Topic: Conservation

A private water utilities bill passed out of the final meeting of a Senate environmental committee. The meeting also spotlighted problems with plastic bags and developers' criticism of how environmentalists have worked water issues this session.

A critic of the land review process says the effort has helped silence legislators and others who said Florida had bought vast amounts of land that was not needed for conservation.

Some legislative leaders and pundits say there will be a focus on water in the 2014 legislative session but it looks increasingly like the focus will be on money -- for environmental protection and restoration.

SB 372 would increase from eight to 15 the number of counties where larger developments are exempted from state review as "developments of regional impact." ... Related Research: Feb. 19, 2014 List of additional counties exempted from DRI review under SB 372 and reports on 2009 legislation and on the DRI process.

"Let this be the year that protecting our waters in Florida is cool again," Rep. Alan Williams, D-Tallahassee, told the rally on the steps of the historic Capitol. But Rep. Matt Caldwell, R-Lehigh Acres and chairman of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee, said there has been a "robust commitment" by the Legislature for two decades on water.

Republican Allison DeFoor became chairman of Florida's Water and Land Legacy Inc., according to election papers filed this week. The political committee faces opposition from Republican leaders in the Legislature. "This is where Floridians' hearts are," DeFoor said. "It just needs to be well discussed -- exactly what is being proposed." ... Related Research: Documents, analysis and opinions on the amendment.

Alabama, Florida and Georgia have been fighting in federal court since 1990 over water flow from the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river system. Water during droughts has to be released from the big Lake Lanier federal reservoir north of Atlanta to provide a minimum flow into Florida for threatened sturgeon and mussels. But biologists say the issue is more about the health of a river system than a few species.

Democrats including Rep. Mark Pafford, D-West Palm Beach, chided Scott proposals, saying more money should be put into education, health care services and environmental programs.

Florida's Water and Land Legacy, the campaign organization backing the conservation measure, announced it had 685,971 voter signatures validated by county supervisors of election across the state. Meanwhile, the petition to put medical marijuana on this fall's ballot is headed for a photo finish.

The dam along the Florida-Georgia line creates hydropower for communities and fishing opportunities but also raises concerns about the effects downstream on the Apalachicola River. The amount of water flowing through the dam is a focus in the dispute between Alabama and Georgia over water but the lake behind the dam contains only 4 percent of the storage volume among federal reservoirs on the river system.

The Acquisition and Restoration Council hears from outdoors enthusiasts who are concerned about possible military training missions at Tate's Hell and Blackwater River state forests. A Florida Forest Service official said nothing has been proposed yet by the Air Force and that future activities should be approved by the council. ... Related Research: Dec. 12, 2013 Draft preliminary military operations plan provided to ARC Council members and other related documents.

Most respondents to our poll say its best to buy the land outright, rather than pay for cheaper conservation deeds that continue private ownership.

The amendment proposed by environmental groups for the 2014 general election ballot would provide one-third of the state documentary stamp tax revenue for conservation spending, or nearly $1 billion a year over 20 years. "I'm troubled by writing into the constitution elements of the budget," Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said. ... Related Research: Nov. 19, 2013 Florida's Water and Land Legacy announcement of signatures gathered.

The elected agriculture commissioner says there has been a "heavy bias" towards land acquisition as he touts the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program at his department. But environmentalists say there still is a need to buy land for public access and recreation. And DEP data shows that 23 percent of the land purchased since 2000 was conservation easements. ... Related Research: Nov. 19, 2013 Governor and Cabinet lands agenda.