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Friday, April 27th, 2012 #1287
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by the
People For Trees - Sale
Saturday, April 28- People for Trees presents their 14th Annual Tree Festival. 41 and Sumter at the "Shoppes of North Port" from 10-2. Members of People for Trees have been creating awareness about the importance of protecting and maintaining a healthy native tree canopy since 1997. "Save a tree today, and we'll all breathe a little easier!" Visit www.peoplefortrees.com or phone Alice White @426-9752 for more information.
Alice White
People for Trees, Inc. Since 1997
(941)426-9752
"Save a tree today, and we'll all breathe a little easier!"
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Caloosahatchee Gardens Mark Renz photo art
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Blue Revolution: Unmaking America's Water Crisis
In Blue Revolution, award-winning journalist Cynthia Barnett reports on the many ways one of the most water-rich nations on the planet has squandered its way to scarcity, and argues the best solution is also the simplest and least expensive: a water ethic for America.
From backyard waterfalls and grottoes in California to sinkholes swallowing chunks of Florida, Blue Revolution exposes how the nation's green craze largely missed water - the No. 1 environmental concern of most Americans. But the book is big on inspiration, too. Blue Revolution combines investigative reporting with solutions from around the nation and the globe. From San Antonio to Singapore, Barnett shows how local communities and entire nations have come together in a shared ethic to dramatically reduce consumption and live within their water means.
The first book to call for a national water ethic, Blue Revolution is also a powerful meditation on water and community in America.
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Audubon Assembly 2012
Save the Date!
Date: Oct. 25-27, 2012
Location: Hyatt Regency Sarasota on Sarasota Bay
Keynote Speaker: Cynthia Barnett, Author of Mirage and the Blue Revolution
Magazine Gallery Features Audubon' s Iconic Birds
John James Audubon spent the better part of six decades making environmental strides long before conservation was trendy. He banded birds, catalogued and drew hundreds of species, even offered early warnings about the dangers of mistreating our planet. Celebrate his birthday with Audubon magazine's online gallery featuring iconic works by the man who lent his name to a movement-and our publication.
http://www.audubonmagazine.org/multimedia/audubons-iconic-birds
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Roll On Caloosahatchee
CRCA-Riverwatch at Royal Palm Yacht Club - May 2nd. Sea Level Rise 7pm -Free
Sponsored by RPYC member Linda Mattos
Where: Royal Palm Yacht Club, Bridge Room, 2360 West First Street, Fort Myers
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Big Dreamer Caloosahatchee River, Alva Mark Renz photo art
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http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/news/2012/04/25/opposition-to-portmiami-dredge-dropped.html
PortMiami dredge opposition dropped after $1.4M agreement
South Florida Business Journal
Opposition to the PortMiami dredge project has been dropped, allowing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to receive an environmental permit and proceed with construction.
Environmental opposition to the PortMiami PortMiamiLatest from The Business JournalsBeacon Council announces awardsMiami-Dade considers legalizing LED billboardsSBA loans help South Florida's entrepreneurs fuel economic growthFollow this company dredge project has been withdrawn pending approval of a $1.4 million agreement.
The Tropical Audubon Society, Biscayne Bay Waterkeepers and county resident Dan Kipnis agreed to withdraw their opposition to the issuance of a Florida Department of Environmental Protection Florida Department of Environmental ProtectionLatest from The Business JournalsFlorida DEP launches small business 'fee holiday' on emissions tariffFlorida DEP launches small business 'fee holiday' on emissions tariffFlorida DEP launches small business 'fee holiday' on emissions tariffFollow this company permit in exchange for a $1.4 million agreement, which still requires Miami-Dade County commission approval. The permit would allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers U.S. Army Corps of EngineersLatest from The Business JournalsGeorgia wins tri-state water rulingFollow this company to move forward with the construction phase of the deep dredge project, which will deepen the PortMiami channel to 50 feet to accommodate larger container cargo vessels expected after the Panama Canal expansion in 2014.
The agreement would authorize $1.31 million from the seaport department to the county's Biscayne Bay Environmental Enhancement Trust Fund, a $50,000 donation to the Tropical Audubon Society and a $50,000 donation to the Biscayne Bay Waterkeepers, according to county documents. The settlement agreement still requires approval from the county commission, which is scheduled to vote on the item on May 1.
"This is a win-win for the entire community," said Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez, in a statement. "The agreement provides additional funding for important environmental projects, while at the same time allowing for the timely completion of the dredge project, which is critical to our efforts to grow our container cargo traffic and create thousands of new, well-paying jobs in our community." |
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By Nick Sortal
The Seminole Tribe of Florida already lays claim to profitable casinos at each end of the state and now it's creating a gambling (and more) getaway out in the middle of nowhere.
But it'll take time.
On Thursday, tribal officials at their Big Cypress reservation about 30 miles south of Clewiston unveiled a 36-machine slot room, part of a greater plan to expand their Billie Swamp Safari attraction.
"We're going to start out small and hopefully we'll get big someday," Tribal councilman Mondo Tiger said.
The Seminoles opened Billie Swamp Safari in 1993, offering airboat rides, swamp buggy tours and Indian folklore, and draw about 100,000 visitors a year, they said. In 2007, they added about 50 slot machines in a tent that was known to have its share of snakes and other critters meandering through.
Now, the Seminoles have slots next to the Swamp Water Café, a wooden structure similar to the dining hall in any summer camp movie you've ever seen. They plan to break ground by the end of the year on a larger casino at Billie Swamp Safari, with an entertainment lounge and maybe a poker room.
Seminole Gaming CEO James Allen said the tribe has a database of 3 million casino patrons, and a quick survey indicated that visitors to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood would be open to a day excursion into the Everglades via Alligator Alley to Mile Marker 49 and then 16 miles north. They'd take in Native American culture, food and maybe a few pulls on the slots.
"We were shocked at how many people were interested," Allen said. "We think we could give them a gaming experience combined with an authentic Seminole meal, storytelling and nature walks, for example."
Allen added: "We're 100 percent committed to seeing this happen. But the first thing we had to do was get out of that tent."
Big Cypress is easily the smallest of the seven casinos the tribe operates. (The 36 slots are about 1.5 percent of what's in the Hard Rocks in Tampa and Hollywood.) The reservation is home to about 500 of the tribe's 3,700 members and has a school, police station, sports fields, senior center, churches and a cemetery. Profits from Big Cypress are pooled in with all the Seminoles' other casinos, which are shared across the tribe, as per federal guidelines.
On Thursday, a couple from Poland was among those visiting Billie Swamp Safari, taking an airboat ride, swamp buggy tour and checking out Native American gifts such as plastic alligator heads, headdresses and handmade crafts.
"It's different and it's fantastic," said Michael Hoppe, who saw a flyer in his Miami hotel and talked his wife, Anna, into stopping on their way to Orlando.
Said Anna: "I like that they try to keep their traditions, and they teach it to their children."
The tribe also thinks gamblers from South Bay, Belle Glade and other towns near Lake Okeechobee could make Big Cypress their local casino. The machines had a variety of offerings, including Stinkin' Rich, Deal or No Deal and two video poker machines. Most of the machines were penny, nickel or quarter minimums.
More info: 800-949-6101 or SwampSafari.com.
NSortal@Tribune.com, 954-356-4725
Copyright © 2012, South Florida Sun-Sentinel |
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In honor of Arbor Day, we've created a slideshow of amazing tree photos from the
National Wildlife®(R) Photo Contest to celebrate trees and the vital role they play in our environment. We hope you enjoy it!
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Fragrant necklace Frangipani - Mark Renz photo art
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Natural Gas from Shale Not Suitable as "Bridge Fuel " May Worsen Climate Change
Cornell University
Far from being a "solution" to climate change, natural gas extracted from shale is a huge contributor of greenhouse gases when both methane and carbon dioxide are considered, according to a major new study by three Cornell University researchers.
The natural gas industry already accounts for almost a fifth (17 percent) of the total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions inventory, when analyzed using recently available new evidence. This percentage is predicted to grow to almost one quarter (23 percent) as shale gas continues to replace conventional natural gas.
Methane, which is a far more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, is the culprit, according to the report.
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Tallahassee.com
April 25, 2012
Florida Forever's land-acquisition priority list was approved Tuesday morning, setting up a scaled-back return of the once vigorous purchase of environmentally sensitive land.
Florida Forever is the nation's largest state land-conservation program to protect natural treasures and once worked with annual appropriations of $300 million. That big money went away with reduced state budgets but will return in less robust form beginning July 1 with an $8.4-million appropriation and a short list of 14 projects.
The move pleased both officeholders and environmentalists as a welcome, if modest, return of Florida Forever.
"I think (Department of Environmental Protection) Secretary (Herschel) Vinyard has done a good job stretching limited resources by moving toward more conservation-easement approaches than outright purchases of land which allows them to save on the management costs and protect more acres of land for the same amount of money," said Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam.
The projects are chosen by the Acquisition and Restoration Council with aid from staff at DEP.
"I'm actually pleased with the items on the work plan and would be thrilled if they actually acquired those," said Janet Bowman, director of legislative policy and strategies for The Nature Conservancy.
Bowman said she lauded the transparency of the selection process and the explicit principles used to choose the priority acquisitions.
Those included focusing on conservation easements rather than outright purchases, small-tract purchases that can complete larger projects and proposals that serve dual purposes, such as providing further buffering for military bases.
Gov. Rick Scott said he'd favor doing more than tight budgets allow.
"All of us, I think everybody I know, cares about our environment and make sure we want to preserve our great state for future generations," Scott said. "There's always more you'd like to do, but there are a lot of good projects on there."
Even with the small appropriation, Bowman said she was heartened by the fact that Scott included Florida Forever in his budget proposal and now looks forward to again seeing acquisitions and easements brought before the Cabinet for approval.
"I think everyone is learning what the new political realities are and what projects will resonate with the new Cabinet," Bowman said.
Tight budgets contribute to an ongoing concern with Florida Forever and the 682,000 acres of land acquired with $2.85 billion since 2001: managing the resource.
"We continue to, I think, fail to adequately provide for the management of all the state lands," Putnam said. "It's my view we need to continue to look for opportunities to partner either through leases or partnerships with other state agencies to get our arms around control of invasive plants and animals, to get our arms around better resource management, whether that's using for timber leases, for cattle leases, for other recreational opportunities."
Bowman agreed.
"As the economy improves, it's really important to constructively address land-management costs of the state's stewardship of its land."
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Pensacola News Journal WASHINGTON - Florida Sen. Bill Nelson was selected Tuesday to be part of a bipartisan committee responsible for crafting the final version of a highway bill that could steer billions in oil-spill fine money to the Gulf Coast. Nelson and other members of the conference committee will try to iron out differences between House and Senate ....
The legislation includes several provisions important to Florida, including the RESTORE Act, which would send 80 percent of fine money paid by BP to Gulf Coast states for restoration efforts. |
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Not your average squirrel Fox squirrel - Click Mark Renz photo for more
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Inaugural 'Ding' Awards kicks off new county education tradition
"Ding" Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge (DDWS) and the "Ding" Darling Refuge are becoming known for their firsts in the field of conservation education and wildlife research. On May 8, 2012, the team will again make history with the first-ever "Ding" Darling Conservation Education Awards, a.k.a. "Ding" Awards, to be held at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre in Fort Myers.
"Ding" Awards will recognize middle school teachers and students outstanding in the field of conservation education in private and public schools throughout Lee County. Principals at each of the middle schools had the opportunity to nominate one teacher and one student. The nominees will all receive awards at the ceremony, which follows a buffet dinner beginning at 5:30 p.m. Others from the schools and families of the nominees are welcome to attend for $25 per person and must call 239-292-0566 to make a reservation.
Author and Tropicalia editor Amy Bennett Williams will deliver the ceremony's keynote address. DDWS will also be awarding $11,500 in conservation education scholarships that evening to high school seniors and college students from Lee, Collier, or Charlotte County majoring in biology or conservation-related subjects.
Suncoast Schools Federal Credit Union Foundation is the lead event sponsor at the Roseate Spoonbill level, along with Mr. and Mrs. Hans Fleischner (Blue Winged Teal level) and Tarpon Bay Explorers of Sanibel Island (Great Blue Heron level).
"The 'Ding' Awards are synonymous with celebration - the celebration of Southwest Florida's history of conservation and wildlife protection," said Doris Hardy, DDWS education committee chair. "With our support of students and teachers, you might say we are also celebrating the future."
DDWS also distributes up to $5,000 in science teacher grants annually throughout the Lee County School District.
For more information about "Ding" Darling conservation education scholarships and DDWS, please visit www.dingdarlingsociety.org. |
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Canoing is great exercise Mark Renz photo
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