Misc

Gov. Charlie Crist today defended his record against environmental criticism by saying he’s looking out for the state’s economy. Crist was criticized for signing a water bill last week and a growth-management bill on June 1 after environmental groups called for them to be vetoed. Senate Bill 360 lifts state oversight of road requirements for […]

More than half the cities in Florida now qualify under a new state law as “dense urban” land areas which can be exempted from state review for adequate roads to accompany development, according to a list published today by the Florida Department of Community Affairs. The list includes cities such as Tallahassee, Gainesville, Sarasota, Fort

By Michael PeltierThe News Service of FloridaA coalition of local governments today asked the courts to throw out a new growth management law they say will leave them holding the bag. Six weeks after Gov. Charlie Crist signed Senate Bill 360 into law, plaintiffs including Lee County and the City of Weston filed suit in the

With the state now working toward a goal of 75 percent recycling, some innovations may hold promise in Florida’s future of waste management. An energy bill signed last year by Gov. Charlie Crist established a 75 percent recycling goal for the state to reach by 2020. The bill directed the Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Mike Sole is defending Senate Bill 2080 following harsh criticism of Gov. Charlie Crist for signing the measure. Environmental groups including Audubon of Florida and 1000 Friends of Florida had called on Crist to veto the bill because it was amended in the waning days of the legislation to

STEINHATCHEE — The expansive sea grasses in the clear waters off Taylor County wave gently in the currents and shimmering light while occasionally revealing an orange starfish, a blue crab or a clump of gray oysters. Donning their masks and snorkels, thousands of visitors to the Big Bend each year glide gently over the underwater

Gov. Charlie Crist today signed Senate Bill 2080, a controversial measure that allows permits to be approved by water management district staff without approval by their governing boards. But Crist, in his transmittal letter accompanying the signed bill, also said he is asking the boards and their executive directors to continue bringing permits to board

Florida’s two U.S. senators and 22 of its 25 representatives have signed a letter to House and Senate leaders reaffirming their opposition to oil drilling that could encroach upon military missions in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. The Senate is considering an energy bill that would allow drilling within 10 miles of Florida’s coast, rolling

More than 50 representatives of environmental groups and state and federal agencies gathered in Leon County Thursday to discuss revising strategies for protecting Florida’s wildlife in response to climate change. With Florida’s climate warming and sea levels rising gradually, scientists and state wildlife officials are concerned about loss of habitat, disruptions in migration patterns and

The Clean Water Network today announced it will sue the Panama City-Bay County Airport Authority for alleged stormwater permit violations in April at its new airport. 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 of economic development hopes and