Author name: bruce

By Bruce Ritchie The state’s conservation land-buying program will be maintained at its present yearly level under the 2009-10 state budget proposed today by Gov. Charlie Crist. Florida Forever and its predecessor led to the purchase or protection of nearly 2.5 million acres of state forests, parks and wildlife preserves along with urban parks. But […]

By Bruce Ritchie Senate President Jeff Atwater said today he thinks Florida’s possible adoption of California’s proposed auto emissions standards will remain an issue in the upcoming legislative session despite committee action this week against the measure. To reduce Florida’s contribution of greenhouse gas emissions, Gov. Charlie Crist in 2007 directed the Department of Environmental

By Bruce Ritchie A Senate committee chairman has introduced a bill that could be used to block Florida’s purchase of up to 187,000 acres from U.S. Sugar Corp. for Everglades restoration. SB 1436, by Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, would require water management districts to win voter approval before issuing certificates of participation, the same type

By Bruce Ritchie Dirty stormwater runoff laden with nutrients and trash for decades has been spilling onto Paynes Prairie State Preserve near Gainesville before flowing underground into the Floridan Aquifer — the source of the region’s drinking water. Now, a state panel is poised to approve a request to construct a 225-acre wetlands treatment system

By Bruce Ritchie The chairman of the powerful Senate Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday criticized a federal plan to set new water quality standards for nutrients in Florida within a year. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Jan. 16 said it would begin setting numeric standards for nutrients — mainly phosphorus and nitrogen —

By Bruce Ritchie Some fishing communities say a new state grant program that is intended to help preserve “working waterfronts” could be excluding some communities that it shouldn’t be. The Stan Mayfield Working Waterfronts Program, created by the Florida Legislature in 2008, provides $7.5 million per year to help maintain commercial fishing. Program officials are

By Bruce Ritchie Florida State University President T. K. Wetherell said a grand jury might not be investigating a proposed biomass plant on FSU property if the state attorney had requested information from the university. State Attorney Willie Meggs says a grand jury this week directed him to look further into the deal in which

By Bruce Ritchie Saying that the state’s land-buying program is “near and dear” to himself, Gov. Charlie Crist this afternoon announced he is vetoing a deep cut to the Florida Forever Program by the Legislature earlier this month. “I believe in preserving Florida’s natural beauty for future generations, not just for the beauty itself but

By Bruce Ritchie President Obama’s decision Monday to direct the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to review California’s request to set auto emissions standards is increasing the debate in Florida over Gov. Charlie Crist’s proposal to follow California’s lead. Crist in 2007 said that Florida would adopt California’s standards to help the state reduce greenhouse gas

By Bruce Ritchie A Georgia company says it has decided to withdraw a proposed biomass electric plant on Florida State University land in Tallahassee that had raised ethical questions about FSU President T.K. Wetherell and his wife’s involvement in the company. The Biomass Gas & Electric LLC project was to be located on 21 acres