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Thursday, June 28th, 2012 #1350
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Florida black bear removed from threatened list
WEST PALM BEACH - Black bears in Florida will no longer be considered a threatened species under a plan approved Wednesday by wildlife commissioners.
The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission ended the decades-old protections for the Florida black bear, a subspecies of the American black bear, during a meeting in Palm Beach Gardens. The change came despite protest of wildlife advocates, but after a rebound in the bear population around the state.
"This is a success story," said Kathy Barco, chair of the commission.
Though removal of the bear from the state's threatened species list does not allow hunting of the animals, it will be reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor. A parade of individuals who objected to the delisting tried to convince commissioners they were acting prematurely. |
 | Palmetto Sunrise
Mark Renz photo art
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FWC Staff report will propose reopening of snook season
Florida East Coast Fishing Examiner
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) meets June 28, 2012 at the PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. One of the items on their agenda for June 28 relates to the new stock assessment for snook. Snook harvest has been close on Florida's Gulf Coast due to a severe cold kill since Dec. 15, 2010. The FWC staff, in an online document, recommends maintaining existing snook regulations on both coasts and allowing the Executive Order that closed the fishery on the West Coast to expire.
The staff report points out that snook harvest has been prohibited for over two and a half years and extending the closure for one or two more years may not result in any great increase in stock size. The reason for this is because the juveniles that were most affected by the cold kill are already protected by the slot limit, as are the largest, most reproductively important snook in the population.
In their report the staff notes that the 2012 stock assessment shows snook to be above the biological threshold and should continue to grow; The management changes that were made in 2007 should promote stock rebuilding; and the current slot limit will protect juveniles as well as the largest snook in the population.
Unless action is taken by the commission the Executive Order will expire on August 31 and all snook regulations will return to where they were before the cold kill of 2010.....
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It's been nearly two years in coming, but we're finally on the eve of doing what's right for the Gulf Coast, its wildlife, and its communities. Today the U.S. House and Senate announced a compromise on the surface transportation bill, which includes a provision to dedicate 80 percent of Clean Water Act penalties from the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster to Gulf Coast restoration. I can't overstate the significance of today's news. This will be the single largest investment ever by the United States Congress in environmental restoration, and the first runner-up isn't even close.
Here's the statement I issued late this afternoon on behalf of Audubon:
"The RESTORE Act is a lifeline for the Gulf Coast. It will create jobs, and it'll restore the places wildlife need to thrive. This is an act of hope and faith in America and we look forward to seeing the House and Senate step up on behalf of generations to come."
As you all know, the RESTORE Act has been a top legislative priority for Audubon since the BP oil disaster. It says we'll pay for what we broke on the Gulf Coast because we owe it to our grandkids and their grandkids. And it makes sure that BP's penalties will be used to restore the ecosystems and communities damaged and degraded by the spill.
The next and final step is passage of the Transportation Bill in the House and Senate later this week, before funding for transportation expires and Congress recesses. We have every reason to believe we'll see that happen, and I'm optimistic that my next email to you about RESTORE will confirm that we have finally cleared all the hurdles and have unprecedented cause for celebration.
I'm grateful to each of you for your support and hard work in getting the deal to this point. We were able to get to this historic moment in partnership with National Wildlife Federation, Environmental Defense Fund and others. Audubon's full network has played a critical role in getting this legislation passed. From advising Senate offices on strategy and the specifics in the bill to generating support from the grassroots to working closely with Sens. Harry Reid, Bill Nelson, Mary Landrieu and Barbara Boxer, this has been a personal and organizational priority for many of us.
David Yarnold
President & CEO
National Audubon Society |
NCER is a national conference on ecosystem restoration presenting state-of-the art science and engineering, planning and policy in a partnership environment. One of the country's largest meetings on Ecosystem Restoration, NCER is only held every two years, and meets near large scale restoration programs including but not limited to the Missouri and Mississippi River Basins, the Louisiana Coastal Area, the Everglades, San Francisco Bay/Delta, Chesapeake Bay, the Great Lakes and Puget Sound, to name a few.
NCER 2013 will be held July 29 - August 2 at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center just outside Chicago, IL. Owned by the City/Villages of Schaumburg, the Renaissance has ample space to accommodate all of our meeting, poster and exhibit requirements quite comfortably. We hope you will make plans to attend this innovative and interactive conference which will attract more than 500 participants and feature presentations on every aspect of Ecosystem Restoration. We also invite you to submit a proposal for organizing a dedicated session.
| Call for Dedicated Sessions |
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As a member of the ecosystem restoration community, you are encouraged to assist with developing the program agenda by organizing a session focusing on the topic of your expertise. Proposal acceptance is based on:
- potential for generating useful results
- relevance and expected level of interest
NCER 2013 Programmatic Themes are outlined on the the conference web site. However, don't feel limited to these areas - we want to capture emerging topics and new ideas critical to Ecosystem Restoration. For more information on submitting a proposal, visit our web site, where you'll also find a pre-formatted proposal template for your convenience.
Proposal Submission Deadline: July 27, 2012
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 | Under mom's watchful eye
Sandhill crane chick -- Mark Renz photo |
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July 17-21, 2012
Lincoln, Nebraska
The League is celebrating a milestone that very few organizations in this country can claim. This year's convention is a time to celebrate our history of achievements and set a path forward for the next decade ... and beyond.
Join us for speakers and workshops you can't find anywhere else. Plus networking with your fellow Ikes - sharing what works at the chapter and state levels. Airfare prices have dropped, and the room block expires June 29th!
Visit the League's 2012 convention Web page for a convention overview and to download a registration form.
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EPA Awards $50,000 to Chattahoochee Riverkeeper to Expand Atlanta Neighborhood Water Watch; Other Grants Awarded in Tenn., Ky. and N.C.
Contact Information: Davina Marraccini, (404) 562-8293, marraccini.davina@epa.gov
(ATLANTA - June 26, 2012) At a ceremony today in Grove Park, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded a $50,000 grant to Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (CRK) to expand the environmental group's Neighborhood Water Watch program in Atlanta's urban core. The organization is one of just five recipients chosen in the Southeast and 46 nationally to receive grants totaling $2.7 million to help restore urban waters, support community revitalization and protect Americans' health.
"These grants support communities in their efforts to access, improve and benefit from their urban waters and the surrounding land," said EPA Deputy Regional Administrator, Stan Meiburg. "By promoting access to urban waterways, EPA is helping the public become active participants in environmental restoration and protection efforts that ultimately improve people's health."
Urban waters can be canals, rivers, lakes, wetlands, aquifers, estuaries, bays and oceans in urbanized areas. The projects selected for funding will promote the restoration of urban waters through community engagement and outreach, water quality monitoring and studies, and environmental education and training.
"Urban waters across our nation are brimming with potential. Potential for new businesses to grow and thrive. Potential for educational, recreational and social opportunities," said EPA acting Assistant Administrator for Water Nancy Stoner. "To help tap into that potential, EPA is funding projects across the country to help restore urban waters, support community revitalization and protect American's health."
Under the grant, Chattahoochee Riverkeeper will expand an existing collaborative partnership with local civic associations, watershed groups, schools and government agencies to improve water quality in urban streams and protect public health. CRK will expand its Neighborhood Water Watch program in Atlanta's urban core to encompass 25 sites (up from 16). Through the program, residents are taught to conduct their own stream monitoring and develop a body of water-quality data in urban neighborhoods. Residents are also trained to identify and report pollution sources. Ultimately, the project will reduce pollution in the Chattahoochee River-recently ranked third on the American Rivers' annual Most Endangered Rivers list.
"While progress has been made in cleaning up the streams that run through Atlanta neighborhoods, some of these waterways are still polluted with untreated sewage and other contaminants. EPA's Urban Waters grant will help us continue and expand our Neighborhood Water Watch Program, involving local residents in monitoring the quality of the creeks in their communities," said Sally Bethea, CRK's executive director and riverkeeper.
CRK's mission is to protect and preserve the Chattahoochee River, its lakes and tributaries for the people, fish and wildlife that depend on it. The Chattahoochee is the most heavily used water resource in Georgia. For more information, visit http://www.chattahoochee.org.
EPA's Urban Waters program supports the goals and principles of the Urban Waters Federal Partnership, a collaboration of 12 federal agencies working to reconnect urban communities with their waterways by improving coordination among federal agencies and community-led revitalization efforts.
The Urban Waters Federal Partnership closely aligns with and advances the work of the White House's place-based efforts, including the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, to revitalize communities, create jobs and improve the quality of life in cities and towns across the nation. The Urban Waters Federal Partnership also advances the work of President Obama's America's Great Outdoors Initiative.
Individual Urban Waters grant amounts range from $30,000 to $60,000. Additional grants were awarded to the following recipients across the Southeast:
- Tennessee Environmental Council, Springhill, Tenn. ($56,999.75)
- University of Kentucky, Lexington, Ky. ($59,934)
- Land of Sky Regional Council, Brevard, N.C. ($60,000)
- Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association, Durham, N.C. ($59,927)
Information about these and other grant recipients across the country: http://www.epa.gov/urbanwaters/funding
Information on EPA's Urban Waters program: http://www.epa.gov/urbanwaters/index.html
Information on the Urban Waters Federal Partnership: http://urbanwaters.gov/
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Audubon Florida's effort to work with Kissimmee watershed cattle farmers in cooperative ventures that both sustain agriculture and enhance the protection of the vital water resources influencing the health of Lake Okeechobee are producing real benefits. Read on to learn about the progress being made in the new Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area and how a water management technique known as "Dispersed Water Management" is aiding farmers and cattle producers in helping Florida's fragile environment.
http://fl.audubonaction.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=21621.0&printer_friendly=1 |
 Bruce Ritchie,
Water management districts must receive Florida Department of Environmental Protection approval for major land purchases under guidelines published by DEP this month.
The DEP memo, posted on a department website last week, has received a mixed reaction from environmentalists. Some of them last year accused DEP and Gov. Rick Scott of launching a takeover of the districts, which were established by the Legislature in 1972.
Florida has purchased 2.5 million acres since 1990 under Florida Forever and a predecessor land-buying program. State law provides for 30 percent funding to be divided among the five water management districts, although funding has been sharply cut by the Legislature since 2009.
Three months after taking office in 2011, Scott directed DEP to supervise activities of the districts including review and oversight of land acquisition and disposition. Scott said the districts must focus on their core missions of water supply, flood control and resource protection.
The June 8 guidance memo says districts should focus on acquiring conservation easements, which involve paying landowners to conserve land rather than having the state outright buy the property. DEP also says districts should buy land at 90 percent of the appraised value and should find partner agencies to split the cost.
Related Research: Access the directive from Governor Scott and DEP's land acquisition guidelines.
The guidance document requires any purchase of more than $500,000 to be approved by the department. Any purchase below that amount must be approved by the department unless it is for 90 percent or less of the appraised value.
The document calls on districts to sell land that is no longer needed for conservation purposes. However, DEP cautions the districts against eliminating significant landscape linkages, conservation corridors, natural or cultural resources or public recreational opportunities including hunting.
Clay Henderson, a lawyer and member of the Florida Conservation Coalition, said the memo clearly will have a "chilling effect" on new land purchases by districts. He said the districts also are being pressured to sell their lands.
"I'm just tired of being on the defensive," Henderson said. "We are so well-known for our successes with these programs. They have protected some outstanding examples of conservation land across the state and commanded wide support from the public."
Charles Lee, director of advocacy for Audubon Florida, said he remains concerned about how the districts are identifying land to get rid of. But he said the guidelines have some good language, such as requiring a determination that lands are no longer needed for conservation and avoiding the elimination of conservation corridors and landscape linkages.
"The land acquisition provisions seem to give reasonable latitude for the districts to move forward with purchases, including the $500,000 purchases which don't even have to be approved by DEP," Lee wrote in an email.
DEP spokesman Patrick Gillespie said department officials met with district representatives in February and they have been following informally following the guidance document since then.
"The purpose of the document is to provide guidance to the water management districts on purchasing land to support their core missions of water supply, water quality, flood control and natural resource protection while being judicious of Florida taxpayer dollars," Gillespie said in an email.
Reporter Bruce Ritchie can be reached at britchie@thefloridacurrent.com. |
Doc Ford's steps up again for "Ding" Days sponsorship
Doc Ford's Sanibel Rum Bar & Grille for the fifth consecutive year has donated $5,000 to "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge (DDWS) for its 2012 "Ding" Darling Days birding and eco-festival, which will draw more than 6,000 visitors to J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge the week of Oct. 14-20.
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 | Ant-archy
River flooding flushing out fire ants that lived too close to the shoreline.
Mark Renz photo
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Bacterial contamination from stormwater runoff and sewage helped make 2011 one of the worst years in more than two decades for health-related closings and warnings at U.S. beaches, a major environmental group says.
The Natural Resources Defense Council's annual assessment, released Wednesday, analyzes government data from more than 3,000 testing locations nationwide. It found that water quality at America's beaches remained largely stable last year, with 8 percent of water samples violating public health standards, the same as the previous year.
But there were 23,481 closing and advisory days in 2011, the third-highest level since NRDC began compiling their reports in 1990. That represented a 3 percent drop from 2010, which marked the second-highest number of closings and advisories since the group started its surveys. (The worst year, according to the NRDC, was 2006 with 25,643 closing or warning days.)
The Great Lakes region had the highest violation rate of beachwater standards - 11 percent of samples in 2011 - while the Mid-Atlantic's Delmarva region had the lowest, with 4 percent. Individual states with the highest violation rates of reported samples were Louisiana (29 percent), Ohio (22 percent), and Illinois (12 percent). States with the lowest rates of contamination last year - just 1 percent - were Delaware and New Hampshire.
For the first time this year, the NRDC has mapped more than 6,000 beaches nationwide, providing monitoring, closing and advisory information for more than half of them.
The searchable map includes a dozen beaches that earned the group's five-star rating for violating health standards less than 5 percent of the time and for following such best practices as testing more than once a week and posting advisories online as well as at the beach. |
 The Coccoloba Chapter of The Florida Native Plant Society will be participating in The Taste of Lee Tropical Fruit Fair. Native edibles for landscaping your home will be on display for tasting. Sat June 30 at The First Baptist Church Community Room. 9 AM until 2 PM 1735 Jackson St. River District Downtown Fort Myers. $1 admission over 12. Free samples, ice cream & punches. |
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Eco-Voice Moderator
Eco-Voice, Inc.
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