Misc

Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson on Friday predicted a tough wildfire season because of a long-range weather forecast calling for dry conditions. Wildfire season typically peaks in January and extends until June, though fires can break out any time because of dry conditions. The dire forecast should cause state and federal parks and other land-management […]

Republican candidate for governor Rick Scott says he would put a bull’s-eye on the Florida Department of Community Affairs, the scorn of many developers. Scott said he would support eliminating DCA, which oversees growth in the state, according to a St. Petersburg Times report on Friday. “On the campaign trail, I’ll tell you the one

The Sierra Club’s endorsement of both Gov. Charlie Crist and U. S. Rep. Kendrick Meek in the Senate race on Thursday took a surprise turn when Meek immediately rejected the endorsement. Sierra Club officials said both Crist, a former Republican now running as an independent, and Meek, a Democrat, have strong environmental records — especially

Paul C. Parks, a recent member of the state Environmental Regulation Commission and a key figure in Everglades and Lake Okeechobee issues at the Capitol, died Wednesday at his home in Wakulla County. He was 75. Gov. Charlie Crist appointed Parks to ERC in 2008 but Parks stepped down after discovering he had cancer, said

Supporters of the “Hometown Democracy” Amendment 4 are using Godzilla and vampires to get their message across while opponents on Wednesday were using a Florida TaxWatch report to put the scare into voters. Amendment 4, which is on the Nov. 2 ballot, would require voter approval of changes to local comprehensive land use plans. Supporters

Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, caught up in an increasingly bitter and tight race with Republican Rick Scott, has quietly distributed her environmental platform in the last week. Sink’s campaign released an eight-page paid political advertisement entitled “Preserving Florida’s Natural Assets: Improve our economy while protecting our environment.” The document outlines her stances on issues

More than 150 scientific researchers from around the nation were gathering Tuesday at St. Pete Beach for the beginning of a two-day conference to discuss oil spill research in the Gulf of Mexico. Also Tuesday, President Obama signed an executive order establishing the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force. The panel, which will have representatives

Two Panhandle legislators say they have filed a bill to repeal a new requirement in state law that all septic tanks be inspected every five years. SB 550 was introduced by Sen. Lee Constantine, R-Altamonte Springs, in response to concerns about nitrogen pollution of waterways and groundwater. The law was amended by the Senate Ways

Environmental groups have launched a petition drive to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot in 2012 that would ban oil drilling in Florida’s nearshore waters. The Florida Wildlife Federation announced the petition drive in an e-mail to supporters on Friday. The amendment is needed because the House in 2009 voted to pass a bill

The man put in charge of a $20 billion fund to help those hurt by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill said Monday that distance from the oil spill won’t be a factor in deciding whether to pay damages to Florida business owners and residents. Although oil has washed ashore only in six Florida Panhandle