Here's an email I just received from Ed Tichenor of Palm Beach County Reef Rescue. We all need to let them know that we care about preserving our planet more than we care about developers! Please... give our wetlands a voice!
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]I received these two emails today which I feel are important enough to pass along to you. [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Please distribute widely.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Ed Tichenor[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Palm Beach County Reef Rescue[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [/FONT]
The first email is from Drew Martin, Conservation Chair, Loxahatchee Group
One of the most serious attempts, ever, to weaken Florida's Wetlands Permit Process is underway.
This will result in any consultant, hired by a developer to attest that the wetlands can be destroyed. If a third party or the state want to fight the burden is on them. This could lead to the wholesale loss of more of Florida Wetlands. The state of Florida has already sacrificed more wetlands than any other state in the South Easter United States.
If you go to the Audubon site below you may send an email or you may go directly to the state representative and send an email.
Audubon of Florida
The Action is titled: Legislative Committee Approves Environmental Ponzi Scheme
Or you can go to the Florida State Web Site and look up your legislator. (MyFlorida.gov)
The loss of Wetlands means more subdivisions, less wild life, more flooding and poor quality drinking water.
Please read the news article below for more information:
Posted on Sun, Mar. 22, 2009
Bill to ease wetlands development advances in Florida House
BY CRAIG PITTMAN AND MATTHEW WAITE
A bill that would drastically limit the state's ability to protect wetlands from destruction has passed a legislative committee.
The bill says that anyone who wants to destroy a wetland simply needs to turn in an application that has been ``prepared and signed by . . . scientists, engineers, geologists, architects or other licensed professionals.''
As long as the application is filled out properly and signed by a licensed professional, who certifies the wetland destruction won't lead to water pollution problems, it ''shall be presumed to comply'' with the law and must be approved.
The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee approved the bill Thursday.
BURDEN OF PROOF
If state regulators decide to deny the permit anyway, the bill says, the developer can challenge it in court -- and the burden of proof will be on regulators to show why the wetland was worth saving.
If someone who lives next door to the proposed development wants to challenge the permit, the bill says, the burden of proof is on the challenger, not on the developer who wants to pave over the wetland.
''It's a license to kill,'' said Roy ''Robin'' Lewis of Tampa, an environmental consultant for more than 30 years. ``This bill has nothing to do with proper management of wetlands in Florida.''
He added that engineers, geologists and architects are not wetlands experts.
The bill's sponsor, Rep. Jimmy Patronis, R-Panama City, said he is ''a big believer in preservation of the environment.'' He said his bill won't lessen protections for the state's wetlands, but instead ''we're creating some respect . . . that's been missing'' from state regulators when they deal with developers.
He acknowledged his measure was intended to be ''an agitator'' to the state Department of Environmental Protection.
But Patronis, who owns a seafood restaurant, compared the move with defrosting a refrigerator and tossing out all of the food, something he said should be done from time to time.
''Sometimes you need to unplug these state buildings and clean them out and start over,'' he said. ``Everything deserves a good cleaning out.''
Patronis, whose wife runs a real-estate business, said he felt a little uneasy about his bill when it reached the committee hearing because it ''sucked all the air out of the room,'' he said.
But when he offered to hold it for later consideration, 'the committee members said `no, don't, we want to vote this out,' '' he said. The bill passed 13-4, with bipartisan support.
''There were Democrats and Republicans who thought my was a good idea,'' he said. ``The committee found sympathy with my argument.''
But environmental advocates termed it ``outrageous.''
''This is not streamlining,'' said Julie Wraithmell of Audubon of Florida. ``This is a reduction in environmental protection.''
SCIENTISTS' FINDINGS
Current state and federal laws say protecting wetlands is presumed to be in the public interest. Scientists have found that wetlands stem flooding, recharge the underground drinking water supply, filter pollution and provide vital habitat to wildlife.
Yet, despite policies that say there should be no net loss of wetlands, a St. Petersburg Times analysis of satellite imagery found that between 1990 and 2003 Florida lost 84,000 acres of wetlands that were converted to homes, stores, roads, parking lots and other urban uses. Add in mining and agriculture, and the total amount is likely closer to 100,000 acres.
Current state law requires regulators to make a decision on wetlands destruction permits within 90 days, and if they miss the deadline the permit is automatically approved. A Times analysis of DEP permits found that they were being approved in an average of 44 days.
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~[/FONT]
The second email is from Brian Lee CEO Charity West Palm
Hello everyone,
Corporate sponsors are a little hard to come by this year, so please help us expand our support for great local organizations by kayaking with us this year. Its a lot of fun and the top fundraiser gets 2 roundtrip tickets anywhere JetBlue flies!
Thank You
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]I received these two emails today which I feel are important enough to pass along to you. [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Please distribute widely.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Ed Tichenor[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Palm Beach County Reef Rescue[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [/FONT]
The first email is from Drew Martin, Conservation Chair, Loxahatchee Group
One of the most serious attempts, ever, to weaken Florida's Wetlands Permit Process is underway.
This will result in any consultant, hired by a developer to attest that the wetlands can be destroyed. If a third party or the state want to fight the burden is on them. This could lead to the wholesale loss of more of Florida Wetlands. The state of Florida has already sacrificed more wetlands than any other state in the South Easter United States.
If you go to the Audubon site below you may send an email or you may go directly to the state representative and send an email.
Audubon of Florida
The Action is titled: Legislative Committee Approves Environmental Ponzi Scheme
Or you can go to the Florida State Web Site and look up your legislator. (MyFlorida.gov)
The loss of Wetlands means more subdivisions, less wild life, more flooding and poor quality drinking water.
Please read the news article below for more information:
Posted on Sun, Mar. 22, 2009
Bill to ease wetlands development advances in Florida House
BY CRAIG PITTMAN AND MATTHEW WAITE
A bill that would drastically limit the state's ability to protect wetlands from destruction has passed a legislative committee.
The bill says that anyone who wants to destroy a wetland simply needs to turn in an application that has been ``prepared and signed by . . . scientists, engineers, geologists, architects or other licensed professionals.''
As long as the application is filled out properly and signed by a licensed professional, who certifies the wetland destruction won't lead to water pollution problems, it ''shall be presumed to comply'' with the law and must be approved.
The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee approved the bill Thursday.
BURDEN OF PROOF
If state regulators decide to deny the permit anyway, the bill says, the developer can challenge it in court -- and the burden of proof will be on regulators to show why the wetland was worth saving.
If someone who lives next door to the proposed development wants to challenge the permit, the bill says, the burden of proof is on the challenger, not on the developer who wants to pave over the wetland.
''It's a license to kill,'' said Roy ''Robin'' Lewis of Tampa, an environmental consultant for more than 30 years. ``This bill has nothing to do with proper management of wetlands in Florida.''
He added that engineers, geologists and architects are not wetlands experts.
The bill's sponsor, Rep. Jimmy Patronis, R-Panama City, said he is ''a big believer in preservation of the environment.'' He said his bill won't lessen protections for the state's wetlands, but instead ''we're creating some respect . . . that's been missing'' from state regulators when they deal with developers.
He acknowledged his measure was intended to be ''an agitator'' to the state Department of Environmental Protection.
But Patronis, who owns a seafood restaurant, compared the move with defrosting a refrigerator and tossing out all of the food, something he said should be done from time to time.
''Sometimes you need to unplug these state buildings and clean them out and start over,'' he said. ``Everything deserves a good cleaning out.''
Patronis, whose wife runs a real-estate business, said he felt a little uneasy about his bill when it reached the committee hearing because it ''sucked all the air out of the room,'' he said.
But when he offered to hold it for later consideration, 'the committee members said `no, don't, we want to vote this out,' '' he said. The bill passed 13-4, with bipartisan support.
''There were Democrats and Republicans who thought my was a good idea,'' he said. ``The committee found sympathy with my argument.''
But environmental advocates termed it ``outrageous.''
''This is not streamlining,'' said Julie Wraithmell of Audubon of Florida. ``This is a reduction in environmental protection.''
SCIENTISTS' FINDINGS
Current state and federal laws say protecting wetlands is presumed to be in the public interest. Scientists have found that wetlands stem flooding, recharge the underground drinking water supply, filter pollution and provide vital habitat to wildlife.
Yet, despite policies that say there should be no net loss of wetlands, a St. Petersburg Times analysis of satellite imagery found that between 1990 and 2003 Florida lost 84,000 acres of wetlands that were converted to homes, stores, roads, parking lots and other urban uses. Add in mining and agriculture, and the total amount is likely closer to 100,000 acres.
Current state law requires regulators to make a decision on wetlands destruction permits within 90 days, and if they miss the deadline the permit is automatically approved. A Times analysis of DEP permits found that they were being approved in an average of 44 days.
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~[/FONT]
The second email is from Brian Lee CEO Charity West Palm
Hello everyone,
Corporate sponsors are a little hard to come by this year, so please help us expand our support for great local organizations by kayaking with us this year. Its a lot of fun and the top fundraiser gets 2 roundtrip tickets anywhere JetBlue flies!
Thank You
