October 25th, 2008 at 3:20pm |
Most people will agree that the water quality surrounding our Island has been beautiful lately. The Back Bay is clear, our beaches are relatively free of red tide, and fish swim freely in the Caloosahatchee River. But we have been lucky. Barring a couple of releases due to Tropical Storm Fay, we have been spared […]
Read the rest of Public Input Sought for Critical Watershed Plan
October 4th, 2008 at 2:11pm |
In the not to distant future, the fishing boats down at Fisherman’s Wharf may all smell like French fries. With all the talk about the oil drilling controversy and whether or not a viable replacement for the stuff will even be possible in our lifetimes, one local fisherman has already answered that question for himself […]
Read the rest of Biodiesel - Alternative Fuel Source?
August 4th, 2008 at 9:54am |
Many locals remember all too clearly the effects of harmful algal blooms (red tide) in previous years. Last summer Charles Hester, Chairman of Fort Myers Beach’s Marine Resources Task Force (MRTF) and Jim Rodwell, along with other MRTF members, attended a ‘Fertilizer Symposium’ where they learned about the linkage between red tide and nitrogen, […]
Read the rest of Fertilizer Ordinance to ban Nitrogen and Phosphorus on Fort Myers Beach
May 31st, 2008 at 9:58pm |
For those of you who believe that sharks are man-eating monsters of the deep, there is a remarkable film that aims to change that perception and portray these animals as the vital creatures they truly are. ‘Sharkwater’ is the brainchild of director Rob Stewart and the result of a four-year long effort to educate people […]
Read the rest of Rob Stewart’s ‘Sharkwater’
May 16th, 2008 at 3:11pm |
There is something smelly in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary, and it is becoming an international incident. For the last four years, Captain Paul Watson and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society have plied these frigid waters near Antarctica, risking their lives to stop the illegal hunting of whales by Japanese ships, which have defied the International […]
Read the rest of There’s Something Smelly in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary
April 30th, 2008 at 6:24pm |
I cobbled this together from several news bulletins today…
The Florida House passage of Senate Bill 542 today effectively extended the Florida Forever Program for 10 years at $300 million annually. SB542 passed unanimously in the House today and unanimously in the Senate April 23.
The pending $65 billion General Appropriations Act allocates $300 million to Florida […]
Read the rest of Florida Forever Passes and Everglades Restoration Gets Last Minute Reprieve
April 28th, 2008 at 9:38pm |
As the Florida drought enters its 3rd blistering year, water restrictions continue to tighten, leaving many folks in fear of seeing all their beautiful plants die and putting lush-lawn aficionados in a positive tizzy. There are things we can do to stay green, however. On Saturday, March 1, 2008, Florida Gulf Coast University held its […]
Read the rest of How Do We Stay Green in the Drought?
April 23rd, 2008 at 8:39pm |
This morning I briefly interviewed Lee County Commissoner Ray Judah on the Florida legislature’s tentative agreement to continue to fund the Florida Forever program. While the agreement must be affirmed by the Budget Conference before we are completely out of the woods, Commissioner Judah feels confident that we will receive the funding and he explained to […]
Read the rest of Lee County Commissioner Ray Judah Talks About the Importance of the Florida Forever Program
April 22nd, 2008 at 10:03am |
Since this article was published in the Sand Paper, House budget negotiators have agreed to include $300 million to continue the state’s environmental land buying program, but, as of today, Everglades restoration continues to be a point of contention as the two sides haggle it out. People need to continue to contact their legislators and express […]
Read the rest of Despite Public Support, Environmental Funding in Danger of Being Lost
April 21st, 2008 at 7:56am |
After a story I wrote in The Island Sand Paper concerning mangrove cutting, one of our readers drew my attention to more mangroves that have been cut further south in the Little Estero Island Critical Wildlife Area. I headed down and met with Don Cady and his wife Joan, who showed me what amounted to nothing less […]
Read the rest of Illegal Mangrove Cutting on Fort Myers Beach