Florida Cabinet approves 2,800-acre land buy

Flint Rock Wildlife Management Area

The governor and Cabinet today approved the state purchase of 2,849 acres in Jefferson County.

The state will The Nature Conservancy $5.2 million, or $1,841 per acre, for the land, which previously was owned by The St. Joe Co. The land has been managed as a portion of the Flint Rock Wildlife Management Area by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The purchase was one of the largest approved by the Cabinet during a 12-month period in which few projects have moved forward. Bonds for the Florida Forever land-buying program were not sold until late last year because of the tight bond market.

The area extends from U.S. Highway 98 south to the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. The purchase would protect a corridor of habitat between the refuge and another state wildlife management area along the Aucilla River.

The area is has been designated a "strategic habitat conservation area" by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. It provides habitat for black bears and swallow-tailed kites and is potential habitat for the eastern indigo snake and flatwoods salamander.


The Nature Conservancy purchased the property in January 2008 as part of a deal for 10,905 acres in the area.

(Map courtesy of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Story and photo copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission).

Cabinet to consider 2,800-acre purchase Tuesday

Flint Rock Wildlife Management Area

The governor and Cabinet on Tuesday will consider approving the state purchase of 2,849 acres in Jefferson County.

The Cabinet will consider paying The Nature Conservancy $5.2 million, or $1,841 per acre, for the land, which previously was owned by The St. Joe Co. The land has been managed as a portion of the Flint Rock Wildlife Management Area by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The area extends from U.S. Highway 98 south to the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. The purchase would protect a corridor of habitat between the refuge and another state wildlife management area along the Aucilla River.

The area is has been designated a "strategic habitat conservation area" by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. It provides habitat for black bears and swallow-tailed kites and is potential habitat for the eastern indigo snake and flatwoods salamander.


The Nature Conservancy purchased the property in January 2008 as part of a deal for 10,905 acres in the area.

(Map courtesy of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Story and photo copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission).

Florida delegation, DEP's Sole oppose EPA standards

Federal proposed water quality standards for Florida received more protests this week from Florida officials.

Springs across the state have become choked with weeds and algae in recent years while toxic algal blooms have flourished in the St. Johns River and along the southwest Florida Gulf coast.

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency on Jan. 15 proposed more specific limits for nitrogen and phosphorus in lakes and rivers. EPA and the state Department of Environmental Protection agreed last year that the new standard were needed to protect Florida's water quality.

But DEP Secretary Michael Sole said this week that the EPA, in developing the proposed standards, had used a computer model that effectively doesn't work for Florida.


He told the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Committee that 68 percent of Florida's "pristine" waters would fail to meet the proposed federal rule. He also said EPA's estimated cost of $1.5 billion for Florida to meet the proposed standards appears too low.

"We need to focus on the work that is going to actually gain an environmental benefit," he said. "The concern we have is these (federal standards) as proposed have no significant environmental lift."

Also this week, 20 members of Florida's congressional delegation followed industry groups last week in requesting that the EPA extend the 60-day comment period on the rule.

(Story copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission.)

Sub-sea drilling technology shown to House

Members of a House panel today were told that oil and gas production platforms built more than 13 miles offshore would not be visible from the coast.

The House Select Policy Council on Strategic & Economic Planning is holding hearings towards developing legislation that would lift the state's 20-year-old ban on drilling in Florida waters.

Those waters extend 10 miles offshore in the Gulf of Mexico and three miles into the Atlantic. Rep. Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park and council chairman, said Jan. 14 he's interested in legislation that would require oil and gas production to be out of sight from the coast.

Today, council members were shown a futuristic video of equipment positioned on the ocean floor that can extract oil and gas without having rigs on the surface.

Frank C. Adamek, executive chief engineer for GE Oil & Gas, said the energy products can be piped 100 miles or more to platforms, loading terminals for ships or onshore storage facilities. The economic feasibility of it all, Adamek said, may depend on whether companies can tie into existing pipelines or loading facilities.

After the meeting, Cannon said the Legislature could require use of such technologies without concern for the cost.

"We don't set the price-point," he said. "What we set are proper safeguards to make sure we protect Floridians' interests."

The council meets again Feb. 10 to discuss oil and gas accidents and competing uses for Florida's waters.

Artist's rendition of oil production equipment from GE presentation to House. To download, click here.

(Story copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission.)

Land-buying falls short in House committee

Florida's conservation land-buying program was not included among 38 priorities identified by members of a House panel.

The Florida Forever land-buying program is a 2010-11 budget priority for Gov. Charlie Crist and environmental groups. Florida Forever is the largest land-buying program in the nation with 2.4 million acres having been purchased since 1990.

But the program received no money from the Legislature last year and could run out of cash by the end of the year. Members of the House Natural Resources Appropriations committee were asked to each rank eight priorities among 81 spending items.

Half of the 14 committee members turned in priority worksheets, and none marked the $200 million in bonding authority for Florida Forever. One member marked Everglades restoration, suggested at $100 million in bonding, as a priority.

Crist requested $50 million in bonding for each program. Including them in the budget would cost nearly $10 million in additional spending in 2010-11 for debt service.

Rep. Ralph Poppell, R-Vero Beach and committee chairman, said Florida Forever still could get money -- depending on revenue estimates and further direction from House leaders on the amount of money the committee has to budget for 2010-11.

"People want us to spend the money wisely and be held accountable," he said. "We can't do everything they want us to do."

After the meeting, Audubon of Florida representative Julie Wraithmell said Florida Forever is not over yet.

"It's a program with a lot of (public) support," she said.

Committee members now are being asked to rank the priority programs with the lowest priorities totaling at least $294.6 million. Democrats have objected to the budget exercise in Natural Resources Appropriations and other House committees.

(Story copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission.)

Bennett says DCA won't be eliminated "on my watch"

Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, today said elimination of the Florida Department of Community Affairs "is not going to happen on my watch."

Bennett, as chairman of the Senate Committee on Community Affairs, could play a key role in maintaining DCA as the chief state agency responsible for enforcing Florida's growth management laws. The agency this year is undergoing a "sunset" review under state law to determine if the need for the agency.

Amid criticism of DCA last year, the House Military and Local Affairs Committee introduced a bill that would abolish the department and shift its planning oversight to the Florida Department of State. DCA Secretary Tom Pelham faces criticism from developers for questioning the need for new projects.


Although Bennett doesn't serve on the Joint Legislative Sunset Committee, his Committee on Community Affairs will take up whatever legislation the Sunset panel proposes. Speaking today to the Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association Public Policy Workshop, Bennett said abolishing the department "is never going to happen on my watch."

"We need oversight," he said. "We need a central planning agency to keep us all in line."

Other speakers at the FAPA annual Public Policy Workshop said the Legislature, during an election year, may seek to avoid controversy by extending the DCA sunset review until next year.

The controversial proposed Amendment 4, known as "Florida Hometown Democracy," may persuade legislators to do little on growth management issues, some capital observers said.

Amendment 4 would require voter approval of changes to local comprehensive growth plans. Business groups and some local governments oppose the measure while a few environmental groups support it.

Several speakers said they don't expect significant growth legislation this year because lawmakers don't want to provide ammunition for Amendment 4 supporters.

"We are very concerned about Amendment 4," Bennett said. "We don't want to do anything to fire that up."

When he's asked what the Legislature will do this session, Bennett said he responds, "Not very much."

"On growth management," he said, "right now we don't have much growth to manage."

He said SB 360, which revamped some aspects of growth law last year, still is being implemented.

Bennett said he would like to see some permitting duplication eliminated.

(Story copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission.)

Panel issues growth recommendations, struggles for money

A state panel created by the Legislature to make recommendations on growth management and quality of life issues has produced its fourth annual report while it struggles with lack of state funding.

The Century Commission for a Sustainable Florida this year has issued four recommendations, most of them suggesting follow-up action on previous recommendations.

The commission, whose members are appointed by the governor, House speaker and Senate president, received $450,000 a year from the state when it was created by the Legislature in 2005 but received only $6,400 last year, commission Executive Director Tim Center told the House Military and Local Affairs Policy Committee.

"That was not enough technically to pay for the hosting fee for the web site," Center said. He said the Collins Center for Public Policy is paying the commission staff salaries and that the unpaid commissioners are paying their own travel expenses to attend meetings.

The commission already is working on one recommendation: Establishing a fact-finding process on coastal oil drilling in conjunction with Senate research on the issue.

The commission also is recommending that the governor and Legislature explore incentives for "cool roofs" and other reflective building surfaces that can reduce energy use.

Another recommendation calls for the Legislature to fund a second "water congress" -- this one dealing with water quality -- to follow up on the 2008 Florida Water Congress dealing with water quantity issues. In its legislative package last year, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection proposed many of the 2008 Water Congress recommendations but only two were approved, Center said.

Saying that Florida's sustainable water supply now is in "serious jeopardy," Center urged the committee to take up the remaining recommendations from the 2008 Florida Water Congress.

"This is low hanging fruit -- if not fruit on the ground -- and is something that could be done immediately," he said.

The fourth recommendation calls for a process of engaging landowners, agricultural interests, government agencies and environmental groups to create a blueprint for conserving Florida's clean water and air.

Several committee members praised the commission for its thorough research.

"I think we take them seriously," said Rep. Dorothy L. Hukill, R-Port Orange and committee chairwoman told FloridaEnvironments.com. "The reason they (commission recommendations) are broad is so they can make a recommendation that they can say there is broad support for."

To download a copy of the commission's recommendations, go to www.centurycommission.org .