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Thursday, Jan. 12th, #1180 |
After years of delays and, now, a lawsuit threat, the feds promise a decision.
More than four years after U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service scientists recommended the endangered wood stork be reclassified as threatened, the agency is expecting to make a final decision on the species early this year.
The Wildlife Service's 2007 status review of the wood stork said the species had met criteria for reclassification.
In 2009, the property-rights advocate Pacific Legal Foundation petitioned the Wildlife Service to follow the review's recommendation; on Jan. 3, the foundation threatened to sue the federal government if the wood stork wasn't reclassified within 60 days as a threatened species; if the bird is reclassified, it would continue to receive protection under the Endangered Species Act but would be one step closer to removal from the Endangered Species List.
"We have a decision that's in the process of being finalized," service spokesman Chuck Underwood said. "We're close to being able to publish it. We're dotting the i's and crossing the t's. "For the people who are petitioning, it gets frustrating. It gets frustrating for us, too. I wish we had the budget to respond quicker, but we don't. No one does."
According to the Pacific Legal Foundation, the stork's classification as endangered is an economic hardship for Florida's developers because under the Endangered Species Act, thousands of square miles of wetlands, the species' primary habitat, are off-limits for development.
"The habitat of this bird as it remains in existence impacts the ability of someone to develop property," said Alan DeSerio, the foundation's managing attorney. "If you have a large acreage, you have to take the habitat into consideration, and you're not permitted to destroy that habitat.
"When the bird is no longer endangered, we can try to have it delisted entirely. This is the first step."
Michael Reitmann, head of the Lee County Building Industry Association, agreed.
"If that's what the law says, let's follow it," he said. "Give everybody a fair playing field. When a population is no longer endangered, maybe we ought to loosen up the restrictions a little bit."
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 | Interview with a Stork
Don't be sneaking up on me like that!
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I'm a reporter for "Soggy Bottom Times" and...
The press, eh? I don't talk to the media.
Why not?
Because you're always distorting the truth.
That's not true...we're fair and balanced.
Yes you are...toward your advertisers. Look, I just have a few questions...
Fine, but make it quick. A bunch of egrets and ibis are due here any minute and it's gonna get crowded.
How do you feel about possibly getting reclassified as "threatened" rather than "endangered"?
Did my wife put you up to this? Has she finally forgiven me for...Click Mark Renz photo for rest of interview |
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Fitch Downgrades South Florida Water Management
 District COPs to 'AA-';
NEW YORK, Jan 10, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Fitch Ratings has taken the following rating actions on South Florida Water Management District, Florida's (the district, or SFWMD) outstanding bonds:
--$500.2 million certificates of participation (COPs) downgraded to 'AA-' from 'AA';
--$25.1 million special obligation land acquisition refunding bonds affirmed at 'A'.
In addition, Fitch assigns the following rating:
--Implied general obligation (GO) bond rated 'AA'.
The Rating Outlook is Stable.
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Estenoz to address St. Lucie Rivers Coalition Meeting
Everglades Initiative director to speak at Rivers Coalition meeting Jan. 26 in Stuart
By news release
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
U. S. Department of Interior's Shannon Estenoz will be the guest speaker at the Rivers Coalition meeting 11 a.m. Jan. 26. Estenoz, Director of the Everglades Restoration Initiative for the U.S. Department of Interior, will discuss timely information regarding Everglades restoration including the funding of approved CERP projects.
The Rivers Coalition public meetings are held at the City of Stuart commission chambers, 121 SW Flagler Ave, Stuart.
The Rivers Coalition is making it easier for citizens who support the Rivers Coalition's mission, but have a difficult time attending daytime meetings, to attend the scheduled dates in 2012. The Rivers Coalition's new 2012 meeting schedule includes six morning meetings that begin at 11 a.m., and three evening meetings that begin at 6 p.m. All meetings are open to Rivers Coalition members and the general public.
For more information, visit www.riverscoalition.org
Estenoz to address St. Lucie Rivers Coalition Meeting
Everglades Initiative director to speak at Rivers Coalition meeting Jan. 26 in Stuart
By news release
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
U. S. Department of Interior's Shannon Estenoz will be the guest speaker at the Rivers Coalition meeting 11 a.m. Jan. 26. Estenoz, Director of the Everglades Restoration Initiative for the U.S. Department of Interior, will discuss timely information regarding Everglades restoration including the funding of approved CERP projects.
The Rivers Coalition public meetings are held at the City of Stuart commission chambers, 121 SW Flagler Ave, Stuart.
The Rivers Coalition is making it easier for citizens who support the Rivers Coalition's mission, but have a difficult time attending daytime meetings, to attend the scheduled dates in 2012. The Rivers Coalition's new 2012 meeting schedule includes six morning meetings that begin at 11 a.m., and three evening meetings that begin at 6 p.m. All meetings are open to Rivers Coalition members and the general public.
For more information, visit www.riverscoalition.org
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FEBRUARY 1, 2012 is the deadline to submit abstracts for twenty-minute science research presentations on native plants and native plant communities as part of FNPS annual conference.
Call for Research Track Papers and Poster Presentations
Florida Native Plant Society 2012 Conference
The Florida Native Plant Society annual conference will be held at the John R. Trinkle Center, Hillsborough Community College Plant City Campus, Plant City, Florida May 17-20, 2012. The Research Track of the Conference will include presented papers on Friday, May 18 and Saturday, May 19. Posters will be on display on Friday and Saturday and the poster session will be on Saturday afternoon.
Researchers are invited to submit abstracts on research related to native plants and plant communities of Florida including preservation, conservation, and restoration. Presentations are planned to be 20 minutes in total length (15 min. presentation, 5 min. questions).
Abstracts of not more than 200 words should be submitted as a MS Word file by email to Paul A. Schmalzer paul.a.schmalzer@nasa.gov by February 1, 2012. Include title, affiliation, and address. Indicate whether you will be presenting a paper or poster.
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 | When asked if he'd ever been lost, Daniel Boone replied,
"No, but I was once bewildered for several days."
Mark Renz photo |
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SWF Nature Festival This Weekend!
Nature Fest logo Register TODAY to get the last spots in the SWFL Nature Festival this weekend! Hosted by Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Field Trips Jan. 13-15 Two to three hours long Dozens of sites around SWFL Trips start at just $10 Birding, kayaking, cycling, cruising and more View the full schedule Pre-registration required Nature Film and Lecture Series Jan. 14 (Sat.) from 11 am - 4 pm Four 45-minute lectures Topics include owls, pelicans, Everglades flora/fauna and the Conservancy's Wildlife Clinic Keynote Reception and Presentation Jan. 14 (Sat.) from 5-7 pm "The Big Lives of Florida's Waterbirds" video and lecture presentation Guest Speaker: Emmy-nominated nature documentary cinematographer Michael Male Worked with PBS, BBC and National Geographic Explorer on NOVA, Nature, David Attenborough's "The Life of Birds" and more For more information: rookerybay.org and 417-6310 x401 FORBlogo Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center 300 Tower Road, Naples
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First-ever toxic air pollution standards will save thousands of lives
Union of Concerned Scientists
Urge President Obama to Score Another Victory for Our Health and Environment Thank the president for protecting the public from toxic air pollution and let him know that you expect the EPA to release strong standards to reduce global warming emissions from power plants in 2012. Making History: First-ever Toxic Air Pollution Standards Will Save Thousands of Lives Dear Pete, Great news! Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized the first-ever national standards to limit the amount of mercury and other toxic pollutants that power plants can spew into the environment. Toxic air pollutants from power plants-mercury, lead, arsenic, and others-are linked to health problems such as cancer, heart disease, neurological damage, birth defects, asthma attacks, and even premature death. Mercury, for example, is a potent neurotoxin that poses a threat to fetal and infant brain development. And coal plants are far and away the greatest source of mercury air emissions in the United States. This historic standard will lower mercury emissions 90 percent, help avoid up to 11,000 premature deaths per year, and contribute to a much-needed transition to a cleaner electricity system......
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Eco-Voice Sponsorship
Please consider becoming a sponsor of Eco-Voice for 2012. Eco-Voice is a volunteer effort with no paid staff but we do have software, hosting and technical support expenses which must for paid if the service is to continue. If you value this service, and are able, please support us. Any donation encouages us and helps and $100 a year gets your organization recognized regularly and your events promoted. Post details of your event to our Facebook page or send them in an email to the moderator. For those with modest budgets we will promote your green event for $25. Send text, JEPG format logo, and date to the moderator.
We will continue try to provide information on major enviromental news and events regardless of sponsorship.
Please join those who have already committed to continued support of Eco-Voice.
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Water Law Update 2012
Six CLE's Awarded for Water Law Update 2012
The Florida Bar is awarding six CLE's for attorneys attending the Water Law Update 2012 being held this Friday, January 13, 2012 at the Barry University Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law in Orlando. Agenda and registration is available at http://floridaearth.org/wlu2012.
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http://florida.sierraclub.org/index.asp
Zero Waste for Florida - Florida Sierra
Florida needs to greatly improve its recycling rate. While our state has a goal of 75 percent, it currently is achieving only about 28 percent Other states, such as Oregon, are doing much better, and some individual cities, such as Nantucket, have achieved as much as a 90% recycling rate.
Goals:
- Create more than 100,000 jobs through recycling industries.
- Save 7,000 MW of power, enough for 5 million homes.
- Reduce greenhouse gases and our carbon footprint.
Zero Waste is a design principle and planning approach for the environmental management of resources. It aims to prevent waste by design rather than manage it after the fact. Sierra Club's Zero Waste policy addresses not only the quantity of waste we generate, but its toxicity, its contribution to climate change, and the important links between waste reduction and corporate responsibility.
We generate about 4.5 lbs of municipal solid waste per person per day in the U.S. That is several times the rate of European countries with similar standards of living. The production (mining, manufacturing and distribution) of goods generates an additional 70 lbs municipal solid waste (MSW) per lb of goods produced. Only 1percent of the "stuff" we buy is still in use after six months. If the whole world consumed resources at the rate of the U.S., at least three planets the size of Earth would be required. Also, the costs of managing wasteful and hazardous products are borne largely by taxpayers and ratepayers. Our system of extraction, processing, transportation, consumption, and disposal is tied to core contributors of global climate change. Greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) attributed to consumption and waste account for almost 37 percent of total GHG emissions. The zero waste approach is essential to reduce GHG emissions.
The two most common MSW management techniques used in the U.S., landfilling and incineration, are disposal technologies and not consistent with the zero waste concept. Legislation passed in Florida in 2010 allows counties whose waste is burned to produce electricity to claim recycling credit. The Sierra Club rejects the idea that waste-to-energy (WTE) is recycling. The energy extracted by burning (or any form of WTE) is less than 20 percent of what would be saved by recycling the material. Resources are destroyed and no longer available for producing new products, hence new virgin materials must be extracted to replace them; this extraction process is highly detrimental to the environment and not sustainable.
What you can do:
- Encourage your city and county officials to join the 103 mayors worldwide who have committed to zero waste by 2040. Collection of food waste and other organics is essential for high diversion rates--composting, or preferably, anaerobic digestion followed by composting. Composted material is a valuable soil amendment beneficial for Florida's sandy soils.
- Pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) fees for collection of waste are an effective technique for reducing waste and increasing recycling. Fees for the largest 96-gal trash should be several times those for the minimum size 20-gal can, with any amount of recycling material collected at no cost.
- Consider container recycling incentives. California increased its beverage container recycling to a 76 percent level by increasing the California Refund Value (CRV) payout from four to five cents for beverage containers under 24 oz., and from eight to 10 cents for containers 24 oz. and greater. These savings translate into reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Recycling 7.6 billion beverage containers is equivalent to removing nearly 300,000 cars from the road for a year.
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 | Everglades snail kite
Mark Renz photo
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Everglades birding festival
Everglades Birding Festival from Jan 12 - 16 2012
Explore South Florida birding hot spots to find rare and target species such as Snail Kite, Limpkin, Painted Bunting, Short-tailed Hawk, exotics, up to 5 Owls and 150 plus species. All day field trips to Everglades National Park, Corkscrew, Keys, STA 5, South Dade and much more. Focus on in-field workshops for advanced birding skills in small groups. Keynotes James Curries and Paddy Cunningham.
Location: Hollywood, FL, US
Organization Information
Organization Name: Everglades Birding Festival, Birding Adventures
Contact Person: Paddy Cunningham
Phone Number: 954-805-6810
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Public comments on the Central Everglades Planning Project are being accepted through January 20, 2012.
Submit your comments electronically to CEPPComments@usace.army.mil
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 | Underneath we're all the same
Mark Renz photo
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Eco-Voice, Inc.
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