Author name: bruce

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission today adopted what the agency says are the toughest regulations against harvesting freshwater turtles. Prompted by concerns that Florida turtles were being shipped to China for food, commissioners in April agreed to consider a regulation that would virtually ban the commercial harvest of turtles. Meeting today in Crystal […]

Supporters of a proposed wildlife underpass along U.S. Highway 27 north of Tallahassee received unwelcome attention in national media to their project on Tuesday when a Republican U.S. senator identified it as wasteful spending. Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., included the “Lake Jackson Ecopassage” as one the top 10 of 100 examples of wasteful spending that

Honeymoon Island State Park The cost of visiting most Florida state parks will be going up July 1 with the entrance fees to some of the most popular parks increasing by $3 per vehicle. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection announced new entrance fees on Monday. A DEP spokeswoman today said the fee increases, the

The University of Florida, Buckeye Technologies Inc. and Myriant Technology LLC today announced plans for a research and demonstration plant near Perry to explore ways to produce “environmentally-friendly” plastics or other petroleum-products from cellulosic ethanol. The plant will be located at Buckeye Florida’s 90-acre site where the company produces pulp products that other companies use

Gov. Charlie Crist said this morning he hasn’t taken a position on a federal energy bill that Sen. Bill Nelson says would allow drilling within 10 miles of Florida’s Gulf of Mexico coastline. Crist today signed five bills related to law enforcement at the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles headquarters in Tallahassee.

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson today said in Tallahassee he will filibuster if necessary to block an energy bill that contains a provision that would allow oil drilling within 10 miles of Florida’s Gulf of Mexico coastline. The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources last week created what Nelson called a “ruckus” by adding the

A PAC that wants Florida residents to vote on proposed growth measures won something of a court victory this week. Florida Hometown Democracy Inc., a political action committee, is pushing an amendment to the Florida Constitution that would require voter approval of land-use map and policy changes in local comprehensive plans. The proposal faces opposition

The Panama City-Bay County Airport Authority is facing possibly hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines for potential water quality violations caused by erosion at its new airport now under construction. The proposed airport, being built on a portion of the 4,000 acres of land donated by The St. Joe Co., has been the focus

Florida wildlife officials are encouraging a state panel to recommend paying one of their bosses, state wildlife commissioner Ronald Bergeron, not to develop his land so that Florida panther habitat in Hendry County can be protected. The state Acquisition and Restoration Council votes Friday to recommend a new state lands purchase list to the governor

A Senate co-sponsor of a controversial environmental bill says he didn’t know it was amended to include a provision that critics say would limit public input on permitting decisions by the state’s five water management districts. Environmental groups including Audubon of Florida, 1000 Friends of Florida and the Putnam County Environmental Council are calling on