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Sunday, July 1st, 2012 #1353
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Ancient oyster, modern shoreline Harns Marsh -- Mark Renz photo art
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Central Everglades Planning Project Project Delivery Team meeting July 2-3, 2012
The USACE and SFWMD will be holding a two-day Project Delivery Team (PDT) meeting for the Central Everglades Planning Project Monday, July 2 from 12:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. and Tuesday, July 3 from 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Jonathan Dickinson State Park in the Elsa Kimbell Environmental Education and Research Center, 16450 S.E. Federal Highway in Hobe Sound. ***It is recommended that PDT meeting participants bring their own lunch, since lunch options are limited.
PDT meetings enable federal, state and local agencies and tribal governments to provide their input into the Central Everglades Planning Project. Members of the public may attend the PDT meeting and provide public comment at the end of the meeting.
The draft agenda for the PDT meeting is available at:
www.evergladesplan.org/pm/public_meetings/MeetingItem.aspx?meetingId=473
Additional information on CEPP is available at:
www.evergladesplan.org/pm/projects/proj_51_cepp.aspx
Thank you for your interest and participation in the Central Everglades Planning Project, which is part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP).
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Throughout the centuries, the Everglades have inspired strong emotion and debate among soldiers and poets, politicians and citizens. Its history is as broad and sprawling as the River of Grass itself. Although many stories have been told about the Everglades - from drainage to restoration - few have been told about where it all begins: the Kissimmee River Basin. Restoration and protection of the natural values of this vast, watery landscape may well hold the key to restoration of the Greater Everglades ecosystem
Travel with filmmaker Elam Stoltzfus along the Kissimmee River and surrounding regions. Meet the "Keepers of the Land" and experience a sense of place in the vast open spaces in the cattle country of Florida's private and public lands.
Throughout the centuries, the Everglades have inspired strong emotion and debate among soldiers and poets, politicians and citizens. Its history is as broad and sprawling as the River of Grass itself. Although many stories have been told about the Everglades - from drainage to restoration - few have been told about where it all begins: the Kissimmee River Basin. Restoration and protection of the natural values of this vast, watery landscape may well hold the key to restoration of the Greater Everglades ecosystem
Film maker, Elam Stoltzfus and Clyde Butcher have a long history of creating films together. Both very excited to announce the showing of
Kissmmee Basin: The Northern Everglades.
The unlikely combination of ranchers, military, SFWMD, Core of Engineers, and environmentalists worked together to restore the Kissimmee Rive creating one of the top river restorations in the world. The success has brought people from all over our planet to study how it was accomplished. We can be very proud of this wonderful step toward restoring the Everglades ecosystem. It is a remarkable story and a great film.
Kissimmee Basin: the Northern Everglades
Features comments by Carlton Ward Jr., Florida Ranchers, history of the Kissimmee River and discussions about land conservation. Produced by Elam Stoltzfus.
Host by Clyde Butcher
Narration by Jim Fowler
WLRN-17, Miami. 7-3-12, 8 pm 7-4-12, 2 am
7-9-12, 11 pm 7-10-12, 5 am
Link to view and learn more about it: http://www.northerneverglades.com/
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Artist's palette Buckeye butterfly -- Mark Renz photo art
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To Interested Stakeholders:
The following meetings were announced in the Florida Administrative Weekly edition on Friday, June 29, and is provided to all stakeholders and interested parties for your information. These meetings will address the draft verified lists of impaired waters and waters proposed for delisting in the
PLACE: DEP Southwest District Office, 13051 N. Telecom Parkway,
Group 1 basins. These meetings are open to the public and all persons are invited.
Everglades West Coast and Lake Okeechobee Basins
DATE AND TIME: Tuesday, July 10, 2012 10:00 A.M. (EDST)
PLACE: Lower West Coast Service Center for the South Florida Water Management District,
1st floor Conference Room; 2301 McGregor Blvd. Fort Myers, Florida 33901
Tampa Bay Basin
DATE AND TIME: Wednesday, July 11, 2012, 9:00 A.M to 11:30 A.M. (EDST)
Temple Terrace, FL, 33637
Ocklawaha and Suwannee River Basins
DATE AND TIME: Wednesday, July 18, 2012, 1:30 P.M to 4:00 P.M. (EDST)
PLACE: Gainesville Regional Utilities, 1st Floor, Conference Room, 301 S. E. 4th Avenue,
Gainesville, FL, 32601
St. Marks-Ochlockonee River Basin
DATE AND TIME: Friday, July 20, 2012, 1:30 P.M to 4:00 P.M. (EDST)
PLACE: Florida DEP Bob Martinez Center Building, Room 609
2600 Blair Stone Road, Tallahassee, FL 32399
The draft verified lists and proposed waters for delisting can be found on the Department's Watershed Assessment website (http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/watersheds/assessment/index.htm
The Department will accept written comments on the draft lists, beginning June 29, 2012, and ending July 31, 2012. Any and all written comments should be directed to: Ms. Julie Espy, Watershed Assessment Section, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, 2600 Blair Stone Road, MS #3555, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2400, e-mail: julie.espy@dep.state.fl.us.
A copy of the agenda may be obtained on the Department's Watershed Assessment website (
or by contacting: Ms. Renee Gray, Bureau of Assessment and Restoration, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, 2600 Blair Stone Road, MS 3560, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2400, e-mail: renee.gray@dep.state.fl.us
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Beth Alvi
Environmental Consultant
Watershed Planning & Coordination Section
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
http://sharepoint.dep.state.fl.us/PublicNotices/default.aspx) |
Save the Date" for the next CHNEP TAC which will be held Wed. July 11 from 9:00 am - 3:30 pm in Fort Myers at the SFWMD Lower West Coast Service Center.
The Agenda packet will be available next week, but topics include:
·Networking & coffee (9:00 am - 9:15 am)
·CHNEP Review of Draft Areawide Environmental Impact Statement for Central FL Phosphate District
·CHNEP FY13 Research Project Grant Request for Proposals
·CHNEP Oyster Restoration Suitability Model Results & Restoration Method Options
·CCHMN 2012 Field Audit Results & Update
·Update on CHNEP Water Quality Status & Trends project
·Gottfried Cr TMDL "Walk the WBID"
·USGS Caloosahatchee R Water Quality Monitoring Summary
·SWFRPC Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment & Adaptation for Salt Marshes in SW FL |
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Happy Ending!
Okay, here's one with a happy ending...
Click Mark Renz image for photo story
and name of bird
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By David Guest, Managing Attorney, Earthjustice
The "summer slime" season is starting in Florida. Over and over, we'll be forced to watch the places where we love to boat, swim and fish get covered with nauseating algae that can make us, our pets, and wildlife sick. In Tallahassee and in Washington, polluter lobbyists are getting their politician friends to push for ineffective standards on the pollution that's sparking these nasty toxic algae outbreaks all over the state. We're talking about phosphorus and nitrogen, the so-called "nutrients," which come from the sewage, manure and fertilizer that runs into our water. Polluters basically wrote the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's ineffective rules on this pollution, and they desperately want the state to substitute their loophole-ridden bureaucratic mumbo jumbo for the clear, enforceable standards developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Gov. Rick Scott is doing his best to give the polluters what they want - these weak, substitute rules. We need the EPA's strong rules, because they set enforceable numeric limits on the amount of phosphorus and nitrogen allowed in our waters. The EPA's rules are easy-to-read speed limit signs. The rules Gov. Scott is pushing are ridiculous -- they would only require pollution control after waters have been already slimed - and that means the damage is done and taxpayers will be forced to pay for expensive clean-up. Now it's up to President Obama: will he back Rick Scott's proposal, or support EPA's?
So far, environmental activists have sent more than 34,000 letters to the White House, urging Obama to enforce the EPA's standards. We have to keep the pressure up.
This heartbreaking pollution is a public health threat that hurts tourism and the most important resource we have -- our drinking water. When the EPA standards go into effect, they will spur important changes to control pollution at its source: More sustainable agriculture practices for fertilizer and pesticide use, upgrades to outdated sewage systems, and modern manure management, to name a few. We have to fight back against the polluters - it is just not fair for them to keep using our public waters as their private sewers. We have formed a citizen's group to fight back. It is called the Florida Water Coalition, and you can learn more - and send an alert to the White House -- by visiting www.floridawatercoalition.org . |
A new report by River Networkprovides the first accounting of how much water is used to generate electricity on an average per-kilowatt basis. The report, Burning Our Rivers: The Water Footprint of Electricityfound that for every gallon of water used in an average household, five times more water (40,000 gallons each month) is used to provide that home with electricity via hydropower turbines and fossil fuel power plants.
The Burning Our Rivers report summarizes current research on the water consumption of all power production in the U.S., including the water consumption of both non-renewable and renewable energy sources. |
Confirming The Human Fingerprint In Global Ocean Warming
Recent warming of the top 2300 feet of the ocean alone corresponds to an energy content of more than one Hiroshima atomic bomb detonation every second over the past 40 years. A new analysis of all the recent data makes clear that this remarkable warming can only be explained with man-made greenhouse gas emissions - JR.
by Dana Nuccitelli, via Skeptical Science
Although over 90% of overall global warming goes into heating the oceans, it is often overlooked, particularly by those who try to deny that global warming is still happening. Nature Climate Change has a new paper by some big names in the field of oceanography, including Domingues, Church, Ishii, and also Santer (Gleckler et al. 2012). The paper compares ocean heat content (OHC) simulations in climate models to some of the newest and best OHC observational data sets from Domingues (2008), Ishii (2009), and Levitus (2009) which contain important corrections for systematic instrumental biases in expendable bathythermograph (XBT) data. The paper makes several important points.....
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Ancient mystery solved
Paleontologists have finally uncovered an ancient mystery: how CroCorona Man was able to open early beer bottles.
Scientists recently stumbled onto the fossilized bills of prehistoric cormorants with clear bottle-cap markings, suggesting that cormorants were once trained to pop the tops in one snap of their hooked bills. Researchers also think this is the era of the great agricultural breakthrough when couch potatoes first took root. If not for such discoveries, man would never have invented TV or sports or fattening foods and where would we be today? Mentally stimulating and healthy -- yuck!
Mark Renz photo and story
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It's Time to Reform the U.S. Sugar Program in the 2012 Farm Bill
Editorial pages and opinion leaders across America agree that it is time to reform the U.S. sugar program in the 2012 Farm Bill. Click here to read what they have to say.
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The U.S. sugar program has been in existence for most of the past 75 years, yet it has never before been as harmful to small businesses, consumers and workers as it is today. The sugar program benefits from being one part of a broad farm bill that appeals to multiple constituencies, giving added support to a program that cannot stand on its own merits. Additionally, because sugar policy works by driving up market prices rather than sending out federal checks, its supporters have often been able to sell it as cost-free. This couldn't be further from the truth!
The 2008 Farm Bill imposed many new import restrictions and other market-shorting schemes. More and more Americans are becoming aware of these onerous new costs, leading to increased support for sugar policy reform.
History of the Sugar Program
America & Sugar: A Salty Tale
America's sugar policy has been twisted and spun many times - mostly to win political favor among rival politicians and causes. Starting in 1789 through 2011, this timeline outlines some of the nation's most important events in the twisted tale of American sugar policy.
1789: A young America imposed a duty on imported sugar to raise revenue for the struggling country.
1890: A little over a hundred years later, the import duty was repealed. Instead, domestic sugar farmers were paid a bounty of two-cents per pound of sugar they produced.
1894: Realizing that America couldn't compete with international sugar, the import tax was reinstated, and the bounties paid to sugar farmers ended.
1934: During the Great Depression, the government took over sugar policy. The Sugar Act of 1934 named sugar beets and sugarcane basic commodities, and put quotas on domestic sugar segments, foreign imports, and included marketing allotments and labor provisions. Sugar farmers were also paid a direct subsidy of one-half cent per pound of sugar they produced.......
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Habitat squeezed Mark Renz photo
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ACES (A Community on Ecosystem Services), Ecosystem Markets Conference, and ESP (Ecosystem Services Partnership) will join together this year to form one of the world's largest meetings on EcosystemServices and we want you to be involved!
ACES and Ecosystem Markets 2012 will be held December 10-14, 2012 at the Marriott Harbor Beach in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. We hope that you will make plans to attend this innovative conference which we anticipate will attract more than 700 participants and will feature presentations from every aspect of Ecosystem Services.
Submit your abstract today to become involved in this monumental event! www.conference.ifas.ufl.edu/aces
Call for Abstracts! - NOW OPEN !
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Deadline: July 15, 2012
Organized Session presenters are encouraged to submit their abstract by July 2nd!
Interested in participating in the ACES and Ecosystem Markets conference as an Oral or Poster Presenter? Submit your abstract today!
The ACES and EM Program Committee is seeking abstracts for both oral and poster presentations, and would like to specifically encourage the submission of natural science abstracts to provide balance to the program.
If you want to get feedback on your abstract or other research or just need a place to connect, visit the ACES Community Page in Ecosystem Commons! |
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| Graduate Student Fellowship Opportunity |
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Deadline: July 15, 2012
Are you a graduate student hoping to present at the ACES and Ecosystem Markets Conference? Apply today and submit your abstract (via the main online abstract submission) for consideration as an ACES Fellow!
Fellowships provide students with travel, lodging, and registration fee support. For more information and to apply, visit the |
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Who Should Attend?
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ACES and Ecosystem Markets 2012 will bring together scientists, practitioners, federal, state, and local agencies, business and financial experts, and resource managers who are interested in natural systems and their relationship with human well-being. Participants will include individuals with interests in resource management, restoration, institutions and policy, government, business, conservation, and urban and non-urban development and will have expertise in areas such as:
- Natural sciences
- Economics and other social sciences
- Urban and regional planning
- Resource and ecosystem management
- Corporate Sustainability and Practices
- Conservation
- Development
- Policy, Institutions, and Law
- Geography
- Finance and marketing
- Tool development
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Should you have any questions about the upcoming conference please do not hesitate to call on me. Please note that additional information on conference deadlines and announcements will be coming via this email listserv. Please be sure that you and your colleagues are subscribed to the ACES - A Community on Ecosystem Services listing.
Sincerely,
Jhanna Gilbert, CMP, CGMP | Conference Coordinator
University of Florida | IFAS
UF Leadership & Education Foundation, Inc.
Office of Conferences & Institutes
PO Box 110750 | Bldg. 639 Mowry Rd.
Gainesville, FL 32611-0750| USA
PH 352-392-5930 | FAX 352-392-9734
jhanna@ufl.edu | www.conference.ifas.ufl.edu/aces |
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Be safe while celebrating the Fourth of July
- Use legal products
LABELLE, FL. -- The Fourth of July is a time for celebration across the country and fireworks are a crowd favorite each year. While fireworks can be fun to watch, they can also be very dangerous when used illegally in home settings, and providing bad safety examples to children watching who may want to imitate the behavior of adults.
Every year an estimated 3,500 children ages 15 and under suffer injuries involving fireworks with most of these injuries occurring from the middle of June until the middle of July. Children and teenagers are the most likely people to be injured as a result of consumer fireworks. Adults provide a poor example to their children when using illegal fireworks, as well as causing possible injury to their children and accidental fire dangers.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, approximately 40 percent of the people injured by fireworks were under the age of 15. Each year in Florida, nearly 60 children ages 15 and under go to the hospital for injuries involving fireworks.
Everyone should remember that fireworks, including sparkers and flares, can cause serious burns as well as blast injuries that can permanently impair vision and hearing. Every year there are serious injuries to children playing with fireworks at home.
"The safest way to enjoy fireworks is to watch them at a community event where professionals handle them," says Pat Dobbins, Administrator for the Hendry and Glades County Health Departments.
The United States Fire Administration reminds everyone that sparklers can reach 2,000° Fahrenheit- hot enough to melt some metals. Do not allow kids to pick up pieces of fireworks after an event. Some may still be ignited and can explode at any time.
Consumer Fireworks Are Illegal In Florida Florida laws prohibit the use of fireworks by the public, except for sparklers. Using any device that explodes or shoots in the air is illegal.
Firework vendors selling exploding fireworks avoid being prosecuted by getting buyers to sign a statement that the fireworks are to be used for legal purposes. The signed statement makes buyers lie about the use of the products, making the purchaser liable for providing a false statement, but keeping the business out of trouble with law enforcement. Beware of signing a false statement to purchase exploding fireworks.
Consumers who purchase legal fireworks (none are legal in Florida) are urged to take these safety steps:
Never allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks.
Avoid buying fireworks that are packaged in brown paper because this is often a sign that the fireworks were made for professional displays and that they could pose a danger to consumers.
Always have an adult supervise fireworks activities. Parents don't realize that young children suffer injuries from sparklers. Sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees - hot enough to melt some metals.
Never place any part of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse. Back up to a safe distance immediately after lighting fireworks.
Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not ignited fully.
Never point or throw fireworks at another person.
Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or other mishap.
Light fireworks one at a time, then move back quickly.
Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them off in metal or glass containers.
After fireworks complete their burning, douse the spent device with plenty of water from a bucket or hose before discarding it to prevent a trash fire.
Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before buying or using them (exploding or shooting products are not legal in Florida)
Never assume that a fireworks device is safe based on its size and never allow young children to play with or light fireworks. By knowing the dangers of all types of fireworks, consumers can prevent tragedies.
http://swflorida.blogspot.com/ |
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- C-43 West Basin Storage Reservoir Project:
Chief's Report Package
The Chief's Report is the transmittal package for the Project Implementation Report to the Office of Management and Budget and subsequently to Congress. It contains updated costs and evaluation information for the PIR as submitted. Caloosahatchee River (C-43) West Basin Storage Reservoir Final Integrated PIR and EIS (March 2010)
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The goal of the Central Everglades Planning Project is to deliver within two years a finalized plan, known as a Project Implementation Report (PIR), for a suite of restoration projects in the central Everglades to prepare for congressional authorization as part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). USACE is leading this planning effort in partnership with the South Florida Water Management District.
More information on CEPP may be found at the following web links:
-- Read the Notice of Intent (NOI) published in the Federal Register on Dec. 2 at http://1.usa.gov/thVkIf
-- Read the fact sheet at http://bit.ly/uTojzM
The Everglades ecosystem encompasses a system of diverse wetland landscapes that are hydrologically and ecologically connected across more than 200 miles from north to south and across 18,000 square miles of southern Florida. In 2000, the U.S. Congress authorized the Federal government, in...
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Eco-Voice Moderator
Eco-Voice, Inc.
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