Senate president calls for study of "complicated" drilling issue

Senate President Jeff Atwater today announced that Senate committee staff would conduct a detailed and comprehensive review of the implications of offshore drilling with no timeline for completion.

The House earlier this year approved a bill to allow oil drilling in Florida's Gulf waters as close as three miles to the coast. But the Senate refused to act on the bill, which faced environmental opposition.

With drilling legislation expected to come back in 2010 or earlier in a special session, Atwater, R-Palm Beach, said outlined the issues that must be studied by the Senate Environmental Preservation and Conservation Committee.

"Offshore drilling is a complicated issue with significant ramifications for our state," Atwater said. "The citizens of Florida deserve a thoughtful and deliberative conversation free of rancor or hyperbole, and the Senate intends to provide a structure for that conversation within our body."

Other groups including Florida State University and the Century Commission for a Sustainable Florida are also conducting their own analyses with possible results prior to the 2010 session, Atwater said. But a Senate news release indicated that the analysis "will be driven by the need for dispassionate review, not timelines or schedules."

Eric Draper, an outspoken drilling opponent and a vice president of Audubon of Florida, said Atwater's announcement was encouraging.

"Finally we've got a legislative leader who is slowing the process down to decide on an evaluation," he said. "When they finish looking at everything they may end up deciding maybe we don't need to consider this legislatively."

Ryan Banfill, a spokesman for Florida Energy Associates, said of Atwater's announcement: "The facts are on our side and we support moving forward with this historic discussion about establishing an energy sector in our economy that will create jobs for Floridians and generate money for the state."

(Audubon's Eric Draper was incorrectly identified as a drilling supporter in an earlier version of this story. FloridaEnvironments.com regrets the error.)

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

Florida officials react to proposed federal oyster ban

Some Florida elected officials this week urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration not to ban raw oysters from the Gulf of Mexico during warmer months.

The FDA proposes banning the sale of raw oysters unless the shellfish are treated to destroy bacteria that are potentially deadly to certain risk groups. But Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson said treatment options are limited and some people don't like the treated oysters.

Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., and Rep. Allen Boyd, D-Monticello, were among the congressmen from Gulf Coast states who this week filed legislation to block funding for the federal proposal, which seafood industry officials say threatens their livelihoods.

“The FDA has gone overboard in proposing a ban on raw oysters,” Nelson said. “It’s like trying to kill a gnat with a sledgehammer. Well, there's some of us in the Senate that are going to try to not let this happen."

About 15 people die each year in the United States from raw oysters infected with Vibrio vulnificus, which typically is found in warm coastal waters between April and October. Most of the deaths occur among people with weak immune systems caused by health problems like liver or kidney disease, cancer, diabetes, or AIDS.
 
"Seldom is the evidence on a food-safety problem and solution so unambiguous," Michael Taylor, a senior adviser at the Food and Drug Administration, told a shellfish conference in Manchester, N.H., according to the Associated Press.

Bronson sent a letter to the FDA on Wednesday asking the agency to withdraw its proposal. And he talked about the proposal this week before House committees at Florida's capitol.

"You can make every law in the world but I don't think you are going to be able to overcome personal responsibility," Bronson told the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Committee on Wednesday. "This is a little bit of an overstep. We're asking them to reconsider their decision on this."

His department has scheduled a series of workshops beginning Nov. 30 on a previous state proposal for more stringent oyster handling requirements that include quicker removal from the water and cooling in processing plants. For more information, click here.

On Tuesday, Bronson told the House Natural Resources Appropriations Committee that he thinks the FDA proposal could create black market for those who still want fresh oysters. "There will be more of a chance of getting people sick that way," Bronson said.

Rep. Leonard Bembry, D-Greenville, said he was concerned about oyster beds being closed to harvesting as a result of the ban and possible state budget cuts on oyster testing.

State Rep. Jimmy Patronis, R-Panama City, said the federal proposal would "dissolve the economy" of Franklin County, where 95 percent of Florida's oysters are harvested from Apalachicola Bay.

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

House members vent against EPA water standards

Members of a Florida House panel complained today about the potential cost of water quality standards that could be proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in January, agreeing with industry representatives who said businesses and households will be affected.

Scientists say high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus are contributing to algal blooms in springs, rivers and beaches across the state. But the state lacks specific numeric limits for nitrogen and phosphorus and instead only prohibits levels that cause an imbalance among fish and wildlife.

The EPA in August agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by environmental groups by proposing numeric limits in January for some water bodies and adopting them by October. A federal judge will consider approving the settlement agreement at a court hearing on Nov. 16.

But wastewater utilities, agriculture and industry groups say they're concerned that the proposed limits will be too strict. And members of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Committee overwhelmingly echoed those concerns as industry representatives urged the state to try to block the agreement.

Rep. Trudi Williams, R-Fort Myers and committee chairwoman, opened the workshop by saying that establishing the specific limits is "reckless during these economic times." She said the workshop was the first of several to be held by the committee on the issue.

Representatives of the Florida Water Environment Association, representing wastewater utilities, told the committee that the federal standards are expected to more than double the average monthly combined water and wastewater bill in Florida from $56 to $118.

Although EPA has not yet proposed any limits, an association representative said the estimate was based on a similar statistical approach taken by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection earlier this year toward setting nutrient limits. The state put its rule-making on hold in August after the environmental groups, including the Florida Wildlife Federation, the Sierra Club and St. Johns Riverkeeper, announced the proposed settlement with EPA.

The utility association today filed its own federal lawsuit challenging EPA's decision earlier this year that the numeric criteria were required. Industry groups said they favored the state's approach toward setting criteria that were suitable for individual waterways rather than any alternative being developed by EPA.

"This idea we are talking about today is the stupidest idea to come down the pike in my 35 years of water management," said Henry Dean, former director of the South Florida and St. Johns River water management districts. He said he now represents several municipalities, which he did not name.

Representatives of the Florida DEP said they have not objected but they stopped short of saying they would not take action.

"I will tell you there is nobody in this room who has interacted with EPA more than I have and I can tell you I have no idea what EPA will propose," said Jerry Brooks, director of Florida DEP's Division of Environmental Assessment and Restoration.

But committee members rejected any notion of waiting for EPA to propose its standards as they seemed to accept Dean's suggestion that they adopt a resolution opposing the court agreement.

"This is out of your hands now," Rep. Greg Evers, R-Baker, told Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Michael Sole. "You continue to do your job ... I think it's up to this committee and the Legislature to take care of the feds at this point in time."

Representatives of the Florida Wildlife Federation and Sierra Club were present but did not speak. Sierra Club regional representative Cris Costello of Sarasota told FloridaEnvironments.com she disagreed with House members who said Florida was being singled out. She also said there was little mention of the harm to tourist-related businesses when algal blooms spread across Florida waterways.

"We are surrounded by water on three sides," she said. "I think it is being very short-sighted to talk about the cost of preventing pollution and protecting water quality when the cost of not preventing pollution or protecting water quality is mind-boggling."

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

Florida land-buying program absorbs more revenue

With the downturn in the state's economy, Florida's conservation land-buying program is sucking up an increasingly larger share of tax revenue from real estate transactions, a state finance official told House members today.

Florida's land-buying program is the largest in the nation, having acquired more than 2 million acres since 1990. But the program received no new money this year for the first time since 1990 in part because of House concerns about its cost.

Division of Bond Finance chief Ben Watkins told a House panel that annual revenue from real estate transactions declined from a peak of $4.1 billion in 2006 to $1 billion projected for fiscal year 2009-10. That's because of the slowdown in real estate transactions and home sales, analysts say.

Yet the annual cost of repaying bonds to buy land increased from $375 million to $449 million during the same period, Watkins told the House Natural Resources Appropriations Committee. That debt service for bonds increased from 9 percent of documentary stamp tax revenue in 2006 to 41 percent in 2010.

"The requirement for debt service does not go down regardless of the revenue stream used to fund it," Watkins said. "Because the obligation for debt service is a long-term fixed recurring obligation -- so it continues."

Rep. Ralph Poppell, R-Vero Beach and House committee chairman, said the presentation was "an eye-opener" that he said shows that land-buying supporters frequently underestimate the programs cost. But supporters representing The Nature Conservancy dismissed the presentation as unremarkable because they said similar cost figures were presented by Watkins to the Legislature last year.

Meanwhile, the Division of Bond Finance in early 2010 is expected to sell the remaining $250 million in bonds approved by the Legislature in 2008, Watkins said. The sale of those bonds was delayed earlier this year because documentary stamp collections were lower than projected, which Watkins said discouraged investors from buying the bonds.

Selling the bonds will allow the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to move forward on land purchases that now are stalled, said Andrew McLeod, director of government affairs for The Nature Conservancy's Florida chapter.

"We are hopeful (bonds will be sold) as soon as possible," he said. He said there is an urgency to buy now because landowners are more willing than ever to sell and because land prices are down.

The Florida Forever program helps state agencies buy land for parks, state forests, wildlife management areas and coastal areas. Local parks, working cattle ranches and seafood waterfront projects also receive money through the program.

Supporters have said the Legislature can continue the program for another year simply by appropriating $12 million to $15 million for interest on the $300 million in bonds. But Poppell said Watkins' presentation shows it isn't that simple.

"I have a new saying, 'We'll pay the first $12 (million), you pay back the bond if you think it's so cheap," Poppell said. "It's the bonding that hurts us -- it really costs a lot of money.' "

Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson repeated his argument made in Cabinet meetings against additional land purchases. He said they hurt property tax collections by local governments -- even though Florida Forever also supports working ranches, which he advocates.

McLeod said the land-buying and affordable housing programs were considered the main recipients of the documentary stamp tax revenue when Florida Forever's predecessor program was created in 1990. He said other money later was siphoned away for transportation and general government operations as documentary stamp revenues soared during the real estate boom.

The stabilization and expected increase in revenue helps the program as supporters seek new funding for it in 2010, McLeod said. There is broad public support for borrowing money to buy land for protection of wildlife and water supplies, he said.

"We will borrow today to buy an asset... that is only available today and is so valuable to the public that it warrants borrowing," he said.

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

State's Babcock Ranch receives grazing award

Babcock Ranch has received an award for grazing practices at the 73,476-acre state preserve in Collier and Charlotte counties.

The Florida Section of the Society for Range Management announced that Babcock Ranch, which is operated as a private ranch on state land, will receive the first Grazing Lands Stewardship Award, according to the state agriculture officials.

This award, given jointly by the society and the Florida Grazing Lands Coalition, recognizes outstanding contributions to the ranching community in the areas of grazing and wildlife management.

"It is especially gratifying that Babcock Ranch has been chosen for this award," Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson said in a statement. "The accomplishment of producing an outstanding ranching operation while providing enhanced wildlife habitat for unique South Florida wildlife is an example of outstanding public private partnership."

The governor and Cabinet in 2005 agreed to buy Babcock Ranch for $350 million and to allow it to be operated privately as a cattle ranch with wilderness adventure tours and limited public access.

Supporters said the purchase would enhance the wildlife and aesthetic values of Florida ranch lands with sustainable management goals.

"This ranch is designed to show the look of old cracker cattle operation, while using the best ecological techniques from the 21st century," Bronson said.

To read a copy of the ranch's management plan, approved by state wildlife and forestry officials, click here. To learn more about the Babcock Ranch purchase, click here.

Effects of "Dead Zone" on Gulf shrimping studied

By Florida State University and FloridaEnvironments.com

A team of researchers from Florida State University, Duke University and the National Marine Fisheries Service will study the environmental and economic impacts of the vast “dead zone” in the northern Gulf of Mexico on shrimping in the region

Dead zones result from low oxygen caused by algal blooms that render waters inhospitable to animal life. That's a potentially catastrophic issue for the Gulf shirmping industry, estimated to be worth about $500 million annually, according to Florida State.

FSU will serve as the lead institution for the collaborative project, which is funded by a four-year, $702,969 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The Gulf of Mexico’s increasingly severe dead zone is one of the world’s two or three largest and the biggest one that affects a U.S. fishery. It forms in the late spring and summer off the coasts of Louisiana and Texas, covers between 7,500 and 8,500 square miles -- roughly the size of New Jersey -- and in some years stretches over nearly 12,500 square miles.

“Previous studies of hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico have linked it to nutrient-rich runoff that fuels the algal blooms,” marine ecologist Kevin Craig, a faculty member at FSU's Coastal and Marine Laboratory, said in the university's news release.

“Most of the nutrients seem to come from agricultural activities in the Mississippi River watershed, which drains 41 percent of the continental United States and includes major farming states in the Midwest,” Craig said. “Our research team intends to more effectively assess the likely effects of nutrient loading and hypoxia on fisheries, the associated economic costs of habitat degradation for fishermen and others who depend on coastal resources for their livelihoods, and the benefits of environmental policies to reduce nutrient pollution.”

(Photo courtesy of Kevin Craig, FSU Coastal and Marine Laboratory)

Rivals for Florida governor endorse land-buying

By Michael Peltier
News Service of Florida
For a mere $15 million, Florida lawmakers can secure $300 million for the state’s Florida Forever program, a bargain even during cash-strapped times, the top contenders to replace Gov. Charlie Crist said Tuesday in a bit of campaign camaraderie.

Funding for the state’s premiere land-buying program is not a partisan issue, at least in the upcoming governor’s race. Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink and Attorney General Bill McCollum urged lawmakers to set aside documentary stamp tax revenues to provide funding for the Florida Forever program.

“By these purchases, we’re investing in the future of Florida and protecting the environment, whether it’s water quality or protecting its animals or providing park land,” Sink said.

Despite a tight budget, backers including former Gov. Bob Martinez say the state must continue making investments in sensitive lands. The purchases have an added benefit because they are generally paid to Florida landowners, who reinvest their incomes elsewhere in the state.

Lawmakers last year pulled funding for the program and agency heads have not called for its replacement in their initial budget requests for the upcoming fiscal year. In years past, the program provided up to $300 million for a host of purchases of sensitive lands.

Land-buying advocates are trying to drum up support as committees begin to take a look at budget requests for 2010. Agencies were required by Sept. 15 to submit tentative spending plans for the upcoming year.

Andy McLeod, director of government affairs for The Nature Conservancy, said having both gubernatorial candidates behind the move would provide momentum.

“We’re thrilled they’re here with us to promote this,” McLeod said. “These are the highest priority conservation lands.”
The Department of Environmental Protection, which runs the program, did not include it in its proposed budget for the coming year. Instead, DEP asked lawmakers to again earmark $50 million toward Everglades restoration efforts.

Backers hope Crist’s past support for Florida Forever coupled with an election year will work in their favor. It seemed to on Tuesday as both McCollum and Sink took time to say a few words.

“I can’t tell you of anything that is more important to Florida’s long term health than preserving the lands that are so precious to us,” McCollum said.