Author name: bruce

A House committee on Wednesday passed a bill that would exempt conservation lands from being taxed as approved by voters last November. But farming and environmental groups remained concerned that the measure would restrict landowners from receiving the tax breaks. Amendment 4, approved by 68 percent of voters in November, exempts land from property taxes […]

Celebrating Earth Day outside the Capitol on Wednesday, Gov. Charlie Crist said he is open minded to HB 1219, which would allow oil drilling off the Florida coast. “I think the more diversified we can be when it comes to the energy resources that we have the stronger that makes Florida and America,” Crist said.

A bill that would require renewable energy use by utilities advanced in the Florida Senate today while the House amended a bill to encourage oil drilling off the state’s coastline. SB 1154 would require 20 percent of energy by 2020 to come from “clean energy” sources including nuclear and solar. The bill, introduced by Sen.

A bill that would the regulate nitrogen releases from farms, septic tanks and sewage treatment plants to protect springs was passed over by a Senate committee Monday after more than a dozen amendments were proposed by a senator who says he has more springs in his district than any other in the state. Sen. Charlie

Gov. Charlie Crist today dropped in on a Senate committee hearing to voice support for a new Florida specialty license plate. The “Catch Me, Release Me” plate features a design by artist Guy Harvey showing a blue marlin bursting out of the water against a yellow backdrop. The $25 tag fee would be distributed to

Nature writer Susan Cerulean says she has done everything she could to raise a child in the outdoors. And having recently learned that her 20-year-old son has cancer, she sees his condition as a microcosm of the perils facing Florida. Cerulean was honored for her writings this week by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is asking Gov. Charlie Crist to seek federal aid to help the long-line fishing industry in Florida cope with proposed emergency federal regulations. Long-line fishing uses numerous hooks extending from fishing lines that are hundreds of yards or several miles in length. In Florida, commercial long-line fishing boats

The Senate Ways and Means Committee today voted to include $50 million in the proposed 2009-10 state budget for the Florida Forever land-buying program and $50 million for Everglades land acquisition. The state has purchased 2.4 million acres since 1990 under Florida Forever and its predecessor program, Preservation 2000. The program has received $300 million

Rep. Alan Hays, R-Umatilla, has withdrawn two bill amendments that were intended to prevent the state from requiring more expensive septic tanks to reduce nitrogen in springs along the Wekiva River in Central Florida. The Florida Department of Health has proposed a rule that requires home sellers in the Wekiva River area to upgrade their

The state’s fish and wildlife agency today proposed a rule that would reduce grouper fishing in anticipation of new federal restrictions. But the agency also went further by banning commercial grouper fishing in state waters for an additional month as requested by recreational anglers. Grouper are among the most popular sport fish in Florida’s Gulf