T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F S I E R R A C L U B F L O R I DA
Reforming Florida Politics
Summer 2009
Inside this issue
Amendment 4 on 2010 Ballot
Committee Updates
Celebrating Earth Day
Recycling for Fuel is Bad Idea
Greater Charlotte Harbor ‘Firsts’ 6
2009 Legislative Wrap up
Outings/Training
www.florida.sierraclub.org 1
“Our representatives are selecting their voters, as opposed
to the voters selecting their representatives. That is a
situation that I think the American people should not
accept.” —Barack Obama. Feb. 8, 2006
S
hould legislators be allowed to hand
pick their voters? Can our political
representatives do a good job when their
political districts expand over many counties and
hundreds of miles? These conditions exist in
Florida because there are no laws prohibiting
these practices. Legislators perpetuate their own
power by drawing districts for themselves.
There is a need to create clear and strict
fairness standards and rules that stop legislators
2 from drawing political boundaries that favor
an incumbent or political party. New standards
3 and rules could create compact and fair districts
that would make use of existing political and
4-5 geographical boundaries and protect minority
voting rights. They could give voters back the
6
power to fairly elect their representatives and
encourage challenges to ineffective incumbents.
The organization, FairDistrictsFlorida.org,
7
8 Hooray for Brevard County’s scrub jays!
S ince its inception, the Turtle Coast Sierra
Club has taken an active role in Florida scrub-
jay preservation and scrub habitat conservation.
Some recent scrub-jay success was observed at a
recent outing at the Helen and Allan Cruickshank
Sanctuary in Rockledge, just south of Merritt
Island.
When this land was purchased by the Brevard
County Environmentally Endangered Lands
Program as a sanctuary in 1994, it was overgrown
and infested with exotic plants. Serious land
management began in 2004 to restore the
property to conditions reflected in aerial photos
from the 1940s. When the land management
started, only two scrub jays were found on the
property. Scrub jays require oak-palmetto scrub
with open sandy patches and about one pine tree
per acre.
Early in 2004, the Florida Division of
Forestry assisted with a tree-thinning process,
and later that year, the first prescribed burn was
conducted. Much of the 140-acre property has
been restored to the pristine scrub conditions
has proposed two amendments to the Florida
Constitution for the 2010 ballot and they are
circulating petitions now. Sierra Club Florida has
endorsed this effort. These amendments could
assure that our legislative districts are drawn fairly
during the next redistricting in 2011 and 2012. The
first petition covers fair redistricting of the U.S.
Congressional districts and the second covers the
fair redistricting of Florida Legislative districts.
To put the Fair Districts amendments on the
ballot in 2010, 1.7 million voter signatures must
be collected by Oct. 31, 2009. Then, voters need
to be educated on the issue and vote for the
amendments in November 2010.
Visit FairDistrictsFlorida.org to read more
about this issue, download petitions, and get
involved in the campaign. Or, you can call
FairDistrictsFlorida at 305-445-5442. Spread
the word. Ask your friends and family to sign
petitions and get involved. With your support,
we can end the political free-for-all and replace
it with a system that requires natural fairness
and competition in legislative and congressional
elections. — Brian Paradise, Sierra Club Florida
that scrub jays need
to prosper. Other
species of animals
and plants benefit
from this restoration,
too, including gopher
tortoises, scrub
lizards and rare and
endangered native Photo by Vince Lamb
plants. After five
years of aggressive restoration, the most recent
survey revealed six families of scrub jays with an
estimated 30 individuals. The scrub jays on this
property are successfully reproducing. N i n e
Turtle Coast Sierra Club members and guests
hiked a one-mile loop April 19 in perfect spring
weather. We were welcomed by an estimated 15
jays representing four families of scrub jays at
various locations along the trail. We congratulate
the Brevard County Environmentally
Endangered Lands Program for performing the
land management that yielded this success story.
— Vince Lamb, Turtle Coast Group
Amendment 4 on 2010 ballot
T
he years-long Florida Hometown Democracy (FHD)
petition drive is now Amendment 4 and will be on the
ballot in 2010. Passage of Amendment 4 would mean that
all changes to local Comprehensive Land Use Plans would have to
be approved by voters, not just local politicians.
“We’re excited that Florida voters will finally have the opportunity
to have a vote on growth. Our strong progress toward instituting
effective growth management for Florida owes special thanks to
the Florida Sierra Club and its local groups for their major financial
and volunteer support all these years," said Lesley Blackner, Sierran
and FHD President.
What to do next
Sierrans need to prepare for battle against the development
interests to pass Amendment 4.
We need your time
• Keep local media informed
• Write letters-to-the-editor and guest columns on local issues
related to Amendment 4
• Be a program speaker for community, civic and religious groups
• Distribute Amendment 4 literature at festivals and other events
and to neighbors and coworkers
• If you have actively opposed development in your area, only to
have it fall on elected officials’ deaf ears, we need to hear from you.
Contact us and tell your story. FHD is about you!
We will need your contributions
We anticipate a strong (and often expensive) media campaign
to get the truth about the need for FHD out to the voters. You
can send a check to FHD, PO Box 636, New Smyrna Beach, FL
32170-0636, or donate online at Amendment 4’s informative Web
site at FloridaHometownDemocracy.com. Contact the authors for
further information, to volunteer, or to reach the person heading
our campaign in your area.
Counter lies with the truth
As you talk about Amendment 4, you’ll want to have the answers
to some of the lies and misrepresentations that the developers are
spreading in their “campaign of confusion.”
1. Our opponents say Amendment 4 will cost jobs. False!
Overdevelopment — in violation of our original, local
Comprehensive Plans — has crashed Florida’s economy and cost
us many jobs! Paving over huge swaths of Florida is also destroying
our two major, economically productive industries: agriculture and
tourism. We have the opportunity to leave behind the boom-and-
bust housing fiasco and preserve what remains of our community’s
quality of life, which is the right way to lure new business and
industry and permanent jobs.
2. Our opponents say Amendment 4 will cause “St. Pete
Beach”-type problems. False! Developers there were permitted to
place Comp Plan changes directly on the ballot. With Amendment
4, nothing will go to ballot until after it has passed through the
entire official review process and received the approval of the local
Commission or Council.
3. Opponents say Amendment 4 will cause too many expensive
elections and hundreds of ballot issues. False! Only Comp Plan
changes that have been approved by local politicians will appear on
the ballot at the next general election. No cost, except perhaps some
printer’s ink! FHD estimates ballot questions will average between
one and five per election, in part because politicians will be a lot less
likely to approve a developer’s proposal if they know the public is
watching and may register their disapproval at referendum time.
2 www.florida.sierraclub.org
4. Our opponents say voters are too dumb to be able to vote on
Comp Plan changes. False! We voters are considered smart enough
to vote on taxes. We don’t trust our politicians with our wallets, so
why would we trust them to vote on what’s even more precious:
our homes, our families, our communities?
5. Our opponents say that Amendment 4 will curtail our
property rights. False! Nothing prevents property owners from
using their property as they like under FHD/4 unless they are
seeking a change in the public’s Comp Plan. Indeed, Amendment
4 protects our property rights by enforcing our publicly approved
local Comprehensive Land Use Plans, unless residents conclude
that a proposed change is truly in the public interest. Thus you
won’t wake up to find bulldozers erecting a shopping center or big-
box store in the “residential” lot next door. Nowadays a resident
desiring to maintain the peaceful enjoyment of his or her home has
no recourse after the politicians approve such a drastic Plan change,
other than to start a costly lawsuit to try to stop the developers.
Democracy at its best
Amendment 4 is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for citizens
to save what’s left of Florida and also regain democratic rights
usurped by the developer-politician cabal that’s controlled Florida
for decades. Give Florida a future: vote for Amendment 4 in 2010,
and spread the message using every means you can. — Janet Stanko,
Northeast Sierra political chair, janestan@bellsouth.net, 904-880-1813; and
John Hedrick, Northwest Sierra group chair, johnhedrick13@yahoo.com,
850-339-5462
The Pelican, Vol. 42, No. 2
Kathy Criscola, managing editor
The Pelican is published by Sierra Club Florida, 319 E. Park Ave.,
Tallahassee FL, and mailed to Florida Sierra Club members. Annual
membership dues include $1 for the Pelican newsletter. Address
all inquiries to PO Box 575, Tallahassee FL 323092-0575 or e-mail
editor@floridasierraclub.org or katwalk100@aol.com
Steering Committee
Linda Bremer, Jacksonville
Craig Diamond, Tallahassee
John Swingle, Altoona
Betsy Grass, Miami
Tom Larson, Jacksonville Beach
Marian Ryan, Winter Haven
Rudy Scheffer, Safety Harbor
Communications Committee
Liz Cantarine, Bradenton, ecantarine@tampabay.rr.com
Kathy Criscola, Tallahassee, katwalk100@aol.com
Betsy Grass, Miami, betgrass@ix.netcom.com
Ron Haines, Lantana, ronaldhaines@bellsouth.net
Frances Howell-Coleman, Winter Haven, fcoleman@tampabay.rr.com
Corbett Kroehler, Orlando, corbettkroehler@yahoo.com
Rosalie Shaffer, Bradenton, Shaffer_us@yahoo.com
Visit www.florida.sierraclub.org
 Committee Updates
Advisory Council
T he Group Advisory Council has been busy collecting and
compiling data from the group surveys. We are finding that
most of the groups are working on a variety of local and regional
conservation issues. The areas where the groups need assistance
seem to be similar. We have identified those areas as: Fundraising,
Outings, Recruitment of Volunteers, Leadership and Political
Training, and Electronic Newsletters.
We are now looking for volunteers who have skills in the
identified areas and would like to join the Group Advisory
Council. We would like to have people with experience on our
team for the next step, which is to provide assistance to our
groups. Interested individuals who would like to join should send
a brief summary of their Sierra Club experience, familiarity with
above-mentioned areas and reasons why they want to serve on the
Group Advisory Council. Send this information and any inquiries
to Debbie Matthews at treehuggerdeb@gmail.com. Our purpose
is to get help to the various groups in these specific areas, we
would like to have a few people from each group participating.
The Group Advisory Council thanks all the groups that have
participated in the survey and interviews. The information, kept
confidential, is helping to identify areas where the groups need
assistance. We appreciate your opening up to us, and giving us
your trust. — Debbie Matthews, Group Advisory Council
Political Committee
W
hat’s so special about 2010? It’s an election year, and it’s
coming up fast. It will bring us a new governor, a new
cabinet, a number of new state representatives and senators and a
slew of new county commissioners and other local leaders.
Do you want to have an impact on who gets elected? Then read
on. There are lots of opportunities in 2010 for you to help us
make sure the right candidates win and those who would destroy
Florida’s environment are left in the dust.
Join the volunteers of the Florida Sierra Political Committee
and our Group political committees all across the state to continue
our vital program of endorsing good environmental candidates
and working to help them get into office.
At stake is the future of Florida’s environment. It is never too
early to get organized and informed. You can bet those who would
dismantle our environmental safeguards, drill off the coast and fill
in our wetlands are doing so now.
Even if you can spare as little as an hour a week, we have a
place for you. We have a number of training opportunities coming
up (the first will be scheduled for this fall) and many more to
follow. We can help you learn how the candidates, both new and
incumbents, stand on the issues that you care most about. You will
work shoulder-to-shoulder with more experienced volunteers as
you begin your learning and gain confidence that you can have an
impact.
To join us, contact Political Chair Cecilia Height at 407-657-
9582 or cheight@cfl.rr.com. She will help you get started and keep
you informed of the fall training session and the other training
opportunities available. There are even free online Sierra political
programs you can take advantage of.
If you have no time to donate, consider helping us financially.
Make your check t to “Florida Sierra Club PAC.” Any amount
will be helpful for us to counter the messages of the anti-
www.florida.sierraclub.org 3
environmental candidates. Send to Greg Kalmbach, Florida Sierra
Club political treasurer, 111 Shirley Ave., Sanford, FL 32771-1546.
Include your full name, address, zip code and phone number.
Include your occupation if you are donating more than $100.
Donations to our PAC are not tax-deductible. — Bob Sullivan and
Cecilia Height, Political Committee
Steering Committee
T
he Steering Committee has started its second year of work
building a Sierra Club chapter in Florida. According to the
liaison from the Sierra Club Board of Directors, we have met
the goals set for Year One and are on track for the next set of
requirements.
Monthly conference calls, daily e-mails and four face-to-face
meetings a year have put a lot of work on the shoulders of the
Steering Committee, but we are happy with the efforts during this
period to continue state-level conservation work and legislative
lobbying. Now we are enlisting more volunteers and leaders, and
shifting some of the emphasis to the health of our groups. We
continue to use the Florida Leaders listserv, other e-mail lists, Web
pages and Web file cabinets to communicate with members. In
addition, the use of Convio by staff and our Legislative Team was
successfully tested during the legislative session.
As we start the next phase, we are building teams to take
over conservation organizing, including work in the areas of
Everglades; Marine and Coastal Protection; Energy Issues; Waste-
Minimization; and Growth Management. We kicked off this phase
with a special training session to help the Everglades Committee
understand its areas of expertise and focus on upcoming issues.
We are looking to expand the size and role of the Group Advisory
Council. The council surveyed groups to learn how each is doing,
and is working on ways to assist in the most-needed areas.
In June the Steering Committee had its second face-to-face
meeting for 2009. Most of the meeting was devoted to organizing
and training committees for Energy Issues; Marine and Coastal
Issues; and Waste Minimization. The goal was for each team to
understand the essentials of working together and coordinating a
successful campaign. Each now has at least one campaign to roll
out, and there is information on the Web and in this Pelican on
how to volunteer. We hope to organize and train other teams at
the next meeting, on August 29-30.
Details on Steering Committee conference calls and meetings
are available on our extranet Web site/file cabinet on Sierra
Clubhouse (clubhouse.
sierraclub.org/fl), and on
our public Web pages at
florida.sierraclub.org. You
can ask questions about
the Steering Committee
and our progress by
e-mailing fl-steering-
contact@lists.sierraclub.
org, or by e-mailing
individual members of
the Steering Committee.
— Betsy Grass, Sierra Club Florida Steering Committee
 Celebrating the Earth — Ear
Ancient Islands Group
Earth Day at Circle B Bar Reserve. A naturalist-in-training is
encouraged by Jenny Jacobs and Gunn Honican to play Sierra's
Natural Objects Guessing Game. The display was set up and manned
by John Ryan.

Calusa Group
The eighth annual Earth Day Festival April 25 at Kores
attendance by 3,000 people and more than 60 vendors
There was something for everyone: free kayak rides, liv
Photo by Frances H. Coleman educational and informational booths, local artists, a ra

Miami Group
Miami Group
members participated
in Earth Day events
all across Miami-Dade
County, including the
Baynanza event as
part of the cleanup at
Photo by Miami Group
the Deering Estate;
EarthFest at Crandon
Park; an Earth Day event at the Barnacle, a historic house in
Coconut Grove; Florida International University's EarthFest Photo by Alice Jaeger
where we handed out materials on green living, along with
information on the Sierra Club; and we sponsored the Volusia-Flagler Group
“Green U” educational material at University of Miami's Volusia-Flagler members participated in the
Earth Day event. This brochure gives students information Washington Oaks Gardens State Park Earth Day
on how to be more green while living and studying at Celebration in Palm Coast. From left to right are
the UM. Miami Group members celebrated Earth Day at members Elizabeth “Beeg” Camarota, Marjorie
the annual club picnic where we picked up new members Byron, Alice Jaeger and Alexa Ross. It was a great
and new volunteers, and reconnected with environmental opportunity to meet and mingle with like-minded
groups across South Florida. — Debbie Matthews, Miami people who care about keeping the earth green!
Group chair

4 www.florida.sierraclub.org
rth Day 2009 Around Florida
Tampa Bay
Group
The Tampa Group had
a presence at Earth Day
Tampa Bay festival, which
attracted 3,000 people. City,
county and community
groups brought displays
on energy and water
conservation, nature and
wildlife, and there were
children’s activities, too.
The Sierra compound
was jammed all day with
petitions and information
on our campaigns,
programs and outings. It
was a really great way to
spread the word about
Photo by Joan Gerber going green and getting
back to nature in a fun and
friendly environment.
shan State Historic Site in Estero drummed up Top, children received
and organizations, including the Drum Circle, above. seedlings to plant from
ve music, kids’ activities, hands-on animal displays, Sierra volunteer Lisa
affle, music, meditation sessions and food. Lepak.
Right, Tampa Mayor Pam
Iorio enjoys
the festivities at
Earth Day 2009.

Photos by Tampa Bay Group

Photo by Robert Weintraub

Nassau Group
The Nassau Group planted two Princeton American elms at the County Court House Annex in Yulee,
with the assistance of Administrative Judge Robert Foster, above, second from left. Ray Roberts
directed the elm planting project for the group. Nassau Sierra is planning more elm tree plantings in
Fernandina Beach and Judge Foster is planning to acquire six more for the county courthouse. The
Nassau Group arranged Earth Day proclamations from both the Fernandina Beach and Nassau County
commissions and had a street banner at the Fernandina historic district. — Robert Weintraub

www.florida.sierraclub.org 5
Recycling for fuel is bad idea
W ould you like to see an end to plastic bags in the environment,
styrofoam trays used for displaying a few vegetables at
the grocery store, plastic bottles and cans thrown in the trash for
Francisco, Seattle, Toronto and numerous other cities. Just as we
now separate yard waste to keep it out of landfills, organic waste must be
collected separated from other recyclables. The technology for collection
landfilling or to be burned? How about increasing recycling to 75 of source-separated waste is well developed. It takes no more effort on
percent while creating 100,000 new jobs in Florida? our part than placing the material in the correct container.
The stage is set to achieve all of the above or to have 100 percent The organic waste can then be used to produce methane for
of municipal solid waste (MSW) go up in smoke using it as a fuel — fuel through anaerobic digestion and compost for soil amendment
it is up to us to decide by making our choice known to the Florida sorely needed by Florida’s sandy soils. This use of organics is fully
Department of Environmental Protection and our legislators. closing the recycling loop.
Legislation enacted in 2008 (FS 403.7032) requires that the DEP Sierra Club Florida adopted waste minimization as one of
recommend to the legislature by January 2010 how to reduce by its priority campaigns for 2009-2010. Members of the Waste
75 percent the amount of recyclable solid waste disposed in waste Minimization Campaign Team are: Dwight Adams, Mary-Joe
management facilities, landfills or incinerators. Castells, Linda Demler, Craig Diamond, Cecilia Height,
Fantastic! Except for the huge fly in the ointment specifying that Drew Martin, Debbie Matthews and Deb Swim.
solid waste used for the production of energy counts as recycling. The Club expects a tough fight with those who want to keep on
Burning waste for fuel should not count as recycling. Recycling wasting and needs your help to overcome this opposition.
materials uses far less energy than making more using finite virgin — Dwight Adams, Waste Minimization Campaign
resources. In fact, the energy saved by recycling is three to five times
that generated using waste as a fuel. Greater Charlotte’s ‘firsts’
T
The economic he Greater Charlotte Harbor Group celebrated many “firsts”
Here’s how to help benefits of the past year. In July 2008, we brought together long-warring
• Recruit other volunteers. recycling make a factions, including the environmental and building communities, to
• Submit letters and editorials to the compelling case for adopt a plan that preserved open space while allowing developers to
media. choosing recycling build higher in certain Charlotte County areas. Dubbed the “Coastal
• Make comments to DEP by letter and MSW over use as Compromise,” the new ordinance, and the cooperation that ensued,
at dep.state.fl.us. a fuel. EPA data was hailed by our local newspapers and has opened important
• Meet with legislators in their districts on jobs created dialogue with local partners.
this fall. through recycling We also initiated another effort: Sierra Super Citizens Awards.
• Meet with local government officials at 75 percent Our ExCom accepts nominations of average citizens doing great
to get recycling resolutions and indicate waste- things for wildlife and the environment. This year, we’ve given out
ordinances adopted. based industries three awards and, in the process, have made lasting contacts with
Make it known that you choose 75 could support over other community groups. We made awards to two Rotonda West
percent recycling, that mixed MSW is 100,000 additional citizens who involved their Homeowners Association in efforts to
not a renewable fuel and that you want jobs in Florida, prevent the slaughter of freshwater turtles occurring in their canals.
plastic bags and other problem wastes with an annual Recently, two of our ExCom members worked long and hard
drastically reduced. payroll of up to $6 to bring a Reservoir Conference to the Charlotte Harbor National
For more information, visit these Web billion. Materials Estuary Program. At least five of our ExCom attended the three-
sites: recovered in day conference, which evaluated the proposal to add multiple
• dep.state.fl.us and click on the Florida recycling programs reservoirs to our watershed.
75 percent Recycling Goal button on the in Florida would Our Group is finalizing a white paper to present to decision
right side of your screen. have a value of makers. We remain actively involved in the environmental impacts
• dep.state.fl.us/waste, then click on the $600 million for of phosphate mining and look forward to the work of the new
Retail Bags Report button on the right. recycling at 75 Sierra Florida committee on that issue. — Sue Reske, Chair, Greater
Send an e-mail message to Linda Demler percent. Increasing Charlotte Harbor Group
at linda.demler@sierraclub.org for more recycling would
information and to volunteer to help. provide many
— Dwight Adams, Waste Minimization of the jobs
Campaign needed to reduce Preserve The Future
unemployment
now at 12 percent. Make a commitment to the next
Producing new products from virgin raw material requires generation by remembering Sierra Club in
processes such as mining, use of fossil petroleum for plastics your will. Your support will help others
and fuel, and cutting or growing trees, all of which damage the preserve the intricate balance of nature.
environment. Recycling paper and plastics, which are not renewable
fuels, would save energy, mean fewer trees cut from the world’s Gift Planning Program
85 Second St., 2nd Floor
few remaining virgin forests and less of Appalachia destroyed by
San Francisco CA 94105
ripping coal from mountain tops. 800-932-4270
In addition to collecting almost all of recyclables, achieving 75 planned.giving@sierraclub.org
percent recycling will require collection of food and other organic
waste for biological decomposition. This is being done in San

6 www.florida.sierraclub.org
 2009 Legislative Wrap Up
W
ith very few bright spots for the environment, the
spring 2009 Florida Legislature has the distinction
of being the most damaging session for the
environment in decades. Governor Crist especially
let us down, failing to veto even the worst bills. Regulatory programs
were especially hard-hit.
Some of the worst outcomes
• Florida Forever Funding was eliminated from the budget.
• SB 360 guts a major part of growth management in Florida.
• SB 2080 eliminates transparency and restricts public input into
Water Management District Governing Board decisions.
• The Governor’s climate change program collapsed. No clean car
rule, no renewable energy standard, etc.
• Near shore drilling (not offshore drilling) within Florida’s state
waters didn’t pass, but it was approved by one house of the
legislature. That would have been unthinkable in the past.
Synopsis
Drilling off our coasts failed to pass. The bill that passed the House
died in the Senate. Your calls made a difference here. Widespread
grassroots action was able to thwart big money, big oil and big
pressure.
We held off offshore drilling, but did not achieve a Renewable
Portfolio Standards (RPS) bill.
On other energy issues the Clean Cars bills also died.
The voter suppression bills, SB 956 / HB 7149, did not pass.
They contained bad language relating to paid petition gatherers as
well as a raft of other voter disenfranchisement provisions. A broad
coalition of activists coupled with outraged editorial boards made
the legislature lie low and the bills died.
Wetlands preemption, HB 73 did pass. This bill requires DEP and
Water Management Districts to expedite environmental resource
permits for projects that are identified by local governments as
“targeted industry businesses.” A parochial economic calculation is
allowed to supersede the state’s responsibility to perform a thorough
review of projects that affect our wetlands. Further, charter
counties with more than 1.2 million people that have entered into
a delegation agreement with the state have an even lower bar to
expediting permitting.
The Springs legislation did not pass, as the House did not even
file a companion bill. However, we did get seagrass and coral reef
protection.
The worst of the “streamlining” bills all died. The U.S. Sugar deal
should be able to go through. The CSX bill that included Sun Rail
and Tri Rail did not succeed as an amendment to the Transportation
package and will not happen this year.
The legislature made numerous budget decisions detrimental
to environmental issues. These included permanent diversions of
funds from trust funds, “sweeps” of available cash in trust funds
and, of course, elimination of funding for a new issue of Florida
Forever bonds.
www.florida.sierraclub.org 7
Summary of bills we wanted Gov. Crist to veto
but he didn’t (he was 0 for 6)
• HB 73 Expedited Permitting — Requires the Department
of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Water Management
Districts (WMDs) to adopt a program to expedite wetland and
environmental resource permits and to approve or deny permits
within 45 days for identified “target industry businesses.” The
bill also extends expedited permitting to charter counties with
populations of over 1.2 million that have delegation agreements
with the DEP, and it stipulates that “the [county] governing board's
decision shall be made without consideration of the project's
geographic location within the charter county.”
• SB 494 Water Resources — Establishes a model fertilizer
ordinance and a mandatory process for counties and cities that want
to adopt a stronger ordinance. The new statutory requirements,
retroactive to Jan. 1, 2009, will serve as de facto state preemption
of new county and municipal fertilizer ordinances.
• SB 2080 Water Resources — Delegates all permitting decisions
to executive directors of Water Management Districts. Prohibits
WMD board members from intervening in any way.
• SB 360 Growth Management — Called the “developers’
dream” of the session, this bill de-regulates much of growth in
areas that are already impacted by development. Among many
bad provisions, it does away with transportation concurrency
requirements in areas that have at least 1000 people per square mile
(about one home per 1.5 acres), leaving Florida taxpayers to foot
the bill for these infrastructure costs caused by new development.
It also does away with the requirement for DRI reviews for large
projects in these same areas. A suit has been filed against this bill by
several local governments.
• HB 7053 Rural Agricultural Areas — Promotes the
identification and expansion of Rural Agricultural Industrial
Centers, parcels of land on which there is an operating agricultural
industrial/biomass facility that employs at least 200 full-time
employees. This bill would allow a single landowner to preempt
the ability of local governments and the communities they serve to
determine the specifics of their comprehensive plan and also short-
circuits the Departrment of Community Affairs review.
• HB 1065 Aircraft Safety/Wildlife Hazards — Allows airport
personnel to harass wildlife, including endangered species, without
penalty. Additionally, airports are allowed to drain surrounding
wetlands to eliminate habitat that could attract wildlife.
We thank all our volunteers and staff for their hard work that at
least prevented the session from being any worse than it was. Our
lobbying advisory team for the year was Dwight Adams, Linda
Bremer, Kathy Cantwell, Cecilia Height, Lisa Hinton, Terry
Janssen, Tom Larson, Drew Martin, John Miller, Demetra
McBride, Mark Oncavage, Marian Ryan and Rosalie Shaffer.
Our Sierra Club Florida Lobbyist, David Cullen, worked with
the volunteer advisory team to keep up with the back-room deals
and let us know how to get involved. You, the members, were a
most important part of the program with your well-written e-mails
and phone calls to legislators. — Frank Jackalone, Sierra Regional
Representative
Sierra Club Florida
The Pelican
P.O. Box 575
Tallahassee FL 32302-0575
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OUTINGS
Tour Mote Marine Lab in Sarasota
Saturday, Aug. 29. Mote Marine Lab Tour followed by dinner
at the Dry Dock Restaurant overlooking Sarasota Bay and an
evening walk on South Lido Beach. Explore the secrets of the
sea with touch pools, shark, dolphin, manatee and sea turtle
exhibits and over 100 other species of marine life. Viewable
working labs and high-tech interactive exhibits showcase
the world-renowned research of Mote Marine Laboratory.
Discounted group rate for the marine lab is $12. Limited to 15.
Reserve with Em at 239-472-8973 (Calusa).
Puerto Rico in February
Feb 7-13, 2010. Fundraising trip to the Enchanted Island of
Puerto Rico. Spend 7 days on the beautiful island having fun
8 www.florida.sierraclub.org
NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
TALLAHASSEE FL
Modern Mailers Permit 236
Outings/Training
hiking, kayaking, swimming, exploring the tropical forests and
learning about the rich culture and history of Puerto Rico.
Learn about the island’s environmental issues from our local
Sierra Club guides. We’ll spend one night in San Juan exploring
the old town and the rest of the time at the Patillas Eco Resort
(patillasecoresort.com). The cost of the trip is $650 per person
plus airfare and includes all lodging and transportation. Limit
10 participants. For reservations and details contact Rudy
Scheffer at rudy@adventuresworldwide.com, 727-726-8375.
(Suncoast)
TRAINING
Outing Leader Training OLT101
Saturday, Sept. 26. Outing Leader Training OLT101 for new
outing leaders, recertification and a prerequisite for OLT201.
Tampa Bay area.
Outing Leader Training OLT 201
Saturday, Oct. 3. Outing Leader Training OLT 201. A
requirement for outing leaders who want to lead overnight
trips away from cars. Tampa Bay Area.
More info: For more details and to register, contact Rudy
Scheffer, 727-726-8375. or rudy@adventuresworldwide.com.