"Let every individual and institution now think and act as a responsible trustee of Earth, seeking

choices in ecology, economics and ethics that will provide a sustainable future, eliminate pollution,

poverty and violence, awaken the wonder of life and foster peaceful progress in the human adventure."

John McConnell, founder of International Earth Day

Announcements

See A Manatee?

- Call Promptly

The days are getting cooler, and Eastern Seaboard and Gulf of Mexico residents are asked to report

sightings of endangered manatees to their local Marine Mammal Stranding Network.

Stranding network phone numbers are posted at the following link:

www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/health/networks.htm

Feathers & Friends Gala

Public EventAnyone can see and join this event

· By Collier County Audubon Society

•

When

Thursday, February 9, 2012

•

Time

10:30am until 1:30pm

Description

Come out and support Collier County Audubon Society and Corkscrew Swamp

Sanctuary by attending our Feathers & Friends Gala 2012. With keynote speaker,

award winning author, Carl Hiaasen, hors d'oeuvres and dinner, it's an evening not

to be missed!

Victory for Endangered Species Act

Our win to defend the Endangered Species Act against weakening amendments was a strong bright spot in

this past year's legislative calendar. A true David and Goliath fight, the House vote that swung our way

signaled a hopeful sign that we could muster bipartisan support for some of our most cherished conservation

values.

The attack came in the form of language buried in the Interior Appropriations bill that would have prevented

the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from spending money to provide safety net protections of the Act to 260

critcally imperiled species. The so-called Extinction Rider was removed through an amendment offered by

long-time environmental champion Norm Dicks (D-WA), which passed by a bipartisan vote of 222-202. It

was a good victory but it won't be the last fight we see to protect the ESA from attacks. Already the House is

looking for other ways to weaken this cornerstone law to protect our most vulnerable birds, wildlife and

plants

Florida Panthers

Hendry panther in go slow zone

http://www.eco-voice.org/node/12441

Elizabeth Fleming

Working in Defenders' Florida office, panthers tend to be on my mind more often than not. But though

I've worked over 7 years to help bring the big cat to recovery, I've never actually seen one in the wild.

Until now.

This Tuesday, I was driving along the Four Sections road in Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest.

Accompanied by wildlife ecologist and expert wildlife tracker Sue Morse and longtime Defenders

supporter Barbara Long, we were coming to the close of a busy few days, having hosted a successful

Big Cats of North America presentation and a weekend workshop to train Panther Citizen Assistance

Taskforce volunteers to help Defenders respond to reports about panthers. We were driving in the area's

prime panther habitat. It was almost 5pm, the witching hour for animal activity. Lots of deer were out

foraging and the three of us had our eyes peeled for movement along the side of the road.

Suddenly, a panther bounded in front of our car. Uncollared, the cat was a beautiful tawny color,

probably a female or young male. It wasn't moving very fast, but its three leaps across the road lasted

only seconds- I barely had enough time to shout "Panther!" to my companions before it disappeared

from sight. I was speechless, and without the two of them with me, I might have been convinced I

made the whole thing up.

Our brief encounter with the cat couldn't have been more timely. Before our welcome interruption, we'd

been on our way to the Hendry County Board of County Commissioners meeting, where

Commissioners were voting to designate 5.25 miles of CR 832/Keri Road as a slow speed nighttime

panther zone.......

Endangered Species

Sightings of black bears up in Florida; wildlife officials debate plan

Wildlife officials are trying to figure out how to deal with a burgeoning population of bears in Florida.

The F

lorida Times-Union reports sightings of bears have been on an uptick. The state received more

than 4,000 calls reporting bears last year, up nearly fourfold from a decade earlier.

A rebound in the American black bear population has been recorded since the animal was listed as

threatened in the 1970s.

The state is now proposing a new plan to manage the bear population. The Fish and Wildlife

Commission is accepting online suggestions on its proposal through Jan. 10.

In a series of public meetings on the plan, some have called for allowing the hunting of black bears, but

the proposal does not include such language.

Read more

Everglades and Water Supply Issues

NBC's Chuck Todd to headline Everglades summit

On January 17th and 18th, 2012 the Everglades

Foundation will be hosting a first of its kind event in Tallahassee, Florida. The Everglades Water

Supply Summit will be filled with informative, thought-provoking events designed to build momentum

towards the restoration of a national treasure and to secure Florida's water supply.

Moderator for the event is NBC News Chief White House Correspondent Chuck Todd. A Florida

native, Todd, also is NBC’s political director as well as host of the morning MSNBC show, The Daily

Rundown. Todd also appears frequently on the NBC Nightly News, Meet the Press, and other programs

as a political analyst. Before joining NBC, Todd was editor-in-chief of The Hotline.

“We are thrilled that Chuck is joining us for this historic event,” said Paul Tudor Jones, II, chairman of

the Everglades Foundation. “He is an important and thoughtful voice in our nation’s political

discourse.”

The Water Supply Summit will also feature a performance by singer Gavin Degraw, at The Moon, on

the evening of January 17.

Our sense of urgency has never been greater. In 2011, Florida suffered from one of the worst drought’s

in the state’s history. It was the third drought in ten years and meteorologists are predicting another

drought in 2012.

Lack of rain has sparked wildfires across the state. Destructive algae blooms harmed the

Caloosahatchee River and the economy that depends on the river. The city of West Palm Beach and the

Town of Palm Beach were within days of running out of water. In Palm Beach County a war over

scarce water supplies is looming. And those are just some examples of the extraordinary, ongoing

damage caused by the drought.

During the Water Supply Summit, we will focus on the need to provide a secure and reliable water

supply for the 7 million Floridians who depend on the Everglades ecosystem as their main source of

fresh drinking water.

We will exam long overdue remedies – storing rainwater, cleaning it, and supplying it those who need

it. We will renew the call to restore the Everglades not only as a critical supplier of our water but as

crucial part of Florida’s economic wellbeing.

Our Tallahassee Water Supply Summit follows the successful 2010 America’s Everglades Summit in

Washington, D.C. That summit featured top state and federal leaders, as well as hundreds of supporters

of the Everglades. Former NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw hosted a discussion on the challenges

facing Everglades Restoration.

“The success of our Washington Summit told us that legislators and policy leaders are eager to

participate in discussions about how to improve and enhance our fresh water supply,” said Kirk

Fordham, Everglades Foundation CEO. “We look forward to bringing that discussion to Tallahassee at

a time when legislators will be in session making critical decisions about the future of Everglades

restoration.”

Jones said the Water Supply Summit is a unique opportunity for Gov. Rick Scott and Florida

lawmakers to discuss with business leaders and concerned Floridians possible solutions to our growing

water crisis.

“Anytime you can bring together people who care deeply about Florida’s economy, the Everglades and

the future of our water supply, you create an opportunity to find answers that will work,” said Jones.

The Water Supply Summit will also be a high-energy, entertaining, multi-media event, said Jerry

Karnas, Everglades Foundation communications director.

“Our approach is to enlighten, educate and entertain,” said Karnas. “We’re particularly excited about

having singer, songwriter Gavin Degraw, perform at The Water Supply Summit. Degraw’s albums have

topped the charts and he will bring excitement and energy to the summit.”

Everglades restoration is worth it

In November, the Everglades Coalition held 25 meetings with

Florida elected officials in five counties throughout the state for the Coalition's first Everglades

Education Week.

Representatives from the Coalition's 54 organizations discussed the importance of continuing the

momentum for investing in Everglades restoration, building up to the 27th annual Everglades Coalition

Conference, Everglades Restoration: Worth Every Penny, which will be hosted on Hutchinson Island

Jan. 5-8.

During the past three years, Everglades restoration projects have generated 10,500 jobs with more than

442,000 jobs expected to be created over the next several decades in tourism, real estate and

commercial and recreational fishing industries. Now, more than 10 years after the original

Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan was adopted by Congress, restoration projects are well

under way and Floridians are reaping the benefits.

* Restoration replenishes and protects the drinking water supply for Floridians and supplies water for

agriculture, recreation and commerce.

* Everglades National Park generates more than $165 million in visitor spending each year.

* For every dollar invested in Everglades restoration, $4 is generated in economic benefits to the

public.

* America's Everglades is recognized as one of the world's most unique and spectacular natural

wonders.

Florida lawmakers must support and maximize our investment in the Everglades. Each time we turn

dirt on an Everglades restoration project we are creating jobs and fulfilling a promise to protect our

national parks, wildlife and family memories for our children and grandchildren to enjoy.

Dawn Shirreffs, co-chair, National Everglades Coalition, Hollywood

Julie Hill-Gabriel, co-chair, State Everglades Coalition, Miami

Seven Florida Republicans Balked at $1 Trillion Federal Spending Bill

The $1 trillion omnibus

spending bill passed the U.S. House Friday without the help of seven Florida representatives.

Conservatives assailed the measure, which passed 296-121, for a variety of reasons.

Rep. Bill Posey, R-Rockledge, noted that the bill spends $31.6 billion more than the House-passed

budget plan and nearly $10 billion more than the bipartisan Budget Control Act agreed to in August.

"Too many in Washington still do not take seriously $1.4 trillion annual budget deficits, adding billions

of dollars each and every day to our nation's $15 trillion national debt. This bill failed to exercise the

restraint needed to get our own budget in order.

"The decision to abandon the 72-hour requirement for this 1,217-page bill and rush through a stack of

spending bills that should have been subjected to thorough review is disappointing," Posey said.

Rep. Steve Southerland, R-Tallahassee, said the "megabus" H.R. 2055 did not go nearly far enough in

scaling back the excesses of Washington.

"If you want to get out of a hole, you've got to stop digging. Fixing this fiscal mess is going to take

game-changing spending cuts, a balanced budget, and common sense regulatory policies that create an

environment for job creation and economic growth," Southerland said.

Rep. David Rivera, R-Miami, voted against the budget bill after congressional negotiators, bowing to a

veto threat, eliminated restrictions on Cuba travel.

"Today, President Barack Obama reaffirmed his allegiance to Fidel and Raul Castro and confirmed his

status as the Castro brothers' best ally and chief lobbyist in Washington," Rivera charged.

"My vote against this budget is intended to demonstrate my willingness to continue fighting the Obama

administration's policy of appeasement and unilateral concessions toward the Castro regime."

The four other Florida Republicans voting against the measure were Sandy Adams, R-Orlando; Connie

Mack, R-Naples; Dennis Ross, R-Tampa; and Cliff Stearns, R-Ocala.

Florida's Ranchlands Helping to Preserve Landscapes, Protect and Improve Waters

Leaders of

the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the South Florida Water Management District and

the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services recently marked the expansion of an

innovative, cost-saving land management strategy with the signing of partnership agreements with

eight Florida ranchers.

Read more

Land Conservation

Bill would create alternative review option for larger developments

A bill filed last week by the

chairman of the Senate Committee on Community Affairs would create an alternative review process

supported by developers for certain large development projects that remain subject to state review.

State law since 1972 has designated larger developments as "developments of regional impact" that are

subject to reviews by state agencies and planning councils. Developers for many years have sought

changes to the DRI processes to eliminate what they considered to be duplicative or burdensome

regulation.

The Committee on Community Affairs, in an interim report published in November, recommended

keeping the DRI process despite recent changes in growth management law that substantially reduced

state oversight of local growth management decisions.

In 2009, SB 360, signed by then-Gov. Charlie Crist, eliminated the DRI process in designated "dense

urban land use areas." More than half of Florida's 411 cities and eight of Florida's larger counties

qualified for the exemption in 2009.

This year, SB 1180 by Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton and committee chairman, would allow local

governments in cities and counties still subject to the DRI process to direct those larger developments

into an alternative "coordinated review" process.

State agencies still would comment on projects without their having to go through the DRI process,

said Linda Loomis Shelley, an attorney representing the Association of Florida Community Developers.

She said the bill, which her association supports, would allow local governments that remain subject to

the DRI process to provide faster approval when they are competing for projects.

"The local government can say, 'No'; we don't change that," said Shelley, a former Department of

Community Affairs secretary. "They can say, 'Yes.' It is not a mandate."

She noted that mining and industrial projects already were exempted from the process in 2011 by the

Legislature when it made other changes to the growth management laws. Bennett could not be reached

for comment.

The Florida Regional Councils Association has not had time to review the legislation. But Brian Teeple,

the association's vice chairman and chief executive officer of the Northeast Florida Regional Council,

said the local governments he works with tell him they like having the additional review now.

"Linda must operate in different parts of the state than Northeast Florida," Teeple said. "By and large

the local governments in my region which are not [exempt as Dense Urban Land Areas] like the DRI

process. It gives them the opportunity to have someone else do the heavy lifting with very large

projects they are less able to deal with."

SB 1180 also allows changes to DRIs without further review by state agencies and regional planning

councils if they do not reduce open space or increase the amount of traffic to and from the

development.

The bill also restricts reviewing agencies to recommendations or comments regarding a proposed

development which are consistent with the statutes, rules or adopted local ordinances that are

applicable to all developments in the jurisdiction where the proposed development is located.

Energy

Florida bill pushes drilling in old wells

A bill sponsored by a Naples state representative would give a

tax break to companies that go back to drill in abandoned oil wells or drill new wells in fields that are

more than 30 years old.

Rep. Matt Hudson, R-Naples, said his bill seeks to boost production, revenue and jobs for the state. The

bill targets oil fields in Southwest Florida and the Panhandle.

“What we do is create a new category of oil called mature oil, and in doing so we allow for

rejuvenation of wells that were previously capped,” as well as new wells drilled in “mature” fields,

Hudson said. Instead of exploring elsewhere, companies can go to fields where they know oil exists, he

said. The remaining oil is harder to extract, so the tax break would save companies money by helping

offset the drilling cost.

House Bill 87 would apply to oil fields that were discovered before 1981 and wells that would begin

producing oil after July 1, 2012.

That would include fields in which all wells are abandoned or plugged; fields that have some active and

abandoned or plugged wells; and fields where new wells are being drilled, as long as all the fields were

discovered before 1981, Hudson said.

The bill cleared its first hurdle Tuesday with a 10-4 approval by the House Energy & Utilities

Subcommittee. The bill has been forwarded to the Finance and Tax Committee.

Read More

Natural gas stations on horizon

Natural gas fueling stations could open to the public within the next

12 months in Lee County, possibly helping businesses, car owners and companies with large fleets of

vehicles save money.

http://www.news-press.com/article/20111218/NEWS01/312180030/Natural-gas-stations-horizon

Panel warns of ongoing hazards posed by offshore drilling

A new report issued by The National

Academy of Engineering

, a government-created nonprofit, concludes that the lack of regulation and

ineffective safety management practices that led to BP’s catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico

have not been fully remedied — leaving communities in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas and

Louisiana potentially vulnerable to another oil spill.

The blowout and explosion of BP’s Macondo well killed 11 workers and led to the largest oil spill in

U.S. history.

According to National Academy’s Deepwater Horizon Committee, “companies involved in offshore

drilling should take a ‘system safety’ approach to anticipating and managing possible dangers at every

level of operation — from ensuring the integrity of wells to designing blowout preventers that function

‘under all foreseeable conditions.’” In addition, according to the report, “an enhanced regulatory

approach should combine strong industry safety goals with mandatory oversight at critical points

during drilling operations.”

Some of the report recommendations:

•

Expanding the formal education and training of personnel engaged in offshore drilling to ensure

that they can properly implement system safety.

•

Establishing guidelines so that well designs incorporate protection against the various credible

risks associated with the drilling and abandonment process.

•

Testing cemented and mechanical barriers designed to contain the flow of hydrocarbons in

wells, to ensure that they are effective (and subjecting those tests to independent reviews).

Read more

New Framework for Bird-friendly Energy Transmission

This year, Audubon led an effort to foster better planning of electric power facilities by helping ensure that

power producers, power grid planners, and state regulators would have the information they need in order to

avoid environmentally sensitive lands. A year ago there were no concrete plans to develop the needed

geospatial planning tools that could help this to happen. Today, that work is underway and on track for

completion late in 2012, and Audubon is providing regular input as this work progresses. To ensure a more

robust wildlife information base, we have brought the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies on board to

help ensure that the best information from each affected state is incorporated. Together, we will be tracking

and guiding the development of this new planning tool throughout the coming year.

Global Warming and Climate Change

South Florida Dry Season Begins With a Dry November

Below-average rainfall marked the first month of

South Florida's dry season. November's sparse rainfall had minimal impact on regional water supplies, however,

because record October rains replenished resources from Orlando to the Florida Keys, including Lake

Okeechobee.

"The short-term water supply outlook is favorable, and the next few months of typically cooler weather means we

lose less water to evaporation," said Susan Sylvester, SFWMD Chief of the Water Control Operations Bureau.

"But we still have a forecast of below-average rainfall for the rest of the dry season, so we must remain cautious.

For water managers, this means continuing to store as much water as possible. For residents, this means

continuing good water conservation practices."

A total of 0.75 inches of rain fell across the 16-county District in November, representing 32 percent of the

average for that time of year, or a deficit of 1.61 inches. All areas of the region were below average for the month,

with the largest deficits along the east coast.

Lake Okeechobee stood at 13.81 feet NGVD at the beginning of December, about a foot below its historical

average for that time of year. The 730-square-mile lake, which serves as a backup water supply for South Florida,

also received a major boost from October rains, rising about 2.5 feet since September 30. This moved the lake

above its water shortage management zone.

In response to these improved regional water resource conditions, the SFWMD Governing Board in October

rescinded water shortage orders for South Florida, many of which had been in place since March of this year.

Read More

South Florida's plan for rising sea levels likely to affect transportation, water supply and low-lying

development

The first draft of a regional plan to alleviate the impacts of climate change includes 102

recommendations for South Florida governments to consider.

"If we are able to take action and we are able to implement the regional climate plan, it gives us the opportunity to

change our future," said Nancy Gassman, a Broward County natural resource administrator who was among the

speakers last week in Key Largo at the two-day conference in which the Southeast Regional Action Plan was

unveiled.

The conference, the Third Annual Regional Climate Summit, is part of a collaborative effort of Palm Beach,

Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties to prepare jointly for the effects global warming will have on lowlying

South Florida.

The four counties are projecting that warming seas and melting polar ice caps will lead to 3 to 7 inches of sea

level rise by 2030 -- on top of the 9 inches the sea is measured to have risen in the past century. The counties

project 9 to 24 inches of sea level rise by 2060.

Rising waters would imperil local communities, threaten Florida's underground freshwater supply, make farmland

vulnerable and impact animal and plant life.

Monroe, with its narrow chain of islands, is the most vulnerable of the four counties. Without steps to protect

buildings and land, just 1 foot of sea level rise would cause an estimated $2 billion in property damage, according

to data compiled in development of the action plan.

Three of Monroe's four hospitals, 65 percent of its schools and 71 percent of its emergency shelters are on

properties in which some spots would be below sea level under a rise of 1 foot, according to the plan.

Aside from rising seas, climate change is believed to exacerbate the frequency of extreme weather, including

droughts and cold fronts, which in turn imperil water supply, fish and cash crops.

The 102 recommendations in the Southeast Florida Regional Action Plan deal with everything from transportation

and water delivery to protecting wildlife habitat and providing public outreach. All the recommendations are

suggested for implementation within a five-year period.

Some, such as the recommendation that South Florida governments advocate for full funding and implementation

of Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, are likely to strike the public as routine.

But others, if implemented by South Florida's four counties and 108 municipalities would be sure to make waves.

The plan calls for regional coordination on issues as divergent as road construction, public transit, habitat

protection and water management, all with an eye toward preparing those systems for a day when seas are higher,

droughts more frequent and weather more extreme.

It suggests new standards for roads, bridges and other transportation infrastructure in vulnerable areas. It also

recommends strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions through well-coordinated public transit and

highway connectors.

One set of suggestions that would surely draw interest in the Keys relates to a proposal that local governments

designate low-lying regions as "Adaptation Action Areas" in their comprehensive land-use plans. Undeveloped

portions of such areas should then be targeted for conservation, according to the plan, while building codes should

be revised in order to discourage new development or post-disaster redevelopment.

In addition, building codes should encourage development in designated vicinities outside the Adaptation Action

Areas, the plan recommends.

Monroe County Commissioner Sylvia Murphy, who was among those in attendance at the Murray E. Nelson

Government and Cultural Center in Key Largo last Friday for the unveiling of the plan, said she needs to give the

recommendations a full vetting before she knows if she could support them in full.

But Murphy added that she expects to be behind at least 75 percent of the plan.

"I will no longer be here when it gets to where people are having to leave their homes, etc.," she said of sea level

rise. "But I do care about my kids and grandkids. I would like to set a firm foundation for them to work from so

they don't say, 'Grandma didn't do anything.'"

Islamorada Councilman Ted Blackburn, who also attended the conference, expressed a similar sentiment.

"I think there are concepts within the plan that if we don't look at and we don't adopt, the impact on the village 20

years from now would be significantly different than they would be if we begin to prepare what this plan is

talking about," Blackburn said. He added that sea level rise should also be considered by the Village Council as it

selects a sewer contractor, a decision scheduled for this week.

Now that is has been released, the draft Regional Action Plan will undergo a 60-day review period. Once

subsequent changes are made, the plan will go before the boards of county commissioners in Palm Beach,

Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe for formal approval. It could also be considered by cities and towns

throughout the region.

Air Quality

Clean Air and Climate: Cleaner Skies Ahead?

EPA will announce this week final standards to control mercury and other air toxics. Mercury, acid gases and

other pollutants are common by products of coal-burning power plants. This is good news for fish-eating

birds, pregnant women and children susceptible to these contaminants. Virtually every state in the lower 48

has some restrictions on fishing in mercury-contaminated waters.

Two climate-related decisions are also worth noting: the recent delay announced by the White House for the

Keystone tar sands pipeline is good news in the battle to move away from dirty fossil fuels. Many believe the

delay will create an insurmountable financial burden for the pipeline developers. Tar sands mining also

decimates Canada’s boreal forest, key breeding habitat for many of our songbirds.

In January 2012, EPA is expected to roll out its proposed rule to curtail carbon pollution from new coal fired

power plants. This is our best shot at taking a bite out of greenhouse gas pollution and working toward

climate change solutions, given Congress’ unwillingness to pass meaningful legislation. Audubon is

optimistic that this rule and a later one expected to address existing power plants will reduce carbon dioxide

and other pollutants. It can only mean cleaner skies and a step in the right direction for climate change

solutions, but it will take your help to get there!