Action Items

Follow the legislative process

The short session of the Florida legislature is in full swing and there are many bills being considered that will impact Florida's environment. You can follow the process using the Florida Sierra Club's legislative tracker.

Some of the more important bills are discussed in the following issue briefs:

1. Aggrevate Mining
2. Clean Coastal Oceans
3. Energy and Climate Protection
4. Fertillizer Model Ordinance
5. Extend Florida Forever Program
6. Florida Springs Protection

 

Save Three Sisters Springs!

Three Sisters Springs is a complex of three spring areas, with many vents and sand boils that help feed Kings Bay, the headwaters of Crystal River, in Citrus County, Florida. These springs also constitute one of the most important natural warm-water refuges for the endangered Florida manatee.

 

But the Three Sisters Springs property is in danger of being developed and land acquisition of the springs and vulnerable parts of the spring basin remains the single most important protection strategy.

 

Florida Hometown Democracy

The only way to stop the destruction of Florida's future is to put the voters in charge of their hometown land use plans, it's that simple.  Do your part to take back Florida's future.  Sign the petition today if you are a registered Florida voter… mail it in…and send us more petitions.  Florida's future will thank you.

In The News

Carol Ann Wehle: Florida's wave of the future is water conservation

A prolonged and widespread water shortage can hardly be described as a lucky break. The impacts of below-average rainfall that began in 2006 have been at times severe on South Florida residents, businesses and local municipalities - not to mention our lawns.

 

Voters fortify the rural border

Anger over years of rapid growth fueled voters' overwhelming approval Tuesday of a ballot question aimed at protecting the county's rural portion from dense development.

 

Volusia lawmaker's intervention scuttles growth-limit bill

Ormond Beach state Sen. Evelyn Lynn says she only was trying to help rural areas around the state lure more development.

 

State Supreme Court hears arguments over planning amendment

The state's revised statement on how much a proposed growth management amendment would cost taxpayers is still vague and misleading, a lawyer for the plan's supporters told the Florida Supreme Court on Tuesday.

 

Digging into the Everglades

The biggest hole in the Everglades Agricultural Area does not belong to a mining company digging for road-building materials. It belongs to the government - the South Florida Water Management District - digging to restore the Everglades.

 

Lowe's Eyes the Everglades

As you drive west out of Miami along a road called Tamiami Trail, you come to a tract where you can feel the sprawl ending and the Everglades beginning. On your right, across the road from the last strip mall, is a large parcel of wetlands and pine trees protected by Miami-Dade County's Urban Development Boundary (UBD), a line drawn in the marsh to keep South Florida builders from encroaching any further on this unique ecosystem. Lowe's, the home improvement chain, wants to move the border so it can erect a new store on more than 20 acres of the wetlands; further south, developers want to hop the line to build a commercial park and thousands of new homes. Protesters, including Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez, gathered to denounce the plans last week — but on Thursday the Miami-Dade County Commission approved the Lowe's and the office developments.

 

State Sen. Paula Dockery: Florida can add jobs by turning to solar energy

If Florida is the Sunshine State, why aren’t we leveraging this asset to attract one of the highest growth, job-creating industries — solar?

 

King of water reuse has a great week

Florida actually leads the nation in something other than weird crimes, silly and regressive legislation and election snafus: water reuse

 

FPL to convert Riviera, Canaveral plants to natural gas

Florida Power & Light Co., the state's largest utility, said Wednesday it will spend roughly $2 billion to convert its Riviera Beach and Cape Canaveral power plants from oil to natural gas the next five years.

 

Sprawl is just one more nail in economic coffin

Urban sprawl can ruin the environment and our quality of life.

 

S. Fla. stuck with $3 billion sewage bill

The state Legislature passed a measure that requires South Florida counties to halt the discharge of sewage into the sea, but the bill comes with a hefty price tag.

 

'Green' just the color of money

On Tuesday, Earth Day, county commissioners were green. By Thursday, they were back to brown.

 

Study says South Florida's air among cleanest in U.S.

South Florida received its usual high marks for air quality this week, in a study released by the American Lung Association.

 

Kenric Ward: Where should we draw urban lines? Try Sarasota

Urban service boundaries are increasingly under siege in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties. Eyeing each other over the line, development interests and residents stare down the barrel of a loaded gun.