090529-1
Interior Secretary makes 1st visit to Everglades
Associated Press, Matt Sedensky
May 29, 2009
U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar made his first trip to the Everglades on Thursday, gliding through the swamp on an airboat and pledging to protect the "natural wonder" with help of millions in federal dollars. The governor and senior state senator joined Salazar, donning camouflage lifejackets for the ride. But Salazar skirted controversial issues in addressing reporters afterward. On the subject of offshore drilling, he said a plan was months away. On changing the law to allow guns in national parks, he said the ramifications were still being studied. And on designating critical habitat for the Florida panther, he said officials needed more time. He was eager to offer praise of the Everglades, though, saying after his boat ride: "Awesome! Crown jewel! A natural wonder!" There were no signs of party divisions between Republican Gov. Charlie Crist and the Democratic string of dignitaries, which included Sen. Bill Nelson and U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek. Tom Strickland, an assistant secretary of the Interior Department, was blunt in his message of the Everglades as a priority for the Obama administration. "The federal government has not kept its end of the bargain," he said. "We're going to do better and do better quickly." Salazar was a U.S. senator from Colorado when tapped by Obama for the Cabinet post, which gives him broad oversight of the nation's energy resources and environment; management of the nation's parks and wildlife refuges; and oversight of oil and gas drilling on public lands. Salazar's agency has more than 67,000 employees and a $15.8 billion federal budget. Everglades projects received about $16 million in federal stimulus funding. While in the Senate, 54-year-old Salazar helped broker a deal to expand offshore oil production. As secretary, he has said he would take a broad look at the nation's coastline for opportunities to advance both renewable energy and traditional drilling. He twice put off questions on oil drilling Thursday before relenting, though he didn't give up any details. "There are places which are appropriate," he said, "and there are places which are not." The secretary's visit offered a chance for an encounter between two men -- Crist and Meek -- vying for a Senate seat being vacated by Mel Martinez, who was scheduled to attend the event, but did not. It also offered a glimpse of political hierarchy, with Crist, Salazar, Strickland and Nelson on the lead airboat, saving them from muddy splatters, and Meek in another boat. In another sign of the social hierarchy: The political brass was given camouflage life preservers while members of the press, scattered among other boats, were not. Interior secretary promises to revitalize Everglades Interior secretary treks to Everglades

090529-2

090529-2
Interior secretary promises to revitalize Everglades
Miami Herald
CURTIS MORGAN,  cmorgan@MiamiHerald.com
May 29, 2009
Saying the federal government had ''not kept its end of the bargain,'' the Obama administration on Thursday promised to pay its fair share of an Everglades restoration effort now estimated to reach $22.5 billion and to make long-stalled projects a top priority.
''We are committed to it. We will get it done,'' said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, the highest ranking White House executive to visit the Everglades since President Barack Obama took office four months ago.
Salazar, a former Colorado senator who spent nearly two hours aboard an airboat flanked by U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, was struck momentarily verb-less after his foray across the shimmering marshes of Broward. He called the experience: ``Awesome! Crown jewel! Natural wonder!''
Such tours are mandatory for any incoming Interior secretary, whose department oversees Everglades National Park and other federal lands, and many an aspiring national politician has made similar pledges with sawgrass providing a scenic media backdrop. But this one broke from many federal pledges in the past, in that Salazar put his mouth where the money already is.
Through budgets and stimulus funding, the Obama administration has funneled some $360 million into Glades projects next year -- the largest annual infusion since Congress approved the state-federal project in 2000. Obama also has requested $278 million for 2010.
Tom Strickland, an assistant Interior secretary who accompanied Salazar, said the administration was committed to matching Florida's considerable spending on the Glades. Neither he nor Salazar mentioned the Bush administration, but Strickland said bluntly, ``The federal government has not keep its end of the bargain.''
BIPARTISAN JOY
That pledge drew bubbly praise from a bipartisan turnout of state leaders. In addition to Nelson, a Democrat, and Crist, a Republican, U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, a Miami Democrat, also joined the tour. He and Crist are vying for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Republican Mel Martinez, who did not attend.
''Now, at all levels, we've finally got people focused on the Everglades,'' said Nelson, who also urged Salazar to support efforts to ban the import of pythons that have invaded the Everglades.
Eric Buermann, chairman of the South Florida Water Management District, which is directing restoration efforts for the state, said he has been impressed by the new administration and hoped for a closer partnership with federal agencies.
''I think it's a new era,'' said Buermann, a Miami attorney and Crist appointee. ``I am a Republican, but this is not a Republican or Democratic issue. Pythons are not Republican or Democrat and neither is water.''
Buermann said with the state cutting budgets, it was critical for the Obama administration to close the spending gap in the Glades.
Last year, the U.S. Government Accountability Office calculated that Florida had spent $2 billion on 68 restoration efforts, six times more than the federal government, and had spent $4.8 billion on related Glades efforts, double the federal share.
Talking with reporters after the tour, Salazar pointed to the overhaul of the Tamiami Trail as a priority, but sidestepped non-Glades questions about future plans for offshore oil drilling and on the slow process of designating critical habitat for the Florida panther -- a decision likely to draw fire from developers, environmentalists or both.
GATOR GETS RUN OVER
Salazar's tour of the Everglades -- a caravan of 13 buzzing airboats -- included herons rising on the horizon and numerous alligators making menacing appearances, lunging as one boat passed.
Another, spanning an eight-foot-wide trail, reared its head before a media airboat ran it over with a clunk. ''He'll have a headache,'' chuckled pilot Mike Foley of Pompano Beach.
But it was an educational outing. Ron Bergeron, a prominent Broward developer and longtime Glades hunter, led the tour in a customized airboat that features a roaring Florida panther on its rudders. He said both Salazar and Strickland were fascinated by the complexities of the River of Grass.
Strickland joked that Bergeron, Crist and Nelson had made a forceful argument about the needs of the Glades.
''We stopped right next to a 10-foot alligator and they said either get it done or else,'' he said.

090529-3
Interior secretary treks to Everglades
The Associated Press , Matt Sedensky
May 29, 2009 at 1:00 a.m.
THE EVERGLADES - Interior Secretary Ken Salazar made his first trip to the Everglades on Thursday, gliding through the swamp on an airboat and pledging to protect the "natural wonder" with the help of millions in federal dollars.
The governor and senior state senator joined Salazar, donning camouflage lifejackets for the ride. But the interior minister skirted controversial issues in addressing reporters afterward.
On the subject of offshore drilling, he said a plan was months away. On changing the law to allow guns in national parks, he said the ramifications were still being studied. And on designating critical habitat for the Florida panther, he said officials needed more time.
He was eager to offer praise of the Everglades, though, saying after his boat ride: "Awesome! Crown jewel! A natural wonder!"
There were no signs of party divisions between Republican Gov. Charlie Crist and the Democratic string of dignitaries, which included Sen. Bill Nelson and U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek. Tom Strickland, an assistant secretary of the Interior Department, was blunt in his message of the Everglades as a priority for the Obama administration.
"The federal government has not kept its end of the bargain," he said. "We're going to do better and do better quickly."
Salazar was a U.S. senator from Colorado when tapped by Obama for the Cabinet post, which gives him broad oversight of the nation's energy resources and environment; management of the nation's parks and wildlife refuges; and oversight of oil and gas drilling on public lands.
Salazar's agency has more than 67,000 employees and a $15.8 billion federal budget. Everglades projects received about $16 million in federal stimulus funding.
While in the Senate, 54-year-old Salazar helped broker a deal to expand offshore oil production. As secretary, he has said he would take a broad look at the nation's coastline for opportunities to advance both renewable energy and traditional drilling.
He twice put off questions on oil drilling Thursday before relenting, though he did not give up any details.
"There are places which are appropriate," he said, "and there are places which are not."
Salazar was briefed on the problem of invasive species in the Everglades, a point easily exhibited when wildlife officials presented a roughly 90-pound, 15-foot-long Burmese python -- so big it took three people to hold down and it could easily devour a deer.
"Look at the size of him!" Nelson said.
The secretary's visit offered a chance for an encounter between two men -- Crist and Meek -- vying for a Senate seat being vacated by Mel Martinez. Martinez was scheduled to attend the event, but did not.
It also offered a glimpse of political hierarchy, with Crist, Salazar, Strickland and Nelson on the lead airboat, saving them from muddy splatters, and Meek in another boat.

090528-1

090528-1
Audubon’s Draper to run for state agriculture commissioner
Michael C. Bender
May 28th, 2009
https://exchange.mcgill.ca/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.postonpolitics.com/2009/05/audubons-draper-to-run-for-state-agriculture-commissioner/
Eric Draper, first from left, said today he’ll run for state agriculture commissioner.
Eric Draper, lobbyist and policy director for Audubon of Florida , said he will file papers today to run for Florida agriculture commissioner.
 “I’ve spent most of my life working to keep our water clean and the state green and to me this is a continuation of that effort,” said Draper, a third generation Floridian.
Other Democrats in the race include former state Rep. Rick Minton Jr. of Fort Pierce and former Suwannee County Commissioner Randy Hatch. Republicans running include U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam of Bartow and state Sen. Carey Baker of Eustis.
Draper has been with Audubon since 1995. Before that, he was the staff director for the House Majority Office under Democratic Speaker Peter Wallace and Majority Leader Jim Davis. Draper also worked for The Nature Conservancy.
Draper said he would base his campaign on a platform that the agriculture commissioner, one of three members of the Florida Cabinet, should be the state’s “top environmental steward.”
 “We’re facing new challenges and we need new leadership to face those challenges,” Draper said. “What the public will get with my candidacy is someone who is looking to keep Florida in agriculture and will make sure water and wildlife and coastal resources are protected, too.”

090528-2
FPL gets tentative OK for rock mining near Biscayne Bay
Miami Herald MATTHE W HAGGMAN,  mhaggman@MiamiHerald.com
https://exchange.mcgill.ca/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking-news/story/1070750.html
Miami-Dade commissioners on Thursday kept alive Florida Power & Light Co.'s bid to dig rock pits less than two miles from Biscayne Bay to provide landfill for two new nuclear reactors planned at Turkey Point.
But several commissioners who voted in support said a host of questions must be answered before they give final approval this fall.
For now, their decision sends the proposal to Florida's Department of Community Affairs for further review before the final county commission vote.
FPL is asking for a zoning change that would open agricultural land to mining in a coastal area east of Homestead Air Reserve Base. A range of critics -- including farmers, environmentalists and Biscayne National Park officials -- oppose the plan because it could increase saltwater intrusion from the bay and jeopardize both farmland and drinking water wells.
The energy company is seeking the change because it can obtain the fill for the expanded nuclear plants more cheaply by mining it in the South Miami-Dade coastal area instead of shipping it in from elsewhere.
Commissioners Barbara Jordan and Katy Sorenson said the plan posed risks to the county's drinking water and should be rejected now without further review. Yet they were on the losing side of an 8-2 vote.
Voting yes were Chairman Dennis Moss and commissioners Dorrin Rolle, Jose ''Pepe'' Diaz, Carlos Gimenez, Sally Heyman, Rebeca Sosa, Joe Martinez and Javier Souto. Audrey Edmonson, Bruno Barreiro and Natacha Seijas were absent.
Still, Moss said three questions must be answered before a final OK comes. ``One, is there a real benefit to the public in aproving this? Two, is there no impact to the water supply? Three, that this doesn't open up additional rock mining in the area.''
FPL said lower costs by obtaining fill in the South Dade coastal areas -- rather than the higher costs of trucking it in -- will mean lower electricity prices for consumers down the road. The company also contends it can turn the quarries into reservoirs that deliver important environmental benefits.
Yet a utility representative admitted that the company isn't sure the mining plan is environmentally feasible.
''If it's not, we won't do it,'' said Steven D. Scroggs, FPL's senior director of project development.
Critics responded by asking why a plan with so many question marks is even being considered. Critics also assert the rock mining will impede Everglades restoration.
FPL has already won approval from Miami-Dade leaders to build two new nuclear reactors at Turkey Point, located in the southern unincorporated part of the county. The energy company still needs state and federal approvals for the reactors, which it hopes to open starting in 2018.

090528-3
Gov. Charlie Crist: Florida budget is best it can be
Gov. Charlie Crist signed the state budget and vetoed only two items -- but broke a no-new-tax pledge.
Herald/Times

090528-4
Interior Secretary Tours Everglades Aboard Airboat
May 28, 2009
IN THE EVERGLADES, Fla. (AP) -- Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has made his first trip to the Everglades in a visit complete with an airboat ride, alligators and a big python.
Salazar visited the swamp Thursday with Florida's governor and senior senator. He pledged to protect the ''natural wonder'' but was vague when asked about controversial issues including offshore drilling and new rules on guns in national parks.
The secretary got a look at a roughly 90-pound, 15-foot-long Burmese python -- so big it took three people to hold down and could easily devour a deer. The snake's exhibition drove home the point of official calls to control invasive species in the Everglades.
Management of the nation's parks and wildlife refuges is among Salazar's duties.

090528-5
Interior Secretary Visits Everglades Admin. Promises Everglades Money
May 28, 2009
IN THE EVERGLADES, Fla.-- A group of political heavyweights spent Thursday morning on airboats, touring the Everglades, as the Obama administration promises more money for its restoration.
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar joined Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida, Gov. Charlie Crist and Rep. Kendrick Meek on the tour.
"It's God's grandeur right here in the United States of America," Salazar said. "It's the first time ever in the Everglades, and I am very impressed."
Politicians in Washington have talked about Everglades restoration but have not yet been forthcoming with the money. The Obama administration said that will change.
"We are committed to it. We will get it done. We're walking the talk. We've put in several hundred million dollars already into Everglades restoration. In the years ahead, you'll see significant progress as we make this one of the restorative crown jewels of the nation," Salazar said.
The administration put about $100 million into the stimulus package for Everglades restoration and another $100 million in the budget, Local 10's Michael Putney reported.
The interior minister skirted controversial issues in addressing reporters after his Everglades tour. On the subject of offshore drilling, Salazar said a plan was months away. On changing the law to allow guns in national parks, he said the ramifications were still being studied. And on designating critical habitat for the Florida panther, he said officials needed more time.
He was eager to offer praise of the Everglades, though, saying after his boat ride: "Awesome! Crown jewel! A natural wonder!"
There were no signs of party divisions between Republican Crist and the Democratic string of dignitaries, which included Nelson and Meek. Tom Strickland, an assistant secretary of the Interior Department, was blunt in his message of the Everglades as a priority for the Obama administration.
"The federal government has not kept its end of the bargain," he said. "We're going to do better and do better quickly."
Salazar was a U.S. senator from Colorado when tapped by Obama for the Cabinet post, which gives him broad oversight of the nation's energy resources and environment; management of the nation's parks and wildlife refuges; and oversight of oil and gas drilling on public lands.
Salazar's agency has more than 67,000 employees and a $15.8 billion federal budget. Everglades projects received about $16 million in federal stimulus funding.
While in the Senate, 54-year-old Salazar helped broker a deal to expand offshore oil production. As secretary, he has said he would take a broad look at the nation's coastline for opportunities to advance both renewable energy and traditional drilling.
He twice put off questions on oil drilling Thursday before relenting, though he didn't give up any details.
"There are places which are appropriate," he said, "and there are places which are not."
The secretary's visit offered a chance for an encounter between two men -- Crist and Meek -- vying for a Senate seat being vacated by Mel Martinez, who was scheduled to attend the event, but did not.
It also offered a glimpse of political hierarchy, with Crist, Salazar, Strickland and Nelson on the lead airboat, saving them from muddy splatters, and Meek in another boat.
In another sign of the social hierarchy, the political brass was given camouflage life preservers while members of the press, scattered among other boats, were not.

090528-6
Interior Secretary visiting Everglades
Miami Herald, The Associated Press
May 28, 2009
EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK, Fla. -- A member of President Barack Obama's Cabinet is making his first official trip to the Everglades.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar joins Governor Charlie Crist and Senators Mel Martinez and Bill Nelson in visiting the swampland Thursday. They're scheduled to attend a briefing on invasive species and then take an air boat tour.
Salazar is a former U.S. senator from Colorado who has made a name for himself on public lands and energy resources issues. As head of the Interior Department, he has broad oversight over the nation's energy resources and environment and also oversees oil and gas drilling on public lands and manages the nation's parks and wildlife refuges.

090528-7
Nelson hosts Cabinet Secretary Salazar on tour of Glades
Sen. Bill Nelson Press Release
May 28, 2009
EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK, Fla. - The River of Grass is a national treasure and restoring it should be top priority for the federal government,  according to U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, who took the Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar on a tour of the Everglades today.  Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, and the Assistant Secretary of the Interior in charge of the national parks system, Tom Strickland, were also on hand for the airboat tour and a briefing on restoration and invasive species, among other things.
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.
 “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,” said Nelson.  “And he didn’t just get to hear from us, we took him out on an airboat so he could see for himself.”
One reason to fix the River of Grass, experts say, is to protect a main drinking-water source for millions of South Florida residents.  Another is to ease the region's cycle of drought and gluts.  And another is to preserve one of the world’s most threatened environmental treasures. 
The Administration has already signaled it’s making restoration of the Glades a priority by allocating federal stimulus funding for projects there.  In April, the Army Corps of Engineers announced $103 million of stimulus money for seven restoration projects.  Among the work the Corps will fund is restoring 43 miles of the Kissimmee River to its original course and rebuilding a huge tract of wetlands in Collier County, where Florida panthers are known to dwell.

090528-8
Rain means vehicles, airboats again allowed in parts of Everglades
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
May 28, 2009
WESTON - Vehicles, motorcycles and airboats are welcome again in parts of the Everglades where they had been banned because of drought conditions, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said today.
Recent rainfall has increased water levels at Everglades wildlife management areas, making the special regulations no longer necessary.
Vehicles and airboats are now allowed in the Holey Land and Rotenberger WMAs and in part of the Everglades and Francis S. Taylor WMA in Water Conservation Area 3A north of Alligator Alley, the commission said.
Vehicles are allowed on the L4, L5 and Miami Canal levees to access boat ramps for fishing in canals.

090528-9
U.S. interior secretary tours Everglades, champions federal funding
Miami Herald
Curtis Morgan,  cmorgan@MiamiHerald.com
Thursday, May 28th, 2009
Secretary of Interior speaks to Miami Herald - Herald Editorial Board
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar talks about the Everglades, the environment, and oil drilling during an interview with the Miami Herald Editorial Board.
Top White House aides acknowledged Thursday that the federal government had ''not done its job'' in supporting Everglades restoration over the last decade and pledged to make the effort a priority.
Calling his first glimpse of the Glades ''awesome,'' U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar touted the $279 million-plus in funding for restoration projects this year a sign that the Obama administration was committed to making up a $1 billion-plus spending shortfall.
''I think our best days are just ahead of us,'' said Salazar, who toured the marshes of western Broward County aboard an airboat flanked by U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and piloted by Ron Bergeron, a prominent developer and state wildlife commissioner.
Salazar, whose agency oversees Everglades National Park, is the highest-ranking White House executive to visit the Glades to date. Nelson, Crist and Eric Buermann, chairman of the South Florida Water Management District, which is directing restoration for the state, said the visit promised closer partnerships on the long-stalled restoration.
''I think it's a new era,'' Buermann said.
Since the $11 billion restoration plan was approved by Congress nine years ago, with the goal of splitting costs 50-50, Florida has spent about $2 billion on the effort, about six times more than the federal government.

090529-10
U.S. Department of Interior - News Release
May 28, 2009
Secretary Underscores Administration’s Commitment to Historic Everglades Restoration Initiative
President Obama Calling for $600 Million in FY09-10 Funding
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Joined by U.S. Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), Florida’s Republican Governor Charlie Crist, and Congressman Kendrick Meek (D-FL), Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today underscored President Obama’s commitment to restoring the Florida Everglades, calling the unprecedented initiative a national priority requiring continuing commitment and bi-partisan support.
 “Restoring this treasured landscape, one of our nation’s crown jewels, is the largest project of its kind ever undertaken in the United States,” Salazar said after meeting with Everglades Restoration support groups and touring a section of the ‘River of Grass’ with Sen. Nelson and Gov. Crist. “This administration is firmly committed to the federal-state partnership working to achieve this goal and has already proposed more than $600 million to fund ongoing projects and to generate good jobs in design, engineering, construction and rehabilitation work.”
 “I want to thank Sen. Nelson for his leadership in the Senate on this historic effort,” Salazar said. “I also want to commend Gov. Crist and the State of Florida for their partnership and support. This complex and challenging effort needs and deserves bi-partisan support from state and federal leaders. Our presence here today reflects that approach and that commitment to restore a national treasure while creating jobs for Americans.”
In addition to Nelson and Crist, Interior Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks Tom Strickland accompanied the Secretary.
The Everglades Restoration partnership works to restore, preserve, and protect the South Florida ecosystem while providing for other water-related needs of the region, including water supply and flood protection. With an estimated total cost of $10.7 billion to the Federal Government and $11.8 billion to the state of Florida, the initiative is the largest hydrologic restoration project in U.S. history.
The Omnibus Appropriation Act for fiscal year 2009 provides a total of $241 million for Everglades’ projects, including $118 million from the Department of the Interior and $123 million from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
In addition, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, enacted earlier this year, provided $119.2 million in stimulus funding for Everglades work, including $18.6 million for Interior agencies and $100.6 million from the Army Corps of Engineers.
President Obama’s budget request for 2010 would provide $278 million for Everglades’ restoration, including $64 million from Interior and $214 million from the Corps. The 2010 budget for Everglades is $37 million above the 2009 enacted level
Interior’s National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs and U.S. Geological Survey fund operations on U.S. public and tribal lands in South Florida. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers provides Everglades restoration construction services. The State of Florida manages issues relative to State and private lands.

090528-11
Wrong place, time to loosen the rules
KeysNet.com
May 28, 2009
Picture this:
-- Developers in Florida's most congested urban counties want to build more housing without paying for road improvements now required by county or city growth management rules.
-- Regional planning boards, created to police concurrency beyond one community's borders, would lose power to review and approve large-scale developments.
Both of these absurd proposals actually could become law after both the Florida House and Senate passed this so-called "growth management bill."
Now it rests on Gov. Charlie Crist's desk, awaiting his signature or veto.
The governor has made a reputation as an environmental champion who most famously just pushed through the largest land acquisition on behalf of Everglades restoration of any public official since President Harry S Truman dedicated Everglades National Park back in 1947.
But Crist is running for the U.S. Senate, which means his bonafides as a Republican standard-bearer will be under the microscope. And how he handles the pro-development legislation sitting on his desk will be an important watermark in next year's election.
Already, the lines are forming in the sand on this one.
As reported by the St. Petersburg Times, Florida's environmental heavyweights -- Audubon of Florida, 1000 Friends of Florida and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Association -- have all asked Crist to veto the bill.
Even the Florida Association of Counties has asked for a veto on grounds it would gut requirements that development help defray transportation and other costs associated with new construction.
Tom Pelham, head of the Department of Community Affairs and the state's top growth management expert, can't say how he stands on the legislation.
That's because he very nearly lost his post and the department after attacks from a Bradenton developer who happens to be the state senator who wrote the pro-growth legislation.
State Sen. Mike Bennett (R-Bradenton) told the Times that his legislation is "an attempt to promote both economic development and good planning."
That's a stretch given that DCA has already received requests to amend growth plans and add anywhere from 20,000 to 100,000 new housing units in urban counties.
With Florida's population growth at a six-decade low and acres of half-finished subdivisions and empty condos littering the landscape, it's absurd to believe this legislation will help.
Over-leveraged real estate got us into this mess. We don't want to see more make things even worse.
Crist should veto this ill-conceived legislation.

090527-1
Keep water decisions public
Palm Beach Post - Editorial
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
https://exchange.mcgill.ca/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2009/05/27/a10a_water_edit_0528.html   
Imagine if a county administrator in Florida could make development decisions in secret, without asking the county commissioners. Only if the administrator denied a request would the commissioners have a say.
Lousy, right? Hiding public business from the public, right? So, Gov. Crist should veto a bill that would allow such secrecy about the state's most important resource: water.

Florida has five water management districts, one for each of the state's major watersheds. This area is part of the South Florida Water Management District. The districts make lots of big decisions about flood control and the environment, but perhaps the biggest decisions are on permits for how much water a government or a development or a farm can use. Currently, the districts' governing boards approve or deny permits during the monthly public meetings. Senate Bill 2080 would give all those decisions to the districts' executive directors. The board would have a role only if a water permit were denied.
SB 2080 didn't start out this way. It began as legislation from Sen. J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales, to create the West-Central Florida Water Restoration Plan, which would rehydrate 5,100 square miles of the state that are part of the Southwest Florida Water Management District. But Rep. Denise Grimsley, R-Lake Placid, added the unrelated amendment about water permits. Her changes also include limits on how much water districts can issue in bonds without approval from the Legislature.
According to critics of the bill, Rep. Grimsley got mad when the South Florida Water Management District approved the U.S. Sugar deal. Her district includes Hendry County, where U.S. Sugar is based and opposition to the deal - that still has to close - remains strong. This legislation, though, is the wrong response. Rep. Grimsley argues that district staff members review all permit applications, that boards can delegate decisions now and that most decisions aren't controversial. For the controversial ones, though, public review and oversight are essential.
Based on her comments to The Post, Rep. Grimsley is threatening retribution if Gov. Crist vetoes SB 2080. It reauthorizes all five water management districts. A veto would push reauthorization to next year, and Rep. Grimsley tossed off the irresponsible comment that perhaps the state wouldn't need all five districts.
In fact, the early '70s creation of the districts - which, among other things, made environmental preservation as important as flood control - was one of the Legislature's visionary actions. With Florida's population having nearly tripled since then, decisions about water have become even more important and deserving of public scrutiny. Revenge politics would be the wrong way to set water policy in Florida.

090527-3
Rain makes dent in South Florida drought; more storms expected
The last two weeks of rain matched the previous six months' worth, but it wasn't enough to wash away lingering impacts of drought in South Florida.
Miami Herald, CURTIS MORGAN cmorgan@MiamiHerald.com
The wicked weather that washed out much of the Memorial Day weekend is going to hang around to make rush hour miserable for the next few days, as well.
But there is a silver lining to the daily dark clouds: The storms have put a significant dent in South Florida's drought. The last two weeks have brought nearly as much rain as the previous six months -- from five to eight inches over Miami-Dade and Broward counties to as much as 12 inches north of Lake Okeechobee.
Water managers said the soaking has not erased a regional deficit, but it has recharged a system running dangerously low -- particularly in South Miami-Dade.
''This was a tremendous rain event, but it's still very early in the rainy season,'' said Gabe Margasak, a spokesman for the South Florida Water Management District, which oversees the water supply from Orlando to Key West.
The district recorded nearly seven inches of rain over the last two weeks when the annual wet season turned on in full force. But the region remains seven inches below average since November, the start of what turned out to be the third driest dry season on record.
Rain gauges are likely to rise more in the next few days.
The National Weather Service predicts a good chance for scattered storms through at least Thursday, mainly in the afternoon and early evening. The most intense could bring lots of lightning strikes, strong gusts and flooding threats for low-lying areas.
''We're still in the same environment, where the atmosphere is pretty unstable,'' said Robert Molleda, a meteorologist with the weather service in Miami. ``All you need is some daytime heating and everything takes off.''
A weak low pressure system in the western Atlantic Ocean and southwestern winds will continue to spark the strongest storms over the Southeast coast, he said.
The rain lifted water levels in Lake Okeechobee, which stood at 10.79 feet above sea level Tuesday, by several inches, but a bigger boost may come in weeks ahead. The heaviest rains fell in the Kissimmee River basin, which drains south into a lake that is the heart of the regional water supply system.
Still, for now, the big lake remains more than two feet below its historic average, so low that the district two weeks ago cut farmers' allocations by nearly half.
Groundwater levels across much of South Florida also have rebounded from near-historic lows, but South Miami-Dade still ''needs a little more help,'' Margasak said.
In early May, water managers concerned about salt water intrusion tainting drinking water wells and Everglades marshes drying out issued an emergency order cutting much of South Miami-Dade and the Florida Keys back to once-weekly lawn sprinkling.
That order, covering homes and businesses from Southwest 216th Street to Key West, remains in place. The rest of Miami-Dade and Broward remain on twice-weekly irrigation schedules.

090527-4
State: Bigger bridge needed for canal maintenance
Florida Keys News
STEVE GIBBS, Free Press Staff
May 27, 2009
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY -- The new $22 million C-111 canal bridge will have eight feet of additional clearance to accommodate cranes and maintenance vehicles used to dredge the waterway, according to spokesmen for two state agencies.
The elevated bridge, located at mile marker 116 on U.S.1, is part of the $259 million 18-Mile Stretch upgrade.
The Florida Department of Transportation and the South Florida Water Management District have been working together to make sure the roadway along the edge of the C-111 Canal below the bridge can accommodate a 35-ton mobile crane the water district uses to clean the canal of debris.
"There are 10 culverts along the canal and we need to be able to get a mobile crane in there," said Jim Barnes, right-of-way technician for the district. "I don't think they needed all 16.5 feet of clearance, but that's what [the Florida Department of Transportation] came back with."
The old bridge, which was built in 1967, provides an eight-foot clearance.
The 35-ton crane is kept in Miami-Dade County and would travel to the C-111 from the north. Since a center cement barrier being built on the Stretch would prevent southbound traffic from crossing over to exit under the bridge on the old ramp, a new ramp will be constructed off the southbound lane to the right.
"FDOT didn't want to widen the footprint of the road right-of-way. They wouldn't give us a left-turn lane either," Barnes said. "So we issued our permit with the stipulation that the bridge clearance be increased."
ANZAC of Miami-Dade County is the sub-contractor who is building the bridge. Community Asphalt is the main contractor. The bridge is scheduled to be completed and open to traffic by December 2010.
"It will be built with the same lane configuration as the new Jewfish Creek Bridge," said project spokeswoman Abbie Kelley of Parsons-Brinkerhoff. "It will have one lane in each direction with widened shoulders."
Barnes said the South Dade Greenway, a trail for horses, hikers and bikers along the edge of the canal, will still be open to the public.
"There will be a parking lot and a boat ramp on the southeast quad," he said. "Fishing will still be permitted."

090527-5

090526-1
FPL's power-line plan in South Miami-Dade faces opposition
A fight to prevent new power lines from rising up along U.S. 1 is under way.
Miami Herald, TANIA VALDEMORO                 tvaldemoro@MiamiHerald.com
Tuesday, 05.26.09
When Elizabeth Gonzalez wanted to protest against Florida Power & Light's plan to install new high-voltage transmission lines in South Miami, she turned to Facebook.
She created a group, ''Residents against FPL transmission lines,'' and provided links to FPL's project website.
In Coral Gables, Sharon Watson e-mailed and spoke to parents and students at Coral Gables Senior High School about the power lines weeks before the City Commission decided to hire a consultant in April to study how they would affect residents.
''I'm concerned these power lines would go in front of schools and hospitals,'' said Watson, the president of Gables High's parents group. She worries about possible health risks stemming from exposure to electromagnetic fields generated by the power lines.
From writing e-mails to sharing scientific studies linking high-voltage transmission lines to cancer to passing resolutions calling for alternate routes, residents and elected officials from Coconut Grove to Cutler Bay are mobilizing to block FPL's proposal to construct a 230-kilovolt transmission line along a long swath of U.S. 1.
Opposition to power lines is not new. In 2006, residents and the City Council in North Miami fought FPL's plan to install the lines across 30 residential blocks to connect two substations. They lost despite hiring outside lawyers and inviting members of the state's Public Service Commission to council meetings.
The question: Will this larger group of people -- galvanized by Facebook, Twitter and the like -- succeed in burying or rerouting the transmission lines away from U.S. 1 -- considered the area's main commercial and residential corridor?
FPL'S REASONS
FPL spokesman Mayco Villafaña said the proposed power lines are part of the utility's plan to meet the energy demands of a growing population. He noted that more than half the electricity Miami-Dade residents and businesses consume during the summer comes from sources outside the county. The lines would also help the utility transport power from its Turkey Point nuclear power station -- a facility that FPL intends to possibly add two more nuclear reactors within the next 12 years.
Between 2012 and 2016, FPL intends to construct four high-voltage transmission lines in Miami-Dade -- two 500-kilovolt lines in western Miami-Dade, whose routes have not yet been determined, and two other 230-kilovolt lines. The two 230-kV lines would emanate from Turkey Point, east of Homestead.
One transmission line would head northwest along the boundaries of Everglades National Park and end in Doral. A second transmission line would run in a western arc to the Davis substation along Southwest 131st Street and then head northeast along U.S. 1 to a substation in downtown Miami. Residents and politicians are objecting to this eastern route.
FPL intends to file an application for the project with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in June, Villafaña said.
Next year, the utility will file a petition with the state's Public Service Commission and seek certification of the project. Gov. Charlie Crist and his cabinet, in their role as the Sitting Board, have the final say.
After the process gets under way at the PSC, critics and municipal leaders can propose alternate routes for the power lines and appeal the Sitting Board's final order, said Todd Brown, a spokesman for the Public Service Commission.
Villafaña said burying the lines would cost $13.3 million to $18.5 million per mile depending on specific site conditions, including soil type, work location, maintenance of traffic. These costs are 10 to 15 times more than installing overhead lines, he added.
Late Friday, FPL officials could not be reached to comment on how much it would cost to build the four proposed high-voltage transmission lines above ground and whether those costs would be passed onto consumers.
The resistance to the new lines comes from several corners.
South Miami Vice Mayor Brian Beasley said residents in his city are worried that the electromagnetic fields generated by the lines could cause leukemia and other types of cancers for those living nearby.
''It's the unknown,'' Beasley said of the possible health risks. ``Who wants to be the guinea pig to find out?''
Research from the past 30 years on the link between electromagnetic fields and cancer is inconclusive. Some studies have suggested that children living near power lines are more likely to develop leukemia than children living farther away; other studies conclude that electromagnetic fields do not cause cancer.
Osama Mohammed, an electrical and computer engineering professor at Florida International University, said many U.S. studies have not been undertaken long enough to show definite evidence of a cancer link.
EXPOSURE LEVEL
Villafaña said FPL engineers the transmission lines so that their maximum electromagnetic exposure level is no more that 150 milligauss for those standing near the lines. (A gauss is a unit of measurement for a magnetic field.) He compares that to a hair dryer, which has a reading of 300 milligauss.
Still, critics say that even 150 milligauss of exposure over a long period of time is too much.
Aesthetics, development and transportation concerns also fuel locals' opposition.
Some people say the power lines are unslightly and would drive down their property values.
Pinecrest Mayor Cindy Lerner said the lines are ''absolutely incompatible'' with a long-term vision for U.S. 1 laid out in the Miami-Dade County Watershed Study, completed in 2007.
The study calls for ''smart growth'' along the corridor, resulting in less traffic congestion and less suburban sprawl. It encourages municipalities to increase density along U.S. 1 with new mixed-use developments and offer transportation options such as buses and shared rides.
''We can't continue with this kind of gridlock,'' Lerner said. ``If we don't do better planning, we'll never be able to get downtown.''
Her sentiments are echoed among municipal leaders in South Miami, Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay. Many of them have joined the South Dade Coalition. Formed in January by Cutler Bay Council member Timothy Meerbott and Pinecrest Council member Joseph Corradino, the group opposes the U.S. 1 transmission route and is studying alternatives.
The Coconut Grove Village Council, which also disapproves of the project, has formed a committee that will lobby Miami and Miami-Dade leaders to pass similar resolutions. Stephen Murray, a member of the committee, said he plans to meet with University of Miami President Donna Shalala.
Villafaña said FPL has been speaking with local officials about their concerns.
MORE LEVERAGE
Meanwhile, state legislators are drawing up bills to give residents more leverage.
''At the end of the day, citizens don't decide what route will be used or where the 80-foot poles will end up being,'' said state Rep. Ronald Brisé, D-North Miami. ``To me, that's a problem.''
In the most recent House session, Brisé introduced House Bill 1315, which would enable municipalities to challenge where the lines are placed, and request a hearing with the Public Service Commission to hear disputes with utilities.
The bill would require a utility to disclose how they came up with a transmission line route. It would further allow a local government to ask that the lines be buried and share those costs with any entity that benefits from the lines.
Brisé's bill and its companion bill in the Senate went nowhere in the recent legislative session, but he is not giving up.
He said he will bring together industry folks, elected officials and residents this summer to ``come up with something we all can live with.''
Beasley, the vice mayor from South Miami, admits the fight with FPL is tough.
''My role is to make sure people don't feel powerless,'' he said.

090526-2

090526-2
For Tallahassee lobbyists, tough times are good for business
Times/Herald Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Marc Caputo,
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
TALLAHASSEE — In the midst of a $6 billion state budget deficit and widespread private-sector layoffs, one Florida industry looks recession-proof: lobbying state lawmakers.
The Capitol lobbying corps earned up to $45 million from January through March to influence the Legislature. That's essentially the same amount that all 2,000 state lobbyists made in the same period in 2008, when Florida wasn't in a financial crisis.
But lobbyists didn't earn all that money despite the dire financial times — they say they earned it because of the terrible economy.
"Sure, it's ironic," lobbyist Ron Book said. "But the bottom line is people and businesses get nervous in a down economy. And they need the help. In a bad economy, you need a seat at the table. You can't walk away."
Four lobbying groups at the Capitol earned more than $1 million, according to financial disclosure reports filed last week for the first quarter of the year. It's unclear exactly how much money lobbyists brought in, because they are required to report their earnings in increments of $10,000.
That means the lobbyists earned a minimum of $19.7 million and a maximum of $45 million.
Since the two-month legislative session straddles two quarters, lobbyists earned even more money to influence legislators and Gov. Charlie Crist's administration during the entire session that ended May 8.
The lobbyist disclosure reports aren't the only measure of the cost of doing business in Tallahassee. Also in the first quarter of the year, 108 politicians in the state Capitol who are running for office raised a record $4 million in campaign contributions.
A large chunk of that campaign money came from many of the lobbyists and corporations that sought lawmakers' help. The top contributors also hired the most paid advocates and hail from the telecommunications, health, energy, tobacco, gambling and insurance industries.
Former Senate President Tom Lee said he successfully pushed for the lobbyist disclosure system in 2005 to give citizens a glimpse into what happens in the Capitol.
"A reason lobbying is relatively recession-proof is that most of what the Legislature does is referee fistfights between special interest groups. And those never go away," he said.
Lee said hiring a lobbyist is a type of "investment."
He said the money flowing through the Capitol, coupled with a grand jury report criticizing the budget process, should be an eye-opener for Floridans.
"It's hard for people to think of the power the Legislature has over the life and death of a business," he said. "Just changing the word 'may' to 'shall' in statute can either earn or cost a corporation tens of millions of dollars."
A lobbyist's assistance is crucial in helping clients state their case to legislators and navigate the brief lawmaking session. This year, there was more competition for state dollars because the state had less money. Many corporations felt more need than ever to play defense as legislators settled on raising $2.2 billion in higher taxes and fees to balance the $66.5 billion budget.
Corporations also competed for a rare prize this session: a piece of the $13.4 billion in federal stimulus money that Washington made available to the state over three years.
"Washington has replaced Wall Street as the nation's financial nerve center," said Brian Ballard, a top lobbyist whose firm earned more than $1 million.
"And Tallahassee, while we're not printing money, has become a focal point for Florida corporate interests, who are making sure they're not going to bear the brunt of fixing the hole in Florida's budget," he said.
Case in point: the tobacco industry. It spent as much as much as $689,000 on lobbyists to fight a new tax.
Though lawmakers ultimately approved a $1-a-pack cigarette tax, the cigar industry escaped taxation. The big tobacco companies made sure to walk away with something: the right to post a lower amount of bond money when they appeal judgments in cases brought by sick smokers.
Not every business was playing defense.
Telecom giant AT&T hired more than three dozen lobbyists and spent as much as $1 million, more than any other company. It sought to persuade legislators to give phone companies the right to raise rates more quickly. A stripped-down version of the legislation passed. An AT&T spokesman declined to comment.
As legislators considered expanding gambling, gaming interests spent a maximum of about $1.3 million on lobbyists. The energy industry, seeking more incentives for alternative fuels, spent about $1.4 million.
U.S. Sugar Corp. also sought a piece of the alternative-energy legislation, which died. The company spent the second-highest individual sum on lobbyists, up to $476,000, as it protected an Everglades buyout of its lands.
U.S. Sugar spokesman Robert Coker said the money was well spent. "You need to make sure you're well represented," he said.

For Tallahassee lobbyists, tough times are good for business

090524-1

Raising Tamiami Trail a bridge to restoration for river of grass
Palm Beach Post - Letters to the Editor
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Opponents may call it the environmental bridge to nowhere, but raising Tamiami Trail is a bridge to the future and a critical first step to restoring the Everglades
Imperiled by a century of re-plumbing, this world ecological treasure has shrunk to half its original size. What remains continues to degrade, starved of essential water flows. After 20 years of preparation, federal agencies were poised in December to put shovels in the ground along the Tamiami Trail north of Everglades National Park so that water could begin flowing to restore the Everglades and Florida Bay. Yet once again, these critical efforts stalled.
These wetlands that make up the Everglades are key to both wildlife and human communities. They are sponges that provide natural protections against flooding and potentially devastating storms. They filter water, keeping it clean for human consumption. With a changing climate and sea level rise on the horizon, a healthy Everglades offers one of the greatest bulwarks against saltwater intrusion to protect freshwater supplies.
The mile-long Tamiami Trail bridge project, so important for increasing the amount of water and length of wet periods in a vital part of the Everglades system - Northeast Shark Slough - underwent extensive environmental review, as well as scientific and economic analysis. Congress, along with federal and state agencies and the environmental community all endorsed the project.
Despite this widespread agreement, a federal judge, responding to a lawsuit filed by the Miccosukee Tribe, stopped construction, calling the project "an environmental bridge to nowhere." The phrase is catchy, but it is wrong.
The tribe suggests that improving culverts under the road is the solution, but that suggestion would not produce water flows into Northeast Shark Slough needed for Everglades restoration, according to National Park Service, university and Audubon scientists. The bridge would allow flows that mimic natural flows and help reestablish the lost ecological connections between marshes north and south of Tamiami Trail.
Congress got it right in recognizing that this project needs to break ground "without further delay." This bridge to the future will bringing this nation closer to restoring the globally unique "river of grass" that is the Everglades.
LYNN SCARLETT, Arlington, Va.
JOHN OGDEN, Miami
Editor's note: Lynn Scarlett, a former deputy secretary of the Department of the Interior, is an independent environmental consultant.  John Ogden is director of bird conservation for Audubon of Florida.

090524-2

090524-2
Water in South Florida -- What Were/Are We Thinking ?
The Key West Citizen
Chris Belland
Sunday, May 24, 2009
It rained. It rained hard. Yep, old Mother Nature came through in the end !
Against the backdrop of the recent wet weather we have been having, some things stand out, at least to me.
First of all, sometimes Mother Nature decides it's time for the Everglades to burn off in a healthy routine of renewing the grasslands and culling overpopulation of certain species. It is natural, as it has been for thousands of years. Had she done so this year, by not letting it rain, there might have been an unexpected disaster born of our ignorance and arrogance.
While Mother Nature always acts in good faith, we have chosen to fool her and, as we are becoming painfully aware, "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature." Florida is like a giant sponge of prehistoric sedimentary rock that holds water. Beneath the surface course natural aquifers, underground rivers and water lenses. As I have said many times, when I was growing up in Kendall there was water everywhere; you couldn't get rid of the damn stuff. But the Army Corps of Engineers sure gave it the old college try. All of the land from Dadeland west was once farms and swamp. The trouble was, you can't build subdivisions on swamp land. Water was so plentiful that Venetian Pool in Coral Gables used to be a drain-and-fill pool where the water was drained each night and refilled with fresh, clean, chemical-free water.
Developers, looking into the future of people wanting to live here, convinced the government, in their naÃØve and, in retrospect, really dumb opinion of the day, that digging drainage canals to make dry land out of swamp was just the thing. Next time you fly over south Florida look out the window and you will see the results of their handiwork. What they really do well is long, very straight, deep canals resulting in a system of drainage canals that literally sucks fresh water out of the natural reservoirs of the state and dumps it into the ocean.
Yeah, we have lot of houses now and a lot of folks made a lot of money but I wonder if we ever really listen to what we are saying?
On the one hand, recently the Miami Herald lamented that the economic viability of South Florida was in jeopardy as it depends on development. Of course, this means more houses and more people needing more water.
On the other hand, the same media trumpets the new annual ritual of putting everyone on water restriction! This was followed with lamentations of how the Memorial Day weekend was going to be "ruined" by rain. If it doesn't rain, a whole lot more than the weekend might be ruined. Sorry, but I don't follow the logic here.
According to what I read, we came within inches of the fresh-water table going below the salt-water table, which would result in salt-water intrusion into the well fields, causing them to be closed for something like 15 years! Folks, I'm no engineer but it could rain for 40 days and 40 nights and our problem will not be solved, especially if we are declaring as public policy that the economy of South Florida depends on more development.
The problem is there are just too many people with their straws stuck in the same glass of water. Ultimately I can see only two solutions to the problem. Sell the water for what it is worth and people will stop wasting it. Stop draining vast areas that we depend on for our water supply so we can build even more houses and make the problem worse. I can tell you, if Dade County paid what we pay for water in Monroe County, they would think twice about building the houses, the swimming pools and golf courses with thirsty vegetation. As best I can tell, in Dade County the average monthly residential charge per 1,000 gallons is $2.30. In Monroe County it is $5.27. Get the picture?
Free Water and Lots of It
I have always been an advocate of reintroducing cistern usage in the Keys. I am sure this causes the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority and Mosquito Control folks to quiver in fear at the prospect. But surely there must be a way? I also advocate, wherever septic tanks are being abandoned in favor of sewers, that these are the perfect holding tanks for water to be used for certain applications such as vegetation and even flushing toilets. Neither of these things will probably ever happen but there are two sources of free water right under our noses and I, for one, am going to use mine.
Do you have an air conditioner? Go outside and look. Somewhere in your yard there is a drain from which is dripping, almost 24/7, the condensate from your air conditioning unit. It is a very simple matter to put a catchment facility such as a rain barrel or even a washtub under this drip, equip it with a float valve and a bilge pump and put the whole thing on a timer to run for 30 minutes a day. This very simple and inexpensive contraption will water your lawn, garden and plants automatically every day for free.
Many houses also have gutters and rain spouts. Put a rain barrel underneath them to catch the rainwater. If they are elevated above the height of your plants, put a hose bib at the bottom and you will have sufficient water pressure to water your plants as needed.
We humans are a funny lot. There is usually a disproportionate ratio of wisdom to words, which was certainly true of Benjamin Franklin's advice to "waste not want not." We waste our water and now we are in want of it.
When will we stop and recognize the fact that most of the solutions are right at hand? The obvious answer is, when it becomes in our economic interest to do so. Let's just hope it's not too late, for if we don't, Mother Nature will decide for us. And I'll take her over the Army Corps any day.

090523-

090523
Everglades land buy critical to restoration effort
Naples Daily News - Guest commentary
ERIC BUERMANN / Miami / Chairman, South Florida Water Management District Governing Board
May 23, 2009,  5:00 p.m., Saturday
Everglades restoration has been a priority at the South Florida Water Management District for more than a decade. That priority was underscored this month with a landmark decision by the district’s governing board to invest $536 million in the largest land buy in the agency’s history — a 73,000-acre acquisition that will provide unprecedented opportunities for preserving the famed River of Grass.
When the multibillion-dollar state-federal partnership to restore the Everglades was first developed in the 1990s, access to vast areas of agricultural land south of Lake Okeechobee to construct restoration projects was not a possibility. But that changed last June when Gov. Charlie Crist announced the willingness of the U.S. Sugar Corp. to sell its land holdings to the district for Everglades restoration. It was a milestone moment for the environment — followed by months of complex negotiations, hard work and due diligence.
Over many months of deliberation, the district’s governing board carefully weighed the restoration opportunities of this purchase with the agency’s additional responsibilities for flood control, water-quality improvements and protection of the regional water supply. With fiscal realities in mind, the board approved an affordable acquisition strategy that would place 112 square miles of strategically located property into public ownership by next year, with an option to purchase another 167 square miles during the next 10 years.
This historic acquisition promises incalculable benefits to the Everglades and to Florida’s coastal estuaries. Most notably, projects are contemplated that will improve water-quality treatment to deliver cleaner water to the Everglades and prevent tons of harmful nutrients from entering the fragile ecosystem. Other projects will significantly increase water storage, improving the flow of water to the Everglades, reducing harmful freshwater discharges from Lake Okeechobee to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries and virtually eliminating the need for “back-pumping” stormwater runoff into the lake. Without this land, opportunities for some of these projects and their benefits could be lost.
While allowing for economic conditions to improve, the phased approach to acquiring land also helps to sustain agriculture in the region, an important part of the local and statewide economy. Furthermore, it will provide at least a decade for the Everglades communities, which depend heavily on agriculture, to work with the state and other partners to develop new industries and growth opportunities for their region.
Acquiring these strategic lands is the first step in realizing our restoration goals, which will require vision, leadership, cooperation and partnership at all levels. Project planning, now under way with scientists, engineers and a diversity of interests, must remain an inclusive and collaborative process. Project permitting with regulatory agencies must be streamlined so that unnecessary and costly litigation does not impair our efforts. And our federal partners in restoration must continue to deliver their share of project funding.
This vast area of land will serve the Everglades — and the economy — when dirt has actually been turned and constructed projects are in the ground and operating.
In our board discussions, I often compared this acquisition to the Louisiana Purchase, which in 1803 brought more than 800,000 square miles into public ownership and doubled the size of the United States. President Thomas Jefferson believed the controversial purchase was a priority investment, and history proved him right. This acquisition is not nearly on that scale, but for Everglades restoration, it feels that big. And it promises equally big opportunities in return.

090522-2
Loxahatchee refuge pushes spot along State Road 80 as site for new Palm Beach County landfill
Palm Beach Post
JENNIFER SORENTRUE,  Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Friday, May 22, 2009
WEST PALM BEACH — Managers of the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge are urging Palm Beach County to pick a site along State Road 80, at the entrance to the Glades farming region, as the home for the county's new landfill.
County commissioners are considering two sites west or northwest of 20-Mile Bend for the landfill: a 1,733-acre site near the intersection of State Road 80 and U.S. 98, and a 1,500-acre tract on County Road 880 owned by Hundley Farms
But the debate is pitting environmentalists against people in the Glades farming region, who don't want a landfill marking the gateway to their community.
In a letter to commissioners, refuge manager Sylvia Pelizza expressed concern that the Hundley Farms property is too close to a nearby state-owned filter marsh, which cleanses runoff from farms and Lake Okeechobee before it enters the refuge, the northernmost remnant of the Everglades.
"Location of a landfill at the Hundley site could significantly decrease the options available" to expand the treatment area, which is overloaded with phosphorus-laden runoff, she wrote.
The county Solid Waste Authority has recommended that commissioners move forward with the purchase of the Hundley tract, saying the site is cheaper and supported by residents of the western communities.
In March, commissioners voted to delay their decision until the South Florida Water Management District finishes its 73,000-acre land purchase from U.S. Sugar Corp. That deal is expected to close by June 2010.
Once that purchase is completed, the commissioners said they hope water managers may be able to give land to the county for the landfill. In return, the commission would offer county-owned land just west of the refuge, where the county had earlier decided to place the new landfill.
But so far, Commissioner Karen Marcus says, water managers have "not been able or willing to consider this proposal."
In a letter to Pelizza, Marcus asked for "any help" she can give in working with the water district.
Water managers say they are still working on the details of the purchase and have received many requests for land associated with the deal.
In a statement released Thursday, the district said it "recognizes there are a number of community requests for some of the land associated with the U.S. Sugar acquisition. Until we get further down the road on validation and financing, the district is not in a position to discuss."

090522-1

090522-1
Florida's renewable energy efforts have gone nowhere
Miami Herald (FL) via Acquire Media NewsEdge)
May 22, 2009
For a year, while the green movement was at its height, Florida environmentalists, new solar companies, utility lobbyists and state regulators spent thousands of hours trying to determine how much of the state's power supply should come from renewable energy sources like solar and wind.
They did it because the Legislature in 2008 ordered them to do it. After sifting through thousands of pages of documents and sitting in lengthy workshops, the Public Service Commission sent its recommendations to the 2009 Legislature. A renewable bill passed the Senate but died in the House. The result: A year of work wasted.
Among the major victims: The much ballyhooed Babcock Ranch project, which is trying to become the first solar-powered city in the world, and thousands of construction workers who would have been hired to build new power plants.
"We are extremely disappointed," said Stephen Smith, head of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. "The people of Florida should feel cheated by their legislative leadership." In the final days of the Legislature, the drama became intense. Gov. Charlie Crist at one point visited the House to plead for a renewable standard. When that failed, a major renewable energy producer, Florida Crystals, turned against Florida Power & Light, which was trying to craft its own solar deal. That deal died.
The renewable saga began in July 2007 when Crist asked the PSC to develop rules to make power companies produce 20 percent of their electricity from renewables to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The PSC held four workshops in 2007 attended by dozens of major environmentalists and utility representatives.
The issues were complex. Would solar and wind power cost customers more? Yes, probably, said the experts. How much more? The experts weren't certain. The PSC didn't come to any conclusions and neither did the 2008 Legislature, which debated the issue at length and then ordered the PSC to study the matter again.
Three more workshops were held. The PSC commissioned a study on the costs and potential for renewables from the Navigant consulting firm, which produced a 200-plus page document at a cost of $135,000.
FPL sparked intense debate by insisting that, instead of a renewable standard, nuclear power should be considered in a "clean energy" standard, because nuclear can produce huge amounts of power while emiting no greenhouse gases. Environmentalists objected, saying huge nuclear plants would eliminate any need for solar, which they much preferred.
The PSC ended up sending a 167-page report to the Legislature recommending that by 2020, 20 percent of power come from renewables, as long as it didn't increase customers' bills more than 2 percent a year. The report said the Legislature "may wish to consider" adding nuclear to the standard.
To support the push for renewables, a coalition was created that included major environmental groups and renewable energy companies, such as Florida Crystals, which produces electricity from sugar cane waste.
Susan Glickman, longtime environmental activist, coordinated the coalition's lobbying, serving as "cat-herder-in-chief. . . . The entrenched utility interests have so much clout that the best chance we had was to stick together." In the Senate, Sen. Jim King crafted a compromise bill that included nuclear, but only up to five percentage points of the 20 percent standard. Environmentalists didn't like the nuclear provision, but King told Glickman it was the only way to get it to pass.
"He did a masterful job," said Gaston Cantens of Florida Crystals. "Not everyone liked everything in it, but it had just enough of what people wanted so nobody was really upset." The bill stalled in the House. "This session was so weird, with the speaker's indictment and the budget crisis," said Glickman, referring to charges brought against Rep. Ray Sansom for getting the Legislature to approve a $6 million hangar for a buddy.
The new House leadership was somewhat disorganized and not at all enthusiastic about renewables. "I think it was disingenuous for the House to act like this was a new area," said Glickman, considering that the Legislature had asked the PSC to return with a recommendation. But they'd say, 'The House doesn't have any appetite for this.' 'We did energy last year.' " Ultimately, House leaders added off-shore drilling to an energy bill, guaranteeing that environmentalists would oppose it. "On the last day of the session, the governor physically came down to the House and pushed very hard" for a renewables bill, said Glickman.
Some environmentalists have questioned Crist's commitment. The popular governor had gained a lot of publicity for demanding more fuel efficient cars -- a concept that didn't even make it out of committee. Then his backing of urging of renewables led to nothing.
Glickman said Crist shouldn't be faulted for that. "I think the governor continues to deserve an enormous amount of credit. He fought back." Meanwhile, FPL tried a separate maneuver, attaching a rider to a large spending bill that would have given it full cost recovery for several of its solar projects, including the world's largest photovoltaic power plant for the new city of Babcock Ranch, 17,000 acres near Fort Myers.
FPL supports solar projects as long as its costs can be completely recovered from its customers. It has three solar projects already under way because of an earlier arrangement from the Legislature.
But this time, renewable energy groups were upset that FPL was getting a solar deal when they were being left out in the cold. Especially upset was Florida Crystals. Cantens complained FPL has been paying less than 4 cents a kilowatt-hour for the power produced by Crystals' sugar cane waste plant. That's about a third of what customers pay for electricity. Crystals has to accept what FPL pays because in the state's regulated system, there is no open market for selling power.
Not wanting FPL to prosper while other renewable companies had nothing, Florida Crystals sent lobbyist Sean Stafford to talk to a Senate leader. The FPL deal died. Stafford did not return a call seeking comment but both lobbyist Glickman and Crystals spokesman Cantens confirm this story.
FPL spokeswoman Jackie Anderson said, "We were obviously disappointed that the Legislature did not carry forward the existing state policy supporting the development of renewable energy in Florida." Anderson and many environmentalists point out that construction of clean-energy plants can boost the economy. "For example, the 75-megawatt solar thermal facility we are building in Martin County will generate more than 1,000 construction jobs, and a recent job fair to fill these positions brought in more than 8,000 applicants," Anderson wrote in an e-mail.
"The Babcock Ranch solar project would bring additional renewable energy, more than 400 jobs and significant economic benefits to the state. We would like to move forward on the project," Anderson wrote. "We are committed to pursuing additional renewable energy projects like this one and will move forward when the necessary regulatory framework is in place." Developer Syd Kitson said he's continuing with his plans for Babcock Ranch. "We're hopeful of starting construction next year," he said, and he still wants the city to be solar powered. That means action by the Legislature. "It's not hurting us at the moment, but it's important we do get action." Congress is now discussing a national renewable standard. If that happens before action in Florida, renewable energy companies in other areas will continue to have a head start on companies trying to get started here, say environmentalists.
"By dragging their heels in the Legislature," Glickman said, "Florida is more likely to miss out on the economic development opportunities."

090522-2

090522-2
Loxahatchee refuge pushes spot along State Road 80 as site for new Palm Beach County landfill
Palm Beach Post
JENNIFER SORENTRUE,  Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Friday, May 22, 2009
WEST PALM BEACH — Managers of the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge are urging Palm Beach County to pick a site along State Road 80, at the entrance to the Glades farming region, as the home for the county's new landfill.
County commissioners are considering two sites west or northwest of 20-Mile Bend for the landfill: a 1,733-acre site near the intersection of State Road 80 and U.S. 98, and a 1,500-acre tract on County Road 880 owned by Hundley Farms
But the debate is pitting environmentalists against people in the Glades farming region, who don't want a landfill marking the gateway to their community.
In a letter to commissioners, refuge manager Sylvia Pelizza expressed concern that the Hundley Farms property is too close to a nearby state-owned filter marsh, which cleanses runoff from farms and Lake Okeechobee before it enters the refuge, the northernmost remnant of the Everglades.
"Location of a landfill at the Hundley site could significantly decrease the options available" to expand the treatment area, which is overloaded with phosphorus-laden runoff, she wrote.
The county Solid Waste Authority has recommended that commissioners move forward with the purchase of the Hundley tract, saying the site is cheaper and supported by residents of the western communities.
In March, commissioners voted to delay their decision until the South Florida Water Management District finishes its 73,000-acre land purchase from U.S. Sugar Corp. That deal is expected to close by June 2010.
Once that purchase is completed, the commissioners said they hope water managers may be able to give land to the county for the landfill. In return, the commission would offer county-owned land just west of the refuge, where the county had earlier decided to place the new landfill.
But so far, Commissioner Karen Marcus says, water managers have "not been able or willing to consider this proposal."
In a letter to Pelizza, Marcus asked for "any help" she can give in working with the water district.
Water managers say they are still working on the details of the purchase and have received many requests for land associated with the deal.
In a statement released Thursday, the district said it "recognizes there are a number of community requests for some of the land associated with the U.S. Sugar acquisition. Until we get further down the road on validation and financing, the district is not in a position to discuss."

090522

090522
Sen. Mike Bennett: New bill reforms road mandates, discourages sprawl
Ft. Myers News-Press
https://exchange.mcgill.ca/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090522/OPINION/905220363%26template=printart
May 22, 2009
Sen. Mike Bennett - Guest Opinion
There is a significant controversy surrounding SB 360, a major overhaul of Florida's growth management laws that passed in the recent legislative session. Let me explain how we revised the legislation.
The bill promotes growth in dense urban areas by removing the state-required costs of transportation concurrency and the duplicative development of regional impact process within those areas.
A lot of controversy has surrounded what a "dense" area should be to trigger these benefits. The bill originally defined a dense urban area as 1,000 people per square mile. That affected about 13 percent of Florida's land area and 80 percent of its population. As the bill went through the committee process, concerns were raised that the affected areas were not dense enough. So we narrowed the bill to apply to designated urban service areas within counties and cities with a minimum population of 5,000 having at least 1,000 people per square mile.
There are good reasons to remove transportation concurrency from these areas:
- It is unfair. No development pays to mitigate its impact on local roadways until the number of trips exceeds the level of service set by the local government or the Department of Transportation. Only subsequent developers have to pay to improve or add road facilities. And in many of these urban areas it is not physically or financially possible to expand road capacity.
- It encourages sprawl. When a new doctor's office or drugstore cannot afford to pay to mitigate its impact on the main road that is already congested from existing traffic, it may move away from the urban center to less dense areas where the roads have not yet reached their level of service capacity to avoid paying transportation concurrency costs. Curbing urban sprawl is a major goal of Florida's growth management strategy. Focusing growth in urban areas reduces vehicle emissions and decreases costs associated with expanding infrastructure into outlying areas.
- Local governments can charge new development for its impact in a way that suits the traffic needs of the community. For example, local governments charge impact fees to developers to mitigate the costs associated with their development.
- Without transportation concurrency, local governments can still control development by not changing land use types or intensity. The current practice of denying a development that has the proper land use based solely on transportation impacts is unfair to the landowner whose property fits the designated use.
- The Department of Community Affairs and the Department of Transportation have begun looking at an alternate method of funding transportation: a mobility fee. There are work groups considering what such a fee would entail, and SB 360 clarifies some of the characteristics a viable mobility fee should address.
- The legislation also addresses the DRI process, which is expensive and outdated.
It encourages urban infill and redevelopment by removing costly and unworkable state regulations in urban areas. Nothing limits the ability of local governments to adopt ordinances or fees. Also, existing contracts or agreements regarding transportation concurrency will remain in effect. There should not be a sudden stop to ongoing roadway projects.
In summary, SB 360 targets cities and the urban area of counties with certain minimum population and density requirements. The hope is by removing unworkable or duplicative regulations, Florida will not be standing in its own way when the economy begins to rebound. This legislation is an attempt to promote both economic development and good planning.
I believe we have crafted a balanced approach that will have a positive impact on the future of growth in Florida. I urge Gov. Charlie Crist to sign this bill.
-State Sen. Mike Bennett represents District 21, including parts of Lee and Charlotte counties.

090521-

090521-
South Florida rainfall totals: Have drought conditions been lifted?
CBS - 12 News
May 21, 2009 - 8:27 PM
South Florida Water Management District
In an effort to keep the public informed about the dry conditions gripping much of the state, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) is issuing the following latest conditions report:
Nearly all areas of the South Florida Water Management District received significant rainfall in the past week, with an average of 3.8 inches across the entire region. Localized areas received heavier rainfall since late Sunday, with up to 11 inches reported in the upper Kissimmee Basin and up to 7.5 inches reported along the East Coast. This welcomed precipitation has begun to recharge the parched system and means residents and businesses should temporarily turn off sprinklers.
One week of steady precipitation, however, will not erase a dry season deficit that today stands at more than 8.5 inches. Persistent wet season rainfall is necessary to lessen the deficit and recharge the primary regional storage systems, the Water Conservation Areas and Lake Okeechobee. The Water Conservation Areas remain low, and at 10.66 feet, the lake is about 2.5 feet below its historic average for this time of year.
The period from November 2008 through April 2009 ranks as the driest six-month period in South Florida history based on records dating back to 1932. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor report shows that much of the region is still experiencing severe drought conditions.
Water conservation remains critical, and residents and business across the 16-county region remain under landscape irrigation restrictions to protect the public supply. In recent weeks, several orders were issued to create more stringent water use restrictions in specific areas that warrant additional resource protection.
The SFWMD is closely monitoring water levels and is urging residents and businesses to conserve water and follow landscape irrigation restrictions to stretch available supplies. More information about irrigation limits by area is available on the District's water restrictions Web site. For water saving tips, visit www.savewaterfl.com.
District-Wide Averages as of May 21, 2009:
RAINFALL TO DATE, Jan. 2 - May 21:
7.12 inches
DEFICIT TO DATE, Jan. 2 - May 21:
- 5.51 inches
DRY SEASON DEFICIT, Nov. 2, 2008 - May 21:
- 8.57 inches
LAKE OKEECHOBEE:
May 21, 2009: 10.66 feet NGVD
May 21, 2008: 9.76 feet NGVD

090519-

090519
Everglades restoration plan is sweet and sour
https://exchange.mcgill.ca/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orl-locorl-mike-thomas-everglades-r051909may19,0,2430695.column
Mike Thomas | COMMENTARY
May 19, 2009
Again.  We now are in the third remake of a plan to save the nation's most imperiled swamp.
It's a smaller version of a smaller version of a grandiose plan announced by Charlie Crist last June.
Charlie says it's still plenty big, just not as big.  Originally, he was going to pay a whopping $1.7 billion to buy 290 square miles of former swamp land that was drained long ago to make farm land.The idea is to return it to the swamp.
But that price tag was just too big a chicken bone to swallow.
So in November the plan was scaled down to $1.3 billion, which was still too big.
And so the deal was downsized again in April to $536 million for 114 square miles.
At this rate, by next year we'll be down to $5,000 for a barn and 2 acres.
Call it a recessionary reality check.
Also call it keeping the deal alive.
The new plan does not abandon the old plan. It simply stretches it out, buying some land now and taking options out to buy the rest later.
If all goes well, the state would own all the land Charlie originally wanted to buy within 10 years — preferably within three years to get the best price — after the deal closes.
It depends on the economy and how many Benjamins the federal government prints up for Everglades restoration.
Call it the Everglades Leap of Faith plan.
It's a pretty big leap. The 114 square miles to be purchased is not one big chunk of strategically located property ready to be handed over to the alligators. It consists of several smaller parcels scattered throughout South Florida.
Some would be very valuable for restoration plans.
And some would not, most notably 15,000 acres of citrus groves that U.S. Sugar wants to unload because it wants out of the citrus business. The state doesn't want the groves either, but has agreed to take them off U.S. Sugar's hands to get the deal done.
We are buying land we don't need from U.S. Sugar and not buying a lot of land we do need.
Lest you be surprised by this, remember that the state always plays the sap in any deal with Big Sugar. The grower's trump card is that it fully understands the political ramifications of restoration and exploits them. Count on the Everglades figuring prominently in Charlie Crist's campaign for U.S. Senate. Count on environmentalists giving him one, big greenie hug.
But as he has with many of his other initiatives, Crist will take the accolades and leave the heavy lifting to whoever succeeds him in 2011.
That unfortunate person will have to come up with more than $1 billion to buy the rest of the farm. And he or she will have less than three years to do so if the state wants to buy it at the current locked-in price.
After that, the state would have to get new appraisals, or match any offer made by a private buyer. Either scenario could put the price out of reach.
The state also has to wheel and deal with other growers, swapping and selling land to get the best configuration possible for the restoration plan. Like U.S. Sugar, these other growers understand the state's desperation and take advantage of it.
I am afraid that abuse of taxpayers is the price we pay in dealing with Big Sugar.
Without this land, there will be no Everglades restoration. The swamp is dying from a lack of space to store and clean water. This is the first major initiative to resolve what has been a fundamental, fatal flaw in every previous restoration plan.
I have seen what is possible. At one time, the massive Everglades-like swamp that makes up the headwaters of the St. Johns River was dying from a lack of land. Like the Everglades, it had been carved up into farms.
And then thousands of acres in Brevard and Indian River counties were converted to reservoirs and swamps, creating world-class bass fishing lakes and marshes thick with ducks and wading birds. The public now flocks to these wildlife areas, creating an economic boom for the region.
The price paid for the land was high, but nobody questions the deal now.
It is a forever investment.
And it is worth making in the Everglades.
Mike Thomas can be reached at 407-420-5525 or mthomas@orlandosentinel.com

090518-1

090518-1

Bill aims to weaken water managers' say on permits

Palm Beach Post
DARA KAM,  Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Monday, May 18, 2009
TALLAHASSEE — An amendment quietly tacked onto a bill during the last days of the legislative session would strip water managers' authority to control permits, seriously altering 37 years of the state's efforts to control one of its most precious resources.
Instead of governor-appointed board members voting on water-use and development permits, executive directors of each of the five water management districts would make the decisions - behind closed doors - about who gets water, how much they get and under what conditions.
The districts' governing boards would vote on the permits, variances or waivers only if they were denied.
The measure (SB 2080) has sparked an outcry from environmentalists, who are asking Gov. Charlie Crist to veto the bill.
"It clearly is the worst bill of the session. It is devastating to the public's confidence in water management districts," said Charles Lee of the group Audubon of Florida.
"The irony here is you'll end up with an agency with an unelected board that can vote to levy an ad-valorem (property) tax on your house, but the same agency won't listen to you if you come to complain about somebody destroying wetlands next to your house," he said.
Residents would learn of the granting of the permits "from an obscure legal advertisement published somewhere," Lee said, and would have to file legal challenges against the decisions, a costly and time-consuming process.
The change initially was included in a bill that was heard by House committees but which languished in the Senate. In the last week of the session, Rep. Denise Grimsley, the original bill's sponsor, asked Sen. J.D. Alexander, (R-Lake Wales), to add it to a bill he had sponsored dealing with a water management plan for West and Central Florida.
Grimsley said she was unaware that the environmental community opposed the bill. But Audubon representatives raised concerns about the secrecy of the permit decisions during committee meetings.
The measure also renews the legislature's approval of the water management districts. They would have to undergo another review if Crist vetoes the bill, Grimsley said.
"Maybe we decide next year we don't need five. It just goes back to a clean slate and we start over. I don't think any of the water management districts want to go through the review process again," said Grimsley, (R-Lake Placid).
About 95 percent of the water use decisions are already made by staff, Grimsley said.
Taking the right away from the boards was included in the recommendations made by former House Speaker Ray Sansom, (R-Destin), to speed up the permitting process.
Grimsley said that is necessary because a board member of the South Florida Water Management District - whom she would not name - held up permitting by insisting on reviewing each application.
Board member Shannon Estenoz, an environmentalist from Broward County, said it's not "the governing board's job to review every single permit.  That's what we have very talented staff for."
But, she said: "Have I asked questions of specific big permits ?  Yeah."

090518-2

090518-2
Bill would halt python imports
United Press International
May 18, 2009
MIAMI, May 18 (UPI) -- A bill before the U.S. Congress would ban importation and breeding of the Burmese python and some other non-native species, Florida Everglades officials said.
The giant pythons are reproducing in the Everglades at an alarming rate, said Randy Smith, a spokesman for the South Florida Water Management District. A python captured last week stretched 16 feet long and another proved to be a pregnant female carrying 59 eggs.
The Everglades are filled with hundreds, if not thousands, of pythons -- just one of the invasive species now breeding in the 2.2 million acres of state-owned wetlands, The Miami Herald reported Monday.
District officials are backing a bill before Congress that would prevent non-native species from being imported and bred. Pet owners and breeders, however, said the bill would prevent the ownership of anything more exotic than a German Shepherd or a Siamese cat, the Herald reported.
Proponents of the bill, including the Audubon Society, said it would target only species that could pose a threat to wildlife, such as the Burmese python and the raccoon-sized Gambian pouched rat, the Herald reported.

090518-3

090518-3
Florida Land Donation to aid in Restoring Everglades Sets Land Partnership Standard for Local Governments
eNewsChannels
Aria Munro
Mon,  May 18, 2009,  20:47:50 -0700 PDT
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Okeechobee Land Dev. announced a land donation worth $53 million and 2,256 acres near Lake Okeechobee that will eventually help clean up polluted runoff flowing into local waterways has set a new standard in public-private partnerships. Martin County Commissioners unanimously endorsed the project Tuesday at their board meeting, and the South Florida Water Management governing board is set to approve the project Thursday.
A rare opportunity exists to create a Water Management Facility, while concurrently donating wetlands, and forested uplands, all at minimal or no cost to the public. This project will provide South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) with a largely completed water treatment and transfer hub/reservoir and adjacent wetland filter marsh storm water treatment area (STA) as a land donation.
Under this proposal, Lake Point would forego its permitted plans for an equestrian/residential development, and instead provide the majority of the groundwork for the facility prior to donating it to the District. Despite the land cost being in excess of $53 million, this proposal is made possible by the owner’s potential ability to offset its costs by excavating and selling the shallow limestone rock deposits at the site, which, could be used for various infrastructure and commercial projects including rebuilding the Herbert Hoover Dike (”HHD”), the proposed lining of the nearby C-44 canal, and construction of the C-44 reservoir.
Public-private partnerships involve a collaboration of governments and private investors working toward the common goal of completing quality public works projects in a timely manner. This concept of a public-private partnership, where all parties are receiving benefits from the partnership, is a stellar example of how local governments will reach their environmental and economic conservation goals in the future.
“This partnership with Lake Point has set a precedent for future dealings with local governments around the state,” said Lake Point land owner, Jud Laird. “This project proves that partnership is possible, and we can achieve our conservation goals with these kinds of partnerships. In the future, concessions to landowners by local governments should be matched with these kind of partnerships that give back environmentally and financially to their communities. ”
When completed, the property, which is strategically located with connections to the C-44 canal, L-8 Canal and Lake Okeechobee, will contain a complex of reservoirs and storm water treatment areas. County records indicate the Lake Point Project will also reduce the amount of fresh water discharged from Lake Okeechobee into the St. Lucie River.
Susan Valliere, Martin County Commission chairwoman praised the project at the meeting saying, “It is a fabulous project. It beats 20-acre ranchettes any day in my opinion.”
Martin County Commissioner Patrick Hayes, who has been active in St. Lucie River issues for years, said at the Tuesday meeting that the project was an “extraordinary opportunity,” and complimented the benefits it can provide to the St. Lucie River.
According to records, the storm water treatment areas are expected to remove 2.6 to 7.7 metric tons of phosphorous per year from the C-44 Basin.
An additional benefit to Martin County will be a 150 acre recreation area near the Okeechobee Waterway. “This project truly enhances local restoration goals and is a great demonstration of the value of public-private partnerships.” Laird said. It will set a new standard for Counties across Florida urging landowners to give back to their communities.”
LAKE POINT RESERVOIR AND STORMWATER TREATMENT AREA PLAN
620 acres - Stormwater management reservoir
300 acres - Stormwater management reservoir
225 acres - Stormwater treatment area, Cell 1
240 acres - Stormwater treatment area, Cell 2
135 acres - Stormwater treatment area, Cell 3
150 acres - County recreation area
114 acres - Created wetlands
To be determined - Preserved wetlands
Benefits Overview
* Provides ability to cleanse and convey water (in various directions) between Lake Okeechobee, C-44 canal and L-8 waterway via 3 existing (permitted) pumps
* Property is currently agricultural. Existing 100+/- acres of wetlands will be preserved, protected and added to under this plan.
* Creates 1,000 acres of water treatment transfer hub and water quality facility
* Costs are minimal to the South Florida Water Management District
* Gifted land, with 85 percent of the earthwork completed upon delivery
* The Owners cost in the land will be in excess of $53 million
* Provides approximately 800 acres of preserved or created wetlands, mostly in the form of stormwater treatment area v Donates 150 adjacent acres of upland preserve, “rare and unique” to Martin County
* Proposes only 20 foot excavation depth as opposed to 60-80 foot depths in other areas of the state.
* Reduces air and noise pollution, and wear and tear on infrastructure, by creating local construction aggregate for necessary public work projects and environmental restoration efforts and Okeechobee levee rehab.
* Replaces 40 permitted, potentially 100 ranchette sites with a reservoir/stormwater treatment area designed in cooperation with the District.
* Expands an existing and permitted excavation operation for ‘certain mining activities already permitted rather than creating a new project in a less suitable location and with potentially adverse impacts
* Creates local jobs and stimulates local economy. Many of the current employees live within 35 miles of the site.
Information: +1-772-263-0025.

090518-4

090518-4
National parks film to be previewed in Asheville
Citizens-Times.com
Jon Ostendorff
May 18, 2009
Western North Carolina residents will get a chance to preview the new Ken Burns documentary “The National Parks: America's Best Idea.”
One of the nation's most influential documentary filmmakers, Burns filmed the six-part PBS series over the course of six years at parks including the Smokies, the Grand Canyon, the Everglades, Yellowstone and Yosemite.
It starts with the birth of the national park concept in the mid 1800s and follows the evolution of the parks for 150 years.
Burns most recently produced “The War” and has documentaries on baseball, the Civil War and jazz on his list of credits. He used archival photographs and more than 40 interviews to tell the story of the parks through the people who created them.
 “It is a very nice set of circumstances that the Smokies 75th anniversary coincides with the release,” said Jim Hart, president of the nonprofit Friends of the Smokies, which is a sponsor of the film. “This is one of the Ken Burns epics.”
The screening will be held 7:30-9 p.m. June 3 at the Diana Wortham Theater in Asheville.
Ticket sales have been strong, said Steve Volstad, director of communications for UNC-TV, which is hosting the event.
Sales started Monday and by Tuesday the station had sold 150 tickets, he said.
The price is $10. The money covers UNC-TV's costs of hosting the event, which is the only preview screening in North Carolina.
The station picked Asheville because of its proximity to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which is featured in the series.
 “The real purpose of the screening is give those who are interested a chance to get a preview and to help increase awareness of the film in a part of the state where presumably there would be particular interest in it,” Volstad said.
The series will air on UNC-TV in the fall. The June 3 preview screening runtime is about 40 minutes.
Series co-producer Dayton Duncan will lead a discussion following the screening.
The film also will be previewed June 1 in Knoxville.

090518-5

090518-5
Restrictions on boaters proposed to protect Everglades seagrass
PhysOrg.com
David Fleshler
May 18th, 2009
Concerned that powerboats are tearing up seagrass in Florida Bay, Everglades National Park has proposed a range of possible restrictions on boaters to protect a vast, shallow estuary that supports sea turtles, fish and clouds of wading birds.
The proposals have generated deep concern among South Florida's huge recreational fishing community, where many people worry that the most drastic of the alternatives could shut them out of most of the bay and hurt the tourist industry. But park officials say boats have carved at least 325 miles of scars in the bay, with the damage accelerating in an era of bigger boats, more powerful engines and tough, stainless-steel propellers that allow boaters to penetrate shallow, difficult-to-navigate areas.
"People have just lost a lot of fear," said David King, the park's Florida Bay District ranger. "They just feel they can power over whatever they come across. Florida Bay has the potential to be one of the phenomenal natural areas of the world. It's not that today. It's been beat up."
In the forest-green carpet of seagrass along the bay bottom, light-green streaks indicate areas where propellers have stripped bare the vegetation that provides most of the bay's energy. Seagrass provides food for fish, manatees and sea turtles, and serves as a nursery and hunting grounds for marine creatures.
All the park's proposals include mandatory permits and boater education, but they vary in how much they would restrict powerboats, with the most severe creating huge zones in which they could use only push-poles or low-speed electric motors. The park expects to announce a preferred alternative this fall and implement the plan in 2011.
More than 200 people, mostly boaters and guides, attended a park meeting at the International Game Fish Association in Dania Beach. Some opposed any new restrictions; others agreed there's a problem but urged the park to choose the most surgical alternative that would maintain access to most of the bay. And several speakers said the whole idea of restricted areas, designated trails and no-motor zones would impose an unpleasant bureaucratic grid over a vast wild area.
"It's too much regulation," said Jupiter, Fla., resident Tracy Bennett, a member of the venerable West Palm Beach Fishing Club. "When you get too regimented -- you have to stick to this trail, you can't go here -- it just takes the fun out of it."
Bennett, a retired civil engineer who has been fishing in the park for 35 years, likes to explore remote areas around the fringes, such as Hell's Bay and Whitewater Bays. He uses aerial photographs to navigate the mangrove labyrinths, a "real wilderness experience." In an interview he said he supports the park's Alternative 2, which relies primarily on boater education and would create two small pole-and-troll zones.
Tougher alternatives, he said, would "take out huge areas that boaters have used for a hundred years. The boaters I've talked to don't trust the process. They think the park is taking an extreme position to accommodate the paddlers."
Ted Perron, of Coral Springs, Fla., organizer of the Palm Beach Water Yaks kayaking club, supports the strictest limits on boats but said he doesn't want them gone from the park.
"It's not to exclude the boaters," he said. "It's to protect the Everglades."
Despite its vast expanse, Florida Bay is extremely shallow, with an average depth of 3 feet. It is not unusual to see a heron or egret standing in water hundreds of yards from land. It can be treacherous for boaters.
Capt. Tad Burke, head of the Florida Keys Fishing Guides Association, said the guides have drawn up an alternative that would emphasize a thorough and mandatory education program before boaters could enter Florida Bay, which he called "one of the most difficult bodies of water to navigate." They strongly oppose the creation of huge pole-and-troll zones, which he said would effectively close off much of the bay.
"We want to protect the environment," he said. "But we also want to protect the economic value of Everglades National Park. How can you close off massive areas of the park?"
But he gave the park's leadership credit for taking the boaters' concerns seriously. "They get it," he said. "They've actually been listening."
Environmental groups generally support the tougher restrictions, arguing that the park's first duty is to protect natural resources.
"No one likes more regulations, but the boating traffic has gone up two and a half times in the last 30 years," said Brian Scherf of the Florida Biodiversity Project. "These seagrass areas are so important for juvenile fish habitat, food supply, hunting grounds for other fish. If you don't have healthy seagrass, you won't have great fishing."

090517-1

090517-1
Everglades purchase flies in face of global warming
TC Palm - Letter to the Editor
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2009/may/17/letter-everglades-purchase-flies-face-global-warmi/
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Who actually believes in global warming? Surely not our government or our governor, who have agreed to put millions of dollars in restoring the Everglades.
According to learned scientists, the oceans will rise three to five feet by the end of this century. So, the Everglades will be part of the ocean floor in about 80 years. Maybe the next project will be to build a dike around the Everglades to protect it from the encroaching ocean.

090517-2

090517-2
Florida Bay proposals would restrict boating
Los Angeles Times
David Fleshler                dfleshler@sunsentinel.com
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Everglades National Park officials say powerboats have damaged seagrass that supports animal life. .The fishing community is concerned the measures go too far.
Reporting from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. -- Concerned that powerboats are tearing up seagrass in Florida Bay, Everglades National Park has proposed a range of possible restrictions on boaters to protect a vast, shallow estuary that supports sea turtles, fish and wading birds.
The proposals have generated deep concern among South Florida's recreational fishing community, where many people worry that the most drastic alternatives could shut them out of most of the bay and hurt the tourism industry.
Photos: Scuffle in Florida Bay
But park officials say boats have carved at least 325 miles of scars into the bay, with the damage accelerating in an era of bigger boats, more powerful engines and tough stainless-steel propellers that enable boaters to penetrate shallow, difficult-to-navigate areas.
"People . . . just feel they can power over whatever they come across," said David King, the park's Florida Bay District ranger. "Florida Bay has the potential to be one of the phenomenal natural areas of the world. It's not that today. It's been beat up."
In the forest-green carpet of seagrass along the bay bottom, light-green streaks indicate areas where propellers have stripped bare the vegetation. Seagrass provides food for fish, manatees and sea turtles and serves as a nursery and hunting grounds for marine creatures.
All the park’s proposals include mandatory permits and boater education, but they vary in how much they would restrict powerboats. The most severe would create huge zones in which boaters could use only push-poles or low-speed electric motors.
The park expects to announce its recommendation this fall and implement the plan in 2011.
Despite its vast expanse, Florida Bay is extremely shallow, with an average depth of 3 feet -- treacherous for boaters. It's not unusual to see a heron or egret standing in water hundreds of yards from land.
Capt. Tad Burke, head of the Florida Keys Fishing Guides Assn., said the guides had drawn up an alternative that would emphasize a thorough and mandatory education program before boaters could enter Florida Bay, which he called "one of the most difficult bodies of water to navigate."
The guides strongly oppose creating huge pole-and-troll zones, which he said would in effect close off much of the bay.
"We want to protect the environment," he said. "But we also want to protect the economic value of Everglades National Park. How can you close off massive areas of the park?"
Environmental groups generally support the tougher restrictions, arguing that the park's first duty is to protect natural resources.
"No one likes more regulations, but the boating traffic has gone up 2 1/2 times in the last 30 years," said Brian Scherf of the Florida Biodiversity Project.
"These seagrass areas are so important for juvenile fish habitat, food supply, hunting grounds for other fish. If you don't have healthy seagrass, you won't have great fishing," he said.
Ted Perron, organizer of the Palm Beach Water Yaks kayaking club, supports the strictest limits on boats but said he doesn't want them evicted.
"It's not to exclude the boaters," he said. "It's to protect the Everglades."

090517-3

090517-3
Crist launches yet another thrilling quest
Miami Herald
https://exchange.mcgill.ca/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/columnists/carl-hiaasen/story/1050872.htmlCARL HIAASENMay 17, 2009
Ah, Charlie, we hardly knew ye.
The lad was but a bronze blur, streaking across the bright Tallahassee firmament . . . OK, streaking isn't exactly the right word.  What Charlie did was more like scooting or possibly darting, as in darting from one job to the next -- state senator, deputy secretary of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, education commissioner, attorney general, then governor.
It seems like barely 30 months ago that he took office as Florida's chief executive, brimming with ideals and bold notions -- wait, it was only 30 months ago!
Now Charlie Crist is moving on, his sights set on the U.S. Senate, a rarely august body that more often serves as a lunch club for dim bulbs, demagogues and ditherers.
By virtue of having a pulse, Crist will be extolled as a young dynamo and embraced by the national Republican Party, which is desperate for a candidate who can appeal to that elusive under-65 constituency.  This presumes that Crist will demolish former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio in the GOP primary, which should be easy unless the governor is unexpectedly beset by scandal, or he says something monumentally offensive during the campaign.
And Charlie's not an offensive guy. He is, in fact, relentlessly likable. Nobody in public office works harder at being eager and available. He's the political equivalent of a Labrador retriever, with table manners.
Long after Crist is gone from the governor's mansion, he'll be remembered far more for his likability than for his leadership. To say he wasn't exactly a dominant force during this year's gloomy legislative session would be charitable.
Charlie isn't one for tough talk or arm-twisting. His is not a bully pulpit, but a warm and fuzzy one.
But as he launches off on his thrilling new quest, Floridians remain stuck with brutal unemployment, a patchwork farce of a budget and an embarrassing, rudderless Legislature. The schools are drowning, crime is rising, important services are being slashed and we lead the nation in both foreclosures and mortgage fraud.
Yet, judging by the numbers, hardly anyone blames Charlie. You can't describe his presence as electrifying, but the governor definitely has a gift for appearing sincere, well-intentioned and harmless. These days, that counts for plenty with voters.
The news of his candidacy didn't gladden the hearts of Democratic leaders, who were hoping Rubio would be the Republican choice in the race to replace outgoing Sen. Mel Martinez.
A darling of the Fox News crowd, Rubio comes from the lunar Limbaugh-Cheney wing of the party. He accuses moderates such as Crist of dodging core Republican values, when what they're actually trying to dodge is another bleak and humiliating election day.
Rubio has slammed Crist for accepting federal stimulus dollars and last week broadcast a Web video of the governor sharing a stage with President Barack Obama. Considering Obama's high ratings in the national polls, Rubio's strategy is baffling, to say the least.
Unlike Crist, the former House speaker has practically zero crossover appeal to Democrats, and he would have been a highly vulnerable opponent in the upcoming campaign.
But now the Democratic candidate, whoever that might be, will likely face a sitting governor whose durable popularity cuts across party lines. Unless he turns up in a Craigs list ad or as a wardrobe advisor to Miss California, Crist will be hard to beat.
As for a legacy, he'll be known best for his role in the ambitious but problematic project to buy land from U.S. Sugar and convert it for Everglades restoration. The latest version -- scaled down radically from the governor's original plan -- was approved last week by South Florida water managers.
If the deal closes, the state will sell bonds to raise $536 million for 72,800 acres of cane fields and citrus groves, most of which will remain in agriculture for years. The land -- a desirable piece of the original Everglades watershed -- eventually is slated to become reservoirs and pollution-filtering marshes.
However, the plan faces lawsuits and a weak credit market that could endanger the finance structure of the purchase, not to mention the expensive reclamation work.
The sugar buyout is far from being a sure thing, and without Crist in the mix, the state might be tempted to walk away.
Crist says he wants to go to Washington because he can better serve Floridians there. I remember another nice guy who left Washington because he said it was too hard to get anything done. His name was Lawton Chiles, and he came home and ran for governor.
It all boils down to the nature of one's ambition. Crist wants to be president someday, and there's nothing wrong with that. But a term in the Senate is six years, Charlie, not two. Try to control yourself.

090516-

090516-
A better Glades deal
A Times Editorial
https://exchange.mcgill.ca/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/article1001412.ece
In Print: Saturday, May 16, 2009
The scaled-down proposal for restoration of the Everglades that South Florida water managers approved this week shows that pragmatism is not always the enemy of the ideal.
The state was forced to cut its buyout of U.S. Sugar farmland because of declining tax revenues. But the leaner deal that emerged is more affordable to taxpayers, easier to manage and still ambitious enough to jump-start the revival of Florida's River of Grass.
The fourth and latest strategy falls far short of the vision Gov. Charlie Crist outlined last year. It calls for the state to spend $536 million for 73,000 acres of U.S. Sugar land. While the scale of the buyout is less than half what the governor originally proposed, it is a manageable price in this down economy. And the sizeable swath of farmland will allow the decadeslong restoration effort to begin anew.
Florida was looking at years, anyway, to line up federal and state funding for the restoration work. State and federal officials also need time to engineer the water projects. Under the new deal, the South Florida Water Management District would still have options to purchase the remaining 107,000 acres. The deal includes an exclusive, three-year option to purchase the property at a fixed price of $7,400 an acre, and the first right of refusal for the seven years following should U.S. Sugar get another offer. The company has agreed to pay three times the price Crist originally negotiated to lease back the farmland and be responsible for controlling pollution on the property.
The deal vastly improves on the terms Crist outlined only 11 months ago in other ways as well. By phasing in the land purchase, the state has time to act as the economy recovers. That should help ensure that the water management district does not get distracted from overseeing South Florida's water supply as it pursues the Everglades work.
The phase-in also gives the farming communities in the Lake Okeechobee basin time to retrain workers and build a new tax base. And the deal extends until June 2010 the deadline Florida has to back out should the revenue picture worsen.
The state's approval also sends the right signal to Washington. President Barack Obama has shown a commitment to restore the federal government as an equal partner in the Everglades cost-sharing plan. His 2010 budget unveiled this month bumped Everglades spending to $279 million, on top of the $183 million provided in March and another $96 million in federal stimulus money. By the district moving forward with the land buy, the state demonstrates its own commitment to strengthening its partnership with the federal government. That is the only way, over the long haul, this restoration plan will work.

090515-1

090515-1
Everglades progress flows slowly
News-journalonline.com
https://exchange.mcgill.ca/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/Opinion/Editorials/opnOPN88051509.htm 
            May 15, 2009
A promising breeze is blowing over the "River of Grass." Earlier this month, Congress and the White House loosened federal purse strings to allocate almost $280 million for Everglades restoration projects. This is the largest commitment of federal dollars to the 50-50 U.S.-Florida compact since its approval in 2000, and welcome after years of wondering whether Washington would ever put money where its "we must save our national treasure" rhetoric has been.
The state, until late in the decade, was much more forthcoming, funding $1.8 billion toward its full responsibility for restoring water quality in South Florida and $2.4 billion toward its share of the compact (Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Project). It should be noted that part of Congress' reluctance to allocate federal funds stemmed from frustration over the Jeb Bush administration's industry-friendly loosening of critical phosphate pollution restrictions soon after restoration began. A foot-dragging contest ensued. State funding slowed to a trickle.
The Legislature used the dour economy as excuse. Lawmakers all but ignored the Everglades in the state budget adopted earlier this month. That's too bad; by substantially funding Florida's share of CERP, the Legislature might have shamed Congress into a more aggressive pace of funding.
Meanwhile, Gov. Charlie Crist's bold plan, now downsized, to buy vast tracts of U.S. Sugar Co. land to help restore the natural flow of water through the Everglades faces a court challenge and a threat by the landowner to pull out of the deal if it's delayed much longer. Initially a $1.4 billion offer for 183,000 acres, it has been scaled down to $536 million for 73,000 acres. That purchase was approved last week by U.S. Sugar, and Wednesday by the South Florida Water Management District.
Meanwhile, federal authorities are considering rules to curb the destruction of habitat inside the existing Everglades National Park. Florida Bay's seagrass beds bear thousands of scars from motorboat propellers, yet the park service has faced strong opposition from the fishing and boating industries. The comment period on a proposed rule ends today, but boating interests are already pushing hard for weak regulations, requiring education for boaters in the park but keeping most of the broad, shallow bay open to powerboats. To really protect the public's investment, the Park Service should opt for a more stringent rule.
So it goes. The most massive environmental restoration in the planet's history trickles, stalls, trickles again toward uncertain completion. Total cost, originally estimated at $8 billion, is now estimated at $11 billion and won't likely stop at that figure over the coming decades. Children as yet unborn will see just how much we valued our "national treasure." From our vantage today, we'd have to say, not enough.

090515-2

090515-2
Sen. Ken Pruitt plans to retire after 19 years in state legislature
Hometown News
Jay Meisel         Meisel@hometownnewsol.com
May 15, 2009 - 00:57
TREASURE COAST - Sen. Ken Pruitt, R-Port St. Lucie, will continue promoting the area's research coast, but as a private citizen, he said Monday.
Sen. Pruitt made the comments after his announcement last weekend that he will retire, effective Aug. 4.
"It has been an honor and privilege to serve the citizens of the Treasure Coast," he said. "I thank the citizens of the Treasure Coast for the honor and privilege of serving them."
Sen. Pruitt, 52, was elected to the State House of Representatives in 1990 and to the State Senate in 2000, where he has served as Senate president. As a state senator, he represented most of St. Lucie County, all of Martin County, and parts of Indian River, Okeechobee and Palm Beach counties.
He said he's hopeful Gov. Charlie Christ will set a special election to replace him for Aug. 4. Regardless of when the election is scheduled, he will support former State Sen. Joe Negron.
In deciding to retire, Sen. Pruitt said, he balanced the needs of his legislative and family responsibilities and decided it was time to return to St. Lucie County and be with his family.
Moreover, he said, "I've accomplished everything I set out to do."
He said he could have coasted through the final year of his term, but that did not fit him.
"If you're going to be a state senator, you have to be able to give 110 percent. It was time for me to choose one or the other (being a public servant or being with his family)."
He said he has three children in college and his work as a public servant forced him to miss some of the big events in their lives, including his daughter's graduation from Indian River State College last weekend. Those are events that happen only once, he added.
As a senator, he said, his biggest accomplishment locally, was to start the development of the research coast. And that has occurred with the opening of Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies, as well as arrival of other research entities and expansion of educational opportunities, he said.
"This will give us the sustainable economy, where we don't have to depend on construction for our bread and butter," he said.
On a statewide level, Sen. Pruitt said, he believes his biggest accomplishment was the Brighter Futures Program, which provides college scholarships funded by lottery proceeds.
This year, because of the reduction in lottery revenue, the Legislature, on a one-year basis, did not increase the scholarships to provide for increases in tuition.
Considering the circumstances, he said, it's a fair approach. When lottery revenue increases, the money will be provided to pay for tuition increase also.
He said his work to preserve the St. Lucie Estuary, Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades was successful.
Sen. Pruitt said he is ruling out running for any elected position in the future. He said he never had any aspirations to be anything but a citizen legislator.
He will continue to live in Port St. Lucie where he has resided since 1976. He was born in Miami.
For those who might be considering becoming legislators, Sen. Pruitt urged them to listen to their inner voice.
"If you have the fire in the belly, go and do it," he said. "It is the highest calling, besides serving God."
Sen. Pruitt said he listened to his inner voice telling him "it was time to go."

090515-3

090515-3
Sen. Nelson swings through Naples in rare stop
Naples Daily News
I.M. STACKEL (Contact)
Friday, May 15, 2009 @ 5:13pm
In a rare visit to Southwest Florida, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson said he has worked hard to get some attention focused on the Everglades, news that was music to the ears of environmentally minded locals.
He received a bipartisan round of applause and cheers when Collier Commission Chairwoman Donna Fiala read Nelson’s bio, noting that he’s voted to prevent oil drilling off Florida’s coast.
Speaking Friday afternoon to a room full of Collier County community and political leaders in Collier County Commission chambers, Nelson also addressed health care options for all Americans; a solution to the global economic and mortgage issues; and a better U.S. intelligence system to fight terrorists.
“We’re remaking the military (and) we are having success,” Nelson said to a room full of Collier County community and political leaders on Friday afternoon.
“The Sunni leaders finally decided they didn’t want to be (friends) with al-Qaida anymore, who were cutting off their heads.”
The Sunni leaders also decided they like American money, said Nelson, who serves on the Senate Intelligence Committee.
The numerous significant changes to U.S. intelligence operations and deployment of troops can be attributed, in part, to Army Gen. David Petraeus, the current U.S. Commander, Central Command; as well as Admiral Eric Olson, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, whom Nelson called the unsung, unknown hero.
“You don’t hear about him. He is the new way,” Nelson said of Olson, a Navy SEAL who Nelson said was the real-life commander in the movie, “Blackhawk Down.”
“I asked him how realistic that was, and he said, ‘Very,’” Nelson said.
Nelson, 66, also promised that he would look into state efforts to sell Alligator Alley, after activist Gina Downs said that most of South Florida is against privatization of Alligator Alley, but that state legislators aren’t listening.
Nelson swung through town to give a lift to Organizing for America, which is a Democratic Party initiative, according to Democratic fundraiser Mona Antaramian.
Earlier in the day, Nelson visited Fort Myers.
Born in Miami, and a fifth-generation Floridian, Nelson said he is extremely in tune with the needed efforts to reverse 50 years of human interference in the River of Grass and promised consistent help in caring for Picayune Strand, which is about 10 miles south of Naples.
Questions to Nelson ranged in scope, and also touched on money for education, a cure for the global economic and mortgage crisis; as well as establishment of the first lighthouse for the area’s some 15,000 vision-impaired residents.
Before Nelson arrived, former Collier County Attorney David Weigel – who lost his sight after years of battling the ravages of a detached retina – told a Daily News reporter that he only recently filed the incorporation papers to create the first Lighthouse of Collier.
It’s not the Lighthouse of Collier County because it’s not a government organization, just Lighthouse of Collier, Weigel stressed.
It is an outgrowth of the Visually Impaired Persons of Southwest Florida, known locally as the VIP program.
In fact, it was VIP and Lighthouse Outreach Coordinator Sandra Martin, who provided a moment of levity in the room Friday.
Nelson briefed the crowd on what he has been told is one of the greatest unknown local threats, proliferation of pythons in the Everglades. It is an issue he is going to bring to the attention of the Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, the former U.S. senator from Colorado.
“I want to show him the new predator of the Everglades,” Nelson said, and described how there are fights between alligators and pythons in the Everglades.
People import them as pets, they get too big, and the owners release them into the Everglades. They’re making their way onto U.S. 41, Nelson reported.
Martin let out a little gasp of apprehension, asking how far toward Naples the pythons are actually getting, putting her arms around the neck of her seeing eye dog, Anna.
She was in good company in a room full of people who applauded Nelson’s insistence on restoring panther habitat, as well as activists who are painfully aware of the middle-class baby boomer health insurance crisis and lack of money for education.
Democrat Matt Coppens, 26, a recent University of South Florida graduate, said he had to ask about health care since he, as well as his parents, are going without.
Several times, once in answer to a question by North Naples tutor and life coach Joanne Lourenso, Nelson acknowledged that the U.S. health care and insurance system must be entirely overhauled in order to function.
A former Florida Insurance Commissioner – a job Nelson joked was the hardest one Floridians ever gave him – he said the solutions aren’t going to be easy, but “We are at the moment of truth.”
After Nelson left, Coppens, who lives in Golden Gate Estates, said he just wanted to make sure Nelson favors smart health care revisions.
“I don’t have health insurance, because of the cost. Neither do my parents,” Coppens said.
Clam Bay activist Marcia Cravens, who is a member of the Mangrove Action Group, asked Nelson if he would look into the Clam Bay situation.
“Please help us,” Cravens begged.
Clam Pass Park is a popular public access point to the beach across the Clam Bay estuary, which has been at the center of a power struggle between Collier County government and the Pelican Bay neighborhood on the estuary’s edge.
Nelson said he doesn’t have any prior knowledge of the situation but will certainly look into it.
Addressing another insurance issue that is plaguing Floridians, Nelson said he believes the property insurance situation will improve under the management of new Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Craig Fugate, who was recently plucked out of Tallahassee by President Barack Obama.

090515-4

090515-4
South Florida suburbs, not farms, spared new water restrictions
Water managers put off sweeping new restrictions for the suburbs but imposed new ones for farmers as the managers combat a deepening drought they hope ends during the rainy season.
Miami Herald, CURTIS MORGAN         cmorgan@MiamiHerald.com
            May 15, 2009
At least four groundwater monitoring wells in South Miami-Dade County have hit the highest salt concentrations ever. The marshy water conservation areas at the western fringes of Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties have gone bone dry. Lake Okeechobee has dropped so low that water managers can't tap it to replenish coastal drinking water supplies.
Water managers, grappling with deepening water shortages after the driest six months on record, on Thursday approved emergency restrictions on farmers who draw from the lake, cutting their rations by nearly half.
But with forecasts calling for increasing storms this weekend, the South Florida Water Management District ordered no sweeping new cutbacks for the suburbs. The district's governing board left in place existing twice-weekly sprinkling restrictions and essentially crossed its fingers that the rainy season is rolling in.
''We really need this rain, and we need it to kick in and keep raining,'' said Susan Sylvester, director of operations for the district.
Still, even if rain does crank up, she stressed it will have to be well above the average 36 inches to make up for historic dry-season shortages.
The district projects that Lake Okeechobee, which stood at 10.63 feet above sea level Thursday, has only a 50 percent shot of rising to a level where water restrictions can be eased by next year. Groundwater levels across much of the 16-county district, which stretches from Orlando to Key West, also are at or near historic lows -- with South Miami-Dade in the most dire straits.
Last week, the district issued an emergency order cutting South Miami-Dade south of Southwest 216th Street and the Florida Keys back to once-weekly lawn sprinkling.
Conditions haven't improved since.
`VERY CONCERNING'
Peter Kwiatkowski, a water resources director for the district, said the buffer of fresh water protecting well fields has dwindled to a quarter of what it should be, significantly raising risks to Everglades marshes and wells supplying tens of thousands of residents. If saltwater pushing in from Biscayne Bay taints those wells, it can take years to reverse the impact or could require utilities to perform expensive desalination treatments.
''It's very concerning for us,'' he said.
Mike Collins, a board member from Islamorada, said some monitoring wells ringing drinking wells for the Florida Keys showed salt concentrations 30 times above normal levels last week.
The governing board hit the agricultural industry hardest, cutting farmers who tap Lake Okeechobee by 45 percent. It also capped the amount that Lake Worth can pull from coastal wells that have shown rising salt levels. Lake Worth, along with Dania Beach and Hallandale Beach, has been on once-weekly irrigation for years because of salt-intrusion concerns.
`PULSE RELEASES'
The board also delayed one decision that hinted at the regional water wars likely to erupt if the rains don't come, or come in large enough amounts over the summer.
Environmentalists urged the district to authorize ''pulse releases'' from Lake Okeechobee down the Caloosahatchee River, one of the richest estuaries in the state, saying rising salt levels could kill essential sea grasses within days -- a concern shared by district scientists.
Charles Dauray, a board member from Southwest Florida, urged approval, arguing the small amount of water -- about a third of an inch on the lake -- would make a huge difference to the local economy.
`CRITICAL MASS'
But Collins countered that water could be needed elsewhere if the drought conditions persist, including to bolster the threatened wells supplying Florida City, Homestead and the Keys.
''I understand you are concerned about the estuaries,'' he said. ``I am concerned about people in the Keys having water at all. Those well fields are at critical mass.''
The board decided to delay a decision on sending more water to the river, giving executive director Carol Ann Wehle a few days to see if the rain comes before making the call.

090515-5

090515-5
Water managers approve new restrictions
WEAR-TV3
May 15, 2009 05:48 EDT
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- The South Florida Water Management District has approved emergency water restrictions in response to a dry spell that has swept through the region.
The latest round of emergency orders imposed by water managers on Thursday allows the city of West Palm Beach to draw from canals and other emergency sources, and also puts restrictions on farmers who get water from Lake Okeechobee.
Water levels at the lake have dropped and water conservation areas in parts of Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties have dried up, leaving officials hopeful that wet weather forecast for South Florida this weekend will arrive.
Because of the rainy forecast, officials didn't approve any tighter water restrictions for residents who live in South Florida suburbs.

090515-6

090515-6
Wildfires threaten state
South Florida Sun Sentinel
David Fleshler
May 15, 2009, 12:48 AM EDT,
A brush fire burns near I-75 and Hwy 27, bounded by water and the highway, west of Weston on Thursday. (Carey Wagner, Sun Sentinel / May 14, 2009)
It's a race between rain and lightning. As wildfires ignite across bone-dry South Florida, there are signs that the rainy season may have started early.
But with rain comes lightning, and state officials say South Florida remains so parched the risk of fires is extreme.
Gov. Charlie Crist declared a state of emergency Thursday, saying "the ongoing danger of wildfires threatens the state of Florida with a major disaster." His order activates the Florida National Guard, puts the state's emergency management system into motion and authorizes the suspension of tolls on Florida's Turnpike should evacuations be necessary.
About 140 active fires burned across the state Thursday, spreading across 11,357 acres. In Broward County, a brush fire broke out Thursday at the intersection of Interstate 75 and State Road 27, swiftly spreading across 40 acres as firefighters struggled to prevent it from reaching toll booths less than a mile away.  In Palm Beach County, two brush fires erupted the previous night near State Road 710. A grass fire broke out Thursday afternoon in the Miami-Dade County town of Medley, forcing one warehouse to be evacuated.
There were several showers over the past few days, offering the possibility of some relief from the worst South Florida drought in modern memory. But fire officials say it could be weeks before the ground has soaked up enough water to resist smoldering into flame at the touch of a lightning bolt or cigarette.
"We're thrilled they think we might be entering regular rain patterns, however, it's still pretty crispy out there," said Gerry LaCavera, wildfire mitigation specialist with the Florida Division of Forestry. "We still have the potential for a lot of fires."
The rainy season generally begins about May 20 and runs through Oct. 17. But the National Weather Service may determine it started more than a week early.
"If this pattern continues -- and there's a good chance it will -- we can say it started Monday of this week," said Robert Molleda, meteorologist with the National Weather Service. "That would alleviate the fire and drought conditions early."
But not immediately.
The Division of Forestry warned of "exceedingly dry conditions" this week in Central and South Florida.
Particular vulnerable to disruption by wildfires are roads that run along wilderness lands. Last month a 30,000-acre fire at Big Cypress National Preserve shut down Alligator Alley for several days. Statewide fires also have closed portions of U.S. 1, U.S. 27, State Road A1A and Interstate 95, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.
Although rain may be coming, officials are watching to prevent small fires from growing into big ones.
Big Cypress National Preserve, where the 30,000-acre fire is contained but smoldering, sustained hundreds of lightning strikes this week. Every afternoon a Cessna 172 flies back and forth over the preserve to see if any threaten to grow into a fire. A lightning strike can smolder for days, so each one is monitored at least three days, said John Nobles, the preserve's fire management officer.
"It gets dry every year, just not this dry," he said.
Like alligators, mosquitoes and hurricanes, wildfires are a part of Florida's natural landscape. Although they may inconvenience the state's human inhabitants, they maintain some of the state's unique landscapes.
At Big Cypress, fire keeps pine forests from being overgrown, preserving the habitat of the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. It burns invasive species such as wax-myrtle from the preserve's prairies, allowing fire-resistant native plants to survive.
At Everglades National Park, fire clears out overgrown areas, allowing green shoots to grow and scorched areas to be reseeded.
"The Everglades are built to burn," said Rick Anderson, fire management officer of Everglades National Park. "After a fire, we see regeneration and rebirth."
David Fleshler can be reached at dfleshler@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4535.

090514-1

090514-1
Conference stresses water conservation, enforcement
Free Press
ROB BUSWEILER, Free Press Staff
Officials from the South Florida Water Management District reached out to local law and code enforcement personnel on Wednesday in an effort to raise awareness about the phase three water restrictions currently in place.
SFWMD Florida Keys Service Center Director Tom Genovese noted that even through Keys residents and business owners are typically good stewards of water conservation, the situation in the South Florida area needs careful attention.
"The water conditions are fairly critical right now," Genovese said.
Colleen Tagel, spokeswoman for the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority, noted that the local water utility has already been blending brackish water with their freshwater well on the mainland to increase the water supply. She added that the FKAA expects to fire up its Stock Island Seawater Desalination Plant only on the weekends, starting this weekend, in order to add about 1.5 million gallons per day of water back into the system. Such measures do not come cheap, however, as Tagel noted it costs $9,000 a day to run the plant when it is producing fresh water.
The South Florida area is experiencing record low water levels, and Patrick Martin from SFWMD noted it is the driest season since 1932.
"We have to start conserving what we have," Martin said.
At the workshop, SFWMD officials outlined some tips when it comes to enforcing the water restriction rules, including following up on warning notices and door hangers with certified mail.
"Hopefully from their first warning [property owners] will learn what those restrictions are," Martin said.
Genovese said he would be following up with each municipality in order to determine who he should contact to get information about the number of warnings and citations handed out in the Keys. That information is relayed back to the district on a weekly basis.
"We are trying to gauge the level of compliance," Genovese said. "We would not be having this emergency order if we didn't think enforcement of these restrictive requirements was important."
According to the SFWMD Web site, residential fines vary by municipality, but typically range from $25 to $125 for a first offense. Fines for commercial users can be higher.
The biggest impact on property owners is the reduced irrigation restrictions, capping lawn watering to one day a week. The rules currently do not effect car and boat washing or people filling their pools or watering their gardens. Residents can refresh their gardens for 10 minutes a day.
"The Keys have a very good conservation ethic," Genovese said. "But there are those few people out there who will need more incentive."
More information about local water restrictions can be found online at https://exchange.mcgill.ca/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.sfwmd.gov, or by calling the information hot line at 800-662-8876.

090514-2

090514-2
Crist on vote for Everglades land deal: 'God Bless you'
Water managers approved $536 million Everglades restoration deal
Sun-Sentinel
Andy Reid,
May 14, 2009
PALM BEACH COUNTY - Gov. Charlie Crist stopped by to say "Thank You" today to the South Florida water managers who Wednesday approved his history-making $536 million Everglades restoration land deal.
Crist came to the West Palm Beach headquarters of the South Florida Water Management District to commend the agency's board for approving the deal for 73,000 acres from U.S. Sugar Corp. to be used to help restore water flows from Lake Okeechobee to the Everglades.
The deal also includes a 10-year option to buy another 107,000 acres from U.S. Sugar to get more land for the effort to build reservoirs and treatment areas to recreate the "missing link" in the Everglades' River of Grass.
"Thank you for your vote yesterday," said Crist, who championed the deal. "God Bless you for what you have done for Florida. … It will never be forgotten."
Crist in June first announced a $1.75 billion bid to buy all of U.S. Sugar's land, Clewiston sugar mill and other company facilities, but he twice scaled-down the deal due to the state's economic woes.
Crist was in South Florida to attend a hurricane conference. He stopped by the district board meeting this morning, sharing hugs with board members as well as U.S. Sugar Vice President Robert Coker.
The water management district, which leads Everglades restoration, plans to borrow the money for the deal, with South Florida property taxpayers paying off the long-term debt.
The district still must get its bond financing approved for the deal and overcome a court challenge from opponents who question the cost and the value to taxpayers.
Instead of closing on the transaction by September, the new deal may not be finalized until June 2010.
The deal allows U.S. Sugar to lease back much of the land for $150-per-acre for seven years, with the chance to stay on the property for as long as 20 years.
The new terms of the deal provides a "satisfactory" result for a deal that comes amid an "economic crisis," said Coker, of U.S. Sugar.
"We want to sell all of our property (and) this allows them to do that under a phased approach," Coker said.
Andy Reid can be reached at abreid@SunSentinel.com or 561-228-5504.

090514-3

090514-3
Crist praises water managers for support of Big Sugar land buy
Miami Herald
CURTIS MORGAN         cmorgan@MiamiHerald.com
May 14, 2009
A day after winning approval for his landmark Big Sugar land buy, Gov. Charlie Crist thanked water managers in person.
The governor, on his way to a hurricane conference in Fort Lauderdale, paid an impromptu visit Thursday to the South Florida Water Management District in West Palm Beach.
Crist, who on Wednesday had watched a webcast of a decisive district governing board vote on the $536 million deal with the U.S. Sugar Corp., thanked the board for ``tenacity and perseverance.''
The vote preserved a massive land purchase sure to bolster the governor's ''green'' reputation as he launches a campaign for U.S. Senate. It also will likely ensure campaign support from a company that has historically been generous in backing favored candidates.
Robert Coker, a U.S. Sugar vice president, showed up for Crist's brief stop and the governor stopped to shake his hand and exchange a few works. Coker said the company had not yet made donations to the governor's Senate run but intended to remain active in Florida politics.
''I hold Charlie Crist in the highest regard and I'll be helping him every way I can,'' Coker said.
Crist also praised Carol Ann Wehle, the district's executive director, and her staff, and Michael Sole, secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. They led nearly a year of negotiations with U.S. Sugar, starting with a proposed $1.75 billion buyout of the company's mill, railroad and all of its 180,000 acres -- a deal the governor first pitched last June.
The final, downsized deal, which still faces legal and financing challenges, will give the state 73,000 acres of sugar and citrus for Everglades restoration projects.
''It is amazing what you have done,'' Crist said. ``It will never be forgotten.''
He also joked with the harshest critic of the deal, Mike Collins of Islamorada, the only remaining water board member appointed by former Gov. Jeb Bush and the lone no in Wednesday's 6-1 vote.
''Mike, thanks for your participation and your good questions,'' Crist said. ''I enjoyed every one of them.'' Crist and his aides had lobbied hard over the last year to keep the sugar deal alive, twice downsizing it in the face of a shrinking district budget and growing criticism from rival growers and lawmakers. Crist reminded board members he had spoken with many of them in December, while on his honeymoon, to bolster flagging support for an earlier $1.34 billion land-only deal that a deeply divided water board passed by a single vote.
Coker said the negotiations, complicated by the state's unprecedented economic decline, had some ''awkward moments'' but wound up satisfactory for both sides.

090514-4

090514-4
Gov. Crist stops in South Florida
WPTV.com
Eric Glasser      eglasser@wptv.com
May 14, 2009
WEST PALM BEACH, FL--Governor Charlie Crist traveled to West Palm Beach to thank water managers for supporting his Everglades restoration initiative.
He couldn't dodge questions about his recently announced bid for the US Senate.
At first, the governor tried to downplay recent criticism from Republican Party leaders. They worry his decision could leave the office vulnerable to Democrats.
Governor Crist said, "Right now I’m just concentrating on being governor."
Crist faces rivals within his own party.
Former House Speaker Marco Rubio, who announced his bid for Senate earlier this week, yesterday stepped up the political rhetoric by describing himself as he only real conservative in the race.
Governor Crist didn't respond directly but said, "There'll be plenty of time for politics later on."
Mr. Crist also took a moment to reflect on yesterday's human tragedy off our coastline, and offered his appreciation to those who'd worked so hard to rescue those who survived. He said, "My heart goes out to the families that have been touched by this tragedy, and I just want to thank those who worked hard to rescue those people who could be brought back to shore."

090514-5

090514-5
Miami officials ready to tighten water rules
Miami Herald
CHARLES RABIN          crabin@MiamiHerald.com
Miami commissioners gave unanimous preliminary approval Thursday to adopting tougher water restrictions. The ordinance, passed on first reading, means the city would follow rules set by the South Florida Water Management District if the agency limits water usage to two days a week or less.
But if the state eases restrictions and allows watering more than twice a week, Miami residents would still be limited to watering their lawns, plants and trees twice a week. The ordinance mirrors one created by Miami-Dade County.
Should the bill pass on second reading, residents and businesses with odd-numbered addresses will be limited to watering their lawns between 4 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Wednesday and Saturday; Even-numbered properties can water during the same hours on Thursday and Sunday.
The lower half of Florida has been mired in a deep drought this spring, severe enough for the water district last week to order once-weekly lawn sprinkling for South Dade and the Florida Keys.
The order covers all homes and businesses from Southwest 216th Street near Homestead to Key West.
The past six months have been the third driest on record in Miami-Dade, and water levels at municipal drinking and monitoring wells tapping the Biscayne Aquifer in South Miami-Dade are within 10 percent of all-time lows.
Prior to Thursday's vote, Commissioner Tomás Regalado voiced concern the city would have to spend money informing the public should the state ease water restrictions to more than twice a week. Commission Chairman Joe Sanchez questioned whether the city had enough code enforcement officers to enforce the ordinance.
Still, it passed 4-0, with Commissioner Angel Gonzalez absent. The item is expected for final reading in two weeks.

090514-6

090514-6
South Florida Water District:  Water supply has reached critical low levels, pray for rain
Palm Beach Post
PAUL QUINLAN,  Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Thursday, May 14, 2009
WEST PALM BEACH — The bad news: South Florida's water supply has reached a critical level amid the driest November-through-May dry season on record, as vast swaths of the Everglades are now dry to the touch and Lake Okeechobee, South Florida's backup water source, has fallen below shortage level.
But there's also hope: Rains in recent days and a wet weekend forecast for South Florida may signal an earlier-than-expected arrival of the rainy season.
The South Florida Water Management District approved emergency orders to allow the city of West Palm Beach to draw from canals and other emergency sources, but is not yet considering extending any farther north the recently tightened water restrictions in South Miami-Dade and the Keys.
Sill, water managers will be watching the skies in coming weeks, as demands for water from Lake Okeechobee grow and the lake's surface has fallen so low (10.63 feet above sea level) that managers began installing emergency pumps to pull and deliver water to the region. In the last week, 0.8 inches of rain has fallen across the district, which has only seen about 5 inches altogether since November, about 68 percent less than normal.
"There is still blood in the veins, but the patient is severely dehydrated," said Susan Sylvester, director of the water district's operations center, the computerized nerve center that controls the vast network of canals, locks and pumps that move water throughout South Florida. "We are literally living day-by-day to see how we can continue to mete out the water that we have."
The dry weather means that wildfires could continue to persist for the coming months. The National Weather Service predicted that the rainy season, which on average starts May 20, will begin weeks late in June.
Although several wells in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties are showing some of the record high chloride concentrations, a sign of saltwater intrusion, wells farther north are holding steady. Should that change, one-day-a-week restrictions could soon follow.
"If the wellfields in Broward start to show any appreciable increase in salinity, we'll immediately go to one-day-a-week," said district executive director Carol Wehle.

090514-7

090514-7
Sweet Deal Finalized for Everglades Restoration
The South Florida Water Management District approves the sale of U.S. Sugar's land to the state.
WIOD News Radio 610
Thursday, May 14, 2009
South Florida water managers approve Gov. Charlie Crist's deal to buy farmland from the U.S. Sugar Corp. for future use in Everglades restoration.
The South Florida Water Management District voted 6-1 to pay $536 million bill for 73,000 acres of land from the company.
U.S. Sugar is the nation's largest cane sugar producer and owns a vast amount of land between Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades.
An initial deal reached last year with the state would have cost $1.75 billion, but has twice since been revised to trim the price tag.
The goal of the land purchase is to convert farm land into conservation land, allowing water managers to create a system to clean and store water before sending it south into the Everglades.

090514-8

090514-8
U.S. Sugar Everglades land deal approved -- but obstacles remain
South Florida water managers overwhelmingly approved a scaled-down version of Gov. Charlie Crist's land deal with U.S. Sugar. But legal and financial barriers lie ahead.
Miami Herald, CURTIS MORGAN         cmorgan@MiamiHerald.com
Gov. Charlie Crist's bid to buy a massive swath of farmland for Everglades restoration won final approval Wednesday, with water managers endorsing a smaller, more affordable version of the controversial deal.
It would pay U.S. Sugar Corp. $536 million for 72,800 acres of sugar fields and citrus groves, with the goal of turning them into huge reservoirs and pollution treatment marshes to restore the flow of clean water to the River of Grass -- at an undetermined time and a price running into the billions.
The governing board of the South Florida Water Management District, whose members came within a single vote of rejecting a previous $1.34 billion offer for 180,000 acres in December, passed the downsized version 6-1 with little debate or drama.
''That was then; this is now. This is a totally different package,'' said board member Charles Dauray, one of two who switched sides and supported a revamped deal that cut costs, and acreage, by 60 percent.
It was the last government hurdle for a landmark purchase Crist first pitched last year -- though lawsuits, an uncertain credit market and the shaky state economy still could derail it.
Crist, who sent board members letters Tuesday evening, watched a webcast of the vote from Tallahassee and took a congratulatory call immediately afterward from Michael Sole, secretary of the state Department of Environmental Protection, who was at the meeting in West Palm Beach to urge support.
''He was just thrilled to death,'' Sole said.
The governor called the purchase a ''once-in-a-lifetime opportunity'' to give the Everglades and its wildlife a ``brighter and more secure future.''
But the new deal, Sole acknowledged, is not necessarily a done deal.
Even with the new contract pushing a closing deadline to as late as June 2010, significant obstacles remain, starting with financing.
''That's just the reality,'' Sole said. ``No money, no deal.''
The district's plan to bankroll the purchase with bonds faces not just a global credit squeeze but legal challenges from rival grower Florida Crystals, the Miccosukee Tribe and a civic group in Clewiston.
Joseph Klock, an attorney for Florida Crystals, sent the board a four-page letter Tuesday arguing that the new proposal would put a half-billion dollars of taxpayer money into land that won't be available for years.
He also contended that it will siphon funds from existing projects, push broader restoration efforts back decades and pile some $5 billion to $9 billion of new projects onto the plate of an agency already grappling with declining revenues.
The district is studying nine sketchy concepts, most focusing on converting farmland into reservoirs to store water or into marshes to cleanse polluted runoff.
Miccosukee attorney Claudio Reidi ripped the plans, saying they require land U.S. Sugar doesn't own and money the district doesn't have.
''These are not plans, they are fantasies,'' he said.
Though top managers assured board members the water agency can afford the revamped deal, the expected $43 million to $46 million annual debt to finance it remains a serious hurdle with Florida's reeling economy.
The district, largely supported by property taxes in 16 counties, including Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe, retains the right to pull out up to the day of closing if revenues plummet to the point where the deal would cut into essential operations, such as flood control. The contract is sprinkled with escape clauses over financing problems or lawsuits.
Still, the revised deal clearly has broader support and brighter prospects than earlier versions.
Negotiators for U.S. Sugar and the state, bowing to political pressure and a declining economy, scaled the deal back significantly from the $1.75 billion buyout Crist pitched in June -- just as the state's housing market, employment rate and tax revenues began to hit the skids. It took a major lobbying push by Crist and supporters to win board approval of the $1.34 billion land-only version that followed.
In April, the governor announced a third version -- smaller and cheaper -- that also preserved more jobs in rural Glades towns. The new deal, which leaves enough land to support the U.S. Sugar mill near Clewiston for perhaps 20 years, tempered criticism from Glades communities. Pledges from Crist to support a major shipping hub also helped.
Kevin McCarthy, a Hendry County commissioner, said he remained concerned but that the deal bought more time to reshape rural economies.
''What we have gotten is a stay of execution from seven years to 10 years to possibly 20 years,'' he said.
In addition, the new deal triples an annual lease the company will pay to farm its own land until the state builds on it, and gives the district a 10-year option to buy the company's remaining 107,500 acres at $7,400 an acre -- an option the district acknowledges it almost certainly won't have the money to exercise.
But in the first three years, the district would have exclusive rights to that land, opening the door to cut deals or swap land with other growers or interests.
While state environmental groups have championed the deal since last June, another key supporter emerged during the meeting -- the Obama administration. The Everglades National Park superintendent was dispatched, with White House approval, to back the deal.
Environmentalists were thrilled with the approval, calling the sugar lands key to resolving water pollution and supply problems that for decades have plagued South Florida's interlinked ecosystems.
Though the new deal alone falls short of the 100,000 to 120,000 acres they believe are needed to fill holes in the existing $11 billion Everglades restoration plan, it still ranks as the state's largest conservation land buy.
''If you'd have told us last June that we'd be getting 73,000 acres of sugar, we'd have been ecstatic,'' said Mark Kraus, senior vice president of the Everglades Foundation.

090514-9

090514-9
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell
Washington Press Office
For Immediate Release - Contact: (202) 224-8277
May 14, 2009   
Cantwell Lifts Hold on CFTC Nominee Gensler; Delivers Floor Speech on Regulatory Reform.
WASHINGTON, DC – Thursday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) lifted her hold on Gary Gensler, the nominee to head the Commodities Futures Trading Commission, and delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding the Obama administration’s announcement to strictly regulate derivative markets and open the way to protecting the U.S. economy from unrestricted speculation.
 [Cantwell’s remarks, as delivered on the Senate floor Thursday, follows below]
“Mr. President, I rise today to discuss what I hope will prove to be a turning point in our road to economic recovery. The Obama administration yesterday asked Congress to swiftly pass sweeping and historic regulatory controls on derivatives, credit default swaps, commodities trading, and other sectors of the financial marketplace that collapsed last year under the weight of unrestrained speculation.
“The road to this point has not been easy.  For months I have been urging the administration to move quickly to propose strong regulatory controls on these markets, require transparency in derivatives trading, and restrict market manipulation.  With the announcement yesterday by Treasury Secretary Geithner, the Obama administration has come down decisively on the side of imposing order on a marketplace whose collapse made the current recession so much deeper and more painful for average Americans than it needed to be.
“The administration clearly supported in writing bringing the unregulated “dark” over-the-counter derivative market under full regulation– for the very first time.  The administration has correctly identified the top three key goals of regulatory reform in the unregulated over-the-counter derivatives markets.
 “First, Transparency on dark markets.  All derivative transactions and dealers will be brought under prudent  regulation and supervision, which means: capital adequacy requirements; anti-fraud and anti-manipulation authority; and very clear transparency and reporting requirements.
 “Second, all standardized trading of physical commodities and other derivatives will finally be required to be traded on fully regulated exchanges; and,
“Third, imposing position limits on regulated markets to prevent any market player from amassing large positions that can harm the market.  I have received assurances from this Administration that they believe these position limits should be applied in the aggregate across all contract markets to prevent manipulation.
“Mr. Geithner’s 5pm press conference announcement was truly historic.  Americans have suffered through an era of deregulation that is the primary cause of the economic crisis.  Yesterday’s announcement corrects that tide. How did we get here Mr. President, and why is this historic ?

090514-10

090514-10
Worsening drought leads to second-guessing water decisions
New water restrictions on agriculture and communities south of Lake Okeechobee
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Andy Reid
May 14, 2009,  7:32 PM EDT
Like wildfires flaring up in the Everglades, worsening drought conditions Thursday sparked South Florida water fights over new restrictions as well as how to divvy up strained backup supplies.
Even as improving forecasts suggested the arrival of the wet season, the South Florida Water Management District on Thursday imposed new water use restrictions on agriculture and communities south of Lake Okeechobee.
The district's board also left open the possibility of using more lake water to protect west coast fishing habitat, despite concerns about draining away more of South Florida's backup water supply.
That came amid finger pointing and second-guessing Thursday over opportunities lost by draining Lake Okeechobee water out to sea.
Flooding concerns and environmental needs prompted the Army Corps of Engineers to drain about 1.11 feet of water off the lake since Tropical Storm Fay brought record-setting rain in August.
"If we hadn't discharged so aggressively ... we wouldn't be in the same kind of restrictions," district board member Michael Collins said. "We are getting rid of water that we wound up needing."
The corps makes the final decision on lake releases, after consulting with the district. But last month, the district board balked at weighing in on whether the corps should keep releasing water west to the Caloosahatchee River or save the water for South Florida needs.
In the future, the district board -- charged with overseeing South Florida water supplies -- needs to avoid "buck passing," Board Member Shannon Estenoz said.
"We did not vote last month," said Estenoz, who represents Broward County. "We did not as a board speak."
Six months in a row of below-normal rainfall leaves South Florida facing its driest November-to-May dry season on record.
Lake Okeechobee, a key backup water supply for South Florida, dropped into the "water shortage" range this month. The district Monday started installing pumps to keep lake water flowing south.
On Thursday, the district imposed new restrictions on growers south of Lake Okeechobee who tap the lake for irrigation, forcing them to cut back water use by 45 percent.
The district also cut off communities in Palm Beach and Broward counties from using water from the Everglades water conservation areas to replenish well fields.
Most of South Florida remains under twice-a-week watering limits, but if conditions worsen the district could switch to once-a-week watering, district Executive Director Carol Ann Wehle said.
West coast community leaders and environmental advocates Thursday called for another round of low-level releases of water to the Caloosahatchee River. The infusion of freshwater from the lake helps counterbalance rising salt levels that threaten sea grasses and the ability to use river water for drinking water supplies.
Without the lake water, the Caloosahatchee estuary could become the "sacrificial lamb" for other water needs, warned Board Member Charles Dauray, who represents southwest Florida. The board held off on approving more lake releases and instead directed Wehle to take emergency action if district staffers determine more water is needed for the west coast.
Relief from the drought could soon come from a return of steady summer rains.
With increasing humidity and forecasts for more showers, the wet season "appears to have begun," according to still-hedging meteorologists for the District.
Andy Reid can be reached at abreid@SunSentinel.com or 561-228-5504.

090513-1

090513-1
A mellow Crist gets GOP's blessing for Senate bid
Times/Herald, Steve Bousquet, Tallahassee Bureau
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Charlie Crist whispered his way into the race for U.S. Senate on Tuesday with an unadorned announcement, revealing the delicacy of carrying out his current job in Florida while chasing a new one in Washington.
Crist issued no lofty pronouncement and offered no platform. Two young aides quit their jobs in the governor's office to join his campaign, and the statement of candidacy was issued through the Republican Party.
"For me, it's always been about service," Crist said. "The challenges that Florida faces are not just Florida challenges. They are national issues."
Crist held three events that generated little news but were platforms for him to talk about why he wants to be a senator. Reporters raised the subject, which allowed Crist to avoid being accused of campaigning on state time.
"We're a long way from Election Day," Crist said of his low-key declaration. "I think the low-key-ness of it is a reflection of being focused on the job that I have."
Crist's soaring job approval rating as governor makes him the instant, and some might argue prohibitive, favorite to win the seat being vacated by the retirement of Sen. Mel Martinez. Crist's quiet announcement was followed moments later by endorsements from the Senate's top Republican, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, as well as from Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who leads the National Republican Senatorial Committee that helps get Republicans elected.
The senatorial committee, eager to ensure that the party holds the seat in the 2010 election, threw its support to Crist even though former state House Speaker Marco Rubio of Miami is running, too. The prompt national endorsement rankled some conservatives who admire Rubio and consider Crist too moderate.
For Crist, the role as frontrunner will only amplify questions about his brief record as governor. It's hard to tell whether his popularity is a reflection of his well-liked personal traits or his policies, and much of what he has begun can be labeled unfinished business.
• On taxes, Crist carried the torch for the Amendment 1 property tax-cut referendum last year, which he calls "the largest tax cut in Florida history," though it has been criticized as having a negligible impact on a typical home­owner. He persuaded legislators to put new tax breaks on the 2010 ballot, one aimed at helping first-time home buyers and another for commercial property owners.
• On education, Crist needed to rely on nearly $900 million in federal stimulus money to maintain public school funding and championed a 15 percent tuition hike sought by university leaders.
• On insurance, Crist promoted a rate freeze on the state-run Citizens Property Insurance Corp. and opposed higher rates for private insurers, which backfired when the state's largest private insurer, State Farm, announced that it will pull out of Florida. Crist declared "good riddance," but it remains to be seen how Florida's insurance market will stabilize in the absence of such a large player. In the just-ended session, lawmakers passed steps to make the insurance industry more market-based.
Leslie Spencer of AARP joined dozens of advocacy groups, some with ties to the Democratic Party, in criticizing a lack of leadership and shortsighted fiscal policy that relies on federal stimulus money without a thorough review of tax loopholes.
"We can't just give it lip service and say things will get better down the road and just hope that will happen," Spencer said.
Other actions by Crist could cause trouble with segments of the Republican base, particularly in a primary. He was an enthusiastic supporter of President Barack Obama's stimulus package, is an advocate of expanded gambling that he opposed in 2006 and has ducked questions about whether he will sign a state budget with large increases in cigarette taxes and motor vehicle fees.
"I want to review all those things, and it's nice that we have the line item (veto) in Florida," he said.
But it isn't all bad news.
Manley Fuller of the Florida Wildlife Federation said Crist can run for the Senate as an environmentalist, and noted that today the South Florida Water Management District could approve a scaled-down purchase of U.S. Sugar land, the major environmental initiative of Crist's term.
"We have had a very good working relationship on a number of environmental issues," Fuller said.
Indeed, beyond any policy initiative, Crist's story is a triumph of imagery and perception. He has polished an image as an earnest and caring leader who rejects the rank partisanship that seems never to be out of fashion in Washington.
Asked why he wants to swap the governorship of one of America's largest states to take a junior seat for the minority party in the U.S. Senate, Crist said he wants to ensure that "there's an attitude of working together to get things done for Florida and for America. I know that's what people of this state want, and the people of this country."
To keep his Senate candidacy on track, Crist needs to be a very dutiful governor.
He already has been the subject of partisan attacks as "Empty Chair Charlie." His frequent days off have been the subject of unflattering news stories, and his lack of hands-on engagement for much of the 2009 legislative session angered some fellow Republicans.
Crist loyalists say privately that his poll ratings and proven fund-raising ability will eventually clear the GOP field. But Rubio, his current Republican rival, told Fox News that their primary will be about two contrasting visions, with Rubio casting himself as the only true conservative.
"There is one wing of the party, I don't believe it is the majority wing of the party, that believes that if you can't beat them, join them," Rubio said.
Times/Herald staff writers Mary Ellen Klas and Alex Leary contributed to this report. Steve Bousquet can be reached at bousquet@sptimes.com or (850) 224-7263.

090513-2

090513-2
Coalition focuses on FPL plan for new U.S. 1 transmission line
The South Dade Coalition has set its sights on Florida Power & Light's plan to install a 230-kV transmission line on U.S. 1.
Miami Herald, TANIA VALDEMORO     tvaldemoro@MiamiHerald.com
May 13, 2009
A group of municipal leaders in South Miami-Dade County have banded together to discuss their concerns about the future of the U.S. 1 corridor.
Transportation and future development are their core issues.
But lately, the group, known as the South Dade Coalition, has focused on Florida Power & Light's plan to install a 230-kV transmission line along a long swath of U.S. 1 and the adjacent busway to improve the electric grid and meet future energy demands. The eastern route would connect the Turkey Point nuclear power station, located east of Homestead to a substation between Southwest First and Second avenues on the north side of the Miami River.
''There was a real need to have a discussion,'' said Cutler Bay Council member Timothy Meerbott.
In January, he and Pinecrest Council member Joe Corradino invited leaders from South Miami, Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay, Homestead and Florida City to attend the monthly meetings at the Chamber South offices in South Miami.
The coalition has met three times so far.
''We are not trying to butt heads with FPL, but we don't think they are considering our vision for U.S. 1,'' Meerbott said.
That vision means improving mass transit options so people drive less along U.S. 1 while also building denser, mixed-use buildings with pedestrian-friendly areas along the corridor.
The coalition sent a March 17 letter to Ramon Ferrer, an FPL external affairs manager, ''strongly objecting'' to the proposed route.
The letter said that the FPL project would ``limit the planning options for transportation, physically and visually impact the significant residential and commercial areas on the U.S. 1 corridor and result in further encouragement of the westward expansion of development.''
It suggested installing the eastern transmission line along an ''expressway corridor,'' although it did not specify which one.
On March 30, FPL sent out letters to thousands of homeowners in South Miami-Dade stating that their preferred eastern route for the transmission line would start from Turkey Point, cross Florida's Turnpike and U.S. 1 and move north in a western arc to the Davis substation along Southwest 131th Street and then head northeast along U.S. 1. toward downtown Miami.
A second 230kV transmission line would connect the southern and northern portions of Miami-Dade along a western route.
That route would start at Turkey Point and head west along the L31N Levee, the eastern boundary of Everglades National Park and Krome Avenue to the Levee substation in Northwest Miami-Dade. The route would then head northeast along Northwest 107th Avenue and end in Doral.
The utility also plans to add two 500kV transmission lines in West Miami-Dade. Mayco Villafaña, an FPL spokesman, said the utility's next step is to apply for certification to place the transmission lines within the eastern and western routes.
''Throughout that process, there will be opportunity for ongoing participation by the local governments,'' he said.
Corradino said the coalition, which did not meet in May, will continue sharing information.
To date, it has not formally identified an alternate eastern route for the transmission line.
Speaking as a urban planner, who works with several cities, Corradino said, ``I've noticed there is a tendency to be parochial and not to think outside one's boundaries.''
``This is a good opportunity to look at South Dade as a group.''

090513-3

090513-3
Coming to grips with drought's dry reality
FLORIDA VOICE
MICHAEL W. SOLE and KIRBY GREEN
May 13,2009
Floridians can always rely on year-round sunshine, but rainfall is highly unpredictable in the Sunshine State. This makes water resource management one of Florida's greatest challenges, but also one of its greatest rewards. Water sustains more than 16 million residents, supports multibillion-dollar industries in agriculture and tourism, and is the lifeblood of our natural environment, from north Florida's underground springs to central Florida's Lake Okeechobee and south Florida's expansive Everglades.
In the St. Johns River Water Management District, water conservation is the cornerstone to sustaining the 18-county region's water supply. The District works to promote conservation of water from all sources to achieve the greatest water savings. Among the district's efforts to expand water conservation is the Florida Water Star new home-certification program. More than 60 homes in northeast and east-central Florida have earned Florida Water Star certification since the program was initiated in 2006. These water-conserving homes save water through water-efficient household fixtures and appliances, waterwise landscaping and efficient irrigation.
Conservation is key to extending our water supply. When daylight saving time began March 8, new restrictions specifying the days of the week for landscape irrigation became effective in the district. Irrigation is limited to no more than two days a week during daylight saving time and to one day a week during Eastern Standard Time, which will start November 1 in 2009.
We know that protecting our existing water resources is just as important as exploring new alternative water supplies. But as groundwater will not be able to meet all future needs within the district, diversification of water supplies is important to ensure sustainability. Much work has been done to identify and evaluate alternative sources of water, such as seawater, brackish groundwater and surface water from rivers and lakes.
Maintaining a dependable, long-term water supply is not something that can be achieved by Florida's governmental agencies alone. Without the support of Florida's residents, water resource protection is little more than a good idea, and water conservation nothing more than an interesting topic for discussion.
It is important to remember that conservation is not about "doing without." It is about small and simple everyday changes that can help protect our water resources when we're experiencing drought, and promoting habits that will save us money year round and help us be better prepared for the next drought occurrence.
By taking actions as simple as turning off the faucets when brushing your teeth or shaving, only running dishwashers and washing machines when you have a full load and turning off the timers on your sprinkler systems, you are not only lowering your water bill, but are protecting one of Florida's most cherished natural resources -- its water.
By practicing simple water-saving behaviors year-round, statewide and in every room of the house (and outdoors), you can help ensure an adequate and reliable supply of water for today, tomorrow and our future generations.
Sole is secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and Green is executive director of the St. Johns River Water Management District

090513-4

Even that is better than many expected, and it became possible largely because of money from President Barack Obama's economic stimulus package. Crist bucked his own party to support that program, and made school funding one of his top session priorities.
Severe economic times and conservative lawmakers' opposition doomed two of his top priorities, the SunRail commuter rail project and a new energy policy.
The energy bill required increased use of renewable energy sources and tougher auto emissions standards, an issue on which Crist took a high-profile stand last year with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California.
Crist and Senate leaders failed to swing Senate votes to pass SunRail, one of the most controversial issues in the session.
Despite those setbacks, Crist also got some big-ticket wishes granted, including partial approval of his plan to buy a big swath of land from U.S. Sugar for Everglades preservation. Crist had to scale his plan down, but said it lays the foundation for achieving his goal later.
Crist's losses caused University of South Florida political scientist Darryl Paulson, a Republican and Crist backer, to reflect the critics' views on Crist's session performance.
"There's increased rumbling that the governor was too disengaged for too long, and didn't intervene and push hard to get the things he wanted," Paulson said. "The Legislature basically threw Crist's agenda in the trash can and said it was unrealistic."
Eleventh-hour victories
Last-minute legislative action rescued two of Crist's most important agenda items, proposals for constitutional amendments for more property tax cuts and the controversial gambling agreement with the Seminole Tribe, providing money for education.
The compact isn't as big as Crist wanted and does not include his plan for a loan from the tribe against later years' payments. It is enough to allow him to claim victory for now; before that victory is complete, the tribe must agree to a compact formalizing what the Legislature approved.
Other Crist wins and losses, based on an agenda outlined in February:
•Classroom spending: Neither house of the Legislature passed a bill Crist backed requiring school districts to spend a minimum of 70 percent of operating dollars directly in the classroom.
•Kidcare: Crist wanted $52 million for increased enrollment in the health care program for poor children to add 46,000 children. Funding rose only about $10 million.
•Tobacco tax: Crist opposed it, but has said he'll sign the $1-a-pack bill the Legislature passed.
•Property insurance: The Legislature allowed Citizens Property Insurance, the state-backed insurer of last resort, to raise its rates 10 percent a year. It killed larger increases that Crist opposed.
It also passed a bill Crist opposed, allowing national insurers withdrawing from Florida, chiefly State Farm, to offer policies with higher, unregulated premiums. Crist hasn't said whether he'll sign it.
•Property taxes: On a major Crist campaign promise, the Legislature approved two tax-limiting measures he backed, but killed two others. One, a proposed amendment approved for the 2010 ballot, limits increases in non-homestead assessments from the current 10 percent to 5 percent a year, and provides a break for first-time homebuyers, although less generous than Crist proposed.
Another - a law, not an amendment - makes it easier for property owners to challenge appraisals.
The Legislature killed proposed amendments capping local government revenue and preventing appraisals from going up when property values are going down.
Some critics said Crist's leadership style, based on consensus and his eternally cheery, respectful demeanor, is inadequate for the bare-knuckle politics of the Legislature.
State Sen. Charlie Justice, D-St. Petersburg, said they may be remembering Crist's predecessor, former Gov. Jeb Bush, known for his hard-line determination to get his way.
In 2003, Justice recalled, Bush demanded the Legislature pass his medical malpractice reform bill, threatening to call one special session after another if they didn't.
Crist's style, Justice said, has pluses and minuses.
"We're grateful not to have that iron fist, but he's the CEO of the state: You want to see the executive pick out some priorities and push them hard.

090513-5

090513-5
Everglades proposals:  An easy-to-understand Q & A
Keynoter
KEVIN WADLOW          kwadlow@keynoter.com
May 13, 2009
Editor's note: We prepared this easy-to-understand question-and-answer guide to proposed changes in EvergladesNational Park's management plan based on published information and attendance at two comment sessions in the Upper Keys.
Q: Why are new regulations being considered for much of Florida Bay?
A: Most of Florida Bay lies within Everglades National Park, which is updating its general management plan for the first time in 30 years. Park managers and scientists say South Florida's growing population population has more than doubled the number of boats using the bay since 1979.
Q: Is boating a problem?
A: Park managers say they are legally required to protect the bay's natural resources as much as possible while allowing public use. Specifically, boat groundings and propeller scarring are causing "widespread" damage, particularly on the shallow seagrass flats, a recent study says.
Q: Is the bottom scarring that bad?
A: That's one of the central issues of the planning process. Scarring exists, no question. Park staff says 11,751 mapped scars would stretch 326 miles, and contend that's only a fraction of the actual damage. Some boaters maintain scarring affects a relatively small portion of a very large bay.
Q: Why don't they worry about water quality and algae blooms first, before targeting boaters?
A: Because bottom scarring is a concern, and one that can be addressed in the near future. Park Superintendent Dan Kimball says park staffers spend huge amounts of time on water-quality issues but those are complex problems involving numerous state and federal agencies. Finding answers and implementing plans will take years or decades.
Q: The park has issued four alternatives. Is the park going to pick one of them?
A: Probably not. These "preliminary alternatives" outline a range of management options. Alternative 1 would change nothing; Alternative 4 is the most protective -- or restrictive, depending on your view. The preferred-alternative recommendation likely will not conform exactly to any one of them. Purely for example, the park could recommend Alternative 3 as a base plan with some elements of Alternative 4.
Q: Then what's Alternative E?
A: A group of Upper Keys fishing guides and anglers formed to craft their own plan, dubbed Alternative E, when they didn't like alternatives the park proposed for the bay in 2007 (park alternatives then were named A through D in 2007).
Alternative E gained a lot of support from Keys fishing groups and local government. The ad hoc group's updated recommendation, which responds to the latest Everglades National Park proposals, is called Alternative E Version 2.5. At least two guides associations and the Islamorada Village Council already have endorsed it, and other endorsements are expected. Go to www.AlternativeE.com.
Q: Is boating in Florida Bay going to require a license or permit?
A: Many groups active in the plan development heartily favor some type of "educational" requirement. That would ensure boaters have at least basic knowledge of park rules, and how to navigate the bay's maze of shallows. Nothing has been decided.
Q: Does a license mean spending hours in a class?
A: Spending some time with an online computer program seems more probable. Take a look at Eco-Mariner.org, a free online program newly launched by the National Parks Conservation Association to give boaters tips about basic navigation and rules in Florida Bay.
Eco-Mariner can be completed in about 90 minutes from home so visitors can take the course before traveling to South Florida. There's a good chance something very much like the Eco-Mariner program would satisfy a boater-education aspect, although nothing has been decided. The Park Service cannot officially endorse Eco-Mariner but Kimball says he is enthusiastic about its potential.
Q: Is the park talking about closing some of the bay flats?
A: Alternative 4 suggests designating shallow areas (less than 2 feet at low tide) as no-motor zones. If enacted, boaters could still enter the areas but only with a push pole, paddle or electric trolling motor. Areas near Lignum Vitae are like that now.
Anglers worry some of the bay's shallow areas are so large that banning combustion engines would make it impractical to cross or fish them. Many boaters say they can support the pole-or-troll zones but only with "access," which could mean a navigable channel or slow-speed rule. Alternative 3 recommends closing areas already damaged by prop scarring.
Q: Could I still use existing channels in the bay?
A: It appears the park aims to retain officially marked channels. However, the future of well-used but unmarked channels through shallow areas is one of the hottest topics in the process. Guides fear losing traditional routes like the Crocodile Dragover.
Q: Isn't most of the grounding and bottom and scarring caused by boats too big for the bay? Why doesn't the park limit boat size?
A: That suggestion has been made by members of the public. None of the park's current alternatives contain a boat-size limit. Kimball says he does not favor rules based on boat lengths or engine horsepower. Changes in technology could render such rules obsolete, he says.
Q: Did I hear something about fishing in the crocodile refuge?
A: Not really. Nothing proposed by the Park Service would affect the Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge, which remains mostly closed to public access to safeguard the highly endangered American crocodile. One of the park alternatives (Alternative 2) would open one now-closed spot within its jurisdiction, Little Madeira Bay, to anglers who paddle in.
That proposal, Alternative 2, also would open Joe Bay to access as a paddle-only, no-fishing zone. Alternative 3 proposes to open Joe and Little Madeira Bay as paddle-only, no-fishing areas. Both Joe and Little Madeira bays were closed to protect crocodile habitat within Everglades National Park.
Q: What happens next?
A: Park Service staff will review comments and develop a draft version of its preferred management plan. A draft version of the management plan would be released sometime in 2010. After additional public review, the final plan is scheduled for release in spring 2011.
Q: Can I still make a comment?
A: Yes. The park planning team says it "welcomes your comments at any time, but comments would be most helpful if received" by the end of the day May 15. Go to www.nps.gov/ever, then click "more" under the General Management Plan heading. More comments will be taken when the draft plan is released in 2010.

090513-6

090513-6
Fla. Water Managers Approve $533M Everglades Deal
New York Times
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
May 13, 2009
https://exchange.mcgill.ca/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/05/13/us/AP-US-Everglades-Restoration.html?_r=1%26scp=2%26sq=everglades%26st=nyt
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- South Florida water managers have approved Gov. Charlie Crist's deal to buy farmland from U.S. Sugar Corp. for use in Everglades restoration.
The South Florida Water Management District voted 6-1 Wednesday to pay $536 million bill for 73,000 acres of land from the company, in the final step to approve the deal.
U.S. Sugar is the nation's largest cane sugar producer. The size of the purchase has been trimmed since it was announced last year to trim the cost.
The plan is to convert farm land into conservation land, allowing water to be naturally cleaned and stored before flowing south into the Everglades.
Florida Crystals, the state's second largest sugar producer, has filed a lawsuit to block the deal, calling it an unfair advantage for its competitor.

090513-7

090513-7
Judge: Miami-Dade County Commission wrong to expand UDB for Lowe's:
A year after Miami-Dade commissioners amended the Urban Development Boundary for two projects on the county's western fringe, a judge ruled one was unlawful.
The Miami Herald - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX
May 13, 2009
In twin rulings marking the newest chapter in the long fight over sprawl in Miami-Dade County, an administrative law judge ruled that county commissioners wrongly expanded the western development boundary for a Lowe's Superstore but properly approved a separate request to move the line.
The ruling comes as a wealthy and politically powerful group of builders, including Lennar. and Century Homebuilders, is readying a proposal to move the development boundary for a new suburb on the Everglades' doorstep called Parkland.
Opponents to moving the line hailed the ruling Tuesday, saying it shows state regulators can enforce growth management laws even if Miami-Dade County commissioners vote to bend them.
The judge's decision to let one proposal stand was so filled with qualifiers and unique characteristics that it likely won't serve as precedent for other bids to expand the Urban Development Boundary, said attorney Richard Grosso, who represented the National Parks Conservation Association and 1000 Friends of Florida in the case.
"Except for some really unusual circumstances, this ruling means that the UDB should not be amended for many years in the future," said Grosso, a Nova Southeastern University law professor and general counsel of the Everglades Law Center.
Maureen Rich, a Lowe's spokeswoman, said the company is "disappointed with the decision. We are continuing to evaluate the ruling before deciding our next step."
The Urban Development Boundary, or UDB, is a demarcation running along the western and southern edges of the county that limits development to one dwelling per five acres outside its borders.
The UDB was moved only twice during the 1990s but has been under increasing pressure in the past decade from suburban builders seeking more land for industrial parks, malls, offices and homes.
In the past seven years, county commissioners have voted to move the line five times.
Opponents -- including urban planners, civic leaders and environmentalists -- have fought back, advocating for more infill and urban redevelopment while highlighting the costs of far-flung development, like traffic-clogged roadways.
Lowe's sought to expand the boundary to build a store at the intersection of Tamiami Trail and Northwest 137th Avenue on a 52-acre parcel. Separately, a group led by Brown wanted to expand the boundary on 42 acres at the western end of Kendall Drive to build shops and offices.
Miami-Dade's Department of Planning and Zoning urged denial of both applications last year, saying there was plenty of available space inside the UDB.
But in April last year county commissioners voted to approve both proposals, overriding a veto by Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez.
In July the state's Department of Community Affairs objected, agreeing with county planners that there is enough land to build inside the line.
That set the stage for a trial before administrative law Judge Bram D.E. Canter in Miami.
In his ruling, Canter said it is "beyond fair debate" that there is "no need for more commercial land, and no need for a home improvement store, in the area of the Lowe's site." The judge cited the fact Miami-Dade planners said there is enough commercial land in the county to last through 2023.
Canter said the Brown application complies with state law -- but added that the site is relatively small, oddly shaped and wedged between a big residential development and an arterial roadway that limit the property's agricultural value.
"These factors . . . diminish the precedent that the re-designation of the Brown site would have for future applications to expand the UDB," the judge wrote.
DCA will now issue a final order, which can be appealed.
The focus now shifts to what the ruling will mean for the massive proposed project, Parkland, where builders want to construct a suburb of nearly 19,000 residents with homes, shops and offices on 961 acres outside the UDB.
Jose Cancela, spokesman for the Parkland developers, declined to comment on the Lowe's/Brown case but said the group is moving forward with its application and "hope to have it before the commission this year."
Critics say the amount of available land has increased in the last year amid record foreclosures.
"With stores and homes going vacant inside the UDB, why do we need to expand the line?" asked Miami Lakes Mayor Michael Pizzi, who has long fought moving the boundary. "This decision sends a message to Parkland that you may well get the votes at the Miami-Dade Commission but you will lose in court."
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090513-8

090513-8
Key vote expected today on U.S. Sugar land deal
South Florida Sun Sentinel
May 13, 2009,  9:09 AM EDT,
PALM BEACH COUNTY - After a year of negotiations and closed-door deal-making, South Florida water managers are expected to decide today whether to move forward with Gov. Charlie Crist's $536 million Everglades land deal with U.S. Sugar Corp.
Because of the state's struggling economy, Crist twice scaled down his proposed deal with U.S. Sugar, which started in June with a $1.75 billion bid to buy all of U.S. Sugar's land, sugar mill and other facilities.
Environmentalists hail the deal as the solution to reconnecting water flows from Lake Okeechobee to the Everglades --- and protecting the backup water supply for growing South Florida cities and counties.
Opponents call it a bailout for U.S. Sugar that will take money away from other Everglades restoration projects.
Included in the $536 million price for 73,000 acres is a $50 million provision that would for three years freeze the per-acre-price on buying an additional 107,000 acres of U.S. Sugar farmland.
The South Florida Water Management District plans to borrow the money and South Florida taxpayers will pay off the long-term debt.
The $50 million provision gives the district the exclusive option to pay the same $7,400-per-acre price for the additional 107,000 acres.

090513-9

090513-9
Progressing early bite looks fine by the weekend
Highlands Today , DAVE DOUGLASS
May 13, 2009
There is really only one major feeding migration during the daylight hours for the rest of this week, and it occurs from 4-8 p.m. and works well with aquatic plant oxygen production and wind-produced oxygenation of surface water.
So find lake areas that have a little of each plus a short route to deeper water and you should do well.
There is a progressing early-morning bite that will be very good by the weekend. Right now both bite periods rate a 6 on the 1-10 Scale and both will slowly climb over the next five days.
Fishing Flash
Lake Istokpoga's level is 37.70 feet above sea level (ASL) which is just three inches above the low-level minimum and six below the high-level maximum for the hurricane/rainy season, as long as Lake Okeechobee's water level is above 10 feet.
If the big lake drops below 10.2 feet, the two pumping stations - which supply the farmers between Istokpoga and Okeechobee with water - stop operating, which means Istokpoga is the only source of water left and therefore becomes the main agricultural water supply until Okeechobee's level rises above 10.2 feet.
As of today, Okeechobee is at 10.7 feet and factoring the current monthly rate of the lake-level-drop of six inches per month, and a mid-June start or later of the rainy season, or a below-normal June rainy season, means the pumps for the second time in many years will be shut down sometime around the second week of June.
This presents a very complicated problem for South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) in supplying water permit holders with the reduced allotment of water they have already been forced to operate under for the past few years due to the on-going drought.
Once Istokpoga arrives at the 37.50 feet ASL, low-pool minimum of the current lake level management schedule - Zone C Regulation, Okeechobee Pumps Operational - there can be no more water releases until SFWMD applies and receives a Lake Istokpoga Basin Water Control Temporary Planned Deviation from the Jacksonville district headquarters of the Army Corp of Engineers.
This process has happened twice due to the current drought, once in 2007 and in 2008 and does not happen overnight and usually takes two to three months for all the studies by the various lake management agencies - county, state, and federal - to submit their reports and opinions.
These findings are based on how low the lake will go naturally over the next three to six months "if" the projected weather forecast of the National Weather Service is anywhere near accurate, and how much lower it would drop "if" water-permit users were allowed their water allotments regulated by a increased-graduated cut-back water-release-schedule percentage that is based on several indicators that establish "total availability of water."
If this sounds complicated, that's because it is.
To accurately determine a combination of known variables like how much water is needed and used, the current status of an upper and lower aquifer, the rate of natural water evaporation in the lakes - plus the unknown variable, the ever-infamous, weather-forecast-probability factor (which is really the largest determining factor of them all) - is a responsibility not too many people want.
Now throw into the mix a State of Florida/Sovereign Seminole Nation treaty that provides the Brighton Indian Reservation with 10 percent of "available water" first - both Istokpoga and Okeechobee are the combined freshwater-body source of the "available water."
As you can see, we as water-users and lake-users have plenty to consider when attempting to understand how and why our lakes are managed the way they are. From what I have seen in the past five years, SFWMD has done a fine job of balancing all things essential to provide the people with lakes to use and water to drink during a 1-in-100-year drought that still won't go away.
Here it is, May of 2009, and it seems that SFWMD is on top of the situation and rolling the dice on whether or not the rainy season will start on time - June 1 at 1 a.m.
Let's all hope they are that lucky, since we all need them to win this game.

090513-10

090513-10
To clean up Great Lakes, Barack Obama pledges $475 million for next year
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Stephen Koff
May 13, 2009
WASHINGTON -- Cleaning up the Great Lakes and tributaries and keeping them healthy -- and navigable -- will take a lot of money. President Barack Obama, building on blueprints authorized by then-President George W. Bush in 2004 and completed in 2005, has shown a commitment to the plan known as the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy.
Obama has pledged more money to the strategy, $475 million for the coming fiscal year, than any White House predecessor.
Now it is up to Congress to OK the spending, much of which will be distributed to state and local governments, federal agencies, tribes and nonprofit groups. Details of these spending plans have not yet been widely shared, but the Environmental Protection Agency late last week provided Congress with the outlines, and continued on Tuesday with testimony in the Senate's environment committee. If Congress approves the $475 million, here's where it will go.
Cleaning up toxic substances and "areas of concern": $146.9 million, or 31 percent. The EPA will control most of the spending ($113.9 million), reducing toxins, including PCBs, mercury, dioxin and pesticides. The Army Corps of Engineers will get another $10 million for this task, and with other agencies will help remove contaminated sediment and other industrial pollution that hampers places like the Cuyahoga and Ashtabula rivers and Lake Erie harbors.
Keeping out or removing invasive species: $60.3 million, or 13 percent. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will control the largest share, nearly $20 million, with agencies including EPA ($8.3 million) and Great Lakes Fishery Commission ($7 million) also playing major roles. The lakes fishery commission is developing sea lamprey pheromones to trick ovulating female lampreys into traps -- which could stop the eel-like creatures from gorging on large lake fish.
Near-shore health and pollution prevention: $97.3 million, or 20 percent. The EPA will take the lead ($44.8 million), accelerating the development of maximum daily loads allowed for nutrients entering Great Lakes tributaries and destroying the natural fish-plant balance. The Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Services also gets a significant share ($30.6 million) to work with farmers and others to reduce erosion and waste and fertilizer runoff.

090513-11

090513-11
Water managers OK scaled-down Everglades restoration land deal
Sun-Sentinel, Andy Reid
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
PALM BEACH COUNTY — Making history, tempered with a dose of economic reality, South Florida water managers Wednesday approved Gov. Charlie Crist’s scaled-down $536 million Everglades restoration land deal.
The deal orchestrated by Crist provides 73,000 acres of U.S. Sugar Corp. farmland to use for restoring water flows from Lake Okeechobee to the Everglades. It includes a 10-year option to buy another 107,000 acres from U.S. Sugar.
The South Florida Water Management District plans to borrow money to pay for the deal that would lock up land double the size of Orlando. Property taxpayers in the district, from Orlando to the Keys, would pay off the long-term debt.
“This is a huge, huge victory for the Everglades and a giant step toward restoring the health of the St. Lucie (River) estuary and the Indian River Lagoon,” said Leon Abood, chairman of the Rivers Coalition, a consortium of several Treasure Coast environmental groups.
The coalition’s primary goal is to end discharges of nutrient-rich fresh water from Lake Okeechobee into the estuary. Creation of a flow-way between the lake and the Everglades would effectively end the discharges, which have a serious detrimental effect on the health of the estuary.
“This goes a long way to achieving the coalition’s goal,” Abood said. “There’s still a lot of work for us to do, but I’m hopeful that at least we’re seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.”
Crist in June first announced a $1.75 billion bid to buy all of U.S. Sugar’s land, Clewiston sugar mill and other company facilities, but he twice scaled-down the deal due to the state’s economic woes.
“We really need to work on cleaning up the water from the C-23 and C-24 canal basins,” said George Jones of Port St. Lucie, the Indian Riverkeepe. “But I feel much better with this scaled-back proposal that the money will be budgeted for all our projects.”
“Governor, we made it,” Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Michael Sole told Crist by cell phone moments after the district board voted 6-1 Wednesday at its West Palm Beach headquarters to approve the latest version of the deal.
Crist, who staked his political weight beyond the deal, was in Tallahassee watching the meeting by Web cast as the district board voted.
The land would be used to build reservoirs and treatment areas to store, clean and redirect water that once naturally flowed to the Everglades.
The district still must get its bond financing approved for the deal. Instead of closing on the transaction by September, the new deal likely pushes the closing into next year.
“By gaining access to hundreds of square miles of prime property, the River of Grass and the wildlife that depend on it face a brighter and more secure future,” Crist said in a statement released after the vote.
The deal allows U.S. Sugar to lease back much of the land for $150-per-acre for seven years, with the chance to stay on the property for as long as 20 years.
“We look forward to working in partnership with the State and the South Florida Water Management District in moving forward to close this transaction and implement Governor Crist’s bold vision for restoring the Everglades ecosystem,” U.S. Sugar Senior Vice President Robert Coker said.
Even though the largest real estate deal in district history comes without a finalized plan for how to use the land, the opportunity to get the strategically located property required “bold steps,” district Chairman Eric Buermann said.
“The benefits I know are there (and) they are so fantastically great that they far exceed the purchase price,” Buermann said.
But long-time board member Michael Collins warned that the Everglades can’t wait another 10 or 20 years for the district to be able to afford to build water storage and treatment facilities needed to get water flowing.
“This acquisition in and of itself accomplished none of those things,” said Collins, who cast the only no vote against the deal. “This is not a deal that is in the absolute best interest for the Everglades.”
For the new land deal to move forward, the district still must overcome a court challenge to its financing plan.
Opponents to the deal, including U.S. Sugar rival Florida Crystals, question the cost and the value to taxpayers, as well as the potential loss of agricultural jobs. The Miccosukee Tribe warns that the deal threatens to take away money from other stalled Everglades projects.
Mark Perry, executive director of the Stuart-based Florida Oceanographic Society, said the argument could be made that it “would be better to put this off until better economic times, but when will we be flush enough to say it would be easy to afford it? We can afford this now, and it’s so much better to do this now than later.”
Perry commended the board members for making “a very careful decision with a lot of consideration of a lot of complex factors.”
The bottom line, he added, is that “it takes land to restore the natural flow of water instead of putting out to the estuary. Maybe all the land isn’t in exactly the place where it needs to be; there still are some exchanges that have to be made. That will come; it’s an ongoing process. But you can’t start unless you own the land.”
A “stand still” provision in the deal for three years freezes the per-acre-price on buying the additional 107,000 acres. However, the cost of locking in that $7,400-acre price added $50 million to the cost of acquiring the 73,000 acres. The district could still buy the 107,000 acres after three years, but would have to pay appraised value for the land.
District officials said they would use the option for the remaining 107,000 acres to try to strike a deal with one or more buyers — likely including Florida Crystals — interested in acquiring some of U.S. Sugar’s land.
A condition of the contract approved Wednesday still allows the district to back out before closing if the agency determines that worsening economic conditions make the transaction too costly.
The new deal is more affordable and provides more value to taxpayers, said Kirk Fordham, CEO of the Everglades Foundation.
“Without large-scale water storage and cleaning south of Lake Okeechobee … the Everglades will continue to deteriorate until it can no longer survive,” Fordham said.

090513-12

090512-1

090512-1
Buy the U.S. Sugar land
Palm Beach Post - Editorial
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
There's an admittedly high price to pay for buying large swaths of U.S. Sugar land. It's worth paying, however, because the South Florida Water Management District - not private sugar growers - would control the future of the Everglades.
The governing board will decide today whether the district should pay $536 million for 73,000 acres. The district would pay a premium to shrink the deal from a purchase of 180,000 acres for $1.34 billion. Buying less land now, while retaining the opportunity to buy more, would reduce the district's debt at a time of economic hardship. But to improve the deal, the district must meet the modest demands of officials in Hendry County.
Because of inaction by Gov. Crist, who has championed the buyout to strengthen his environmental record for a U.S. Senate run, the area that would be hurt by the loss of U.S. Sugar jobs has had no representative on the district board since the deal was announced in June. Yet for the first time, Hendry officials are not actively opposing the buyout. The new deal, they say, gives them more time to prepare for job losses. During that time, they want a reasonable commitment from the state to help them survive the departure of the company that built Clewiston.
One proposal is for the water district to open an office in Clewiston. Another is to four-lane a 22-mile stretch of State Road 80 through Hendry County, the only two-lane stretch between West Palm Beach and Fort Myers. Most significantly, they want the state to back a Scripps-like jobs program to provide $5 million a year for 10 years. All of them make sense.
The governing board also can sweeten this deal by insisting that district staff finally move forward on swaps critical to getting all the land needed for water storage south of Lake Okeechobee. While storage and treatment north of the lake is important, the district contends correctly that it can't find enough willing sellers to clean runoff before it pollutes Lake Okeechobee. The land south of the lake will hold the water and siphon it into treatment areas, where it can be cleaned and pumped into the Everglades. The opportunity to convert cane land is so unexpected that the state-federal Everglades restoration plan doesn't contemplate it. The opportunity is unlikely to recur if U.S. Sugar sells to private owners.
To assure that it can trade with Florida Crystals, which owns thousands of acres south of the lake, the district has retained a right to buy more U.S. Sugar land at $7,400 an acre for three years. The U.S. Sugar soil is richer than Florida Crystals' land, making trades more likely.
The governing board, which voted 4-3 for the larger purchase in December, might reject this proposal. That would be bad for the Everglades and the public. Aside from providing natural habitat, the Everglades is critical to meeting South Florida's urban water needs. The current Everglades restoration plan relies on a massive commitment to the untried practice of storing water underground. Early tests have not been encouraging.
Governing board members who don't want this deal will have to answer this question: If not U.S. Sugar land at this price now, what land at what price when.

090512-2

090512-2
Collier officials approve emergency burn ban amid driest period in 75 years
Naples Daily News
VALLI FINNEY (Contact), RYAN MILLS (Contact)
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
NAPLES — Facing the driest six months in at least 75 years, Collier County commissioners approved an emergency burn ban Tuesday that they hope will reduce the number of wildfires in the county.
The ban, which takes effect immediately, bans outdoor burning — trash burning, campfires, bonfires — as well as the use of incendiary devices, such as fireworks and sparklers. The purpose is to curb people starting fires on undeveloped property, County Attorney Jeffrey Klatzkow said.
“I can barbecue outside. That’s not an issue,” Klatzkow said. “What we don’t want is someone going to the middle of Big Cypress and setting up a primitive campfire.”
The ban was supposed to be discussed at Tuesday’s commission meeting and scheduled for adoption May 26, but Commission Chairwoman Donna Fiala asked to move the vote up.
“I appreciate all of you guys jumping on (this),” she said. “We’ll never know if we prevented a fire if we don’t’ have to fight it.”
Violators face a civil infraction with a possible fine of up to $500. The ban will remain in place until it is repealed by the board.
“There will come a time when the drought conditions will ease,” Klatzkow said. “The board will issue another resolution, and that will end the ban or modify the ban, depending on the conditions.”
November 2008 through April 2009 ranks as the driest six-month period in South Florida history based on records dating back to 1932, according to the South Florida Water Management District. In April, an average of 0.64 inches of rain was recorded across the 16-county district, increasing the 2008-09 dry season deficit to 10.64 inches, which is only 30 percent of the historic average.
Collier is currently the driest county in the state, with a mean soil moisture reading on Tuesday of 735 on the Keetch-Byram Drought Index, which measures soil moisture on a zero to 800 scale with higher numbers representing increased fire risk. Lee County’s mean soil moisture was 650 Tuesday.
Between Nov. 2 and May 6, the southwest coast, which encompasses much of Lee and Collier counties, received 3.15 inches of rain or 22 percent of the area’s 30-year average, according to the water management district. So far this year, the same area has received 1.6 inches of rain, or 15 percent of the 30-year average.
Golden Gate Fire Chief Bob Metzger supports the fire ban, calling it “important” because of the current hazardous fire conditions.
“The benefit is, because we have so many fires that seem to start as a result of careless actions of people, to my way of thinking, the benefit of the burn ban will heighten public awareness of people, and hopefully curtail the incidents of brush fires that we have,” Metzger said.
Lack of rainfall has affected aquifers, the ability to fight wildfires, pond levels and possibly young birds.
The drought that has gripped the region for about three years and lack of rainfall so far this year has led South Florida Water Management District officials to implement more restrictive watering rules for parts of Lee County and the east coast.
The area north of Corkscrew Road, Gateway Boulevard and South Lehigh Acres can water only twice a week from midnight to 10 a.m. All other areas are still on twice-a-week watering from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., said Randy Smith, a spokesman for the water management district.
“We’re going to have to watch very carefully the Lehigh Acres area,” he said. “It’s absolutely not uncommon for Lehigh. It’s been a problem for quite some time.”
Lee County receives its water from two aquifers and Collier County shares one of them.
“They are dropping,” Smith said about the aquifers. “It all points to one thing: lack of rainfall.
“We’re getting close to record a low,” he said.
No measurable amount of rainfall is forecast for the near future, and officials speculate the rainy season may begin later than the usual June start date.
Low water levels not only affect aquifers, but ponds too, and that can be a problem for people if they decide to go swimming or wading.
“Most of our ponds have no inlet or outlet. They are artificial,” said Dr. Judith Hartner of the Lee County Health Department.
Those ponds fill either from rainwater or runoff from roads and yards in the neighborhoods.
“So what lies in … a neighborhood — animal feces, pesticides, fertilizers, all kinds of stuff — goes into them.
“People really should not swim in those not-natural ponds. They really were not meant for swimming but to drain the property where the house is located.”
The ponds could hold fecal coliform bacteria, which can cause people to become ill.
Low ponds affect how firefighters battle wildfires.
“The shallower ponds dry up and you can’t get any water out of them,” said Jeff Lodge lead helicopter pilot for Florida Department of Agriculture, Division of Forestry.
“They didn’t dry up like they did in ’98 when you couldn’t find water anywhere,” Lodge said. “We have a few portable tanks we can put up and have talked about setting one up.”
But the portable tanks have to be refilled – each “dip” uses 300 gallons of water and the turn-around time from the water drop to refill is about three minutes, which rapidly depletes the tank. And most areas where forestry fights fires have no fire hydrants to help refill the tanks.
“In South Florida, they were having a hard time finding dip sights,” Lodge said. “In Florida we can get into those canals and dip out of the canals, such as at Picayune Strand State Forest. If the helicopters’ blades can get down between the trees, we can dip out.”
Even though Florida is surrounded by water, the salt water is not typically used. It corrodes the aircraft and at times water sprays onto the windshield, basically turning it white.
“If we have to (use saltwater) we can,” Lodge said. “It’s not what we prefer to do.”
On a positive note, some animals seem to be weathering the drought just fine, said Ed Carlson, director of the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.
“The (wood stork) nesting season was very good,” said Ed Carlson, sanctuary director. “It was a great nesting season and they produced a lot of young.
“The young fledged. The question now is can they find enough food on their own to survive?”
Officials are surveying the endangered birds from the air to see where they are feeding. It will be a few more weeks before that data becomes available.
The other critters in the swamp are doing fine, Carlson said, even though the water levels are very low and most of the surface water is gone.
“They survive,” he said. “The gators are in their caves and the deer and bear, they survive. They make it through a drought like this.

090512-3

090512-3
Delray Beach looking to revamp the way it charges for water
Those who conserve will pay much less
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Maria Herrera
May 12, 2009 ,  10:11 PM EDT
DELRAY BEACH - Water could get more expensive in this city – but only for the few who use lots of it.
City Commissioners heard a complicated proposal Tuesday at a workshop meeting that would change the way the city bills its customers for water services.
But the message was simple: Low water users will pay substantially less than water guzzlers.
The new rate structure will eliminate surcharges, such as the 30 percent surcharge for residents who use more than 15,000 gallons per month. The new rate structure would reward users of less than 3,000 gallons by implementing a base charge of about $15.
"The low-volume users will get a break, and the high-volume users will get a hit," said Richard Hasko, director of the city's Environmental Services Department.
Hasko had the help of CH2MHIll senior analyst Dave Green to explain how the new system would work. They told the commission the new rate is necessary to make up for revenue lost because of water conservation while not penalizing residents who are trying to conserve water.
Last year the city had to increase its rates to make up for revenues lost because of water conservation, a measure Commissioner Fred Fetzer thought was unfair for residents who were making an effort to abide by South Florida Water Management District restrictions during the drought.
"Philosophically, it is very important that we have a proactive approach, especially in this economic situation," Fetzer said.
As the city expands its reclaimed water system for irrigation, it also faces additional decline in revenue. Reclaimed water is cheaper than drinking water, but the city still has the same expenses to deliver water to its customers.
Hasko said he expects water bills to decrease for residents who use an average of 7,000 gallons from about $80 to $60.
Residents who use between 12,000 and 25,000 gallons will be paying $2 per 1,000 gallons, and those who use between 25,000 to 50,000 gallons will pay $3.50 per 1,000 gallons. Those using 50,000 or more will pay $4.50 per 1,000 gallons.
Hasko said the presentation's goal was to get some direction from the commission for future charges. If approved, the new rate system could go into effect in October, when a new fiscal year would begin, Hasko said.
"I like the message we're sending," said Mayor Woodie McDuffie. "Conservation saves money as well as water. By including the first 3,000 gallons in the base pay, I think we're sending that message.

090512-4

090512-4
Democrats Expect Filibuster of Interior Nominee
Roll Call
David M. Drucker, Roll Call Staff
May 12, 2009,
Sen. Bob Bennett (R-Utah) has placed a hold on the nomination of David Hayes to be deputy secretary of the Interior, according to the Salt Lake Tribune, and Democrats predicted Tuesday night that Republicans would support Bennett’s filibuster of the nomination in a procedural vote Wednesday morning.
Jim Manley, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), claimed late Tuesday that Republicans were preparing to filibuster Hayes.
“I am not in the business of predicting outcomes, but we are hearing the same comments,” Bennett said. “Members understand this is about national energy policy and the minority’s right to be heard.”
Republicans have expressed concern with Hayes’ positions on oil and gas issues, and Bennett in particular is upset with Interior Secretary Ken Salazar for canceling oil and gas leases on land in Utah.
Although Republicans hold only 40 seats, Democrats are one seat shy of the 60 needed to cut off a filibuster because of the ongoing legal battle in Minnesota between former Sen. Norm Coleman (R) and comedian Al Franken (D).

090512-5

090512-5
Lee County rainfall rarity now a record. 
In '09, Lee has seen only 1.5 inches of rain
Press.com
Kevin Lollar klollar@news-press.com
May 12, 2009
Southern Florida has set a record for dryness, and no place in the state is drier than Lee, Collier and Hendry counties.
November 2008 through April 2009 is the driest six-month period in Southern Florida since records started being kept in 1932.
According to Florida Division of Forestry data, the Caloosahatchee Region, which includes Lee, Collier and Hendry counties, has the highest drought index in the state, with 711.
Collier County ranks first among counties with a drought index of 733; Hendry County is No. 2 with 721; Lee County is No. 20 with 644. The highest possible drought index is 800.
“We get dry every spring in South Florida — May is our driest month of the year,” said Michael Weston, Caloosahatchee District wildfire mitigation specialist. “What we’re seeing this year, looking at the last active fire season of 2007, we’re 20 percent drier than that year.
“We’ve had more than 300 fires this year, and as we get drier and drier, and as we start getting lightning, there’s the potential to stress our fire-response resources.”
The official cause of the fire that burned 125 acres off Ortiz Avenue in Fort Myers on Sunday was a spark from a power line, Weston said.
In the past six months, Lee County has received 3.57 inches of rain; the average is 11.03. So far this year, Lee County has received 1.51 inches; the average for the first four months of the year is 7.74 inches.
Southwest Florida might get some relief this week: The National Weather Service gives a 20 percent chance of afternoon thunderstorms today through Wednesday, meteorologist Richard Rude said.
On Thursday, the chance of rain increases to 30 percent; a front is expected to move through the area Monday, bringing a slightly higher chance of rain.
Lake Okeechobee water levels stood at 10.72 feet Monday; the record low is 8.82 feet, set July 2, 2007.
Depending on the rainfall, salinities in an estuary can vary tremendously, from full seawater, which is normally 35 parts per thousand, to almost pure fresh water. To help balance salinity in the Caloosahatchee River and estuary, the Army Corps of Engineers conducted pulse releases from Lake Okeechobee that began April 28 and ended Friday.
On Monday, the river’s salinity at Fort Myers was 22.05 parts per thousand and 36.41 ppt at Shell Point — the Gulf of Mexico at the mouth of the river was 36.19 ppt.
Loren Coen, director of the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation Marine Laboratory, wrote in an e-mail that mobile estuary and marine species can move with changes in salinity. Immobile organisms, such as oysters, or less mobile species, including some shellfish and animals that live in sediments, can handle changing conditions for short periods.
Water levels in the Surficial and Lower Tamiami aquifers are dropping, while Sandstone Aquifer levels are very low, especially in Lee County near Lehigh Acres.
“Our biggest concern is that people continue to conserve water,” said Susan Sanders, spokeswoman for the South Florida Water Management District. “A big issue is conservation year-round, not just during a drought. Once we get into the rainy season, we’d like to see people turning their sprinklers off and let the rainy season do its job.”
In a typical rainy season, which runs from May through October, Lee County receives 42.16 inches a year.
In Florida’s driest county, Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is “bone dry,” sanctuary resource manager Mike Knight said, so wading birds aren’t feeding near the boardwalk.
“But there are still tons of songbirds, and the dry conditions get the larger mammals active,” Knight said.
In Collier County, Corkscrew Swamp is home to the last remaining virgin cypress forest in Florida, and droughts are actually good for the forest’s future.
“If the swamp is wet, cypress seeds just fall and rot in the water,” Knight said. “They need a dry surface to set their roots.
“These trees are 500 to 800 years old, and though the conditions seem harsh, these last three years of drought are the start of the next generation of these magnificent cypress trees.”
During recent bird-nesting surveys in the 60,000-acre Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed and the Everglades, Roger Clark, a Lee County Parks and Recreation manager, saw fewer birds than usual and has seen other signs of drought.
“I’ve found dead fish, small fish, and I’ve seen vultures standing near the edge of puddles waiting for fish to go belly up,” Clark said. “The thing that amazes me is how adaptable and resilient our natural systems are if we give them a chance. The key is to do what we can to conserve water and restore our natural systems.”

090512-6

090512-6
New Everglades Land Deal Could Ease Restoration: Changes in the Pending Land Deal With U.S.
Sugar Could Clear the Way for Faster, Easier Land Swaps With Rival Growers for Everglades Restoration
The Miami Herald
Curtis Morgan, The Miami Herald
2009-05-12
May 12--If water managers approve the smaller, cheaper version of Gov. Charlie Crist's Big Sugar land deal Wednesday, they won't be done dealing.
New tweaks in the $536 million offer to buy 73,000 acres from the U.S. Sugar Corp. would give water managers more time and flexibility to cut follow-up land deals -- most likely with rival grower Florida Crystals -- to improve Everglades restoration projects.
"This puts us in a much better bargaining position in any future negotiations," said Carol Ann Wehle, executive director of the South Florida Water Management District.
The district's governing board, which met Monday to discuss the deal and must approve it, is expected to vote Wednesday or Thursday.
While approval isn't a lock, criticism has eased since the governor -- bowing to a declining economy and rising political pressure -- announced in April that he had scaled back his original $1.34 billion bid to acquire 181,000 acres of U.S. Sugar's farmland. The new deal reduced the land, and cost, by more than half.
"We're really close to doing the right thing for the right reasons, but I am concerned about the timing of it," said Charles Dauray, a board member from Southwest Florida who had voted against the earlier deal.
Beyond the bottom line, other key changes were hammered out during contract negotiations since Crist modified the original deal -- most notably, a new "exclusive" three-year option to buy some or all of U.S. Sugar's remaining 107,000 acres at $7,400 an acre.
Water managers acknowledged they wouldn't be able to afford much, if any, of that land. That was underlined when they spent half of Monday's daylong meeting outlining plans to cut costs, cap staff raises, prioritize projects and shift funds to cover gaps.
But the new option could help in talks with outside parties whom water managers hope to coax into land swaps or sales -- particularly Florida Crystals, which owns massive tracts south of Lake Okeechobee considered targets for restoration projects.
The company, second-largest to U.S. Sugar, has said it was willing to discuss swaps but not with terms that would allow U.S. Sugar to continue leasing and farming those fields for at least a decade. Water managers said the new agreement would let them hand U.S. Sugar fields to a prospective buyer or swapper within three years.
If the board approves the deal, Wehle said, the district would have a year-long window to pinpoint the best tracts and the total needed.
Environmentalists contend more than the 73,500 acres are needed to supply the Everglades with clean water.
The district currently is analyzing nine widely varying and still sketchy restoration concepts. Most would convert massive sugar and citrus tracts into reservoirs to store water for the Everglades or marshes to treat farm runoff, but one touted by the agricultural industry would turn a portion of Lake Okeechobee into a reservoir.
The new contract also would push back the deadline for closing the deal to as late as next June. That could ease concerns that ongoing legal challenges by Florida Crystals and the Miccosukee Tribe could derail the agreement.
Wehle told board members they could afford to make the deal even under conservative revenue projections, but assured them the agency could still back out over budget concerns up to the last minute.
To see more of The Miami Herald or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.herald.com.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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090512-7

090512-7
Proposed restrictions in Everglades worry some boaters, fishing enthusiasts
Plans to protect vital seagrass in Florida Bay worry many of Florida's fishing enthusiasts
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
David Fleshler,  South Florida Sun-Sentinel
May 12, 2009
Concerned that powerboats are tearing up seagrass in Florida Bay, Everglades National Park has proposed a range of possible restrictions on boaters to protect a vast, shallow estuary that supports sea turtles, fish and clouds of wading birds.
The proposals have generated deep concern among South Florida's huge recreational fishing community, where many people worry the most drastic of the alternatives could shut them out of most of the bay and hurt the tourist industry. But park officials say boats have carved at least 325 miles of scars in the bay, with damage accelerating in an era of bigger boats, more powerful engines and tough, stainless-steel propellers that allow boaters to penetrate shallow, difficult-to-navigate areas.
"People have just lost a lot of fear," said David King, the park's Florida Bay District ranger. "They just feel they can power over whatever they come across. Florida Bay has the potential to be one of the phenomenal natural areas of the world. It's not that today. It's been beat up."
In the forest-green carpet of seagrass along the bay bottom, light-green streaks indicate areas where propellers have stripped bare the vegetation that provides most of the bay's energy. Seagrass provides food for fish, manatees and sea turtles and serves as a nursery and hunting grounds for marine creatures.
Related links:
Boating restrictions proposed in Everglades
How to comment on Everglades boat-restriction proposals
All the park's proposals include mandatory permits and boater education, but they vary in how much they would restrict powerboats, with the most severe creating huge zones in which they could use only push-poles or low-speed electric motors. The park expects to announce a preferred alternative this fall and implement the plan in 2011.
More than 200 people, mostly boaters and guides, attended a park meeting at the International Game Fish Association in Dania Beach. Some opposed any new restrictions; others agreed there's a problem but urged the park to choose the most surgical alternative that would maintain access to most of the bay. And several speakers said the whole idea of restricted areas, designated trails and no-motor zones would impose an unpleasant bureaucratic grid over a vast wild area.
"It's too much regulation," said Jupiter resident Tracy Bennett, a member of the venerable West Palm Beach Fishing Club. "When you get too regimented — you have to stick to this trail, you can't go here — it just takes the fun out of it."
Bennett, a retired civil engineer who has fished in the park for 35 years, likes to explore remote areas, such as Hell's Bay and Whitewater Bays. He uses aerial photographs to navigate the mangroves, a "real wilderness experience." In an interview, he said he supports the park's Alternative 2, which relies on boater education and would create two small pole-and-troll zones.
Tougher alternatives, he said, would "take out huge areas that boaters have used for a hundred years. The boaters I've talked to don't trust the process. They think the park is taking an extreme position to accommodate the paddlers."
Ted Perron of Coral Springs, organizer of the Palm Beach Water Yaks kayaking club, supports the strictest limits on boats but said he doesn't want them gone from the park.
"It's not to exclude the boaters," he said. "It's to protect the Everglades."
Despite its vast expanse, Florida Bay is extremely shallow, with an average depth of 3 feet. It is not unusual to see a heron or egret standing in water hundreds of yards from land. It can be treacherous for boaters.
Capt. Tad Burke, head of the Florida Keys Fishing Guides Association, said the guides have drawn up an alternative that would emphasize a thorough and mandatory education program before boaters could enter Florida Bay, which he called "one of the most difficult bodies of water to navigate." They strongly oppose the creation of huge pole-and-troll zones, which he said would effectively close off much of the bay.
"We want to protect the environment," he said. "But we also want to protect the economic value of Everglades National Park. How can you close off massive areas of the park?"
But he gave the park's leadership credit for taking the boaters' concerns seriously. "They get it," he said. "They've actually been listening."
Environmental groups generally support the tougher restrictions, arguing that the park's first duty is to protect natural resources.
"No one likes more regulations, but the boating traffic has gone up 2 1/2 times in the last 30 years," said Brian Scherf, of the Florida Biodiversity Project.
"These seagrass areas are so important for juvenile fish habitat, food supply, hunting grounds for other fish. If you don't have healthy seagrass, you won't have great fishing."
David Fleshler can be reached at dfleshler @SunSentinel.com or 954-356-4535.

090512-8

090512-8
Water managers urge tougher restrictions in WPB
Fox 29 - WFLX
Chuck Weber
May 12, 2009, 09:32 PM EDT
WEST PALM BEACH, FL (WFLX) - This time of year our days are long, hot and dry. Evaporation is at its worst. And we're in the middle of a drought.
With a water system relying on wetlands and lakes, the city of West Palm Beach is especially vulnerable. But is the city moving fast enough toward tougher water restrictions? The South Florida Water Management District has voiced some concerns.
"I understand we're going to one day a week," lamented Edward Mallen, a West Palm Beach homeowner with an immaculate green lawn. "That's going to make it difficult to keep the grass alive."
Last week West Palm Beach city commissioners approved going to once-a-week lawn watering, when it becomes necessary. Water managers have strongly urged the city restrictions should start very soon.
While most water systems have wells, West Palm Beach's water supply relies on a system of wetlands and lakes, where evaporation happens more quickly.
The City told the Water District it has under three months worth of water supply, with no rain. West Palm also told water managers it would go to one day-a-week watering when down to a one- to two- month supply.
But in a letter to West Palm Beach, the Water District's Peter Kwiatkowski writes, "We have concerns that this may not be sufficient in ensuring the City an adequate water supply through this very-dry dry season. We request the City re-evaluate their water supply situation."
City spokesman Peter Robbins responded that the City is communicating with the Water District daily, taking daily water readings, and is prepared to go to the tougher restrictions quickly.
"It's a mixed bag to go to one day restrictions," commented Mayor Lois Frankel. "Trying to enforce it and educate the public. There's not that much savings."
Frankel strongly urged her residents to voluntarily reduce their consumption of water as much as possible.
The city of Lake Worth is already on once a week lawn watering, because of low levels in the city's wells. The Water District says it plans to keep the rest of Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast on twice a week watering.

090511-1

090511-1
Bruising fight seen for Senate
Crist expected to announce today, setting off a political scramble
Herald Tribune
Joe Follick
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 at 1:00 a.m.
TALLAHASSEE - The frenetic political career of Gov. Charlie Crist is about to make another jump as the popular governor will likely announce today that he will run for the U.S. Senate in 2010, setting up a primary showdown between his moderate vision of the Republican Party versus that of an up-and-coming conservative.
Related Links:
National GOP may be getting a big lift
It's official: Crist will run for Senate
If so, Crist will become the first governor in modern Florida history to leave office after his first term without running for re-election. It would mark the fifth campaign for four different positions since 1998 for Crist, 52.
Speaking at a Tallahassee nursing home Monday, Crist declined to confirm his decision.
"Let's see what tomorrow's announcement brings," said Crist, at Westminster Oaks for National Nursing Home Week.
The visit was identical to a campaign stop, with Crist shaking hands of residents and workers as an office display scrolled the words, "Hello, Charlie!!!!!!"
But a number of Crist's closest friends said the decision will come today with a low-key rollout, absent the usual fanfare for such a major announcement.
Perhaps in a bow to a gloomy legislative session that raised $2 billion in fees and taxes for the state's upcoming budget, Crist is expected to offer a press release today and skip the traditional fly-around that kicks off a statewide campaign.
Crist's move sets up an ideological brawl with former House Speaker Marco Rubio in the Senate primary. Rubio and Crist agreed on little when the two men were at the top of Florida's political structure.
Rubio, a charismatic conservative from Miami who has enjoyed former Gov. Jeb Bush's praise, pushed for major property tax reform and balked at Crist's push to deepen the state's risk in property insurance.
In a statement Monday from Rubio campaign manager Brian Seitchik, the tone was set for a bruising battle.
"Given the huge problems facing Florida right now, I am surprised Gov. Crist is already thinking about hitting the campaign trail and heading to Washington," said Seitchik.
"Between an unsigned budget, dire budget projections and cuts, mountains of pending legislation, the unsolved insurance crisis, the ongoing mortgage and housing disaster, historically high unemployment, struggling schools and a 2009 hurricane season just weeks away, this is hardly the time for the governor to cast his eyes toward greener pastures."
Crist brings a uniquely amiable and moderate air to the race that has made him a national symbol for those seeking to pull the Republican Party to the middle.
Equally reliant on counsel from Democrats as well as Republicans, Crist has touted his approach to work with both parties as a needed tonic for a Republican Party scarred nationally by last year's election beating.
His decision sets off a cavalcade of campaigning not seen in modern Florida history.
All of the three other state officials elected statewide have expressed an interest in the governor's seat, making Cabinet meetings for the next 15 months a de facto campaign appearance for all four.
Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, a Democrat, seems likely to run for the governor's office. Republicans Bill McCollum, the attorney general, and Charles Bronson, the agricultural commissioner, may also enter the race.
Crist's popularity has defied political wisdom and the collapse of the state's economy. His signature moves have had mixed results at best.
A successful push for voter approval of Amendment 1 in 2007 allowed residents to keep accrued Save Our Homes tax benefits when they move, but has not had an effect on the dismal real estate market.
His bashing of State Farm insurance and the resulting reliance on state-run Citizens Property Insurance to cover coastal properties has been ripped by both parties. And his deal to buy land from U.S. Sugar to save the Everglades has stalled and been downsized.
Still, most polls show a 70 percent approval rating among Floridians for Crist, and his fundraising prowess set records in the 2006 gubernatorial race. Crist would serve the remainder of his term as governor should he run for Senate.
Jim Greer, handpicked by Crist as the chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, said Monday that the party will back Crist in the primary.
"It's my job to see that we have a winning candidate in the general election and there's no doubt in my mind that Charlie Crist with his approval ratings is the candidate we need in the general election," said Greer.
The move would not be without risk.
His re-election as governor was likely and a campaign with Rubio may exploit increased wariness from the party's conservative wing.
"Some people are very unhappy with him," said Richard Scher, a University of Florida political science professor and gubernatorial historian. "You wonder why he's giving up a sure thing."
But the simplest explanation for Crist's decision is as plain as his résumé. Since he lost a 1998 race for the U.S. Senate to popular Democrat Bob Graham, Crist has successfully run for education commissioner, attorney general and governor in the span of six years.
"If there's a seat Charlie can find that takes him upward rather than downward," Scher said, "he'll go for it."
This story appeared in print on page A1
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090511-2

090511-2
Everglades land deal Includes $50 million option to buy more
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Andy Reid
May 11, 2009,  7:15 PM EDT,
Gov. Charlie Crist's Everglades restoration land deal with U.S. Sugar Corp. comes with a $50 million gamble for South Florida taxpayers.
Included in the $536 million price for 73,000 acres is a $50 million provision that would for three years freeze the per-acre-price on buying an additional 107,000 acres of U.S. Sugar farmland.
Because of the state's struggling economy, Crist twice scaled down his proposed deal with U.S. Sugar, which started in June with a $1.75 billion bid to buy all of U.S. Sugar's land, sugar mill and other facilities.
The new deal, facing a Thursday deadline, calls for buying an initial 73,000 acres and includes a 10-year option to buy the other 107,000 acres.
The South Florida Water Management District would buy the land and use it to restore water flows from Lake Okeechobee to the Everglades. The district plans to borrow the money and South Florida taxpayers will pay off the long-term debt.
The $50 million provision gives the district the exclusive option to pay the same $7,400-per-acre price for the additional 107,000 acres if the district buys the land within three years. The district, which leads Everglades restoration, could still buy the land after three years, but would have to pay appraised value.
Strike a deal within three years for the additional land and it turns out to be a cost savings to taxpayers, said Ruth Clements, the district's director of land acquisition.
But if the district can't afford to go beyond the initial 73,000-acre land buy within three years, U.S. Sugar gets to keep the $50 million.
U.S. Sugar's board of directors approved the amended contract for the $536 million deal Friday.
On Monday, the district board was still debating whether the agency can afford the 73,000-acre purchase. A vote is expected as soon as Wednesday.
Long-time board member Michael Collins questions the cost, as well as paying for the option to buy more land at the same price. Collins said he doubts there are other buyers "stupid enough" to pay what the district is paying.
"I don't see this land going anywhere," Collins said. The deal "just doesn't seem to provide protection and benefit to the taxpayers."
Board member Shannon Estenoz said the $50 million provision helps the district lock up land that could otherwise be sold to other buyers.
South Florida needs land south of Lake Okeechobee to store water and boost supplies, Estenoz said.
"There is a very real risk of the [Everglades Agricultural Area] transforming over time," said Estenoz, who represents Broward County Click here for restaurant inspection reports. "The value to the taxpayer becomes obvious."
Taking advantage of the $50 million provision likely requires striking a deal with U.S. Sugar's rival, Florida Crystals.
District officials said they would use the option for the remaining 107,000 acres to strike a deal with one or more buyers interested in acquiring some of U.S. Sugar's land.
That would allow the district to get a portion of the 107,000 acres needed for restoration or swap for land more strategically located between the lake and the Everglades. Florida Crystals owns much of that land.
Florida Crystals has gone to court to fight the district's financing plan for the U.S. Sugar deal, even as the company held on-again-off-again talks with the district and the governor's office about U.S. Sugar land.
Florida Crystals still questions the state's deal with U.S. Sugar but remains open to talking with the district about potential land swaps, company Vice President Gaston Cantens said.
"It's not like people are knocking down the door to buy that land," Cantens said. "I'm not sure what $50 million gets them."

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090511-3
Ken Burns' parks series to be previewed in Asheville
BlueRidgeNow.com
Monday, May 11, 2009 at 10:18 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, May 11, 2009 at 10:18 a.m.
Ken Burns' six-part documentary on America's national parks will be previewed at Diane Wortham Theatre in Asheville on June 3  - Tickets: $10.
National Parks Preview:  7:30 p.m., June 3           unctv.org/nationalparks   (866) 752-0025.
A 40-minute preview of the series, which will run a total of 12 hours, will be shown at 7:30 p.m. at the Diane Wortham Theatre. Tickets are available by visiting unctv.org/nationalparks or calling (866) 752-0025. The ticket price is a tax-deductible contribution in support of UNC-TV.
The series, by the renowned producer of previous documentaries on the Civil War, baseball and jazz, was filmed over the course of more than six years at some of nature’s most spectacular locales including Acadia, Yosemite, Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, the Everglades and North Carolina’s Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The narrative traces the birth of the national park idea in the mid-1800s and follows its evolution for nearly 150 years. Using archival photographs, first-person accounts of historical characters, personal memories and analysis from more than 40 interviews, the series chronicles the steady addition of new parks through the stories of the people who helped create them and save them from destruction.
It is simultaneously a biography of compelling characters and a biography of the American landscape. The series will be aired in its entirety on UNC-TV this fall.
Series co-producer Dayton Duncan will lead a discussion following the screening

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090511-4
Miami to Host International Pow Wow 2009 May 16-20
PRNewswire
May 11, 2009
MIAMI, May 11 /PRNewswire/ -- International Pow Wow 2009, the travel industry's premier international marketplace, will take place in Greater Miami and the Beaches on May 16-20, 2009, bringing more than 5,000 delegates from every region of the U.S. and more than 70 countries to the destination - including 1,000 travel organizations and close to 1,500 international and domestic buyers.
Sponsored by the U.S. Travel Association for the past four decades, International Pow Wow is projected to generate more than $3.5 billion in future international travel business with approximately $400 million of that benefiting Greater Miami and the Beaches as host destination over the next three years. The International Pow Wow show will generate 18,665 room nights with a direct economic impact of more than $8.5 million to Miami-Dade county's local economy.
"There has never been a better time to visit Greater Miami and we're excited about being front and center on the world travel stage," said William D. Talbert, III, CDME, President and CEO of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB), which was pivotal in bringing Pow Wow to the city. "Miami is a truly global community and offers amazing value for visitors."
"No business event is more important to selling the $100 billion international inbound U.S. travel product than International Pow Wow and we are excited about Greater Miami and the Beaches hosting this year's event," said Roger Dow, President and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. "Miami's wide variety of attractions will help demonstrate the diversity of the U.S. travel product to the world's top international travel wholesalers and help Florida garner a greater share of the $100 billion international inbound travel market."
"International Pow Wow 2009 presents an extraordinary opportunity for Greater Miami and the Beaches to showcase its new tourism developments and highlight our cosmopolitan tropical paradise that offers world-class lodging, dining, shopping, nightlife, scores of compelling attractions, a vibrant arts and cultural scene, festivals and sporting events," Talbert commented. "There is no substitute for witnessing the dynamic change Miami has experienced over the past decade first-hand and we are pulling out all the stops to ensure these important influencers see the best of the best."
Pow Wow Goes Green in Miami
The U.S. Travel Association will host one of the greenest Pow Wows on record in Greater Miami and the beaches. In addition to adding recyclable trash cans in the exhibit hall and press rooms, a digital Delegate Registry replaces the traditionally printed version while print appointment schedules and labels will be replaced by electronic schedules. Greater Miami and the beaches will work with Transportation Management Services, a leading transportation management company which just announced an innovative Carbon Offset Shuttle program that provides a negative carbon footprint resulting from ground transportation.
Miami officials made the change to reflect the city's burgeoning green initiatives, including recently being awarded LEED Silver Certification for Existing Buildings for its American Airlines Arena - one of only two arenas in America to receive the prestigious designation. The City of Miami has launched a number of proactive and ambitious sustainability programs in recent years, including a "Green Buildings" program that led to the installation of solar panels and other conservation measures at its City Hall and introduction of a "Green Fleet," which requires all city vehicles to operate on hybrid technology or alternative fuels by 2012. Miami's hospitality industry has been "going green" for years, with more than a dozen hotels now designated as Green Lodging properties through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Green Lodging Program.
Miami Invested Heavily in Tourism Infrastructure
Greater Miami and the Beaches has invested billions of dollars during the past decade in upgrading its tourism infrastructure. Many Pow Wow attendees will experience one of Miami's most significant improvements upon arrival: Miami International Airport recently inaugurated the spectacular new world-class 1.7 million square foot South Terminal. It houses 19 airlines and offers more than 60 food, retail and duty-free locations and features 19 gates capable of handling domestic and international flights. The new customs area in South Terminal has the capability of serving up to 2,000 passengers per hour. A new bus station for cruise and tour passengers, 150 ticket counters, three security checkpoints and 400 feet of moving walkway on the international passenger level are all part of South Terminal's passenger-friendly design. The Airport's latest project, the North Terminal, will house American Airlines when fully completed in 2011. It will contain 1.8 million square feet of space including retail shops, a roof-top people mover system with four stations and a Federal Inspection Area that can process some 3,600 passengers per hour. Miami International Airport has 89 different airlines serving 138 destinations and welcomes one of the highest percentage of international visitors of any destination in the country.
Known as the "Cruise Capital of the World," Miami also recently completed the construction of two new ultra-modern cruise terminals at the Port of Miami. The Port of Miami handles more than 4.1 million cruise passengers annually. What savvy travelers have learned, however, is to add a few days to their travel plans to take full advantage of pre- and post-cruise activities in Greater Miami. Favorite destinations include the Florida Everglades, Jungle Island, Miami Children's Museum and the Miami Seaquarium, while trendy South Beach, with its world-famous Art Deco District is a must-see for everyone.
Miami Enjoying Unprecedented Hotel Development
Miami has long been famed for its oceanfront resorts and is also home to the highest concentration of boutique hotels in the world. Hotel development during the past decade has been as strong as the days when Sammy Davis, Jr., Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and their infamous Rat Pack made Miami their winter playground in the 1950s. Two of Miami's most iconic hotels - the Eden Roc Renaissance Beach Resort & Spa and the Fontainebleau Miami Beach - reopened in the fall of 2008 after multimillion-dollar restorations that brought the legendary beachside resorts back to their glory days.
Three new Ritz-Carlton hotels, the Four Seasons Hotel, the Mandarin Oriental Miami, The Aqualina Resort & Spa, The Setai South Beach and the Conrad Miami all opened their doors within a few years of each other in Greater Miami in the early 2000s. Equally impressive is that several luxury hotels opened in the past year, including The Regent Bal Harbour Hotel, Hotel De Soleil South Beach, Gansevoort South, Mondrian South Beach Hotel Residences, Sonesta Sole Miami, Canyon Ranch Miami Beach, The EPIC Hotel by Kimpton Properties, The Viceroy Hotel at Icon Brickell and the Grand Beach Suite Hotel. Among properties slated to open in 2009 are: W South Beach Hotel & Residences, Soho Beach House, Tempo Miami Hotel, Aloft Hotel and Four Points Sheraton Coral Gables. Even further on the horizon are a Met Marquis Hotel and Shangri-La Luxury Hotel scheduled to open in 2010 and a Sonesta Mikado opening in 2011.
Fueling the demand for high-end hotels and resorts has been Miami's emergence as one of the world's preeminent centers for art and culture. Case in point is the dazzling $500 million Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, which opened in October 2006. Designed by world-renowned Argentinean architect Cesar Pelli, the 570,000-square-foot complex features three separate performance facilities: the 2,200-seat John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall, the 2,400-seat Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera House, and a 200-seat black box Carnival Studio Theater. Powered by a variety of theatrical, musical and educational programs, the Center offers world-class entertainment almost every day of the week.
Underscoring Miami's growing stature as an arts destination is the new Frank Ghery designed New World Symphony Center. The New World Symphony project is set to feature a variable seating performance space with 360 degree projection capability; a digital music library; 26 individual rehearsal rooms, six ensemble rehearsal rooms and a multi-purpose room, all outfitted with technology for long-distance learning. The project will also include the addition of a two-acre public park and a 600-plus space public parking garage, both constructed by the City of Miami Beach, adjacent to the campus. In addition, Art Basel Miami Beach, which has become the most talked about art event in the United States and is the sister fair to Art Basel Switzerland; has become more celebrity-packed, exhilarating and successful each year since its auspicious American debut in December 2002. Five days of exhibits, A-list parties, lectures, alternative and crossover events and ancillary exhibits rage nonstop for the creme de la creme of the international art world and its collectors, dealers, curators and critics.
Other high-profile international festivals also abound. The Miami International Film Festival, one of the most respected forums on the international circuit, has established itself over the past two decades as a star-studded showcase for Latin American, North American, and world cinema. Meanwhile, The South Beach Wine & Food Festival in February is a must-attend forum for serious foodies. The celebrity meter is always dialed on high, as the most prominent figures in the culinary, wine and spirits industries travel to Miami for a jam-packed weekend of tastings, star-studded dinners and culinary seminars. Other international events include the World Music Festival, Miami International Book Fair, International Boat Show and Miami Fashion Week.
Capitalizing on Miami's growing reputation as a culinary hot spot, the GMCVB organizes Miami Spice Restaurant during August and September where more than 100 of Miami's top restaurants offer special prix fixe lunch and dinner menus during the promotion. Miami Spice has more than doubled in size and scope since it launched in 2001 and this year, the GMCVB introduced Winter and Spring Spice during the months of February and May, respectively. A new Miami Spa Month launched last summer to offer visitors and residents $99 treatments at nearly 20 of the city's premiere spas was so popular it was extended into August to overlap with Miami Spice.
Miami Tourist Attractions Investing Millions in Upgraded Facilities and Exhibitions
Miami attractions have also invested millions of dollars in recent years to upgrade facilities and keep exhibitions fresh and on the cutting edge. Jungle Island, which relocated in 2003 to Watson Island in close proximity to hotels, resorts and cruise ship terminals, is a 18.6-acre theme park that is home to more than 3,000 exotic animals and 500 species of plants. Visitors enjoy animal stage shows, interactive aviaries, jungle trails, a petting farm and educational exhibits, as well as world-famous parrot shows, a new Serpentarium and Jungle Theater and more.
Miami Seaquarium, which gained notoriety as the location for filming of 1960s hit TV show "Flipper," unveiled its new dolphin habitat, Dolphin Harbor, in 2007. The $5 million habitat features a 12,000-square-foot, 700,000-gallon dolphin pool surrounded by an 8,000-square-foot meeting facility and is home to the park's expanded "Swim with our Dolphins program."
Miami's acclaimed Metrozoo has also pumped millions of dollars into exhibitions. The zoo opened its newest exhibit, Amazon & Beyond, in 2008. It is one of the world's most varied and comprehensive tropical exhibits with jaguars, anacondas, giant river otters, harpy eagles, sting ray touch tanks, air conditioned buildings, and a unique display of a forest before and during flood times.
Miami Becomes Sports Championship Capital of America
With world-class stadiums, golf courses and other venues, Miami has become a sports championship city, hosting nearly two dozen international sporting events during 2009. The action started with the FedEx Orange Bowl in January and will culminate with the Pro Bowl on January 31, 2010 and Super Bowl XLIV in February 2010, which Miami is hosting for a record 10th time. In March alone, the city hosted the first and second rounds of the NCAA Division 1 Men's Basketball Championship, six games as part of round two of the World Baseball Classic, the Sony Ericsson Open tennis championship, the CA Golf Championship at Doral, the 2009 Bacardi Cup sailing regatta, the 2009 Acura Miami Grand Prix and Florida Derby Day, which is considered the most significant preview of the Triple Crown.
In a historic first for motorsports, Homestead-Miami Speedway will host five world-class motorsport championships in 2009, as the IndyCar Series and Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series join the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series Championships. In doing so, the speedway will become the first racetrack ever to host all of the premier North American motorsports championships. The Homestead-Miami Speedway has invested millions of dollars in recent years to upgrade its facilities for racer, spectators and the media.
Miami is also home to two national state parks: the Florida Everglades and Biscayne National Parks which draws more than a million visitors each year to explore Florida's breathtaking wilderness. For travelers who would just as soon paddle a canoe down a silent waterway or ride a jet ski in Biscayne Bay, a walk on the wild side is in order. Whether it's a bicycle ride along back roads or a hike to a pond where wading birds gather, matchless opportunities to get back to nature exist mere minutes from civilization. Here, on the lookout for manatees and sea turtles, cameras click not for divas and movie stars, but for more than 300 varieties of birds and glorious sunsets over the River of Grass.
About The Greater Miami Convention & Visitor's Bureau
The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) is an independent not-for-profit sales and marketing organization whose mission is to attract visitors to Greater Miami and the Beaches for leisure, business and conventions. For a vacation guide, visit our website at www.MiamiAndBeaches.com or call 1-888-76-Miami (US/Canada only) or 305-447-7777. To reach the GMCVB offices dial 305-539-3000. Meeting planners may call 1-800-933-8448 (US/Canada only) or 305-539-3071 or visit www.MiamiMeetings.com.
About The U.S. Travel Association
The U.S. Travel Association is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the $740 billion travel industry. The organization's mission is to promote and facilitate increased travel to and within the United States and is proud to be a partner in travel with American Express. For more information, visit www.ustravel.org.
Web site: https://exchange.mcgill.ca/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.miamiandbeaches.com/

090511-5

090511-5
U.S. Sugar Board Approves Amended Two-Step SFWMD Land Acquisition
usagnet             North Dakota Ag Connection
May 11, 2009
The board of directors of the U.S. Sugar Corporation approved the amended contract terms for the South Florida Water Management District's acquisition of the company's land in two affordable phases that enable the company to continue its operations.
"Our board approved the revised acquisition approach implementing Governor Crist's bold vision for our property. While the vision and goal remain unchanged, the economy dictated this more affordable approach," said Robert Coker, senior vice president, public affairs.
"We believe this historic acquisition will still provide great benefits for the environment and a fair value for our company," Coker said. "Our board approval brings us one step closer to getting this done. The next step is the review and approval of the amended contract by the Governing Board of the SFWMD next week."
Under the amended terms, the SFWMD initially would acquire nearly 73,000 acres of the company's land for approximately $536 million with a 10-year option to acquire the remaining 107,000 acres. U.S. Sugar would continue to farm the property through a 7-year lease that may be extended under certain circumstances. The SFWMD is in the bond validation process in Florida Circuit Court. The acquisition is scheduled to close within 90 days of bond validation.
"This two-step approach provides a greater degree of certainty for our businesses, for our employees and also for our communities by keeping our farming and processing operations viable for the foreseeable future," said Robert Coker, senior vice president, public affairs.
Coker said that under the amended agreement, U.S. Sugar will lease back the cane land for $150 per gross acre for the initial seven-year period. The SFWMD can take nearly 33,000 acres of citrus land with one year's notice. The SFWMD also may take up to 10,000 acres of cane land at any time in the first ten years with a two-year notice for approved and funded projects. Up to 3,000 acres of transition lands within or adjacent to local municipalities will be made available for development or community projects.
"Now it is up to the Governing Board to approve the contract and move forward to implement Governor Crist's vision. We are optimistic that they will," Coker said.
North Dakota sugarbeet farmers have an interest in U.S. Sugar.

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090508-1
Business coalition supports U.S. Sugar purchase
South Florida Business Journal, Paul Brinkmann
Friday, May 8, 2009, 2:22pm EDT
A new group of South Florida businesses has been formed to support the state buyout of U.S. Sugar Corp. land for Everglades restoration.
The group, called the River of Grass Coalition, formally launched Friday afternoon with a press teleconference.
The coalition is urging the South Florida Water Management District to approve the purchase, despite the high price and deep recession.
Their belief: Water quality is a valuable commodity, and investing in it is a bargain.
 “We are directly affected in the tourism industry by any rate increases in water, and any problems with water quality,” said Brian Scheinblum, CEO of Cambean Hospitality in Miami Beach.
Gov. Charlie Crist has called on the water district to buy 72,500 acres of U.S. Sugar property for about $530 million. The purpose of the land purchase is to allow better flow and treatment of water from Lake Okeechobee to the Everglades and to South Florida in general. Without that flow, growing water shortage problems in dry years could cripple South Florida’s growth, coalition members said Friday.
 “This is approximately a $600 million purchase,” said coalition member Andy Hill, an investment adviser from Naples. “However, when you start working with the numbers, it’s really a reasonable capital expenditure any of us would make under similar circumstances.”
Hill said the Everglades, its water supply and related tourism activities support about $5 billion in economic activity a year.
The governor’s office has said the buyout increases the availability of water storage, significantly reducing the potential for harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers and estuaries when lake levels are high, while delivering cleaner water to the Everglades during dry times and greater water storage to protect the natural system during wet years.
The water management district’s governing board narrowly approved a larger purchase in December, but concerns about the deteriorating economy forced the governor to call for a smaller deal. The board still has to approve the smaller version.
Crist had come under fire by small towns near Clewiston-based U.S. Sugar because the original deal could have eliminated many jobs in a short time. Others criticized the first deal as too much, too soon.
More than 80 businesses or business groups around Southeast and Southwest Florida were listed as members of the new coalition, including Keyes Co. Realtors, Islamorada Chamber of Commerce, Everglades Day Safari, Florida Billfish Foundation and the Pathman Lewis law firm.
The nonprofit Everglades Foundation, a longtime supporter of Everglades restoration, helped coordinate the group’s formation.

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090508-2
U.S. help on horizon for Everglades, beaches
Miami Herald
LESLEY CLARK            lclark@MiamiHerald.com
May. 08, 2009
President Barack Obama's proposed 2010 federal budget boosts spending on efforts to restore the imperiled Everglades and includes money for shoring up beaches.
The $45 million for beach renourishment nationwide marks the largest amount that a president has proposed in more than a decade, and beach advocates were gleeful.
''Very little has ever shown up in a president's budget request,'' said Debbie Flackof the Florida Shore & Beach Preservation Association, which represents coastal cities and counties. ``We're hoping this is recognition of the economic benefit of beaches.''
Flack said there were no details on how the money would be spent, but that beaches in Miami-Dade and Pinellas counties are next on the state's maintenance schedule. Miami-Dade says it needs $8.25 million for restoring eroded portions of its 13-mile shoreline in Miami Beach, from 63rd to 84th streets and from 25th to 46th streets.
In past years, cities and counties have had to rely on members of Congress to earmark dollars for rebuilding eroded beaches. Those requests totaled $100 million nationwide last year, Flack said.
''Our delegation has been marvelous in getting these projects added and we've not enjoyed administration support, so the fact we're seeing this amount of money coming through is big news for beaches,'' Flack said.
The administration is also proposing an increase in Everglades spending, to $215 million, compared to President Bush's 2009 request for $135 million. Republican Sen. Mel Martinez said the money ``appears to move Everglades restoration in the right direction.''
Few details were available on which projects the administration is emphasizing, but Kirk Fordham, chief executive officer of The Everglades Foundation, called the initial figures encouraging.
''Certainly the president recognizes we have little time to waste if we're going to save the Everglades,'' Fordham said. The proposal comes a week after the Obama administration announced it would spend $96 million in federal stimulus dollars to build a handful of key Everglades restoration projects.
`TRUE PARTNERS'
''This request is the third substantial announcement of federal Everglades restoration funds since January,'' said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston. ``Florida finally has true partners in the White House and the Democratic-led Congress when it comes to prioritizing Florida's environment and economy.''
House Republicans criticized the overall spending in the budget saying it will create a ''huge debt'' -- but both Florida senators said it doesn't go far enough when it comes to NASA.
SPACE PROGRAM
Nelson noted that although Obama has committed to finishing all nine space shuttle missions and making full use of the International Space Station, ``the administration's budget does not match what candidate Obama said about the future of our space program. . . . He's assured me these numbers are subject to change, pending a review he has ordered of NASA.''
Nelson said the review, expected in 90 days, ``is an opportunity to nail down support for human space flight.''
Said Martinez: ``If we are going to maintain our leadership in space, the administration and Congress need to demonstrate [a] dramatic increase in our commitment to exploration. This starts by appointing a qualified individual to serve as administrator of NASA.''

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090508-3
Water restrictions tightened in South Florida
The Miami Herald
May. 08, 2009
A severe water drought is forcing officials to tighten water restrictions in South Florida.
That means lawn sprinkling for homes in parts of Miami-Dade County and the Florida Keys is limited to once a week. Other parts of Miami-Dade are under twice-weekly restrictions, as well as Broward, Martin and St. Lucie counties.
The South Florida Water Management District met Thursday with local law enforcement officials in charge with enforcing watering restrictions. The district's Web site says fines for illegal watering vary but could range from $25 to $125 for the first offense.
Water officials are concerned with protecting both the drinking water supply and the Everglades.

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090507-1
Are your wells going dry ?
Highlands Today, LAURA NESBITT
May 7, 2009
Picture:  Jasmina Meyer/Highlands Today
Todd Eveleth, co-owner of Pete Eveleth Well Drilling Inc., replaces an old submersible pump for an irrigation well on Wednesday at Villa Del Sol in Avon Park. The three horsepower pump will go about 60 feet into the ground at the end of drop piping, pumping out 75 gallons a minute.
SEBRING - When one of his wells quit pumping last Friday, Chuck Domm had no drinking water.
Five days later, the 250-foot well was still not functioning. The Lorida resident blames the water table levels being sapped dry by the current drought for his water woes.
He called Pete Eveleth Well Drilling about the problem.
"We have the lowest water tables that we've had in several years," said JoAnn Eveleth, whose husband has operated the drilling company for about 35 years.
Owners of two other wells in Avon Park have called the Highlands County Health Department in the past several weeks concerned that their wells might go dry, said Janelle Bourgoin, environmental specialist II. Bourgoin's department monitors some wells in the area.
Large wells in the area are functioning but it is evident that their water levels have gone down, said South Florida Water Management District Spokesman Randy Smith. SFWMD monitors large wells like utility wells through the south and east portions of the county.
"People can look at the lakes behind their houses and see that the levels are a lot lower," Smith said. "There's a lot of evaporation on hot, cloudless days with no rainfall. Underground it's the same thing. It's important to remind people that our water supply is 100 percent dependent on rain."
And that rain might not happen for several weeks.
The area is in a moderate to severe drought, said Ernie Jillson, meteorologist with the National Weather Service. The seven-day forecast includes very little chance of rain. Whatever moisture comes down from above "wouldn't sink into the water table," Jillson said.
While the rainfall levels do affect the underground aquifers, it's not a direct inch-for-inch effect, Smith said. Aquifers are underground layers of rock and sand that hold water. In Southwest Florida, more than 80 percent of the water supply comes from aquifers, according to information from the Southwest Florida Water Management District Web site.
SWFMUD, which covers the other part of Highlands County, also has not received any calls about dry wells, said Robyn Felix, media relations manager.
Felix said it's important to remember that May is the last month of the dry season. The area gets 60 percent of its annual rainfall from June through September.
"That's when everything gets filled up," she said. "It's going to take an above-average rainfall for an extended period of time for water resources to recover and for us to be out of the drought."
On Tuesday, owner James R. Swindle Jr. of J.R.S. Well Drilling & Irrigation was busy working on a well off of Hammock Road in Sebring.
Swindle said droughts like this one are more likely to affect shallow wells like the one he was working on, which was about 25 feet deep.
"Twenty-foot wells are very common here," Swindle said. "This county has more wells than any other county I've ever been in. The deeper the well, the better off everyone will be."
If a well has gone dry, call the SWFMUD at 863-534-1448. Felix said the district would send staff to look at the well and make recommendations.

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Dealing with other buyers could help state get all of U.S. Sugar's land
South Florida Sun Sentinel, Andy Reid
May 7, 2009
Bringing in another buyer could help lock up the 180,000 acres of farmland Gov. Charlie Crist covets for Everglades restoration.
The state's economic woes forced Crist last month to scale down his $1.34 billion proposal to use U.S. Sugar Corp. land to restore water flows from Lake Okeechobee to the Everglades.
Next week the South Florida Water Management District votes on the governor's amended $536 million deal to buy 73,000 acres. The deal includes a 10-year option to purchase 107,000 more acres from U.S. Sugar.
But with tax revenues dropping because of the struggling economy, questions remain about how the district can afford to buy 73,000 acres and build reservoirs and water treatment on the land -- much less pay for another 107,000 acres in 10 years.
The answer, district officials said Thursday, could be using the option for the remaining 107,000 acres to strike a deal with another buyer interested in acquiring some of U.S. Sugar's land.
That could allow the district to get a portion of the 107,000 acres needed for restoration or swap for land more strategically located between the lake and the Everglades.
Getting more federal money for Everglades restoration could also help the state acquire the 107,000 acres.
"There's nothing to preclude us from getting other people's money," district Executive Director Carol Ann Wehle said. "As circumstances change, we are willing to be flexible."
Last month's version of the scaled-down deal raised questions about whether the land swaps envisioned back in June -- when Crist first announced the land buy -- would still work. The new version of the deal allows for limited land exchanges.
The district revealed Wednesday that financial hurdles would likely push the U.S. Sugar deal into next year. The previous goal was to close the deal by September, but the district may not have its financing in place until March.
The terms of the amended deal allow for the closing to be extended 90 days after the district's financing is approved, which could push the deal into June 2010.
The district plans to borrow the money for the deal, with South Florida taxpayers paying off the debt. U.S. Sugar rival Florida Crystals and other opponents to the deal have gone to court to fight the financing plan.
Yet even while opposing the deal, Florida Crystals has been in talks with the governor's office, the water management district and U.S. Sugar about striking a potential deal for some of U.S. Sugar's property.
Andy Reid can be reached at abreid@SunSentinel.com or 561-228-5504.

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090507-3
Lake O level drops; pumps needed to keep water flowing to South Florida
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Andy Reid
May 7, 2009
PALM BEACH COUNTY - Water levels in Lake Okeechobee are dropping so low that pumps will be installed Monday to keep sending flows to South Florida for irrigation and water supplies.
In addition, worsening drought conditions today prompted tougher watering restrictions for southern Miami-Dade County and the Florida Keys.
Residents and businesses in the targeted area will now be limited to once-a-week watering. That targeted area starts at Southwest 216th Street, near Homestead in Miami-Dade County, and extends south through the Keys.
Most of the rest of South Florida, including Broward and Palm Beach counties, remains under twice-a-week watering restrictions.
Groundwater levels in southern Miami-Dade County have dropped to the lowest levels in 10 years, according to the South Florida Water Management District.
Conditions are worsening to the north as well, and the lower the lake gets the less back-up water is available.
Lake levels have been worsened by the Army Corps of Engineers decision this spring to keep releasing lake water west to help boost freshwater levels in the Caloosahatchee River.
The lake today measures 10.89 feet above sea level. Dropping to 10.86 feet would put the lake in the "water shortage" range, which could trigger more watering restrictions. The district expects the lake to hit that mark by next week.

090507-4

090507-4
New Watering Limits For S. Miami-Dade & Monroe Co.
MIAMI-DADE (CBS4) ― television
May 7, 2009 5:29 pm US/Eastern
New one-day-a-week watering restrictions are now in place for residents of South Miami-Dade and Monroe counties.
The South Florida Water Management District says due to critically low levels in wells that tap into the Biscayne Aquifer more restrictive modified Phase III restrictions are needed.
The new restrictions apply to residents and businesses beginning at Southwest 216th Street, near Homestead, and extend south through the Florida Keys.
Homes and businesses that have odd numbered addresses may only water on Saturdays from midnight to 10 a.m. and/or 4 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.
Homes and businesses that have even numbered addresses may only water only on Sundays from midnight to 10 a.m. and/or 4 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.
There are a few exceptions however.
Cisterns and low-volume systems, such as drip, bubble and micro-jet systems that apply water directly to root plant zones, may be used at any time but should be voluntarily reduced. Irrigation which used 100 percent reclaimed water is also exempt.
The order also places restrictions on nurseries in Monroe County. Nursery owners may operate overhead irrigation systems seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for inside or shaded plants and from 4 a.m. to 10 a.m. and/or 4 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. for outside plants.
The District has also asked the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority (FKAA) to activate the Stock Island Seawater Desalination Plant on Key West which can produce up to 1.5 million gallons of freshwater per day from ocean saltwater using reverse osmosis.
Water managers say the ground water levels in South Miami-Dade, where several utilities draw water from the Biscayne Aquifer, have dropped to within the lowest 10 percent of their historical range. The aquifer typically rebounds quickly in response to persistent wet season rains, but the start of the season might not arrive for several weeks.

090507-5

090507-5
Water Restrictions Imposed Amid Dry Conditions
Stricter Watering Rules Apply To Southwest Miami-Dade, Monroe
Post Newsweek Stations
May 7, 2009
MIAMI -- Recent dry conditions have led to an emergency order from the South Florida Water Management District.
People who live south of 216th Street in southwest Miami-Dade County and everyone living in Monroe County can water only one day per week.
Residents with odd-numbered addresses may water only on Saturdays, while people whose addresses are even-numbered may water only on Sundays.
If you live north of 216th Street in Miami-Dade County or if you live in Broward County, you may water two days per week.

090507-6
Water restrictions tightened in South Florida
The Associated Press
May. 08, 2009
A severe water drought is forcing officials to tighten water restrictions in South Florida.
That means lawn sprinkling for homes in parts of Miami-Dade County and the Florida Keys is limited to once a week. Other parts of Miami-Dade are under twice-weekly restrictions, as well as Broward, Martin and St. Lucie counties.
The South Florida Water Management District met Thursday with local law enforcement officials in charge with enforcing watering restrictions. The district's Web site says fines for illegal watering vary but could range from $25 to $125 for the first offense.
Water officials are concerned with protecting both the drinking water supply and the Everglades.

090506-1

090506-1
Drought At Historic Levels
Channel-13 News
Wednesday, May 06, 2009 3:15:17 PM
ORLANDO -- We're smack dab in the middle of Central Florida's dry season, and while we desperately need some rain, it appears not much is in store for us over the next week.
Water managers all over Central Florida are urging residents to cut back on their water use as much as possible.
Bill Graf from the South Florida Water Management District says that the drought is at historic levels.
Graf told News 13's Jackie Brockington that they have been keeping records since 1932 and this year is the driest on record.
Graf said all your lawn needs is 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch of water twice a week. Watering less frequently help you lawn establish a deep root system and makes it hardier. He said is much better for your lawn and for the environment if you give your lawn a good soaking twice a week instead of watering it a little, more frequently.
If it rains and you get 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch of water, you don't need to water your lawn. The South Florida Water Management District has free rain gauges so you can tell when your lawn has had enough.
According to Graf, half our domestic water use is used outside -- around 75 gallons each day.
One recommendation Graf made was to wash your car over the lawn so that the runoff water gets absorbed back into the aquifer. If you use a car wash, find one that recycles its water.
Also, try to water your lawn before dawn so the water does not evaporate in the hot sun.

090506-2

090506-2
Drought severely depletes Florida Keys water supply
Florida Keysnoter
May 6, 2009
A plummeting water level in the South Florida aquifer has triggered an emergency meeting today of local and state officials.
"We're in the worst drought in recorded Florida history," said David Ritz, chairman of the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority. "The Biscayne Aquifer dropped a foot in two weeks' time. That's unprecedented."
A monitoring well east of the Biscayne Aquifer indicated high saltwater levels earlier this week. However, the FKAA is not yet being forced to shut down any of its wells in Florida City.
"Levels [at the actual wells] are reported within normal range," FKAA spokeswoman Colleen Tagle said.
Potable water will still flow down the pipeline to the Keys -- but enforcement of mandatory water-conservation rules likely will increase.
"It's a serious enough situation that we are forming a water-restriction enforcement strike team," said County Administrator Roman Gastesi, a former staffer with the South Florida Water Management District. "Everybody needs to start following the water restrictions that are in place."
The Keys cannot seek water from other areas in the South Florida Water Management District because there is none to be had, said district board member Mike Collins of Islamorada.
"Basically, we're out of water. The options are non-existent," Collins said. "Our water conservation areas are so dry that they're on fire."
On April 30, average rainfall throughout the South Florida Water Management District since Jan. 1 was less than three inches -- about nine inches below normal. The drought has broken all records for the Nov. 1-May 31 dry season since records started to be kept in 1932.
"Water levels in the primary regional storage systems -- the water conservation areas and Lake Okeechobee -- continue to drop. A majority of water levels in wells monitored by the district also declined," said a district report.
"The one thing that we do have some control over is water use," Collins said. "If people want to be able to take showers and wash their laundry, we have to get other people to cut back on watering their lawns."
Water district staff driving through the Keys on Friday reported to Collins that they passed "four big resorts going full-on with irrigation. This was on a Friday -- when all watering is illegal."
"Nobody is interested in making money through fines. We're after compliance with the rules," Ritz said.
Gastesi said, "Last year the problem was Lake Okeechobee's level was so low. Now it's the aquifer. Tropical Storm Fay came through and gave us all a sense of false security. We thought we were off the hook for water problems, but we're not."
The FKAA pumps about 17 millions of gallons per day in the dry season. The water utility likely will begin blending treated brackish water with the high-quality water from the Biscayne Aquifer, and lower pumping pressure to reduce water lost to pipeline leaks.
The FKAA's reverse-osmosis plant will be activated, Ritz said, "but that's very expensive water to produce."
A large reverse-osmosis plant at the Florida City well field is nearing completion but will not be operational until later this year, Ritz said.
Local code enforcement officers will be asked to keep an eye out for water-use violations. Homes and businesses are allowed to water lawns and landscaping two days each week, but not between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Washing cars and boats is not regulated by the current rules. For specific rules, go to www.sfwmd.gov .

090506-3

090506-3
Everglades land deal could be delayed 6 months
South Florida Sun Sentinel
By Andy Reid |
May 6, 2009,  9:28 PM EDT,
Financial concerns could delay Gov. Charlie Crist's blockbuster Everglades land deal with U.S. Sugar Corp. until next year.
The South Florida Water Management District released more details Wednesday about the proposal to buy U.S. Sugar farmland that would be used to build reservoirs and treatment areas to reconnect Lake Okeechobee water flows to the Everglades.
Instead of closing on the deal in September, the $536 million proposal for 73,000 acres would be finalized by March, according to the amended terms.
That price is about $3 million more than discussed in April and the deal includes 500 more acres than last month's version.
U.S. Sugar takes the amended proposal to its board for a vote Friday. The district's board will be asked to approve the new deal next week.
The district plans to borrow the money to pay for the deal, with South Florida taxpayers paying off the debt. U.S. Sugar competitor Florida Crystals and other opponents to the deal have gone to court to fight the financing plan.
The court challenge and struggling economy prompted the delayed closing deadline, U.S. Sugar Senior Vice President Robert Coker said.
Last month Coker criticized the district board for a "lack of leadership" when board members questioned the proposed price. On Wednesday, Coker said he was "optimistic" the board would accept the deal.
"We have had very good discussions with senior management of the water management district," Coker said. "There is a clear understanding now of the issues."
The state's economic woes twice prompted Crist to scale down his bid to buy up farmland and use it to store, clean and move water to the Everglades.
In June, Crist first proposed a $1.75 billion deal to buy all of U.S. Sugar's more than 180,000 acres, along with the company's sugar mill, rail lines and other facilities. In November, he proposed a land-only deal for $1.34 billion that would keep U.S. Sugar in business.
The latest version of the plan calls for the district to get 73,000 acres with U.S. Sugar leasing back much of the land for as long as 20 years. The district also would have a 10-year option to purchase 107,000 more acres from U.S. Sugar.
The smaller deal allows U.S. Sugar to pay less to clean up land polluted during decades of farming. The original deal called for the company to pay $21.5 million toward cleanup costs, with a $10 million escrow fund for unforeseen environmental issues. The latest deal calls for U.S. Sugar to pay $8.6 million for the cleanup with a $4 million escrow fund.

090506-4

090506-4
Florida Forever Statement of The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy
May 6, 2009
ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, FLORIDA — May 6, 2009 — The Nature Conservancy would like to recognize and thank the efforts of the Florida Senate to address the funding of Florida Forever during these difficult economic times. We would particularly like to thank the leadership of Senate President Jeff Atwater and the creativity and persistence of Senators J.D. Alexander, Carey Baker, Al Lawson, and Dan Gelber for their efforts to fund Florida Forever through the closure of the Crescent loophole in Senate Bill 2640 and to ensure that current bond authority for the program is protected.  We would also like to acknowledge the commitment of Gov. Charlie Crist to the Florida Forever program demonstrated by his efforts to fund the program during the regular legislative session and his veto of Florida Forever cuts during the January special session.
During final budget negotiations, when the House declined to accept Senate Florida Forever and Everglades funding language in SB 2640 and HB 55, the Senate proposed providing $25 million for Florida Forever and $25 million for Everglades Restoration. This eventually led to $50 million of funding for the Everglades which will further important Everglades Restoration work in the Northern Everglades region. Unfortunately, Florida Forever did not receive new bond authority in the 2009 budget.
While we are disappointed that Florida Forever did not receive new funding for 2009, it is important to acknowledge that the Florida Forever program will continue because of the efforts of the Legislature to ensure that the existing $250 million of bond authority can be issued and spent. Moreover, we are hopeful that the documentary stamp loophole fix in SB 2640 and an improving economy will set the stage for full Florida Forever funding next year.
 “We challenge and are committed to working with the leadership of both chambers during the 2010 session to fully fund the most successful land acquisition program in the country, funding that 67 percent of Floridians support,” said Jeff Danter, The Nature Conservancy’s Florida director.

090506-5

090506-5
Glades funds at last
Miami Herald
OUR OPINION: Federal stimulus money will jump-start stalled cleanup projects
By most measures, $20 billion is jaw-dropping sum, but it's a drop in the bucket in the big picture funding cost of the entire Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). Nevertheless, the $279 million in federal funds earmarked largely for Glades restoration projects mark the single-largest amount that Congress and the White House have allocated since the joint federal-state project was approved in 2000. It's a start, finally.
The money comes from two sources. There is $183 million in a spending bill approved by Congress last month and $96 million from the federal-stimulus package for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers work. Together, these funds will get stalled projects started, such as restoring wetlands in the 55,000-acre Picayune Strand in Southwest Florida and building a reservoir to improve the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in Palm Beach County. There also is funding for repairs on Lake Okeechobee's dike and an upgrading of the Tamiami Trail, though not enough to elevate the road, which is the best solution to impairment of sheet flow.
There also is $25 million to help Monroe County replace its antiquated cesspool and septic tanks with a central-sewage system. Stimulus money will help fund restoration work on Virginia Key and an environmental survey on deepening Port Everglades, among others.
None are glitzy projects, but they will provide engineers, scientists, construction companies and other professionals with jobs. The results will improve Florida's chances of preserving and protecting our natural legacy. Who knows? Maybe Congress and the White House will get in the habit of sending dollars for Everglades cleanup. That would be most welcome because, so far, the state has outspent the feds six to one in CERP funding.

090506-6

090506-6
Lake O water releases should continue during drought
The News-Press
May 6, 2009
This year dry conditions have led to low ground water levels and an overly saline Caloosahatchee River
Water restrictions are the norm for residents throughout Florida. Agricultural users, while their water use is currently unrestricted, are concerned that future supplies will not be sufficient to meet their demands.
With all demands running high and supplies declining, competition to meet demands has been fierce.
Just like Goldilocks from the children's story, "The Three Bears", when it comes to ecosystems and water user groups, we all have something in common.
We all want our water "just right." Not too much or too little.
The Caloosahatchee River and estuary is no different in its need for the right mix of fresh and salt water.
The Caloosahatchee is a very resilient system and has adapted to our weather extremes.
And while the Caloosahatchee is very flexible, prolonged periods of excess fresh water that comes from storm events or high levels of salt water encroaching up the river due to droughts can lead to adverse impacts to plants and animals to one of Florida's most productive estuaries.
Historically, the Caloosahatchee was not connected to Lake Okeechobee. Fresh water flowed to the river as runoff in the basin, through underground migration, and from natural springs.
The draining of the lands, dredging of the river, and creation of a connection to Lake Okeechobee irretrievably changed the natural system.
Our system is now subject to water management decisions that can, and have, starved the Caloosahatchee of fresh water when it needs it, and inundates it when we are already drowning.
The same Lake Okeechobee source is used to provide water to sugar and citrus farmers and as a back-up supply for utilities along the southeast coast.
In times like these when little rain is falling and Lake Okeechobee declines, all users want what is perceived as their fair share.
Your county commission and Lee County staff members are strongly advocating for what is best for the Caloosahatchee while remaining mindful of the needs of urban and agricultural users, as well as the environmental water needs of the entire greater Everglades system.
Our message has been very simple; the amount of water needed to help sustain our incredibly productive estuary is only a tiny fraction of the water that is provided to other water users.
While the small amount may be a relatively insignificant amount from the total water allocation, the benefit to the estuary and the $4 billion industry it supports is tremendous.
We believe that if any cutbacks to the Caloosahatchee are considered, a thorough analysis be completed to determine if these cuts would have any measurable and significant benefit to other users. Additionally, an analysis of how other users could cut back to maintain "Shared Adversity" is also required.
Successfully, Lee County has made the case to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that environmental releases should be made.
We will continue to make clear, both to the South Florida Water Management District and the Corps, that environmental releases should continue until the wet season begins. Anything less, without concurrent reductions by other users, would be grossly inequitable.
We will continue to battle to ensure that the Caloosahatchee is not constantly used as a dumping ground when water is too plentiful.
That goal does not change the fact that we also need some water flows during the dry season.
We remain committed to working with the necessary agencies to ensure that the Caloosahatchee is provided the fresh water it requires during the dry season and to not be considered the path of least resistance to dump on when water is in excess. Not too much, not too little, just right.

090506-7

09050-7
Past six months driest in southern Florida since 1932, water official says
Naples News
CHARLIE WHITEHEAD (Contact)
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
The level of Lake Okeechobee dropped below 11 feet this week with no rain in sight and parched southern Florida continues to be tinder-dry.
 “This is unprecedented,” said Susan Sylvester, hydrologist for the South Florida Water Management District. “We can go all the way back to 1932, and this is the driest six-month period on record.”
Estuary-saving freshwater releases from the lake into the Caloosahatchee River have continued, but the latest 11-day release is scheduled to end Friday.
 “We’ll be talking to the Corps of Engineers tomorrow afternoon,” Lee County water resources manager Kurt Harclerode said Wednesday. “We’ll be asking that environmental releases continue.”
Even as east coast news outlets write about “dumping water to sea” down the Caloosahatchee, Lee officials say the water crisis cannot become us-versus-them.
“Let’s not put ourselves where it’s between the haves and have-nots,” Lee Commissioner Tammy Hall said.
Hall said what west coast residents want is a comprehensive look at competing water needs and real shared adversity. When water to the Caloosahatchee was cut off for several days in March while agricultural use was unabated and east coast utilities remained on restrictions more lax than year-round rules in place here county officials, environmentalists and tourist businesses that rely on a healthy estuary were incensed.
“We don’t want people to not have drinking water and we don’t want crop prices sky-high,” Hall said. “We need to look comprehensively, and where we have to take a hit we’ll take it. We can’t be the only one taking the hit.”
Sylvester said she cannot address the Caloosahatchee releases. They are after all a Corps of Engineers decision.
“The thing I just don’t know is what’s going to happen with future releases,” she said. “The bottom line is a deficit in rainfall. It’s the reason why.”
If not enough fresh water comes down the river salty water makes its way up the river, damaging seagrass beds that are the nursery for estuary life. The river has also been close to warning standards at the county’s Olga Water Treatment Plant. Harclerode said the water is already too salty at the Fort Myers Yacht Basin, but a freshwater enclave remains upstream.
The balancing act for water managers is only going to get tougher. The lake level is now but an inch or two above the so-called Water Shortage Management Band, where stricter restrictions kick in across the district. Evapotranspiration - water evaporating out of the lake - is accelerating, Sylvester said.
“The meteorologists don’t see much of anything for a week out,” she said. “We have absolutely no certainty about future rainfall. We expect the rain to start because we’re heading into the rainy season. But when does that start?”
If the lake falls to about 101⁄2 feet, water stops flowing south and east. Forward pumps would move water in that direction for thirsty crops and residents, but only a little more than half what those areas are receiving now. The Water Management District governing board would also be asked to make recommendations to the Corps on environmental releases.
But the final decision still falls on Col. Paul Grosskruger of the Corps of Engineers.
“He’s keeping track of the conditions,” said the Corps Nanciann Regalado. “I haven’t gotten any read on him or the technical people, but we continue to monitor.”
By next week the lake is likely to enter the Water Shortage Management Band. The Water Management District governing board is slated to meet next week, too.
“If we got one more scheduled release of 11 days it might get us through to the rainy season,” Harclerode said. “We’re so close now we might make it. If they turn off the tap now and we go another month without rain that’s different.”

090505-1

090505-1
$65 billion deal is set on budget
H-T Capital Bureau
LLOYD DUNKELBERGER
May 5, 2009
TALLAHASSEE - Floridians could face some $2 billion in taxes and fees and the Bright Futures scholarship program may be fundamentally changed under a final budget deal reached Monday by legislative leaders.
Agreement on the $65 billion-plus spending plan clears the way for lawmakers to end their extended session on Friday. The deal includes a $1-a-pack cigarette tax, nearly $380 million in potential school property taxes and more than $800 million in fees.
For the first time in more than a decade, the budget will impose a basic tuition hike that will not be covered by Bright Futures scholarships.
Lawmakers came into the session facing a $6 billion budget deficit. An infusion of $5 billion in federal stimulus funds helped ease the crisis, but the difficult budget negotiations forced lawmakers to call for a one-week extension of their annual 60-day session.
The end result is a budget deal that will give a slight boost to public schools and universities, while imposing an 8 percent tuition increase for universities and community colleges. Local school districts will have the option of raising taxes -- subject to voter approval -- up to $25 per $100,000 of property value, with the potential statewide increase of $380 million.
The budget will use nearly $900 million from a $1 per pack cigarette tax increase.
About $830 million in new fees will be imposed, increasing everything from the cost of replacing a driver's license to fishing from a beach.
State workers making more than $45,000 a year will face a 2 percent pay cut.
And in one of their final decisions, lawmakers kept the Florida Forever environmental land-buying program going in the new year by moving forward $250 million in bonding authority to acquire property. They provided another $50 million in bonds for the Everglades restoration project.
"It's a responsible budget. It meets our critical needs," said Senate budget chairman J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales. "It makes some difficult cuts but at the same time it's not so draconian as to be irresponsible."
The budget also represents a fundamental policy shift in higher education. For the first time since 1997, when the Bright Futures scholarship program began, lawmakers decided not to use the scholarships to cover an 8 percent basic tuition increase for university and community college students.
Coupled with other legislation, university students could face a 15 percent tuition increase in the fall that would not be covered by Bright Futures, which historically has paid the full tuition costs for the highest performing students.
The net result is that the state's brightest high school students, who previously have had full tuition covered at public universities, will next year have to pay, on average, $369 in tuition.
About 40 percent of Florida's graduating high school seniors qualify for the program, with 112,000 state university and 35,000 community college students using the scholarships in the 2007-08 budget year.
Rep. David Rivera, R-Miami, one of the House budget chairmen, said there is a growing consensus among lawmakers and education leaders that the current funding setup for Bright Futures "is not sustainable into the future."
"We have to start thinking about retooling how exactly we finance Bright Futures, particularly if we are going to have high quality universities," Rivera said.
Alexander said Lottery revenue, which was used to finance the program, has not kept up with the growth rate in Bright Futures funding, which has averaged more than a double-digit annual increase since its inception more than a decade ago.
Alexander, who said he favored capping the program at a set amount, said lawmakers faced more than a $100 million deficit in lottery funding for the program this year, forcing them to shift non-lottery state revenue to Bright Futures to the detriment of other state programs.
Having students and their families pay an additional 8 percent is "a modest additional ask," Alexander said, adding he would work to make sure other need-based scholarships are available to students who may not be able to afford the higher tuition.
"So that any kid that can do the work and works hard, we can continue to fulfill our commitment to make sure they have a place in our universities and colleges," Alexander said.
In another move, lawmakers agreed to shift $120 million from a state road-building fund to pay for other state programs.
Originally, lawmakers had agreed to take $100 million from the fund, which state Department of Transportation officials said would result in delaying about $600 million in road projects.
The agreement leaves the Legislature with only one issue yet to resolve before Friday: gambling.
Leaders are still debating whether to allow the Seminole Tribe to expand its gambling operations as well as plans to let dog tracks, jai alai frontons and horse tracks expand their gambling.
The deal potentially could raise another $500 million for the state.

090505-2

090505-2
Budget will hit Floridians with $2 billion in fees, taxes
Ocala.com
Lloyd Dunkelberger, Tallahassee bureau
May 5, 2009
TALLAHASSEE - Floridians could face some $2 billion in taxes and fees and the Bright Futures scholarship program may be fundamentally changed under a final budget deal reached Monday by legislative leaders.
BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS
$65 billion in state spending
A $28 per student increase in public school funding
An 8 percent increase in university and community college tuition
A 2 percent pay cut for state workers making more than $45,000 a year
$1-a-pack cigarette tax increase
$830 million in fee increases
$5 billion in federal stimulus money
A $120 million shift of state road-building funds to other programs
Agreement on the $65 billion-plus spending plan clears the way for lawmakers to end their extended session on Friday. The deal includes a $1-a-pack cigarette tax, nearly $380 million in potential school property taxes and more than $800 million in fees.
For the first time in more than a decade, the budget will impose a basic tuition increase that will not be covered by Bright Futures scholarships.
Lawmakers came into the session facing a $6 billion budget deficit. An infusion of $5 billion in federal stimulus funds helped ease the crisis, but the difficult budget negotiations forced lawmakers to call for a one-week extension of their annual 60-day session.
The end result is a budget deal that will give a slight boost to public schools and universities, while imposing an 8 percent tuition increase for universities and community colleges. Local school districts will have the option of raising taxes - subject to voter approval - up to $25 per $100,000 of property value, with the potential statewide increase of $380 million.
The budget will use nearly $900 million from a $1-per-pack cigarette tax increase.
About $830 million in new fees will be imposed, increasing everything from the cost of replacing a driver's license to fishing from a beach.
State workers making more than $45,000 a year will face a 2 percent pay cut.
And in one their final decisions, lawmakers kept the Florida Forever environmental land-buying program going in the new year by moving forward $250 million in bonding authority that is not likely to be used this year to acquire property. They provided another $50 million in bonds for the Everglades restoration project.
"It's a responsible budget. It meets our critical needs," said Senate budget chairman J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales.
The budget also represents a fundamental policy shift in higher education. For the first time since 1997, when the Bright Futures scholarship program began, lawmakers decided not to use the scholarships to cover an 8 percent basic tuition increase for university and community college students.
Coupled with other legislation, university students could face a 15 percent tuition increase in the fall that would not be covered by Bright Futures, which historically has paid the full tuition costs for the highest performing students.
About 40 percent of Florida's graduating high school seniors qualify for the program, with 112,000 state university and 35,000 community college students using the scholarships in the 2007-08 budget year.
Rep. David Rivera, R-Miami, one of the House budget negotiators, said there is a growing consensus among lawmakers and education leaders that "the current funding scheme [for Bright Futures] is not sustainable into the future."
"We have to start thinking about retooling how exactly we finance Bright Futures particularly if we are going to have high quality universities," Rivera said.
Alexander said lottery revenue, which was used to finance the program, has not kept up with the growth rate in Bright Futures funding, which has averaged more than a double-digit annual increase since its inception more than a decade ago.
Alexander, who said he favored capping the program at a set amount, said lawmakers faced more than a $100 million deficit in lottery funding for the program this year, forcing them to shift non-lottery state revenue to Bright Futures to the detriment of other state programs.
Having students and their families pay an additional 8 percent is "a modest additional ask," Alexander said, adding he would work to make sure other need-based scholarships are available to students who may not be able to afford the higher tuition.
In another move, lawmakers agreed to shift $120 million from a state road-building funding to pay for other state programs.
Originally, lawmakers had agreed to take $100 million from the fund, which state Department of Transportation officials said would result in delaying about $600 million in road projects.

090505-3

090505-4

090505-4
Recovery Act Projects, Florida State News Release
Statement from FDEP and SFWMD on Stimulus Funding (The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009)
The state is very pleased with the inclusion of more than $250 million in funding by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for civil works projects in Florida, including $96 million for Everglades restoration projects.
This funding will be instrumental in putting people to work by improving Florida’s infrastructure for flood protection and navigation, as well as protecting and restoring Florida’s vast natural resources. We especially appreciate the Administration’s attention and efforts to move Everglades Restoration forward with this critical funding. We know in the past months, members of the Florida Congressional Delegation and Governor Charlie Crist have been instrumental and very active in securing this funding. We stand ready to work side by side with the President, Congress, the Florida delegation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Florida Legislature to ensure restoration efforts move forward and achieve the environmental and economic benefits for the South Florida ecosystem.
For the Everglades
$40.771 million – Merritt Pump Station – Picayune
$41.338 million – Site 1
$5.668 million – L-31 Pilot
$2.886 million – Biological controls (melaleuca/brazillian pepper/lygodium)
$4.170 million – Seminole Big Cypress basins 2 and 3
$7.516 million – Kissimmee C-37 widening
Many millions for O & M throughout the state and District
For Herbert Hoover Dike
$6 million of materials (rock) for HHD rehab
$350,000 for HHD rights of way (roads for emergency access)
$500,000 Toe Ditch work for HHD
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers releases listing of Recovery Act-funded Civil Works projects
WASHINGTON (April 28, 2009) – The United States Army Corps of Engineers today released a listing of Civil Works projects to be funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
The legislation, signed into law by President Barack Obama on February 17, appropriated $4.6 billion to the Corps for its Civil Works program. The United States Army Corps of Engineers today released a listing of Civil Works projects to be funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
 “The Recovery Act funds for Civil Works will enable the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to do much good for the nation,” said John Paul Woodley, Jr., Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works.
 “In addition to the opportunity to help the nation and her citizens recover from this time of economic hardship,” said Woodley, “the Corps will be able to use these funds to accomplish work on water resources projects that will benefit the nation for years to come.”
 “The Corps is fully committed to ensuring the Recovery Act funds provided for Civil Works are used to achieve the purposes envisioned by the President and Congress for the legislation,” said Maj. Gen. Merdith “Bo” Temple, deputy commanding general for Civil and Emergency Operations for the Corps.
 “We intend to quickly put these dollars into action to get our fellow citizens to work on Corps projects throughout the nation,” said Temple. “At the same time, we will use these funds to build long-term value for the nation in its water resources projects with these funds.”
Economists estimate that Corps Recovery Act projects will create or maintain approximately 57,400 direct construction industry jobs and an additional 64,000 indirect and induced jobs in firms supplying or supporting the construction and the businesses that sell goods and services to these workers and their families.
The Corps’ list of Recovery Act-funded Civil Works projects released today includes approximately 178 construction projects, 892 Operation and Maintenance projects, 45 Mississippi River and Tributaries projects, 67 Investigations projects, and nine projects under the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP). Regulatory Program funds are distributed to Corps districts based upon workload. All projects on the lists have received appropriated funds in prior years’ Energy and Water Development Appropriations acts. No project on the lists is a new start.
The projects selected represent a set of productive investments that will contribute to economic development and aquatic ecosystem restoration. Consistent with congressional guidance that the Corps' allocation of Recovery Act funds maximize national benefits, the Corps made its allocation of Recovery Act construction funds based on the economic and environmental return of its ongoing projects.
The projects also meet the five criteria enumerated in the Congressional report accompanying the Recovery Act, namely that the projects:
- Be obligated/executed quickly;
- Result in high, immediate employment;
- Have little schedule risk;
- Be executed by contract or direct hire of temporary labor; and
- Complete a project phase, a project, an element, or will provide a useful service that does not require additional funding.
Recovery Act funds will be used to complete increments of work on previously started projects and in some cases to complete such projects.
The projects released today are distributed very broadly across the United States. The distribution of selected projects spreads the employment and other economic benefits across the nation.

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090505-5
Water officials urge cities to enforce restrictions
Region's drought expected to worsen
Florida Sun Sentinel
Andy Reid | South
May 5, 2009,  9:58 PM EDT,
Lack of rainfall since November makes this South Florida's worst dry season on record. The worsening drought hasn't led to an increase in enforcement for watering violations. (Joe Cavaretta, S-S / February 2, 2009)
Warnings of a worsening drought haven't triggered tougher enforcement of watering restrictions in many South Florida communities.
Lack of rainfall since November makes this South Florida's worst dry season on record.
Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, West Palm Beach and Palm Beach issued no citations from January through May 1, according to the South Florida Water Management District. By contrast, Royal Palm Beach issued 100 citations and Boca Raton reported 72.
Deerfield Beach and Dania Beach similarly reported issuing no citations through May 1. Fort Lauderdale Is your Fort Lauderdale restaurant clean? - Click Here. had 12 and Parkland 29.
Complete coverage: Water restrictions
Miami also did not report any citations through May 1, while Pinecrest had 207.
Most of South Florida remains under twice-a-week watering limits; restrictions of one kind or another have been in place since 2007.
The Water Management District on Tuesday called for cities and counties to step up enforcement.
"The dry conditions have raised concerns for the health of the water resources," District Deputy Executive Director Chip Merriam wrote in a May 1 letter to cities and counties. "The district needs support from local governments in enforcing the restrictions to protect the area's water supplies."
Before Tuesday's call to action, the district had been lax in holding cities and counties responsible for keeping up with reporting enforcement efforts. The reports released Tuesday showed blanks for most cities and counties from August until they picked up again in March.
Reports to the district showing how many citations that cities and counties issue are not mandatory, but there is a standing request for them, district spokesman Gabe Margasak said. The reporting efforts are stepped up as conditions warrant, he said.
For most of South Florida, watering is limited to Wednesday and Saturday for odd-numbered addresses. Even-numbered addresses can water on Thursday and Sunday. Lake Worth, Dania Beach and Hallandale Beach remain under once-a-week watering limits.
The district's call for increased code enforcement comes as the struggling economy leaves local governments dealing with budget cuts.
More layoffs will make it harder to have enough people to make sure the rules are followed, said Kurt Eismann, who will soon take over as head of Palm Beach County code enforcement.
Delray Beach code enforcement this month switched to earlier shifts to keep a closer eye on watering violators, said Al Berg, assistant director of community improvement.
"We are trying to put the word out there," Berg said. "The public has not paid as much attention to it as they should."

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090504-1
Everglades Restoration to get $50 Million, Tri-Rail Nothing
Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
Josh Hafenbrack
May 4, 2009
FLORIDA - Lawmakers reached broad agreement on a roughly $65 billion budget Sunday, after agreeing to cut the pay of state workers and dedicate $50 million to Everglades' restoration.
But budget writers ignored a last-minute plea to pour money into Tri-Rail, South Florida's financially struggling commuter train service.
Meeting over the weekend, legislators put the finishing touches on spending decisions for Florida's new budget, which takes effect July 1. Like last year, legislators found money at the 11th hour to continue the long-term effort to repair and restore water flow in the Everglades.
"It's an important part of what Florida's all about," said House Majority Leader Adam Hasner, R-Boca Raton. "Even in a tight budget, it still remains a priority."
Florida faced a $6 billion budget shortfall for the 2010 budget, but legislators closed about half the gap with federal stimulus money. The rest was plugged with about $1 billion in fees, a $1-a-pack hike in the cigarette tax, spending cuts and trust fund sweeps.
Only technical details remain before the budget can be sent to the printers. That will happen today or Tuesday, with legislators returning to town in an extended session for a final vote Friday.
But the budget might be a death knell for Tri-Rail, the 72-mile train line that runs from West Palm Beach to Miami. South Florida state senators said Sunday that without $30 million from the state to prop up the train service, there would be a funding "crisis that threatens thousands of jobs and the futures of families who depend on Tri-Rail on a daily basis."
No Tri-Rail money was included in the budget. A proposal for a $2 rental car tax dedicated to Tri-Rail, which was linked to the Orlando-area train project SunRail, died on Friday, the final day of the regular session.
"Given the lack of support for Central Florida's rail project, it's hard to get excited about South Florida's," said Senate budget chief J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales.
The budget is all but finished, but one major potential funding source remains unresolved: a gambling deal with the Seminole Tribe. The House and Senate will resume negotiations today to try for an agreement to allow blackjack at tribal resorts, which could provide the state with $500 million in next year's budget. If legislators reach a gambling agreement, the money will be put in reserves as a safeguard in case the economy worsens.
Dropping in on the budget talks Sunday, Gov. Charlie Crist praised the Legislature's spending plan as pragmatic.
"You look around at some other states in the country - New York and California, New Jersey. They're really struggling," he said. "But because of prudent fiscal leadership in the House and Senate, we're in a much better posture."
The Republican governor has long been lukewarm on the cigarette tax, which would increase the state levy to $1.34 per pack. Crist said he'd wait to see the bill in its "final form" before deciding whether to sign it, but indicated he won't tinker too much with legislators' work.
 "Hopefully there will be very few vetoes," he said. "I don't anticipate too many."
State workers who make more than $45,000 will see their paychecks cut 2 percent, under a compromise reached Sunday. The House had wanted to cut state worker paychecks up to 5 percent, while the Senate had proposed small cuts to only those earning more than $100,000.
By placing the cutoff at $45,000, about four in five state workers won't be affected. University employees also are excluded.
Legislators restored about $21 million in funding to public libraries, in a move designed to stave off branch closings. And legislators allocated $90 million to help seal leaky, underground petroleum pipelines left by old gas stations.
"Given the historic loss in revenues, I think we've put together a responsible budget that meets our critical needs," said Alexander. "Every one of us in our families and businesses are adjusting to the current economic reality. I think state government is doing that through this budget.

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090504-2
Spoonbill expert credits water managers for rebound
Chicks on rise though nest numbers remain low
Keynews.com
Robert Silk, Free Press Staff
May 4, 2009
FLORIDA BAY -- Relying heavily on the normal wet/dry seasonal cycle of the Everglades in order to thrive, the roseate spoonbill has long been considered an indicator species on the health of Florida Bay.
But despite nesting in numbers this year that were nearly as low as has been seen in three decades, the future of the bay's spoonbill population could be looking positively rosy. And that rosiness, says the bay's preeminent spoonbill biologist, is in large part due to the South Florida Water Management District, an agency that hasn't always won praise from the environmental community.
"The actions of the SFWMD in considering spoonbills in water management decisions may have prevented this iconic species of Florida Bay from becoming locally extirpated," Jerry Lorenz, who heads Aububon's Tavernier Science Center, wrote in a paper completed last week summarizing spoonbill nesting patterns from 2006 through 2008. The paper has yet to be published.
Audubon scientists counted just 316 spoonbill nests in all of 850-square-mile Florida Bay during this winter's nesting season, said Lorenz. The nesting season typically lasts from November through March.
The figure is just two more than last year's total of 314 nests, which was the lowest count since the late 1960s, when the spoonbill had in part recovered from decades of plume hunting early last century.
That's the bad news.
The good news is that while the number of nests remained dismal this year, the production from those nests was not. If during a given nesting season each spoonbill nest hatches an average of one chick or more, scientists consider it a successful year. This year the baywide average surged above two fledglings per nest, Audubon samples indicated. It's the fourth straight successful nesting season, a stark contrast to the 19 years that preceded 2005-06. During those years, there were just seven successful nesting seasons, Lorenz said.
Since spoonbills take approximately four years to mature, Lorenz believes that the increased number of chicks per nest should begin to show up in the number of nests soon.
"We'll start seeing those ones from 2005 come back next year," he said.
The surge in nest productivity for the spoonbill can be attributed to a more consistent wet/dry cycle -- partially the result of plain, old good weather, and partially controlled by water managers at the SFWMD.
During a typical summer, heavy rains in South Florida raise water levels in the Everglades, expanding the range of the minnows that serve as the main food for spoonbills and other foraging birds. More rain means low concentrations of salt in the water as well, another boon for the fish.
Winter's dry season forces minnows to retreat into the far less vast areas that remain underwater, where they are easy targets for spoonbills, other wading birds and the prize gamefish, snook, which shares the spoonbill's diet.
But starting in the early 1980s, when the massive C-111 canal -- cutting a swath through the Glades all the way from southern Miami-Dade County to Barnes Sound -- went online, the bay's health began to decline.
Water managers, charged with protecting cities and farms from flooding, responded to heavy rains by releasing large pulses of water through the canal and out to the bay throughout the year, disrupting the wet/dry cycle. Spoonbills, robbed of their captive minnows, declined in response.
Beginning in 2005, however, water managers began taking the spoonbill into consideration before releasing water, consulting when necessary with Lorenz.
In general, they have released excess water slowly, rather than in big pulses, allowing for the natural winter drying cycle to run something close to its natural course. Behind the effort has been Paul Linton, director of the division's water controls section.
In an interview last week, Linton demurred any suggestion that he has saved the Florida Bay spoonbill population, as Lorenz wrote.
More significant than anything the district has done, he said, has been the weather over the past four years, featuring dry winters and wet summers -- just what the spoonbill doctors ordered.
If there were to be a wet winter, he said, water managers would have little choice but to release larger volumes into the bay.
"[Lorenz] may give us too much credit," Linton said. "Neither he nor anybody can overcome a bad year. We can tweak the system a little bit."
Linton also explained that new water storage systems in south Miami-Dade, one of which just began operating this year, have freed water managers' hand a bit.
"It's about 80 percent Mother Nature and 20 percent us," he said. "It used to be maybe 2 percent us."

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090504-3
Sugar technology sweetens local industry
Contact, Palm BeachCommunity College
DIANA PALIUCA
May 4, 2009
The recently launched Sugar Technology Institute at Palm Beach Community College (PBCC) in Florida hopes the sugar industry will be a gold mine, especially in the currently tough economic times.
The unique program focuses on new technology that is facilitating automation within sugar mills. Students can earn an associate degree or certificates in sugar technology.
Beverly Robinson, former provost of PBCC’s Belle Glade Campus, led the development of the institute from its start. Having the program on the Belle Glade Campus near sugar cane fields is a reminder of how important it is to have trained workers operating the mills, she said.
“The mills need to increase productivity by hiring people with skills, particularly in automation,” Robinson said. “In fact, the students are spending time at the mills for hands-on experience.”
Three years ago, Tere Pi Johnson, chief chemist for the Belle Glade-based Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida, approached PBCC about developing the institute. Recognizing that the program would be the first one of its kind in the U.S., college administrators, professors and chemists from area companies—the cooperative, U.S. Sugar and Okeelanta Corp. and the Sugar Cane Growers—partnered to develop the curriculum.
Human resource managers from the companies also met to discuss training needs and future employment possibilities. Industry employees helped them identify the skills to ensure new employees would be properly trained in the science-based operation.
Ed Smith, human resources manager for Florida Crystals, says the program is not large, but it will help put PBCC on the map in the sugar cane industry.
“Sugar is always in demand,” Smith said. “This program is a response to our need. Just like we grow our own cane, we like to grow our own people.”
Florida Crystals has 2,500 employees in Palm Beach County, Smith said.
“We’ve been here a long time, and we plan to stay here for the long haul,” he added.
After the core development of the program, the college received a $48,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The grant requires the college to download all materials taught in the classes onto the AgrowKnowledge Web site (www.agrowknow.org), a community college partner for agriscience and technology education in high-tech careers.
The institute is vital to the Everglades area because industry leaders foresee a shortage of engineers and chemists as many current employees are poised to retire.
The students at the institute interact with guest lecturers from industry to learn about topics such as crop production, physiology, breeding, diseases, pesticide/farm safety, weeds/insects, biofuels, biotechnology and insects.
Leo Perez, a student who works at the USDA agricultural research station in Canal Point, said the program provides a great opportunity for him. Perez has worked for USDA since 2000 as a farm laborer. The day that Robinson visited Perez’s job site to tell employees about the new degree, Perez knew that the opportunity was too good to pass up. He took a placement test, registered and began his first class titled “Agriculture and Cane Farming.”
Perez went straight to work after graduating from high school in 1997, taking an occasional college course, but he never completed a degree. Fortunately, he became eligible to receive a scholarship—covering tuition and books—to attend the program through the PBCC Foundation.
 “Now I realize that I have to do what’s best for my family during hard economic times,” Perez said. “You are not going to get anything out of life if you don’t put anything into it.”
At the American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists conference last summer, there was great interest in the program among representatives from other countries, specifically South Africa and Jamaica. The next goal for the institute is to offer the degree and certificates through distance learning.
This article first appeared in Contact, Palm BeachCommunity College’s quarterly magazine. It is reprinted with permission.

090501-1

090501-1
Florida Crystals Welcomes Federal Dollars for Construction of Everglades Restoration Projects
PRNewswire
May 1, 2009
WEST PALM BEACH, FL. - - Florida Crystals Corporation welcomes the much-needed $96 million from the Federal Government announced this week that will be used for immediate construction of Everglades restoration projects.
"We are encouraged to see the Federal Government living up to its commitment to Everglades restoration," said Gaston Cantens, Vice President of Florida Crystals. "And, more importantly, with so many restoration projects on hold, we are optimistic the money will go to the construction and implementation of planned projects that will not only restore the Everglades but create critical jobs in these tough economic times."
Instead of simply buying more land, the federal contribution will pay for the construction of two CERP projects -- a reservoir next to the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge and for restoration of Picayune Strand, an 85-square-mile area that was over-drained in the early 1960s as part of a failed housing development.
Florida Crystals is encouraged to see some restoration projects may get back on track. The company is hopeful future dollars will be put toward projects that will address the source of pollution in the watersheds north of Lake Okeechobee, as present phosphorus loading to the lake is nearly five times higher than the limit that must be met by 2015.
In order to solve Florida's water issues and achieve effective restoration, plans must address the entire water system - Lake Okeechobee, the estuaries and the Everglades.
Florida Crystals is the leading domestic sugar producer and North America's first fully integrated cane sugar company, guiding its sugar from the field to the table. Florida Crystals(R) Organic and Natural sugar products are the first sugar products certified CarbonFree(R) (carbon neutral) by Carbonfund.org. Florida Crystals' renewable energy facility is the largest of its kind in North America and provides clean energy for its sugar operations and tens of thousands of homes, reducing America's dependence on fossil fuels by one million barrels of oil each year and displacing hundreds of thousands of tons of CO2 annually.

090501-2

090501-2
More federal money is coming for Everglades restoration 
South Florida Business Journal
May 1, 2009
More federal money is coming to the Everglades for restoration projects, which means more jobs, money and water flowing for Florida’s economy.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced April 28 that about $100 million in federal stimulus dollars will be spent on Everglades restoration projects, which had been starved for funding in recent years. Earlier this year, more than $180 million for seven core Everglades projects was included in the annual federal budget.
Companies seeking work from the corps must first register as federal contractors.
“We have a number of programs available through our small business office in Jacksonville to help businesses seeking work, and we have an ongoing discussion with contractors in our contracting office to help lead them to resources to help them find work,” said Mike Ornella, economic recovery program manager for the corps’ Jacksonville District, which includes the entire state of Florida.

090501-3

090501-3
Rainy days ahead for South Florida
Forecasters predict a solid -- if not timely -- wet season, extending concerns about wildfires and water supply.
Miami Herald
CURTIS MORGAN         cmorgan@MiamiHerald.com
May 1, 2009
The summer rainy season is shaping up as a wet one, the National Weather Service said Wednesday, raising hopes of snuffing out a winter marked by plummeting water levels and smoky wildfires.
Unfortunately, relief from South Florida's record-busting dry spell also appears likely to arrive later than the typical start around May 20.
''Looking in my crystal ball for the next few weeks, it doesn't look like we're going to have any significant change or early start to the rainy season,'' said Robert Molleda, a meteorologist for the weather service in Miami.
The service's annual wet season forecast, influenced by a weakening La Niña global weather pattern, calls for a 60 percent chance that summer will prove soggier and cooler than normal -- but with storms really not kicking in until around August.
If the prediction proves accurate, it means the bone-dry Everglades will likely remain at high risk at least through June for more wildfires, like the 27,000-acre blaze in the Big Cypress National Wildlife Preserve that closed Alligator Alley for nearly a week.
The South Florida Water Management District, which oversees the water supply from Orlando south to Key West, called the forecast encouraging but cautioned that depleted water levels won't rebound anytime soon following the region's driest winter since 1971.
Aside from a few areas in Northeast Broward and Southeast Palm Beach counties, most of the heavily populated coast recorded only about 30 percent normal rain over the last six months, Molleda said. The Everglades and other inland areas got even less, about 15 percent normal.
Miami and Fort Lauderdale, both with about five inches of rain, recorded their driest winters ever. For Naples, Miami Beach and West Palm Beach, it was the second driest.
Though South Florida gets most of its rain from June to October, water managers cautioned a typical summer total of 33 to 44 inches may not be enough to quickly or totally erase the drought.
The weakening of the La Niña pattern of cool ocean temperatures in the Pacific Ocean also has historically produced fewer hurricanes and lowered the odds of South Florida getting hit -- but only slightly, Molleda cautioned.
During La Niña years, he said, South Florida has about a one in four chance of a hurricane strike. During El Niño, or the ''neutral'' pattern taking hold, that drops to one in five.
But weather forecasting remains an inexact science. Neutral conditions in 2005, Molleda pointed out, also produced the worst storm season on record -- 28 named storms and 15 hurricanes, including notorious Katrina. That was the last season that South Florida suffered a storm strike.
''We really should not put a lot of stock in what pattern we're in,'' he said. ``It only takes one.''

090501-4

090501-4
South Florida's dry season worst on record
Courtesy: South Florida Water Management District
Related Links:   South Florida Water Management District
Brush fires on the Treasure Coast
May 1, 2009
WEST PALM BEACH, FL -- South Florida is sweating.
Our dry season is hitting historic levels and water managers are feeling the heat. A photo, seen in Friday morning's edition of the Sun-Sentinel, sets the scene. The photo shows the drought conditions at a fishing camp in Suburban Boca Raton.
No water, no fish, nothing.
People used to have to take an air boat to get there.
Not any more.
The South Florida Water Management District says this is the driest 'dry season' on record. 
As water levels continue to drop in the Everglades and Lake Okeechobee, fire dangers continue to rise throughout our area. Fire departments on the Treasure Coast have been sending out extra crews to every brush fire because flames will spread so quickly in these dry conditions.  Most communities in South Florida remain under twice-a-week watering limits, but if conditions don't improve, water managers say there could be some changes

090501-5

090501-5
What we think: SunRail's last ride
Orlando Sentinel
May 1, 2009
Had SunRail passed the state Senate on Thursday, its leading supporters would be vying to get their share of the credit. Today, with SunRail at death's door, there's nothing to boast of. Nothing to be proud of. Just a lost opportunity.
SunRail faced a host of obstacles, sure. Hostile attorneys and obstinate unions. A Lakeland lawmaker — Sen. Paula Dockery — determined to keep commuters trapped on Interstate 4. A recession that made cowards of legislators who wouldn't back a new $1.2 billion passenger-train service despite the economic boost it would have provided.
SunRail's tremendous benefits should have trumped all that. They didn't, largely thanks to Gov. Charlie Crist.  He worked harder for SunRail this year than last year, when he decided to start lobbying for it on the last day of the legislative session. But even this year the governor didn't stick his neck out enough for the Jeb Bush-negotiated rail project.  Certainly not like he did for his own plan to restore the Everglades, which withstood a challenge by Ms. Dockery.
Certainly the governor's willingness just days earlier to transfer SunRail money to Florida Forever, the state's land-preservation program, didn't help his credibility when he later talked about SunRail's importance.
•Jeff Atwater, the Senate president. Mr. Atwater needed to convince senators outside metro Orlando that the regional rail line not only would benefit the entire state by pouring billions of dollars into its economy, but that it could spawn similar systems in Tampa and Jacksonville. And he needed to get South Florida lawmakers on board by showing them how SunRail could benefit Tri-Rail, the commuter line currently serving southeast Florida.
The ticket for that was a rental-car-surcharge option, packed into the SunRail legislation that could raise more than $20 million annually for Tri-Rail. But Mr. Atwater didn't get enough senators to buy it.
• Winter Park's Dean Cannon. He called SunRail his No. 1 priority, and Mr. Cannon, the House's lead negotiator and future speaker, was perfectly positioned to compel Mr. Atwater to go to the mat on SunRail. He didn't manage it. Instead, he sidetracked Mr. Atwater with a preposterous plan to allow drilling off Florida's Gulf Coast. It cost time needed to negotiate SunRail. And so did the House's raid on the state's transportation trust fund, which Mr. Cannon should have stopped.
• Gary Siplin. The Orlando senator's loopy declaration that rail money should go to education cost SunRail support among other minority senators, and for years will cost his many transit-deprived constituents. He betrayed them, and the region, but pressed hard for
a bill to mandate that boys hitch up their pants.
Pathetic.
•Sens. Jim King, Evelyn Lynn and Tony Hill. None boarded SunRail, though it would have served residents of Volusia County, which they all are supposed to represent. Mr. King fell in with Ms. Dockery; Ms. Lynn with Mr. Siplin; and Mr. Hill with the unions, apparently unable to grasp that, because of SunRail, eight union signalmen would have been offered other jobs. Eight.
Others tried to get SunRail through, but it wasn't enough. They include Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Sens. Lee Constantine, Andy Gardiner and Mike Haridopolos, and U.S. Reps. John Mica and Corrine Brown. Mayor Dyer actually got trial attorneys to give up their opposition to SunRail, which derailed the train last year. No one negotiated SunRail harder then Mr. Constantine. And the train couldn't have run without Mr. Mica's promised $307 million in federal money. Like Mr. Constantine, Mr. Gardiner got SunRail to clear a Senate committee.
But they and Mr. Haridopolos, a future Senate president, and Ms. Brown, Congress' leader on rail, always seemed to be playing defense, fending off opponents.
One day remains in the legislative session. With SunRail's run about over, we wonder what strategy opponents have to help I-4 commuters, still held hostage because Tallahassee lacks leadership.