Red Tide: Jono and Julie interview Cris Costello - plus an RtCW update

 If you have an interest in understanding Red Tide, or in how some of the local resources like Mote Marine have interpreted red tide phenomena, you might find this interview with Chris Costello of the Sierra Club eye-opening.

Here's the intro from environmentalists Jono Miller and Julie Morris:

Today's Guest: Cris Costello, Senior Organizing Manager of the Florida Chapter of the Sierra Club. Get ready to learn about the Legislature and fertilizer, offshore fish farms, and remember that time back in 2014 when 3 out of 4 of us voted to buy more wild land? The government still hasn't complied. 

The show airs Tuesday's at 9 am on WSLR. 

Interview with Cris Costello, WSLR, Tues. July 11, 2023

WSLR archive 

How to listen to WSLR online 

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Here's an update on where Petitions to create a Florida Constitutional Amendment for the Right to Clean Water can be obtained and dropped off. 

Questions? Contact Rona Turek.

Sarasotan designs new logo for the Right to Clean Water

 

“A ‘Right to Clean and Healthy Waters'" is a green amendment crafted specifically to meet the legal and political challenges in Florida” - Joseph Bonasia, Communications Director for FloridaRightToCleanWater.org. 

A call to support the right to clean water in Florida

By Kafi Benz

Guest Columnist 

A version of this column appeared in the Jan. 12, 2023 Sarasota News Leader

In 2020, the Orange County Charter Review Commission placed a charter amendment on the ballot. It was designed to guarantee that Orange County waters had a right to be clean and free of pollution. The amendment also granted all county citizens the right to clean water. It passed with 89.2% voter approval.

Shortly after placement on the ballot, however, the state legislature preempted the authority of local governments to pass such laws. Because of this, a lawsuit using the new amendment to protect wetlands in the county from development was challenged by both the developer and the state. The lawsuit was dismissed, but the appeal is being prepared.

Work began immediately on a state constitutional amendment because the constitution can’t be circumvented.

The 2024 ballot is a feasible goal. Many new venues, such as virtual meetings, now were available for our organizational meetings and presentations to members of organizations supporting the effort. Consensus developed quickly to focus on one amendment and leadership changes occurred. The Florida Right To Clean Water (RtCW) campaign for a state constitutional amendment began coming together both in its legal form and development of the statewide network that would function in each county or region.

Working closely with the new leaders, I mentioned my proposal for a redesign of the logo that would be important for attracting voters who were not committed participants in “things environmental.” 

Joseph Bonasia, Southwest Florida RtCW leader, described it as “a new and improved logo, for a new and improved amendment”:

Now we in Sarasota need to provide our fair share of the required signatures on petitions. That is where you come in. We need your signatures on the petitions and we need your help getting others (at least five friends).

At Floridarighttocleanwater.org you can get the petition — then mail it to the Fort Myers address.* Find answers to questions about the campaign, and see the growing support: League of Women Voters, VoteWater.org, Florida Wildlife Federation, and Waterkeeper chapters among them. If you can, join the volunteer effort in any way convenient for you — become an ambassador or a captain. Even if you are not a Florida voter, with a little volunteered work or a donation you can participate in this clean water effort.

It is up to us to get this question before the voters — so they may decide whether to guarantee that we have the clean water we have been pursuing fruitlessly for decades — instead of things just getting worse.

*Mail to: 

FloridaRightToCleanWater.org
(Political Committee)
13300 S Cleveland Ave, Ste 56
Fort Myers, FL 33907

Webinar July 25: The Fish Farm Threat to the Gulf

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 5, 2022
Contact: Christian Wagley   850.687.9968    christian@healthygulf.org

****MEDIA ADVISORY****

Offshore fish farms threaten Gulf of Mexico

• What: The coming threat: Offshore fish farms in the Gulf of Mexico
• When: Monday July 25  6:30 pm CDT/7:30 pm EDT
• Where: online through zoom—register on the Healthy Gulf web page here: https://healthygulf.org/event/offshore-fish-farms-threaten-gulf-of-mexico/

The Federal government is proposing multiple offshore fish farms in the Gulf of Mexico, threatening the health of Gulf waters and stocks of wild fish. Join us as we learn about these proposed farms, their specific locations off Florida, Louisiana and Texas, and work being done to keep them from harming Gulf waters and marine life.

Our guests include James Mitchell, legislative director, Don’t Cage Our Oceans; Christian Wagley, coastal organizer, Healthy Gulf; Neal Schleifer, Siesta Key, FL and Andrianna Natsoulas, campaign director, Don’t Cage Our Oceans. Don’t Cage Our Oceans is a coalition of 14 nonprofit organizations working to stop offshore fish farming while uplifting values-based sea-food systems led by local communities.

More information on this event is available on the Healthy Gulf website and Facebook page.

Healthy Gulf is a nonprofit organization that works to protect and restore the Gulf of Mexico and the people and communities along its shores. For more information or questions please contact Florida – Alabama Coastal Organizer Christian Wagley: christian@healthygulf.org or (850) 687-9968.

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See Glenn Compton for more:

The value of Florida’s biologically sensitive areas and endangered and threatened species should not be put at risk by floating fish farms.

Fish farms: More info

Suncoast Waterkeeper: A look back and what's ahead

 A newsletter from the group that sued Sarasota County leading to major wastewater plant upgrades:

We want to wish a happy new year to the entire Suncoast Waterkeeper family.  Our waterways and natural areas support the local economy and quality of life.  Together, we fought to protect our water in 2021 and, with your help, will continue to work to preserve what makes the Suncoast special.   Here’s a look back at our work in 2021 and a preview of what we’re working on for 2022: Piney Point Piney Point has been a ticking time bomb.  Due to neglect and inaction, the State of Florida was forced to dump over 200 million gallons of contaminated water into Tampa Bay.  Over the course of 2021, we experienced some of the worst red tides, other harmful algae blooms and fish kills that we have ever seen.  The threat doesn’t end there.  Now the State of Florida and DEP are working to inject the wastewater into our aquifer without adequate testing or filtration.   That is why we launched and are continuing to pursue a federal lawsuit to safely close Piney Point with other partners and organizations in the region.   In addition to the lawsuit, we hosted educational forums and conducted advocacy campaigns to demand better from our local and state elected officials on Piney Point.   Stopping Sewage Spills    Our region has suffered from numerous sewage spills due to poor management of aging environmental infrastructure.  According to the City of Bradenton’s own reports, 160 million gallons of raw and partially treated sewage was dumped into the Manatee River over the last four years.  This contributed to declining conditions in our estuaries.  In 2021, we filed a notice of intent to sue the City of Bradenton over repeated sewage spills into our waterways.  We hope to resolve our case against Bradenton in 2022. Our previous sewage lawsuits have resulted in major investments in wastewater infrastructure and fewer sewage spills.  Together, we’re going to continue our work to reduce sewage spills on the Suncoast.  Water Quality Monitoring  To enjoy our waterways, we need to ensure that they are clean.  We sample water quality weekly to keep our community informed about the water they rely on for recreation, work and more.  In 2022, because of your support, we’ll continue to monitor water quality in our waterways.   Monitoring Public Information & Demanding Accountability In many ways, regulation and oversight in Florida is broken.  Our regulators have repeatedly ignored or failed to address threats to our water quality, quality of life and local economy.  That’s why we regularly monitor public records for information on water quality, pollution, harmful algae blooms and new and existing projects.  Monitoring this information allows us to let you know what is happening in our community and lets us know when we need to take action.   Your support means that we’ll be able to continue to work to protect our water.  We can’t afford to let pollution, contamination and inaction from our government officials threaten our water, quality of life and local economy.  Together, we’ll continue to make a difference in 2022.  Thank you,  Suncoast Waterkeeper http://www.suncoastwaterkeeper.org/

Update: Toll Roads, water, and the abandonment of planning

Update on Toll Roads 2.3.21:  Dems want to get rid of them

Citing environmental and fiscal challenges, two Democratic Florida lawmakers are introducing legislation to kill an ambitious yet controversial toll-road building plan dubbed by opponents as “roads to nowhere.” 

Sen. Tina Polsky, D-Fort Lauderdale, and Rep. Ben Diamond, D-St. Petersburg, held a news conference Wednesday to discuss their proposals to strike the M-CORES project from state law and redirect the millions tapped for planning to other more critical infrastructure.

Despite budget crisis, Florida is doubling down on costly and destructive plans

Nicole Johnson: "two initiatives will change Florida forever. One will result in 330 miles of new or expanded tolled roadways opening up large swaths of our rural Florida to sprawling growth.

Nicole Johnson is the Director of Environmental Policy for the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.

More on the intentional dismantling of state oversight:

Save Florida’s shreds of growth control

Palm Beach Post:

The state’s most respected smart-growth groups are aiming most of their firepower at the blandly titled HB 7103, “Community Development and Housing.”

There was one safeguard left. Citizens had the right go to court and challenge a bad decision by their local government: a condo tower that exceeds a height limit, an apartment complex in a neighborhood of single-family homes.

But if HB 7103 becomes law, that final right to protest will be crushed. Citizen challenges will face a tilted burden of proof — and the requirement to pay the opposing side’s legal fees if they lose.

More on Galvano's toll roads:

Veto New Toll Roads - Sean Sellers

SB7068 authorizes the construction of three massive toll roads, stretching from Naples to the Florida-Georgia line. However, as nearly 100 business and civic organizations noted this week, the plan is remarkably flawed and must be vetoed.

 

To the Planning Commission regarding development in Sarasota County

UPDATE: This Hi Hat proposal received a unanimous recommendation from the Sarasota County Planning Commission (PC) on January 21, 2021. The 8-0 vote means the project will go on to the Board of County Commissioners for official consideration.

The Planning Commission meeting is now available here.

A number of Sarasotans wrote the PC to advocate for much more detailed analysis and consideration before giving any recommendation to approve this giant plan. Below is one of many.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Planning Commission:

As you address the giant Turner family project that comes before you this evening, I ask that you consider the concerns raised by a spokesperson for the Miakka Community Club. There are thoughtful, informed observations about Water, the Ecosystem and Environment, and traffic that warrant close attention. Surely you have read Ms. Ayech's letter, but for ease of reference it is posted here for public awareness:

http://sarasotavision2050.blogspot.com/2021/01/hi-hat-project-could-change-whole.html

But I urge you to consider the larger context as well.

When a project of this scale and complexity comes to you, the impacts to be considered are manifold, and in this case, will alter the character of East Sarasota County permanently. This warrants a further observation:

Have you driven through the Hi Hat ranchland recently? It is not simply a rural area of great natural beauty; it's also a vast segment of the county that connects major roads - Fruitville to the North, and Clark to the South. Bee Ridge Road will likely be extended eastward to enable future residents to come and go. There is also a major FPL Power line extending north through the property from Clark to Fruitville..

While the Turner project might seem at first glance to have considered many aspects of this complex plan, there are surely elements of public value that can additionally be addressed. For example, there's the possibility of extending walking, horseback, and bicycling trails north from Clark to Fruitville, which then could link northward to Lakewood Ranch, and southward possibly to the Legacy Trail. This would add great value as a human and natural corridor - but often is not the sort of thing normally found in plans for housing developments and commercial centers.

One further point as to context: The public of Sarasota County really has no clear information regarding the number of homes already approved for construction, or the percentage of undeveloped land that is committed to future residential or commercial development. Given the rampant developer activity already approved by the Board of Sarasota County Commissioners - whether at Skye Ranch, or any of Pat Neal's many projects, or those of Mr. Beruff, or Mr. Kompothecras, or Wellen Park, or many more - we who live here are therefore unable to gauge in any clear, rigorous and informed way what impacts are coming. Unfortunately recent practice has abandoned comprehensive planning. Random, piecemeal plans of developers now take the place of a comprehensive vision shared with and benefitting all.The public would benefit from an overall mapping of exactly what's planned and what's approved -- without such information, the future nature and reality of Sarasota is in fact largely unknown. 

Given the absence of regional as well as of state oversight for local planning, I urge each of you to deeply consider what you can contribute to help developers with giant aspirations to make their projects the best - not only for thousands of future buyers who don't live here now, but also -- and especially -- for the people who live here, work here, and experience anxiety about the visionless direction of growth in Sarasota County.

Sincerely,

Tom Matrullo

Citizens for Sarasota County (CSC) is a coalition founded in 2014 to promote ethical, responsive government that preserves and enhances Sarasota's unique natural environment and cultural heritage while building a sound local economy based on effective stewardship and innovation. 

CSC

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Hi Hat Project could change "the whole ecosystem"

UPDATE: This Hi Hat proposal received a unanimous recommendation from the Sarasota County Planning Commission on January 21, 2021. The vote was 8-0, the project will now go on to the Board of County Commissioners for official consideration.

The Planning Commission meeting is now available here.

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Perhaps the largest development project Sarasota County will see in a long time - Hi Hat Ranch - comes before the Planning Commission Thursday Jan. 21. According to Miakka Community advocate Becky Ayech, not only is this plan vague and counter-rational, it' will also change "THE WHOLE ECOSYSTEM."

The project takes in 10,000 acres stretching from Fruitville Road to Clark Road. Proposal calls for 13,000 residences with a 30-year build-out.

Hi Hat Ranch

Below are resources for comments to the PC from Ayech of the Miakka Community Group - feel free to write to the planning commissioners using any of the information below.

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PLEASE USE ANY OF THESE COMMENTS.  REMEMBER, this is quasi-judicial, so only facts, not opinions.

PLEASE ACT IMMEDIATELY

For example: my water quality has greatly diminished since I moved into my home..HI Hat cannot use their irrigation wells for back up lawn watering.  my well is my only source of all my water needs.

RE; HI HAT RANCH DOCC and MASTER DEVELOPMENT PLAN

Good day Planning Commissioners,

The Applicant, Hi Hat Ranch has provided you with a plethora of information.

Unfortunately, one criterial piece of information is missing and many of the guarantees hinge upon that information.

While many maps were provided, the map showing where the Villages are going to be located is not clear at all.  I understand there may be 3 or 4 Villages, but I could not find a map that so indicates the locations.

Much of the information provided is relative to the timing of the Villages, specifically infrastructure, discussing the incremental development of utilities

The Applicant has indicated that the first Village would be located at the Hi Hat Ranch offices.  This location is akin to a hole in the doughnut.  The road to the offices is located on Fruitville Road, 2.1 miles from the Ranch’s western boundary.   It would be safe to say this would most likely be the same distance from Bee Ridge Road.  This would necessitate running utilities’ lines either from the Bee Ridge Road facilities or from the extension of utilities out to the Hamlet known as Lakepark Estates.  This would be ‘leaping’ over lands where it would make more planning sense to begin the Villages and then move easterly.

Therefore, the responses provided discussing these phasing approaches is meritless.

The MDP MUST show the location of at least the first Village

WATER QUALITY

The Applicant has provided information on monitoring and testing the SURFACE water quality, but is offering nothing for ground water protection.

The Applicant has several wells for the agricultural operation (see attached Water Use Permit).  The Applicant is purporting to use these ag wells as back up wells for lawn irrigation, if the back up lakes and stormwater ponds fail and that is only after the reclaimed water is not available.

The agricultural wells MUST NOT be used as the third way to water lawns.  Existing legal users that are in the Hi Hat Ranch area only have their domestic wells to meet ALL their needs.

Many of the wells on Hi Hat are drilled deep and cased shallow, allowing upward migration of poor-quality water, when then moves laterally into domestic wells.  (See attached minutes from the Southwest Florida Water management District Governing Board {SWFWMD] meeting. And well construction records from Sarasota Health Department)

The Ranch is located in the SWFWMD’s Southern Use Water Caution Area (SWUCA) where ground water withdrawals are not only causing upward migration of poor-quality water but also saltwater intrusion.  The proper plugging and abandonment of these wells would help the existing legal domestic well users and the Florida Aquifer and the Arcadian Aquifer.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

The Applicant stated that the aggregate mining will continue, not only for financial reasons, but because the development will need the fill.

There are NO NATURAL LAKES on the property.  While ultimately, they will provide nice lake front property, this changes the whole ecosystem.  Species that are currently not on the property will be drawn to the large water source.  These may include predator species that would kill exiting species.  The flora and fauna would change as well and again the existing flora and fauna support a myriad of species which may not be able to utilize the deep water.

Recognition MUST be given to the potential species changes and plans MUST be provided to show how this change would be mitigated.

The Applicant states they will create new wetlands by scraping off the top soil and importing the appropriate wetland soils. Healthy, thriving wetlands need a hydrological regime. 

The Applicant did not provide data and information on sites where this type of creation was successful not data showing how many have failed.  There wasn’t any information provided to show how the hydrological needs of the wetlands would be met.  In phosphate mining, as an example, wetlands the mitigate are held to a hydrological regime that is artificially maintained by the phosphate company until they are released as ‘successful’ by DEP. 

The Applicant must show how they are going to accomplish this wetland scrape land and create a new wetland scheme.

TRAFFIC

During the Workshop and then in a smaller meeting, the Applicant lamented the ugliness of the approach to the Mai Entrance to the Villages from extending Bee Ridge Road, forcing residents to pass the County’s Water Treatment Plant, the Hazardous Waste Collection Facility, the Animal Shelter and Rothenbach Park.  He stated the roadway in this area would have to be realigned and that the Applicant would have to build a bridge across Cow Pen Slough.

An alternative road, with a beautiful country (at least for now) view would be to use the existing road leading into the Ranch from Fruitville Road.  This would add additional congestion to an already over taxed, constrained scenic road.

Again, this is why at least the first Village should be located on the western boundary of the Ranch and should so be indicated on the map.

DO NOT ADOPT THE MASTER PLAN AND DEVELOPMENT ORDER FOR HI HAT RANCH UNTIL THESE ISSUES HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED.

Thank you.

Respectfully submitted,

Becky Ayech
President
Miakka Community Club

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 More from the Herald Tribune

More from this blog on Hi Hat

Four Housing Projects that will overrun Northeast Sarasota

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The emails of the Planning Commissioners: 

Andrew.Stultz@sarasotaadvisory.net, Colin.Pember@sarasotaadvisory.net, 

Kevin.Cooper@sarasotaadvisory.net, Laura.Benson@sarasotaadvisory.net,  Justin.Taylor@sarasotaadvisory.net, 

Neil.Rainford@sarasotaadvisory.net,  Frank.Strelec@sarasotaadvisory.net, Teresa.Mast@sarasotaadvisory.net, 

Drew.Peters@sarasotaadvisory.net

An international Right has come to Florida

In 2008, Ecuador provided constitutional protection to its mountains, waters and land - it was the first country to do that.

That got tested in 2010: "The Vilcabamba river was being filled in by a road building project and the court ruled on behalf of the river’s right to flow freely."

The provincial government building the road had to change the route of the road.

The Rights of Nature: Patricia Siemen TedX Talk at Jacksonville

In 2010, Bolivia hosted the world’s people conference on the Rights of Mother Earth and climate change 2010 -- leading to a Universal Declaration on the rights of Mother Earth

The Declaration came to the UN and some of its language is beginning to show up in UN documents and resolutions.

New Zealand became the second country to provide legal rights to Nature -- the same rights of Legal Personhood now enjoyed only by corporations in the US.

Ichetucknee Springs

In Florida, Siemen told her Jacksonville audience, start with the St. Johns, the Ichetucknee and the Suwannee. Let’s give the Rights of Nature to our springs

"We can work to bring a Bill of Rights for water to the State of Florida," she added.

On Nov. 3, 2020, Orange County Florida became the first jurisdiction in the state to adopt a Bill of Rights for two rivers.

To learn more, connect with the Rights of Nature efforts in Florida:

Florida Rights of Nature Network

Below: Live Webinar on the Rights of Nature held Thursday, Nov. 19

             

More here

Water Actions, Events, Analyses

Sierra Club Florida Action Item: Everglades Alert

• HB 7103 will make a losing party, in consistency challenges, automatically liable for a prevailing party’s attorney fees. This will effectively end citizen enforcement of local comprehensive plans. 

• If HB 7103 becomes law, local communities will likely see more developments that do not comply with local protections for water resources and environmentally sensitive lands. This is of grave concern to the Everglades and clean water advocacy communities.

• Please contact Governor DeSantis today and ask him to veto HB7103.
• email: Ron.DeSantis@myflorida.com
• Tel:(850) 488-7146

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Sarasota Water Quality Summit June 5

Riverview High School Auditorium

1 pm - 6:30 pm

1 Rim Way

More information here

The Sarasota County Water Quality Summit will bring together local, regional and state experts to discuss water quality issues. Free and open to the public, the summit will be held 1-6:30 p.m. June 5 (Wednesday) in the auditorium at Riverview High School, 1 Ram Way in Sarasota.

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Marine Scientist Larry Brand June 10

CONA

Complete Info here

Monday 7 p.m.  June 10, 2019

     ​

red tide and algae blooms 

 environmental causes, health consequences

​                 

     On Monday, June 10, CONA will host Larry Brand, who will discuss research he has been conducting for decades into our blue-green algae and red tide blooms and his findings regarding their environmental causes and human health consequences. His peer-reviewed scientific research has been featured recently in media articles, news programs, and at a sold-out presentation by Suncoast Waterkeeper.