What next for Florida's springs after bill dies?

Former state biologist Jim Stevenson said he recently asked a teenager who had grown up in Tallahassee if he'd ever been to Wakulla Springs. The teen replied that he had never heard of the state park and popular swimming spot 15 miles south of Tallahassee.

To Stevenson, who is coordinator of state working groups for Wakulla Springs and for Ichetucknee Springs near Lake City, the teen's lack of awareness represents the lack of public understanding about springs and the threats to groundwater that flows from the sparkling watery jewels. And he says that lack of understanding is a large part of the reason why an ambitious springs bill died in the recent legislative session.

"We've tried to educate the public through all kinds of means -- you name it," Stevenson said. "I guess we have just not been effective enough or not reached enough people."

With Senate Bill 274 having failed to win Senate approval last session, the future of the more than 700 springs across North and Central Florida appears greener than ever. And green isn't good when it comes to springs.

Springs have become choked with weeds and algae as nitrogen levels in groundwater have increased during the past 10 years, scientists say. Sources of nitrogen include treated sewage, septic tanks, dirty stormwater runoff, fertilizer and manure from livestock farms.

SB 274 would have established "springs protection zones" in counties with major springs. The bill also would have set limits for nitrogen flowing from property with septic tanks and required that new developments with more than one home per acre be placed on central sewer.

The Florida Home Builders Association and the Association of Community Developers opposed the bill. They said the groundwater standard would require advanced septic systems that are too expensive to install and operate.

Along with not passing the bill, the Legislature approved a 2009-10 state budget that prohibits any state agency from conducting "nitrogen-reducing" activities. That led the Florida Department of Health to suspend rule-making to require advanced septic systems in the Wekiva River basin in Central Florida.

So what should happen now with our springs in Florida?

The bill's sponsor, Sen. Lee Constantine, said he's going to keep working on the measure so that he can bring it back next year. A Republican from Altamonte Springs, he is chairman of the Senate Committe on Environmental Preservation.

"I'm still going to try to forge some kind of consensus," he said. "Nothing is going to happen on its own. We have got to come up with a comprehensive plan to protect all of our springs. I'm committed to doing it before I leave (office in 2010)."

Stevenson, a former Florida Department of Environmental Protection biologist and namesake of an award bestowed annually on an exceptional state park employee, said the key is making people aware.

"The people of Florida have not made it clear to their legislators they want their springs protected -- that's the bottom line," Stevenson said. "At this point the influence of industry lobbyists carries more weight than the influence of the people of Florida."

The Florida Home Builders Association believes springs should be protected, said Keith Hetrick, the group's general counsel. But the group also says any required septic systems must be cost-effective, environmentally-proven, user-friendly and energy efficient.

"I get a little frustrated with (home builders) being assigned the black hat," Hetrick said, "when we're all trying to be part of the solution here."

The Florida Department of Health says "performance-based" septic systems cost from $3,000 to $10,000 more than standard septic tanks depending on site conditions. The tanks also cost about $30 per month for maintenance, a two-year permit and electricity to run a pump.

The home-builders group urged the Legislature to delay a proposed state rule to require the installation of advanced septic systems when homes are sold along the Wekiva River in Central Florida. The builders want a three-year, state-funded study of alternatives to advanced septic systems to be completed first.

Meanwhile, UCF researcher Martin Wanielista is testing a new septic drainfield system that includes the use of ground up tires, sawdust and sand to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus from the wastewater being discharged, according to an Orlando Sentinel article.

The new drainfield system could add about $4,000 to the cost of a standard septic system, Wanielista told the Sentinel. He could not be reached last week by FloridaEnvironments.com.

Hetrick said the new drainfield system would allow existing septic tanks to be retrofitted to reduce nitrogen, saving homeowners the cost of replacing septic tanks and advanced systems along with the cost of electricity -- estimated at $7.65 a month by state health officials.

If the state pushes advanced septic systems, other companies won't spend the money on research for the so-called "passive" technologies that cost less. And the cost, home builders say, is what's important to helping protect springs.

"The more affordable it is the more people will buy into it," said Dale Fuller, executive officer of the Tallahassee Builders Association. "And the more functional will be the solution."

Photo of Wakulla Springs by Kris Barrios courtesy of the Northwest Florida Water Management District.
Story copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission.

Crist calls for federal support for Everglades, Apalachicola River

Following a tour of the Everglades today, Gov. Charlie Crist called on the U.S. Department of the Interior to take a "fresh look" at Everglades restoration and to conduct a comprehensive review of the downstream effects of water withdrawals from the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river system.

Crist toured the Everglades by airboat with Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla. In remarks and in a letter to Salazar, Crist acknowledged President Obama's request for $279 million for Everglades restoration in the 2009-10 federal budget, according to a statement from the Governor's Office. The 2009-10 state budget signed by Crist on Wednesday includes $50 million for Everglades restoration.

“It is especially important right now, to renew our commitment and cooperation to the federal/state partnership, and reaffirm our dedication to completing the projects needed to restore the River of Grass,” Crist said in his statement.

Salazar said today the Obama administration is committed to restoring the River of Grass, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Salazar said the administration has proposed "more than $600 million to fund ongoing projects and to generate good jobs in design, engineering, construction and rehabilitation work.”

Salazar’s trip to the Everglades was at the invitation of Nelson, who said it was important that the cabinet secretary see the "River of Grass" for himself, according to a statement from the senator's office.

“It really shows you something when the secretary of the interior comes down to South Florida to hear about why restoring the Everglades is so important, not just to Floridians, but nationally,” Nelson said. “And he didn’t just get to hear from us, we took him out on an airboat so he could see for himself.”

Crist also asked the Department of the Interior to measure the downstream environmental impacts caused by federal management of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river system. Alabama, Florida and Georgia have been fighting in federal court since 1990 over water from the rivers.

“This is a tri-state problem which requires a tri-state solution, and it is imperative that we work toward a long-term solution, or else we will find ourselves facing a crisis every year,” Crist said. “Florida recognizes that a solution must include an equitable sharing of adversity.”

On Wednesday, Salazar said he told Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue he was willing to help mediate the states' water dispute. They toured the Lake Lanier reservoir on the Chattahoochee River north of Atlanta.

"I think the governor of Georgia has rightly pointed to the value of Lake Lanier to Georgia and the Southeastern part of the country," Salazar said, according to the Gainesville Times.

The governors of the three states failed to reach an agreement in 2008 when Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne tried to mediate at the direction of President Bush.

Photo by Tami A. Heilemann, DOI

Audubon's Draper to run for Ag Commissioner

Audubon of Florida representative Eric Draper says he's filing papers today to run for state Agriculture Commissioner as a Democrat.

Draper, 55, is Audubon's deputy director and has been with the group since 1995, previously having worked for The Nature Conservancy. He frequently speaks at the Capitol before the Cabinet and legislative committees on pending issues.

Although farmers and environmentalists are sometimes at odds on legislation, Draper said he's had good relationships with agriculture people to protect the environment. He said he helped write the Rural and Family Lands Protection Act to help the state buy conservation easements to preserve farmland.

"I've worked hard on policies that are good for agriculture," Draper said. "And I think the people are going to see me as someone with a balanced and cooperative approach."

Other Democrats in the race include former state Rep. Rick Minton Jr. of Fort Pierce and former Suwannee County Commissioner Randy Hatch of Branford. Republicans running include U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam of Bartow, state Sen. Carey Baker of Eustis and former Rep. Marsha "Marty" Bowen of Winter Haven.

Nelson, Crist to tour Everglades with DOI's Salazar

Gov. Charlie Crist will tour the Everglades today with U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and U.S. Rep. Kendrick B. Meek.

They will receive a briefing on invasive species control and the Burmese python and will take an airboat tour of Alligator Bay, according to a news release from Meek. Assistant DOI Secretary Thomas Strickland and Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Mike Sole also will be along for the tour.

Burmese pythons, having escaped from or having been released by reptile enthusiasts and the pet trade industry, have increased in numbers across the Everglades. They can consume large mammals and could threaten populations of endangered Florida panthers and wood storks, according to researchers at Davidson University.

Meek said the House Appropriations Committee last year provided $195 million for Everglades restoration. On Wednesday, Crist touted a $50-million appropriation for Everglades restoration in the 2009-10 state budget.

"It will allow continued efforts to restore our natural water flow and improve water quality," Crist said. "It protects the Everglades, Lake Okeechobee and the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers."

Fee increases for parks, fishing in new state budget

Some anglers and state park visitors are among those who will pay more to enjoy the outdoors under the 2009-10 state budget signed into law today by Gov. Charlie Crist.

The $66.5 billion budget also includes $50 million for Everglades restoration but lacks money for the Florida Forever land-buying program for the first time since a predecessor program was created in 1990. Environmental groups earlier this month reacted with disappointment to the lack of Florida Forever money.

While defending the various fees in the $66.5 billion budget including a $1-per-pack tax on cigarettes, Crist praised legislative leaders for their efforts to reduce spending to meet declining revenues.

"We'd rather not do it (raise fees), everybody knows that," the governor said. "We'd rather not have the economy we have today, too."

Entrance fees to state parks, which now range from $2 to $5 per carload depending on the park, will increase by $1, Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Michael Sole said. The fee increase was supposed to raise $7.2 million when it was included in the governor's budget proposal in March.

Sole said the department proposed the fee increase to help make visitors cover the cost of park operations. But even with the increase, he said, the entrance fees don't cover the operating costs yet.

"We also want to protect what I call the 'affordability factor,' " he said. "I think that's critical in that the fact they (state parks) are affordable for us to go use."

For Florida residents who previously fished for free from the shoreline or piers along the Gulf or Atlantic coasts under what is known as the "shoreline exemption," they will have to pay $7.50 beginning Aug. 1 or buy a state fishing license for $17, said Lee Schlesinger, spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The fee is provided for in SB 1742, which was sent to the governor for his signature on May 15. An exemption is provided in the bill for anglers using a cane pole or similar rod with no retrieval mechanism.

The shoreline exemption is being repealed to avoid a federal registration system that would cost $15 to $20 on top of any licenses that may be required, Schlesinger said.

Revenue from the shoreline exemption will be used for marine fisheries law enforcement, research and management, Schlesinger said. A revenue estimate was not immediately available.

The fee increases will provide opportunities for cost-savings in the future, said Dominic Calabro, president and CEO of Florida TaxWatch in Tallahassee.

"When you add them (fees) all up they are a lot of money for a lot of families -- desirable or not," Calabro said.

Cabinet approves $24.3 million Harbor Branch land buy

By MICHAEL PELTIER
THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

The state will purchase 403 acres from Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution under a $24.3 million deal approved today that will expand state protection of the Indian River Lagoon and bolster funding for the research facility now controlled by Florida Atlantic University.

Using money from a pair of financing sources, the governor and Florida Cabinet approved the purchase after presentations from state environmental officials and FAU president Frank Brogan, who said the infusion of cash will be pumped back into the institute’s research efforts, providing another steady stream of revenue for years to come.

Had the state not stepped in, Brogan said the institute was seeking private buyers to develop portions of the area to help the institute continue its work.

“It is a much better route to sell it to the people than to have it developed,” said Brogan, adding that both parties benefit. “Harbor Branch continues in perpetuity and the people have acquired a significant parcel of property that by all expert accounts is really beautiful, pristine and one of the last such parcels available on the Indian River Lagoon.”

Plans call for the state to purchase 135 acres for $18 million under the Florida Forever program, the state’s environmental land buying program. Included in the purchase is 300,000 square feet of warehouse, office and laboratory space.

Florida Communities Trust is purchasing the remaining 268 acres for $6.3 million. The acquisition will extend the county’s 880-acre Indrio Greenway and reconnect the tidal swamp to the lagoon system. Recreational improvements will include an observation platform, canoe launch, fishing pier and nature trails.

Mike Sole, secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection, said the purchase price is well below the $37 million appraised value in an area that would have undoubtedly been developed if the state hadn’t stepped in.

“The Board of Trustees will ensure that this property will be protected forever,” Sole said.

Founded in 1971, Harbor Branch is one of three U.S. organizations to run manned deep-sea submersible research vehicles along the ocean floor.

It merged with FAU in 2007 after falling on hard financial times following hurricanes and the founding family’s decision to stop paying between $4 million and $8 million a year to run it. University officials last week announced a $22 million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Following the Cabinet decision Wednesday, the state will have purchased 4,012 acres of the 26,380 Indian River Lagoon system, about 15 percent of the total.

Crist raises concerns with bill as enviros seek veto

Gov. Charlie Crist this morning raised concerns about SB 2080, which would allow the heads of the state's five water management districts to approve permits without a vote of their full boards.

SB 2080 originally dealt with state landscaping requirements and received support from environmental groups. But it was amended late in the legislative session earlier this month to include the provision allowing approval of permits by directors with board votes only if the permit is denied.

Some environmentalists now are calling for a veto of the bill, which they say restricts public access to the permitting process. The governor will have 15 days to sign, veto or allow the bill to become law without his signature.

Crist told reporters he is still taking a look at SB 2080 but went on to say, "It seems to me if you can have a panel of people weigh in that might be a better way to go."