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 me how important the Florida Forever program is to the citizens of this area.
“I am extremely pleased that the legislature saw the wisdom of granting us funding for this,” Judah said. “Florida Forever is the future of the state of Florida - in terms of acquiring land for use as green spaces and recreation.”
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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 their desire that this very important funding not be left out.
Most Southwest Florida residents overwhelmingly consider that their natural environment is important to their quality of life and believe that “the needs of not only people, but also wildlife must be the arbiters of growth and development decisions” according to a recent survey released by the Florida Audubon Society. This survey is especially relevant considering that the Florida House of Representatives is preparing to cut all funding for Everglades funding and the Florida Forever program for their 2008-2009 budget.
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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 than wholesale slaughter of some of the mangroves along the 8000-8100 block of Estero Boulevard.
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April 19th, 2008 at 11:45pm
“Fortune is not satisfied with inflicting one calamity” - Publilius Syrus - a Roman slave from the 1st century
BCE
On Thursday evening, in my capacity as a reporter for the Island Sand Paper, I had the privilege of attending a lecture given by coral reef scientist Dr. Andrew C. Baker. Dr. Baker holds a PhD in Marine Biology and is currently an assistant professor at the University of Miami. He was recently awarded the 2008 Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation for his work in helping to protect corals against climate change. During his lecture Thursday at the NCH Healthcare System in Naples, Dr. Baker shared his latest research exploring innovative new ways to help corals adapt to increases in temperature and carbon dioxide in the world’s oceans. Dr. Baker’s friendly manner and ease of delivery made the fascinating subject matter easy to understand and the packed audience at the Garden of Hope and Courage all learned a great deal about corals and how Baker’s breakthrough research just may save them.
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April 17th, 2008 at 12:25pm
On April 22, 1970, 20 million people across America celebrated the first Earth Day. It was a time when cities were buried under their own smog and polluted rivers caught fire. Now Earth Day is celebrated annually around the globe. Through the combined efforts of the U.S. government, grassroots organizations, and citizens, what started as a day of national environmental recognition has evolved into a world-wide campaign to protect our global environment.
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