Author name: bruce

Florida could be out of money for buying conservation lands by Oct. 1 unless new bonds are issued to allow purchases. The Florida Forever land-buying program is the largest in the nation. But the state has delayed borrowing money — despite Legislative approval to do so — because of the weak bond market, according to […]

By MICHAEL PELTIERTHE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA Gov. Charlie Crist is mulling over dates to meet with his counterparts from Alabama and Georgia as leaders of the three neighboring states try to resolve a longstanding feud over how to divvy up water coming from Lake Lanier. With a federal judge saying Atlantans aren’t entitled to

Democrat Eric Draper says he’s leaving the race for agriculture commissioner to devote more time to environmental issues. Draper, who is deputy director of Audubon of Florida, was one of four Democratic candidates in 2010 seeking to replace Republican Charles H. Bronson, who cannot seek re-election because of term limits. “I knew when I got

They came in busloads from around the state, crammed the Florida Department of Environmental Protection parking lot in Tallahassee full of cars and packed into standing-room-only hearings. During the 1990s, public hearings for the annual ranking of proposed state land-buying projects brought out the people. Getting ranked higher on the priority list meant those natural

The Cabinet today gave its first approval in more than 30 years for a nuclear power plant, Progress Energy’s proposed Levy County facility near the Cross Florida Barge Canal. Nine protesters gathered outside the Capitol this morning after trying to meet earlier with Gov. Charlie Crist at the Governor’s Mansion. Although Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda,

Even though they are often at odds with industry lobbyists, some environmental group representatives say they’ll miss Wade Hopping, who died today from complications from a stroke and esophageal cancer. He was 77. Hopping’s law firm represents many of the state’s largest companies and industry groups, often putting him at odds with environmentalists on wildlife,

Representatives of utilities and environmental groups disagreed today on whether the Florida Public Service Commission now is required to use a new test to analyze utility conservation programs. The PSC today opened a five-day legal hearing to establish new conservation and energy efficiency goals for seven of the state’s largest utilities. Utilities and environmental groups

With CFO Alex Sink and Attorney General Bill McCollum ahead early as the leading candidates for governor, neither is being specific on whether they would keep the state’s greenhouse gas reduction goals put in place by Gov. Charlie Crist. Crist in 2007 signed executive orders establishing goals for the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is asking the governor and Cabinet to approve Progress Energy’s site application to build a nuclear power plant on 3,105 acres in Levy County. The Cabinet aides are scheduled to consider the request at their Aug. 5 meeting. If it wins a favorable Cabinet vote on Aug. 11, the

Florida’s state parks, forests and other public lands some day could pay millions of dollars to the state annually for the carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that are captured and stored in plants and soils, according to a recent study. But that some day isn’t now or in the immediate future, Florida Department of