Loxahatchee Group Florida Chapter
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From the Easy Chair
By Lisa Hanley, Chair

I had meant to start this column by telling everyone to take a drive
through the Quantum Industrial Park in Boynton Beach to see the spectacular blooms of Blazing Stars, a native Florida scrub wildflower. Now I can only ask you to mourn the passing of yet another ecosystem, lost to "progress."

The bull dozers got them, along with the sand pines, lichens, spike moss,
blue eyed grass, Erect Scrub Spurge, joint weed (whose delicate white
blossoms complimented the bright purple of the liatrus), tar flower,
palafoxia, various scrub oaks and countless other endemic plants that I
could admire, but not identify.

This loss is particularly hard to take because it happened on my watch. The Loxahatchee Group has been keeping an eye on the development of Quantum Park and its Management Plan but we let our guard drop and lost an opportunity. If we had kept in contact with the owners, we could have relocated hundreds of plants into the protected Pine Preserve at Quantum. We might have been able to convince the developers that this unique and precious 50,000-year-old ecosystem was worthy of preservation.

But, there is only so much that one person can do. We are all volunteers. We have jobs, we have families - cub scouts, girl scouts, PTA, church etc, etc. We don't have the time or money that professional developers have, BUT we have the numbers: 2,300 members!! Two volunteers to help with this issue would have made a big difference.

Please, get involved today. If you don't want to serve on the Executive
Committee (see Ron's article), call our membership chair, Bob Dolson and tell him to put you down as a person who will make fact finding phone calls for a particular issue. What is your issue? What part of Palm Beach, Martin, St Lucie or Okeechobee counties do you want to save? Come to the annual Florida Fall Conservation Conference at Tiger Lake to hear the triumphs and see how we can make a difference.

This month's critter sighting: a lonely little sand skink that we caught
and relocated to the Preserve and a couple of really big owls, flying over
the devastation, looking for their dinner - in vain?

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Turtle Rescue Outing a Success
By Sabrina Carle - Outing Leader

Our annual sunrise trek to rescue sea turtle hatchlings was everything we
had hoped for and more. We met our own Bob Schoenfeld, a certified "turtle guy," at Lantana Beach for a brief talk about turtle life cycles and nesting habits, and then we set off to dig up hatched turtle nests.

We excavated about a dozen nests that Bob had previously marked as having hatched in the three days prior to our August 13th walk. All together, found about 24 live baby loggerheads that had been left buried in their nests when their siblings rose to the surface. To the delight of Sierrans young and old, each hatchling was passed from hand to hand before being placed in the sand near the shoreline to make its way into the sea.

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Don't Miss Our October Meeting on Lake Worth Lagoon

The subject of our October 17th meeting will be "The Lake Worth Lagoon - On the Mend?" This 450 square mile estuary is recognized as one of Florida's important estuarine lagoon systems. Host to a variety of fishes, birds, mammals (including people), and plants this lagoon has been in terrible condition for the last several decades. Recently numerous national, state and local agencies have been actively engaged in restoring this body of water. At our October meeting we will be provided with a current analysis of the Lagoon and its future prospects

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Conservation Update
By Elaine Usherson

"Ban the Span": Four of our compatriots are being sued by Figg Bridge
Engineers for libel/slander.  They're being sued as individuals, not as
leaders of an organization (divide and conquer).   We feel this "SLAPP" suit has been filed to shut them up and to intimidate anyone else thinking about speaking out against the project.  If it gets as far as a trial, it will be
precedent setting.  If they win, environmentalists all over the state will
be putting themselves at great personal risk every time they speak out at a public meeting.  On the plus side, several attorneys have stepped forward and offered to represent them, pro bono.

Western Community Environmental Focus Group: Palm Beach County is evaluating, possibly refining, the comprehensive plan for the central and western communities. On Sept. 14, they conducted a working session on the environmental concerns of this growing area  -- existing
conditions/problems, sensitive areas, concerns, etc.  This session solicited input from environmental regulatory agencies (i.e. Dept. of Environmental Protection, South FL Water Management District, Dept. of Fish and Wildlife) and environmental advocacy groups (i.e. 1000 Friends of Florida, Audubon, Sierra Club).  Elaine Usherson represented the Lox Group.  As an active contributor to the original comprehensive plan, she could offer historical input as well as insight.

Underground wastewater injection: Florida injects minimally treated
wastewater underground.  Theoretically, it's pumped deep enough that it
cannot leak into drinking water.  Yet, leaks have occurred.  Under today's rules, if leaks happen, the municipality must cease pumping.  The EPA is proposing a rule revision, effectively saying leaks are allowed as long as testing "proves" the drinking water is safe. This is a dangerous, risky and unwise proposition.  The Sierra Club strongly opposes it and has multiple sample letters clearly articulating why (thanks to the Legal Environmental Assistance Foundation, LEAF).  Ask Nada MacKinney, 561-795-7809 or mackinne@ibm.us.com, and she'll provide them.

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Help Wanted To Save the Everglades

The Everglades Restoration Bill must contain strong language to ensure that Homestead Air Base redevelopment will be consistent with the goals of Everglades Restoration.  Furthermore, consistency should be determined by the U.S. Department of the Interior, the federal agency responsible for Everglades National Park.

We hope Turtle Tracks encourages you -- and makes it easy for you -- to take action on environmental concerns.  Below is a sample letter on a
critical issue.  Use it verbatim or change it however you like... but use
it!  It does make a difference.

Subject:  Inconsistency between proposed airport at Homestead and Everglades Restoration Bill:

Dear XXX:

The inconsistency between the Everglades Restoration Bill and the proposed commercial airport at Homestead flies in the face of logic.   We as a nation have realized the calamity we've caused in the Everglades, and are making a substantial investment to restore it.  We now understand the cost of not doing it is incalculable.

The Everglades Restoration Bill must contain strong language to ensure that Homestead Air Base redevelopment will be consistent with the goals of Everglades Restoration.  Furthermore, consistency should be determined by the U.S. Department of the Interior, the federal agency responsible for Everglades National Park.

Sincerely,
Your signature

Send your letters to all of the following:

Governor Jeb Bush
The Capitol
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001
Phone:  850/488-4441,  Fax: 850/487-0801
jeb@myflorida.com

Secondary contacts:
Representative Mark Foley
113 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202/225-5792, Fax: 202/225-3132
mark.foley@mail.house.gov

Senator Connie Mack
517 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510,
Phone: 202/224-5274, Fax 202/ 224-8022

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Help Wanted To Plan and Staff Flexcom

Hey Folks! Remember that we're hosting the Florida Executive Committee in January?? That means that 35 or so representatives from all of Florida's Sierra Club Groups will be coming to Palm Beach County and we have to take care of them. We ran this call for volunteers in last month's newsletter and, can you believe it? NOBODY called.

C'mon people, we need you! The hardest part, finding a meeting place is
done. We'll be renting the Everglades Youth Conservation Camp for the
weekend and, food and lodging are included! So, all we need are a few
volunteers to fine tune the details and we'd like to have everything done in November so we can enjoy the Holidays. Here's your chance to do your thing for the Club! Call either Maryvonne, Nada or Lisa for those details.

PS We're in the directory!

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Sierra Club Election Endorsements
By Gary Lehnertz

The Sierra Club has been active on a local and statewide basis with the
current elections. The Club takes the elections seriously and only endorses known, proven environmental champions. However, just associating our name with a candidate is not enough. As a Club, we strive to use the power of our membership to help our candidates - calling voters, distributing flyers and standing at the polls. These candidates can never have too much help in their effort to represent OUR interests. They could use a little help from each of us. If you can give a couple hours one evening or weekend, contact Gary Lehnertz - you'll be helping ALL of us. The list below is all of the candidates endorsed as of the date of our newsletter. We will have additional endorsements before the November general election.

For the Loxahatchee Group area, the Sierra Club endorsed candidates
include:
US Senate: Bill Nelson
US Congress (Dist 22): Elaine Bloom
US Congress (Dist 19): Robert Wexler
US Congress (Dist 23): Alcee Hastings
Florida House (Dist 88): Barry Silver

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For Outings and Other Activities, Please Visit Events

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Turtle Tracks is published bi-monthly by Sierra Club Loxahatchee Group, 619 SW 2nd Avenue, Boynton Beach, FL 33426. The purpose of this newsletter is to inform members about environmental issues and events. Members subscribe through their annual dues. nonmember subscriptions are available for $12 per year.

Newsletter submissions are welcome. The deadline is the third Tuesday of each month. Email articles to Mike Baird (phone 561/965-7237 mornings only, email gsdad@bellsouth.net), or deliver typed or IBM format 3.5" disc copy to general membership meeting.