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Advocate: April 30, 2010
Advocate: April 30, 2010
Florida Legislative Session Comes to a Close
Tonight, the Florida House and Senate concluded their business, passing final bills, letting the clock run out on others, and authorizing a budget including funding for Florida Forever and Everglades Restoration. Read on for our summary, as well as action steps related to oil drilling and calling for a veto from Governor Crist. Thanks to each of you who took action throughout this session to support good legislation and stave off bills that would jeopardize the natural resources that make our state so special. ~ Audubon of Florida Policy Team
What to find in this issue of the Advocate:
. Florida Forever funded at $15M
. Everglades Restoration funded now & later
. Springs Bill Provides Septic Inspection
. Renewable Energy Fails to Pass Senate
. Nearshore Oil Drilling Fades Away
. House Refuses to Reauthorize DCA
. Python Ban to Become Law
. Take Action! Audubon Calls for Veto on HB1565
. Thanks to our colleagues, partners & advocates!
What to find in this issue of the Advocate:
. Florida Forever funded at $15M
. Everglades Restoration funded now & later
. Springs Bill Provides Septic Inspection
. Renewable Energy Fails to Pass Senate
. Nearshore Oil Drilling Fades Away
. House Refuses to Reauthorize DCA
. Python Ban to Become Law
. Take Action! Audubon Calls for Veto on HB1565
. Thanks to our colleagues, partners & advocates!
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Florida Forever Emerges with $15M in Funding
Thanks to the leadership of Senate President Jeff Atwater (R-Palm Beach), House Speaker Larry Cretul (R-Ocala), and House and Senate budget chiefs Sen. JD Alexander (R-Lake Wales) and Rep. David Rivera (R-Miami), the state's conservation land buying program, Florida Forever, will receive $15M in cash funding for the coming fiscal year. This important bridge funding will help ensure continuity in this program, which protects everything from Florida's wild, signature landscapes, to vital urban greenspaces and community parks. Thanks to you all, and our partners in the Florida Forever Coalition, for your advocacy on behalf of Florida Forever this year.
Everglades Gets Money and Back-up Money
After tough negotiations, the Legislature agreed to appropriate $10 million for the Everglades and $40 million more if the state receives a generous distribution of federal Medicaid funds this summer. Proviso language allows the Everglades appropriation to be spent on Audubon priorities - the federal/state Everglades restoration plan, Lake Okeechobee and the estuaries. Cheers to Senator Jeff Atwater and House leaders for coming through on Everglades Restoration!
Septic Inspection Legislation to Become Law
Senator Lee Constantine (R-Altamonte Springs), who leaves the Legislature this year because of term limits, has been one of the most stalwart pro-environment legislators of all time. This year, he faced an uphill struggle to get any good legislation approved. As is often the case, passing good things requires that less-good things be accepted on a bill to keep it moving. Such was the case of Senator Constantine's SB 550. Through this process, SB 550 became a massive water bill by the end of session, but ultimately contained a valuable provision for springs protection: a mandatory 5-year inspection of all septic tanks, to ensure they are not leaking pollutants ranging from nutrients to fecal coliform into Florida's springs and other waterbodies. Existing law will require malfunctioning tanks to be pumped out and/or repaired, and failed tanks to be replaced, addressing a significant source of pollution in Florida's springs. Despite significant opposition to these septic provisions from legislators like Rep. Chris Dorworth (R-Heathrow), Rep. Scott Plakon (R-Longwood), Rep. Alan Hayes (R-Umatilla), Rep. Bryan Nelson (R-Apopka) and Sen. Charlie Dean (R-Inverness), this important measure will become law upon signature by the Governor.
Renewable Energy Fails to Gain Support in Senate
HB 7229, a bill that would have provided almost 1000 MW of solar and other renewable energy failed to gain consideration in the Florida Senate. One year after the House refused to pass the Senate's renewable portfolio standard, the Senate stuffed the House. The bill, which used cost recovery and incentives rather than direct requirements to push renewable energy, gained only lukewarm support from die-hard renewable energy advocates and seemed only to have strong support of utilities and some solar manufacturers and would-be solar city developers. Audubon supported the bill as the only viable way (with no RPS in sight) to jump start widespread placement of retail solar power.
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Nearshore Oil Drilling Fades Away
A proposal to open Florida's nearshore waters to oil and gas exploration pushed by House Speaker-designate Dean Cannon (R-Winter Park) and Senate President-elect Mike Haridopolos (R-Melbourne) was held at bay this session, largely due to the wisdom of Senate President Jeff Atwater (R-Palm Beach) who signaled his reservations about lifting Florida's decades-old ban. Two weeks ago, Rep. Cannon officially ended his pursuit of this legislation, but indicated his intent to revisit it in coming sessions when the Senate's appetite for the measure could be improved. Congratulations to Audubon advocates and all our partners for this hard-won success. Sadly, the recent Deepwater Horizon rig explosion in the Gulf continues to spill 5000 barrels of crude a day into Gulf waters; Pensacola may see oil coming ashore as early as Monday. This tragic incident has brought the issue of drilling near Florida into sharp focus for many elected officials. Audubon is now focused on meeting the challenges this disaster will pose to our coastal wildlife and their habitat. Learn how you can help here.
House Leadership Refuses to Reauthorize DCA
While the Senate passed legislation renewing the Department of Community Affairs, the House refused to take the matter up on the floor, despite a House committee recommending reauthorization of Florida's growth management agency. Florida's Department of Community Affairs (DCA) is the state land planning agency charged with review of local government plan changes, developments of regional impact, and protection of the state's "Areas of Critical Concern" such as the Florida Keys, Green Swamp and Big Cypress. This year marks the second in a row in which the agency's sunset review was left unresolved, leaving the agency ripe for extinction in 2011, when Rep. Dean Cannon and Senator Mike Haridopolos take the reins as House Speaker and Senate President. Both of these legislators have previously expressed hostility toward DCA, and opposition to the most basic concepts of Florida's growth management laws.
Nearshore Oil Drilling Fades Away
A proposal to open Florida's nearshore waters to oil and gas exploration pushed by House Speaker-designate Dean Cannon (R-Winter Park) and Senate President-elect Mike Haridopolos (R-Melbourne) was held at bay this session, largely due to the wisdom of Senate President Jeff Atwater (R-Palm Beach) who signaled his reservations about lifting Florida's decades-old ban. Two weeks ago, Rep. Cannon officially ended his pursuit of this legislation, but indicated his intent to revisit it in coming sessions when the Senate's appetite for the measure could be improved. Congratulations to Audubon advocates and all our partners for this hard-won success. Sadly, the recent Deepwater Horizon rig explosion in the Gulf continues to spill 5000 barrels of crude a day into Gulf waters; Pensacola may see oil coming ashore as early as Monday. This tragic incident has brought the issue of drilling near Florida into sharp focus for many elected officials. Audubon is now focused on meeting the challenges this disaster will pose to our coastal wildlife and their habitat. Learn how you can help here.
House Leadership Refuses to Reauthorize DCA
While the Senate passed legislation renewing the Department of Community Affairs, the House refused to take the matter up on the floor, despite a House committee recommending reauthorization of Florida's growth management agency. Florida's Department of Community Affairs (DCA) is the state land planning agency charged with review of local government plan changes, developments of regional impact, and protection of the state's "Areas of Critical Concern" such as the Florida Keys, Green Swamp and Big Cypress. This year marks the second in a row in which the agency's sunset review was left unresolved, leaving the agency ripe for extinction in 2011, when Rep. Dean Cannon and Senator Mike Haridopolos take the reins as House Speaker and Senate President. Both of these legislators have previously expressed hostility toward DCA, and opposition to the most basic concepts of Florida's growth management laws.
Python Legislation Passes
Legislation sponsored by Sen. Eleanor Sobel (D-Hollywood) and Rep. Trudi Williams (R-Ft. Myers) passed earlier this week, banning ownership of Burmese Pythons and several other large constrictors. Current owners of these large snakes will be allowed to keep them for the life of the snake. The same day, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at their meeting in Havana, FL, finalized rules echoing much of this language. This policy provides important source control, which will hopefully prevent similar large constrictors from becoming established in Florida's wildlands like the Burmese python has become established in Florida's Everglades.
Audubon to Urge Governor to Veto HB 1565
A little-noticed bill amending the "Administrative Procedures Act" passed both the House and Senate and is on its way to the Governor. Audubon and most certainly every other environmental group will vigorously urge a veto. The bill requires the Legislature to ratify any agency rule that might cause $1 million or more in economic impacts to the private sector over a 5 year period, in aggregate, statewide. That essentially means that ALL agency rules will be required to be ratified by the Legislature, shutting down the agency rulemaking process. Other features of the bill make rule proceedings impossibly expensive for state agencies by requiring detailed economic studies which agencies would have to pay to conduct. Virtually every item on the environmental agenda is impacted from Growth Management (rules by the Department of Community affairs) to Water Quality and public lands (rules by the water management districts and DEP). Contact Governor Crist now, and urge a veto of HB 1565.
Thanks to Our Friends and Colleagues
This Session we found ourselves working with old friends and new allies, on traditional issues like Florida Forever and Everglades Restoration, as well as meeting the challenge of the year: proposals to open Florida's nearshore waters to oil and gas exploration. Thanks to our colleagues on the ground at the Capitol, including Janet Bowman and Chris Berry of the Nature Conservancy, Thom Rumberger, Noah Valenstein and the Everglades Trust team, David Cullen of Sierra, Jay Liles of Florida Wildlife Federation and Susan Glickman of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. Additional thanks at the Capitol and at home in legislative districts to our friends with 1000 Friends of Florida, Caribbean Conservation Corp, FSBPA, Hands Across the Sand, Gulf Restoration Network, Defenders of Wildlife, FRPA, Florida Association of Counties, National Parks and Conservation Association, Trust for Public Land, and the Everglades and Florida Forever coalitions. Most importantly, thanks to all the grassroots advocates like you, who continue to contribute your time and energy to influencing the process in the best interest of Florida's wildlife and wildlands.
Legislation sponsored by Sen. Eleanor Sobel (D-Hollywood) and Rep. Trudi Williams (R-Ft. Myers) passed earlier this week, banning ownership of Burmese Pythons and several other large constrictors. Current owners of these large snakes will be allowed to keep them for the life of the snake. The same day, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at their meeting in Havana, FL, finalized rules echoing much of this language. This policy provides important source control, which will hopefully prevent similar large constrictors from becoming established in Florida's wildlands like the Burmese python has become established in Florida's Everglades.
Audubon to Urge Governor to Veto HB 1565
A little-noticed bill amending the "Administrative Procedures Act" passed both the House and Senate and is on its way to the Governor. Audubon and most certainly every other environmental group will vigorously urge a veto. The bill requires the Legislature to ratify any agency rule that might cause $1 million or more in economic impacts to the private sector over a 5 year period, in aggregate, statewide. That essentially means that ALL agency rules will be required to be ratified by the Legislature, shutting down the agency rulemaking process. Other features of the bill make rule proceedings impossibly expensive for state agencies by requiring detailed economic studies which agencies would have to pay to conduct. Virtually every item on the environmental agenda is impacted from Growth Management (rules by the Department of Community affairs) to Water Quality and public lands (rules by the water management districts and DEP). Contact Governor Crist now, and urge a veto of HB 1565.
Thanks to Our Friends and Colleagues
This Session we found ourselves working with old friends and new allies, on traditional issues like Florida Forever and Everglades Restoration, as well as meeting the challenge of the year: proposals to open Florida's nearshore waters to oil and gas exploration. Thanks to our colleagues on the ground at the Capitol, including Janet Bowman and Chris Berry of the Nature Conservancy, Thom Rumberger, Noah Valenstein and the Everglades Trust team, David Cullen of Sierra, Jay Liles of Florida Wildlife Federation and Susan Glickman of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. Additional thanks at the Capitol and at home in legislative districts to our friends with 1000 Friends of Florida, Caribbean Conservation Corp, FSBPA, Hands Across the Sand, Gulf Restoration Network, Defenders of Wildlife, FRPA, Florida Association of Counties, National Parks and Conservation Association, Trust for Public Land, and the Everglades and Florida Forever coalitions. Most importantly, thanks to all the grassroots advocates like you, who continue to contribute your time and energy to influencing the process in the best interest of Florida's wildlife and wildlands.
With gratitude, Eric Draper, Julie Wraithmell, Charles Lee, Traci Romine and the rest of Audubon's Policy Team.
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