposed constitutional ban. Then-Gov. Charlie Crist proposed such a ban in the wake of the spill, but the House refused to take it up.
  Crist is now, along with former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink, a backer of another push to get the idea before voters, a citizen initiative being pushed by a group called Save Our Seas, Beaches and Shores.
  That group is collecting signatures to try to get the issue on the ballot. Its leader, Manley Fuller, conceded Wednesday that it doesn't look like the grassroots group, which relies heavily on volunteers, will be able to hit its mark in time for the 2012 ballot.
  "It would be extremely difficult, practically speaking, for us to make the ballot," Fuller said. "It's been a mom and pop operation. We're looking for a major supporter, a major benefactor. We need some people to write some checks.
  "It would be great if the Legislature would put it on the ballot," Fuller said. "That would be wonderful."
Gov. Rick Scott, who wouldn't have a say because proposed amendments passed by lawmakers go straight to the ballot without the governor's approval, has recently said he supports additional drilling if it can be shown there's no chance of a major spill, but he hasn't been convinced of that yet.
  Opponents of drilling fear the debate over whether to allow it in Florida waters goes beyond the actual question of whether to let new exploration begin in the area. They point to an acknowledgement last year by North Dakota Sen. Byron Dorgan, a Republican backer of drilling, that the issue is in part about trying to expand drilling farther out in the Gulf, in federal waters.
  Opposition to drilling in federal waters over environmental concerns would carry less weight, Dorgan has said, if Florida lawmakers were to approve drilling even closer to shore.
  Another question remains how much oil and gas would be produced by new drilling. In the 1970s and '80s, about 40 exploratory wells were drilled in the Gulf from Pensacola to Tampa Bay. Little oil was produced, and what was found was a low-grade crude – but the drilling did find large reserves of natural gas.
  Backers of drilling generally have said that in the wake of the BP spill last year, the likelihood of another similar spill is greatly reduced. The Obama administration, which backs new drilling in federal waters in parts of the Gulf, said that just last week, when it approved the sale of new oil and gas leases in the Gulf.
  "Since Deepwater Horizon, we have strengthened oversight at every stage of the oil and gas development process, including deepwater drilling safety, subsea blowout containment, and spill response capability," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said last week. Those leases, however, will be in the western Gulf, nearer Louisiana.
  Joyner said the argument is different for Florida, where beaches are so important to the economy. "Florida is a natural tourist attraction – why would you do something that has the potential of decimating something people come from all over the world for, it's beautiful beaches?"
SHELL GETS GO-AHEAD TO DRILL IN BEAUFORT SEA The Obama Administration has given the Shell oil company tentative approval to begin drilling next summer in the Beaufort Sea, off the coast of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Oil companies have no proven method for cleaning up spills in ice-filled waters, and a spill could be catastrophic for the polar bears, whales, seals and other wildlife that thrive in this pristine Arctic environment.
  The go-ahead came just days before the reports of a massive oil spill in the North Sea, where a leaky pipeline also operated by Shell released more than 55,000 gallons of oil into the icy waters. The Natural Resources Defense Council will fight on all fronts -- including in court, if necessary -- to stop Shell from drilling.
Michigan company gets hydropower permit A Michigan company has been granted a preliminary permit from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission -- the first step in the development of a hydropower project in the St. Clair River near the Blue Water Bridge.
  Current Connection LLC of Troy applied for the preliminary permit March 30, 2010, from the commission -- a division of the U.S. Department of Energy -- a move done to secure and maintain priority of licensing for its project.
  The preliminary permit was granted to the company Dec. 22, 2010, for three years so Current Connection could conduct environmental and feasibility studies on the river.
  The hydrokinetic facility would hug the seawall along the U.S. side of the St. Clair River outside of commercial shipping lanes.
  Power generated from the units will be routed to a substation underneath the Blue Water Bridge via a 200-foot-long, 46-kilovolt transmission line.
  The proposed project would have 19.8 megawatts of generating power from 396 in-stream hydrokinetic turbine-generators, each rated at 50 kilowatts. Estimated electricity output was based on a river flow rate of 4.9 to 6.6 feet per second.
  The facility would be composed of six farms, each with 11 groupings of six turbine units. Each unit contains a rotating turbine blade 16.4 feet in diameter and an overall length of 23 feet.
  Groupings will be moored to the river bed using cables attached to anchors or pilings so that the units can be floated to the surface for maintenance. Energy generated by Current Connection's operation likely would be sold to DTE Energy.
  According to a tentative project timeline given to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission by Current Connection, construction could begin by 2014.
Land Conservation
Unprecedented Opportunity to Protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge For the first time in the history of the Arctic Refuge, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) could recommend Wilderness protection for the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge—the Refuge's biological heart that has also been in Big Oil's sights for decades. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is revising the Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) for the Refuge for the first time in 20 years. This two-year process, which started in 2010, will result in a 15-year management plan.

  The USFWS recently released its draft CCP for public input. The draft plan contains six alternatives for long-term management, ranging from the continuation of current practices to the designation of three geographic areas (including the Arctic Refuge Coastal Plain) for potential inclusion within the National Wilderness Preservation System, and the potential designation of four additional Wild and Scenic Rivers on the refuge.
  If the final CCP recommends additional Wilderness and Wild and Scenic River designations, the recommendations would require approval by the Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Secretary of the Interior, and the President. The President would then submit the recommendation to Congress, which alone has the authority to make final decisions on any proposed Wilderness or Wild and Scenic River designation.
  Some places are too special to drill, and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is one of them. For the past 50 years Audubon has remained committed to protecting this unparalleled habitat and the abundant wildlife that depends on it—including polar bears, musk oxen, caribou and millions of birds from around the globe. We will need your help to ensure that a Wilderness recommendation for the Arctic Refuge's Coastal Plain is ultimately included in the final version of the CCP. Stay tuned for your opportunity to help ensure this untrammeled wilderness remains intact for future generations.
Audubon Coordinates Citizen Response to Proposed Regulation for Cape Hatteras National Seashore In July 2011, the National Park Service proposed new, permanent regulations for off-road vehicle use at Cape Hatteras National Seashore on North Carolina's Outer Banks. These proposed regulations jeopardize much-needed wildlife protections and put the future for birds like the Piping Plover, Least Tern, and Black Skimmer in doubt. The proposed regulations will control what happens at Cape Hatteras for decades and set a precedent for other national parks. As written, they do not mandate specific, science-based protections for the wildlife that depends on the Seashore and provide few areas for families to safely enjoy vehicle-free beaches. The National Park Service is accepting public comments on the proposed regulation until September 19, 2011. Audubon and partner organizations are coordinating a citizen response to the proposed regulation.

Read more.
DEP TO HOST PUBLIC MEETINGS REGARDING THE GENERAL JAMES A. VAN FLEET STATE TRAIL The Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Office of Greenways & Trails within the Division of Recreation and Parks will host two public meetings in Polk City for discussion of the proposed draft update to the management plan for the General James A. Van Fleet State Trail on Oct. 5, 2011. Interested parties are invited to attend.
  Comments may be presented orally or in writing at the meeting. Comments submitted in writing must be received by Oct. 3, 2011 by mail at DEP Office of Greenways & Trails, 3900 Commonwealth Blvd., MS 795, Tallahassee, FL 32399-3000 or by email to marsha.connell@dep.state.fl.us .
  To view a copy of the proposed management plan, visit http://www.dep.state.fl.us/gwt/news/trailnews/default.htm .
Foes make final try to block UP mine TRAVERSE CITY, Michigan — Opponents of a planned nickel and copper mine in Michigan's Upper Peninsula are making a final legal appeal to halt initial blasting at the site.
  Four organizations have filed a motion in Ingham County Circuit Court for a stay of mining permits issued by the state Department of Environmental Quality. A judge with the court is considering an appeal of the DEQ's decision to grant the permits.
  The Huron Mountain Club, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, National Wildlife Federation and Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve say the mine jeopardizes water and air quality in the forestland of western Marquette County. They say extracting minerals at the site could pollute ground and surface waters with sulfuric acid.
  Kenecott Eagle Minerals Co. says the project can be carried out while safeguarding the environment.
Miscellaneous
Bacteria killing Sabal, date palm trees in Florida An insect with a disgusting habit is killing palm trees in the Tampa Bay area and experts are worried the disease transmitted by the bugs will affect trees around the state.
  The first Florida sighting of Texas Phoenix Palm Decline was in 2005 in Manatee County. Since then, it's been detected in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Polk counties, although experts say Manatee County is still the hardest-hit area.
  According to University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, the disease is spread by a planthopper insect but the exact kind of bug isn't yet known. The insects pierce the palm leaves, then vomit — and the vomit spreads the bacterium that causes the disease.
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The biggest dam removal ever begins on Washington's Elwha River. It's a major river restoration effort, and the world will be watching. It isn't every day we get to celebrate a success like this. But soon we'll get to witness a river coming back to life before our eyes.
  The Elwha River is in the northwest corner of Washington state. The river flows from the heart of Olympic National Park to the Strait of Juan de Fuca on Puget Sound.
  There are two dams on the river – Elwha Dam (108 feet tall, built in 1913 just five miles from the river's mouth) and Glines Canyon Dam (210 feet tall, built in 1927, several miles upstream of Elwha Dam). Both dams were built without fish passage, and completely blocked salmon from historic habitat. The dams will be removed gradually, over the course of 2.5 to 3 years. This isn't just about tearing down a couple old dams. It's about restoring the soul of this river, and the culture of a people.
  Eighty percent of the river is protected within the park, so most of it is wild and pristine. The river was once home to all five species of Pacific salmon and has been home to the Klallam people for millennia.
  This is the world's biggest dam removal, and one of biggest and most significant river restoration efforts to date. We will see a river coming back to life, with great benefits for salmon runs, the tribe and community. The lessons we learn on the Elwha can inspire other river restoration efforts around the country.
  Dam removal will restore the river, from mountains to sea, opening access to more than 70 miles of salmon habitat. Salmon runs will grow from 3,000 (current) to more than 300,000 a year. The entire web of life will benefit, from black bears to tiny insects to orca whales (137 different species depend on salmon).
  The lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, whose reservation is at the mouth of the river and who depends on the salmon runs, will have a significant piece of its culture restored. Dam removal and river restoration will bring hundreds of millions of dollars of economic benefits to the community, from restored fisheries to recreation and tourism.
  The amount of electricity generated by the dams (about 19 megawatts) is minimal compared to both the region's needs and its power production capacity. The dams provide power equal to about one half the energy needs of just one local company, the Nippon Paper Industries mill. The mill is currently receiving all of its power from the City of Port Angeles via the regional electrical grid. The mill is seeking to construct a power facility at the mill that would exceed the amount of power the two dams produce on average.
  Every dam removal is different, but common lessons can be learned about the best ways to make it work for the river and community. The dam removal and river restoration effort on the Elwha should inspire restoration efforts on other rivers in the region and across the country. When communities see the benefits on the Elwha, they will ask questions about their own rivers and hopefully work toward their own restoration efforts.
Crab trap raider caught, faces stiff repercussions A 23-year-old St. Johns County man found out recently that robbing commercial blue crab traps is serious business in Florida and could land him in prison.
Trevor J. Jones (DOB 01/31/88) of St. Augustine was booked into the Putnam County jail Sept. 15, charged with theft from a blue crap trap, a third-degree felony. If convicted, Jones faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
  "Stealing from a commercial blue crab trap is a serious offense because it is interfering with a person's livelihood," said Lt. George Pottorf.
  Over the Labor Day weekend, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Officer Mike Florence and Pottorf were on patrol near Fort Gates on the St. Johns River when they saw Jones throw a crab trap into the water from his boat. As it turned out, the trap did not belong to Jones, who had neither a commercial nor recreational permit to trap crabs. The officers removed the trap as evidence and returned the live crabs to the water.
  Trapping blue crabs requires a permit, whether it is for commercial or recreational purposes, and it is standard procedure for officers to inspect vessels when occupants are setting or pulling traps from the water.
Stealing from blue crab traps is a statewide problem. The blue crab is a restricted species, which means the number of people who can harvest blue crabs commercially is limited. In fact, commercial fishermen seeking a restricted species endorsement (permit) to harvest blue crabs on a saltwater products license must prove that a certain percentage of their income is derived from the sale of blue crabs.
  Another problem with pulling up someone else's crab traps is that the placement of traps is critical to a commercial crabber's success. When someone pulls one up and throws it back into the water haphazardly, there is a good chance it won't end up in a good position to trap crabs.
  But people who want crabs for supper don't have to steal someone else's. Anyone with a valid recreational saltwater fishing license may harvest crabs in traps as long as the traps meet certain criteria. Recreational crabbers are limited to using five traps, each of which must be marked with a buoy with the letter "R" painted on it. The name and address of the crabber must be permanently attached to the trap also. And each trap must have three escape rings, so smaller crabs can escape, as well as a biodegradable panel or device that will deteriorate, so crabs will not be forever trapped if the trap line is cut or the trap is abandoned.
  To report crab trap robbers and other violations, please call the 24-hour Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922). Callers may remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward if their information leads to an arrest.
Wild & Weird: Drunk Moose Left High but Not Dry Ever gotten a bit tipsy and later regretted reaching for that last . . . rancid apple?
  In Scandinavia last week, a female moose must have had some regrets of her own after apparently getting "severely drunk" off fermented apples and clambering into a tree to reach for more of the intoxicating treats. With her lanky, hoofed legs and lack of opposable thumbs, the unhappy ungulate became hopelessly entangled in tree limbs and had to be rescued by local firefighters -- who bent the tree over so that the moose could slide down and slump onto the ground to sleep it off.
  According to the local Swede who found the treed moose bellowing in his neighbor's yard, her species is   often seen lurching around with a cider buzz in early fall (the time of rancid appletinis). "Tis the season."
In Memoriam
Thom Rumberger, Champion of Florida's Environment. In August of 2011, the US Senate recognized and honored his professional success with a resolution by Senators Nelson and Rubio. To read the resolution, click here