Conservation

E. O. Wilson says death of M. C. Davis a “huge loss” for conservation

7 Comments / Conservation / By

By BRUCE RITCHIE FLORIDAENVIRONMENTS.COM M. C. Davis, a Walton County developer who became a world-renowned conservationist, died on July 11 after a long bout with lung cancer. He was 70. Davis purchased 50,000 acres in South Walton County to create a massive environmental restoration project he called Nokuse Plantation (pronounced No-GO-see). He also built the …

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Northwest Florida could get $21 million for springs protection

1 Comment / Budgets, Land Acquisition, Pollution, Water districts / By

By BRUCE RITCHIE FLORIDAENVIRONMENTS.COM MIDWAY — The Northwest Florida Water Management District is in line to receive more than $10 million in springs protection funding from the state budget and could get as much as $21.5 million, the district’s governing board was told Thursday. The eight possible springs projects include $6.4 million for 1,077 acres …

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DEP says no “critical” funding would force state parks to close

2015 Legislature, Budgets, FDEP, Gov. Rick Scott, Parks / By

By BRUCE RITCHIE Florida would be forced to close state parks without approval of a new state budget that provides for at least “critical” spending, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. DEP on Monday issued a list of critical funding needs as requested last week by Gov. Rick Scott in advance of a June 1-20 …

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With Steverson reappointed to DEP, Senate prez says confirmation not “a simple rubber stamp”

2 Comments / 2015 Legislature, Gov. Rick Scott, Land Acquisition / By

By BRUCE RITCHIE FLORIDAENVIRONMENTS.COM Gov. Rick Scott on Monday reappointed Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Jon Steverson along with 15 other agency heads following the Senate’s failure to confirm. The Senate failed to vote on many of Scott’s appointments last week as the 2015 legislative session broke down amid an impasse between the House and …

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Governor provides Amendment 1 spending breakdown

2015 Legislature, Budgets, Gov. Rick Scott, Land Acquisition, Pollution, Water Supply / By

By BRUCE RITCHIE FLORIDA ENVIRONMENTS Gov. Rick Scott’s office on Thursday provided a breakdown of how the governor requests $757 million provided by Amendment 1 be spent in the 2015-16 state budget. Amendment 1, approved by voters in November, provides one third of the revenue from an excise tax on real estate transactions to the …

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Senate president says five-year land-buying work plan needed

2015 Legislature, Government, Land Acquisition, Pollution / By

By BRUCE RITCHIE FLORIDAENVIRONMENTS.COM Sen. President Andy Gardiner said Thursday that a five-year planning process for land purchases and water projects may be a good idea following voter approval last month of Amendment 1. The amendment provides one-third of revenue from an excise tax on real estate to water and land conservation. Amendment 1 was …

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“Thirsty City” traces history of Atlanta’s water crisis and fight with Florida

Authors & Artists, Water / By

By BRUCE RITCHIE FLORIDAENVIRONMENTS.COM Atlanta created its own legal mess over water because in 1950, then-Mayor William B. Hartsfield refused to spend a little more than $1 million to help pay for Lake Lanier, writes Skye Borden in “Thirsty City: Politics, Greed and the Making of Atlanta’s Water Crisis.” Alabama, Florida and Georgia have been locked in a legal …

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With Apalachicola Bay oysters continuing to suffer, state further tightens harvesting

1 Comment / Misc, Water, Wildlife / By

By BRUCE RITCHIE FLORIDAENVIRONMENTS.COM APALACHICOLA — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is sharply reducing the number of oysters that can be taken from Apalachicola Bay because the oyster population there remains low. And some seafood workers are warning that oysters soon could be wiped out in a key harvesting area. State officials in …

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One river system — with varying efforts to save it

1 Comment / Conservation, Water / By

By BRUCE RITCHIE FLORIDAENVIRONMENTS.COM EUFAULA, Ala. — The Chattahoochee River is a single stream flowing towards Florida. But there were two very different activities going on this week that showed the contrasting ways in which people and institutions can deal with a water issue. Along the banks of Lake Eufaula, created by a dam across …

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Groups want Florida out of Chesapeake Bay water challenge

2 Comments / Advocacy, Pollution / By

By BRUCE RITCHIE FLORIDAENVIRONMENTS.COM Several Florida organizations on Tuesday sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi asking her to withdraw from a challenge to a Chesapeake Bay cleanup plan. Bondi came under fire in February after Florida joined 20 other states in filing a legal brief supporting an appeal filed by the American Farm …

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