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Thursday, May 10th, 2012 #1301
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An Eco-Voice 2012 Sponsor
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To fight for a safe, healthy and ecologically balanced St. Lucie River Estuary and Indian River Lagoon, natural resources that are vital to the economy and quality of life of Martin County
and the Treasure Coast. |
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http://www.riverscoalition.org/ |
 Get the Daily Digest |
 | Ye Old Caloosahatchee
Mark Renz photo
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The Nature Conservancy is working with the Environmental Defense Fund to send the 'Sign on' letter below to Congressional leadership asking that the leadership deliver a final Transportation bill, including RESTORE, to the President for his signature as soon as possible (see below for information on the RESTORE Act). Specifically, for the letter we are seeking signatures from the following entities:
·State/local chambers of commerce
·Coastal parishes and counties
·Coastal cities, councils, mayors
·Economic development groups & associations representing these interests
Of course NGO sign ons are welcome too.
The timeline is short-they are looking to complete the letter by the end of this week. If you are with one of the above entities - or have a contact with one and willing to forward this message to them - please consider 'signing on' to this letter. What does 'signing on' require'? All we need is an email stating approval to place your respective agency's name on the letter alongside all the other sign on supporters.
We know this is a quick turnaround but the stakes are high. Please send me your email support ASAP and I will ensure it reaches the right people to include your entity on the letter. Feel free to forward this to others who represent the above entities.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you!
Ann Birch - abirch@TNC.ORG
What the RESTORE Act Does
Under current law, the parties responsible for the 2010 oil spill will pay a Clean Water Act (CWA) penalty for each barrel of oil spilled into the Gulf.
If Congress does not enact legislation, the penalties will be spent without regard to the needs of the people and the communities of the Gulf Coast region who suffered as a result of the spill.
Please contact your representatives in Congress to let them know that you support the RESTORE Act, and urge them to pass the bill quickly.
Two official reports on the spill - one conducted by Navy Secretary and former Mississippi Governor Ray Mabus, the other from the bipartisan National Commission on the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling - recommended that CWA penalties be dedicated to Gulf Coast restoration.
The RESTORE Act creates an essential framework to manage and finance the Gulf Coast recovery. Using 80 percent of the CWA penalties from the Gulf oil disaster, the RESTORE Act establishes a trust account to restore both the economic and environmental health of the Gulf Coast.
A majority portion of these penalties (60 percent) will be allocated to the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council, to be spent in two ways:
- Half of the funds will be used to implement the Council's comprehensive federal environmental plan.
- The other half will be distributed to the five Gulf States based on oil spill impacts and spent according to each individual state's plan, which will be consistent with the comprehensive federal plan.
A smaller portion (35 percent) will be available to Gulf Coast states to be used within the impacted region for environmental and economic restoration.
The remainder (5 percent) will be dedicated to science and monitoring of Gulf Coast ecosystem restoration and fisheries.
Fifty percent of the accrued interest on the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund funds the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Science, Monitoring and Technology Program and Fisheries Endowment.
http://voice.nature.org/restore-act.html
Ann Birch - abirch@TNC.ORG
To our Senate and House Leaders:
It has been two years since the start of the Gulf oil spill, the worst environmental disaster in American history. As leaders of concerned communities, cities, associations and businesses, we ask that you take action by delivering a final transportation bill, including the RESTORE Act, to the President for signing as soon as possible.
The RESTORE Act would help restore our region's economy and the natural resources on which our communities rely. This common-sense legislation would direct 80 percent of the Clean Water Act civil penalties paid by those responsible for the spill back to our communities - where the damage from the spill was done.
This legislation is vital to our efforts to bounce back from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The economic and ecological restoration called for under the RESTORE Act will create needed private sector jobs while reclaiming vital natural and commercial assets that are unique to the Gulf Coast and critically important to the economic and environmental health of the nation.
We are grateful for the leadership of our congressional delegations in advancing the RESTORE Act and for the support you and your colleagues already have demonstrated for the Gulf region. The decisive action in both the House and the Senate on the RESTORE Act to dedicate the penalties to the Gulf reflects broad support across the country for Gulf restoration.
We hope you will do all you can in this crucial effort to make our communities whole and deliver a final transportation bill - with the RESTORE Act - to the President to sign into law as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
Seeking signatures in Gulf states from:
State/local chambers of commerce
Coastal parishes and counties
Coastal cities, councils, mayors
Economic development groups & associations representing these interests
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2012 Loxahatchee Refuge Contest Photos
The winning photographs from our 2012 contest will remain on display in the Visitor Center auditorium through the end of May.All are on sale for $25, including the frame, with the exception of the Grand Prize Winner.All proceeds help support the Friends' ongoing Refuge projects.
All of the photos cam be viewed on our website at:
http://loxahatchee.smugmug.com/Contest-Photo/Photo-Contest-2012
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 | Armchair environmentalist
Mark Renz photo art
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The Everglades by Armchair
- Sierra Club Video Presentation of 2012 Loxahatchee Canoe Expedition
Thursday, May 10, 6:30 p.m.
Location:Lantana Branch, Palm Beach County Library, 4020 Lantana Road, Lake Worth
Experience the 2012 River of Grass Canoe Expedition (without the bugs!) and learn about Everglades restoration with the Sierra Club.Everybody is invited to come hear all about - and see footage from - the amazing 75-mile canoe voyage 16 paddlers made through the globally-unique Everglades in January.The expedition was the third leg of a multi-year project organized by the Arthur R. Marshall Foundation to trace the water through the Everglades system. "It was an incredible first-hand look at Everglades restoration," says paddler Ron Haines, who will be talking about his experience on Thursday.
For more information, contact him at ronaldhaines@bellsouth.net
or (561)964-1995.
Trip leader Chris Carl, fellow paddler Susan Sylvester (Operations Manager of the South Florida Water Management District) and Gisa Wagner, who serves on the Marshall Foundation's Board of Directors, will also be giving presentations and answering questions about their real-time, on-the-water view of the health of this irreplaceable wetland.
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South Florida Water Management District
GOVERNING BOARD MEETING AGENDA
This meeting is open to the public/webcast
May 10, 2012
9:00 AM
District Headquarters - B-1 Auditorium
3301 Gun Club Road
West Palm Beach, FL 33406
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The next meeting of the Southwest Florida Watershed Council is scheduled for Thursday May 17th from 1:30-2:50 p.m. on the campus of Florida Gulf Coast University in the Cohen Center (previously known as the Student Union Building), Room 213 . Parking is free, but you will need to stop by the parking kiosk to pick up a Visitor's Pass. The parking kiosk is located on the right side of the road, just inside the main entrance to campus (No. 13 on attached map). Once you've obtained a parking pass you may park in any unmarked space on campus.
This month's meeting will be held in conjunction with Dr. Don Duke's Environmental Policy class. Our Water Wisdom Program this month will feature Jacki Lopez, Staff Attorney with The Center for Biological Diversity. Ms. Lopez will be discussing aspects of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and how it relates to protection of natural resources in Southwest Florida. For more information on the Center for Biological Diversity please visit: http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/
All are welcome to attend this free program.
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 | Lost and found
Mark Renz photo art
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WEBINAR
The Science Behind Global Climate Change
We invite you to join us Wednesday, May 16th at 12:00 p.m. EDT
The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) is pleased to announce that the Southeast Coastal Climate Network's (SECCN) webinar series will continue this month with a presentation on global climate change science. These webinars are your opportunity to learn about climate issues that SECCN engages in everyday. For this webinar, Dr. Greg Carbone, Climatologist at the University of South Carolina, will discuss some fundamentals about global climate change science and comment on a range of topics -- from those that we understand best to those about which we remain uncertain. We invite you to join us on May 16th at 12:00 p.m. for a briefing and open discussion. Make sure to add this webinar to your calendar!
Title: The Science Behind Global Climate Change
Date: May 16, 2012
Time: 12:00 p.m. System Requirements PC-based attendees Required: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista Macintosh®-based attendees Required: Mac OS® X 10.3.9 (Panther®) or newer Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now, click here! |
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Food for thought from:
What is the environmental cost of reducing world fish production?
There is much hype around sustainable fisheries, but this morning at the opening of the 6th World Fisheries Congress, Professor Ray Hilborn from the University of Washington asked why there was so much focus on this, when wild fish stocks are the world's only protein that can be produced at a very low environmental cost.
Acknowledging that fish stocks are depleting in some areas, recovering in other parts and remaining stable elsewhere, Professor Hilborn said that we know how to sustainably fish wild stocks.
Yet, there is increasing pressure from environmental groups and the public to stop capture fisheries.
But, Professor Hilborn asked, what are the environmental costs of precautionary marine conservation? If we do reduce the harvest of forage species, or close large areas of water, the fish lost from this, has to be replaced by another source of protein.
"There must a trade off somewhere, and so far I have seen no data produced about this."
The environmental impact of capture fisheries
"Capture fisheries are a protein that has a very little impact on the environment," he said, addressing over 1,000 delegates from more than 70 countries.
Yet, he said, when we walk into a supermarket we see sustainable fish for sale, but there is no concern about the sustainability of other foods in the supermarket.
Compared to other protein sources (pork, poultry, beef), capture fisheries have a minimal environmental cost. Hardly any fresh water is used, no fertiliser, pesticides or antibiotics are required and no soil erosion takes place.
"It's a no brainer. Fish systems are much more natural, which means that wild fisheries have a much smaller impact on biodiversity that agriculture or livestock production."..... |
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Workshop - Central Everglades Planning Project Workshop
Date: Tuesday, May 15th, 2012 - 9am - 5pm, SFWMD West Palm Auditorium
Webcast
Restoration Working Group to engage the public in the Central Everglades
Planning Project (CEPP). These workshops will enable the Task Force to
provide important feedback to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the
South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) during the CEPP. The
public is advised that it is possible that one or more members of the Water
Resources Advisory Commission and Governing Board of the SFWMD may
attend and participate in this meeting.
The purpose of the May 15, 2012 workshop is to continue to engage the
public in the CEPP. |
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Advocacy
From its inception, the Izaak Walton League and its members have been advocates for conserving, protecting and enjoying our country's incredible array of natural resources. Our active engagement coupled with a practical approach to problem solving has made a difference from town halls to the halls of Congress for 90 years. The Advocacy section of this Web site provides the tools, information, and other resources you need to affect public policy - from the nation's capital to your home town.
| Urge Congress to Support Strong Mercury Standards |
Please urge Congress to support new national standards that will reduce mercury and other toxic air pollution.
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Wind Farms: New Perspective Needed to Assess Bird Risks
Risk assessments of potential bird mortality caused by planned wind farms should be assessed at the scale of the individual turbine rather than the whole farm, according to new research. It indicated that risk assessments made prior to building are not predicting the actual level of mortality when the farm is built.
Although most recorded collision rates of birds at wind farms are low, some poorly sited farms have caused higher mortality rates. In an attempt to prevent this, environmental authorities conduct environmental impact assessments (EIA) of proposed wind projects, which cover likely effects to the site's bird population. These EIAs are conducted at the scale of the wind farm......
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Cranes Away!
Mark Renz photo art
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by Gretchen Cuda Kroen
Sun, salt and lime sounds like the beginnings of a cocktail recipe, but for some, it could mean cleaner, life-sustaining water.
In many developing countries, the only source of water is contaminated with viruses and bacteria. In fact, the United Nations estimates that 1 in 6 people don't have access to enough fresh drinking water.
Pouring water into clear plastic bottles and placing them in the sun can kill disease causing organisms in about six hours. It's a simple and cheap method that's been around forever, and it helps. (Who says sun tea isn't safe?)
But there's a hitch - the water has to be clear enough for the sun's rays to penetrate - and much of the world's water supply is murky from the clay soils in riverbeds and lake bottoms that mix with the water. Enter the scientists...
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Lake O Scientists' Conference Call: Estuaries/releases
Periodic Scientists Conference Call -
Lake Okeechobee/Estuaries
The next conference call is scheduled for Tuesday, 10:30am.
The call-in number is (877)322-9654 and the code is 842466.
Public comment is accepted at the conclusion of the representatives' discussion.
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Red Tide Report
Please follow this link to the current statewide interactive Google Earth map:
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Hendry, Glades or Okeechobee County for Saturday's North American Migration Count. Count from your home or join the team at STA5 in south Hendry County. For information contact: Margaret England sta5birding@embarqmail.com
North American Migration Count in Florida Spring 2012
May 12th
The North American Migration Count in Florida is sponsored by Florida Ornithological Society, and is supported by local Audubon Societies, local bird clubs, and other interested organizations.
PURPOSE: The mission of the North American Migration Count (NAMC) is to:
vObtain a "snapshot" of the progress and "shape" of spring and fall Migration.
vObtain information on the abundance & distribution of each species.
vInitiate more participation among birders within Florida.
vCreate challenges and goals among birders while collecting useful information.
vAid in organization and centralization of date.
vHAVE FUN.
AREA OF COUNT: The area of a count is not a circle, but the boundaries of a County. The idea is to have a contiguous interlocking set of non-overlapping counts across the state. It is desirable to get as much of each county surveyed as resources permit.
COUNT DATES: The NAMC takes place across North America on the third Saturday of September and the second Saturday of May each year. The near-term counts are May 12, 2012, and September 15, 2012.
COORDINATION: Each state has a state coordinator who is responsible for working with county coordinators, providing tally sheets and instructions, and giving assistance as needed. When the counts have been completed, the state coordinator combines the county counts into a statewide count. The data will be displayed on the FOS web site.
County coordinators recruit participants, frequently through the local Audubon chapter or other bird clubs, assign teams to areas within the county, provide tally sheets to the teams, and collect the count information after the count has been completed. The county coordinators compile the results from all of the teams into a single count for the county and submit the results to the state coordinator.
NORTH AMERICAN MIGRATION COUNT
The North American Migration Count (NAMC) was started in 1992 to give bird watchers the opportunity to enjoy a day's birding during spring migration with the knowledge that the results of their findings, together with the birds counted by others, would reveal the status of bird migration on a specified date. The goals of the NAMC are to get a picture of the progress of spring migration, obtain data on the abundance and distribution of each migratory species, create more challenges and goals for birders, and (most important) have fun. No fee is involved. For more information, write/email jlstasz@aol.com
Jim Stasz, NAMC Coordinator, RO. Box 71, l North Beach, MD 20714.
For an article by Jim Stasz, .
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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District has completed the Integrated Final Project Implementation Report and Final Environmental Impact Statement (FPIR/FEIS) for the Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands project.
The project is essential to achieving restoration of tidal wetlands and nearshore habitats within Biscayne Bay, including Biscayne National Park. It also has an integral role in meeting the CERP system-wide ecosystem restoration goals and objectives. The project will divert runoff that currently discharges through regional canals and redistribute the freshwater through a spreader canal system into the coastal wetlands adjoining Biscayne Bay to provide a more natural and historic overland flow. The slower, more natural delivery of fresh water over a broad area is expected to reduce hypersaline conditions and re-establish appropriate estuarine salinities that are important to provide nursery habitat for fish and shellfish in tidal wetlands and nearshore bay habitats. This project is expected to create conditions that would be conducive to the re-establishment of oysters and other components typical of a healthy estuarine ecosystem. Diversion of canal discharges into coastal wetlands, as opposed to their direct discharge into the bay, is expected to re-establish productive nursery habitat along the shoreline and reduce the abrupt freshwater discharges that are physiologically stressful to fish and benthic invertebrates in the bay near canal outlets. The Integrated Final Project Implementation Report and Final Environmental Impact Statement (FPIR/FEIS) is available for public review online at http://www.evergladesplan.org/pm/projects/docs_28_biscayne_bay_pir.aspx
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Recipe for an unhealthy marine ecosystem and less tourism:
Mix 2 cups of high nutrients with 1 cup of blind political clout, remove a teaspoon of sensible regulations and funding, stir and test water less often. Allow to simmer in direct sunlight until marine life turns belly-up and washes ashore. Serve to public with a straight face. Caloosahatchee River -- Mark Renz words and photo
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Sincerely,
Eco-Voice Moderator
Eco-Voice, Inc.
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