Conservation Briefs

Reprinted From the Audubon Advocate

House and Senate Pending Budget Battles Impact Florida Forever Conservation Program

The House and Senate budgets differ on public lands in two profound ways. The House Florida Forever proposal takes $100 million from the Preservation 2000 debt reserve. The remainder of $300 million designated for funding comes from new bonds and the rest of the reserve goes to Everglades conservation. The Senate funds Florida Forever with $300 million in new bonds and leaves the debt reserve alone for now. It seems likely in this tough budget year that the Senate will dip into the debt reserve for some extra cash. The Senate funds the Everglades with authority for another $100 million in new bonds, assuming that the bonds can be sold, which are held up in litigation over a controversial “citizen standing” law. Audubon has announced support for the Governor’s budget proposal, which uses the Preservation 2000 debt reserve to supplement Everglades bonds until litigation over the legislation passed last year can be resolved. Reprinted From the

Everglades Sellout Bills Gain Momentum With Florida Legislature and Governor—Congress Seems Outraged, the White House is Silent

In the past week of fast breaking events for Everglades pollution, the Florida House Natural Resource Committee waived aside objections from Audubon and the Miccosukee Tribe and passed its Everglades Forever Act bailout. The bill extends the clean up deadline to 2026, waives discharge limits for pollution entering the Everglades and waives the Clean Water Act standard for the Everglades ecosystem. This legislation is unnecessary; it will change Florida water quality standards, which requires EPA review and may throw the entire question of how to clean up the Everglades back into federal court.

The legislation has already alarmed several key members of Congress and is causing some to question why the federal government should partner with Florida to restore the Everglades if the state arbitrarily changes its water quality standards and shifts new clean up costs from the sugar industry to taxpayers.

Until recently it appeared that Governor Bush was resisting the sugar lobby and standing against legislation. Department of Environmental Protection Secretary

David Struhs has begun to use his impressive communications skills to tell legislators and the media that the bill is okay. His expressed goal seems to be to avoid having to enforce the Clean Water Act against the South Florida Water Management District—which like a classic chump has to apply for the permits to discharge sugar’s pollution into the Everglades. Struh’s fear that he may have to enforce the Clean Water Act is no excuse for 23 more years of dirty water. In the past, Governor Bush has been committed to Everglades restoration. Audubon is now concerned that he is not getting the best advice.

Let Governor Bush and Florida lawmakers know your views on Everglades cleanup—Enforce, don’t weaken the Everglades Forever Act.

Scary Water Resource Bill Amended and Passed Out of Natural Resources Committee

Putting the environment first in water decisions suffered a setback as Rep. Baxter Troutman and the Association of Community Developers moved and amended HB 1005 through the House Natural Resources Committee. The amended bill now has a cumbersome bureaucratic process for “reserving” water for the environment and has a ridiculous provision that requires water management districts to replace environmental water if some future permit holder is affected.

The bill continues to treat the Everglades separately and has a section that allows water for Everglades restoration to be reserved, but subject to the same cumbersome rules.

Please call your Representative and Senator to let you know you are opposed to this still, very bad legislation: House Bill 1005 and companion legislation- Senate Bill 2200.

Water Bills HB 1069 and 1459 Passed by House Natural Resource Committee—SB 2316 Passed by Senate Natural Resource Committee

HB 1459, which primarily deals with alternative water supplies and is paired with SB 2316, is on its way to passage, as is its Senate companion. Both have lost their odious claims on Florida Forever funds for water projects and sections privatizing reclaimed wastewater by exempting it from consumptive use permits. The bills are primarily about creating, controlling and paying for alternative supplies. They still have sections possibly allowing phosphate mining wetland reclamation exemptions for those mines where new reservoirs are created. Until that is resolved, Audubon and the Florida Water Coalition do not support these bills.

HB 1069 seems a sure bet to pass the House, but has picked up a controversial amendment targeted at Tampa Bay Water. This legislation is otherwise supported by the Florida Water Coalition for its emphasis on water conservation measures, preventing transfer of permits, and stronger links between growth plans and water planning.