FLORIDA SUGAR FARMERS SHARE NEWS OF SUCCESS WITH HOUSE COMMITTEES (News Release distributed by U S Sugar): House testimony shows significant progress in water quality as a result of farmers’ commitment to Everglades restoration.
Tallahassee — Before a joint meeting of the Florida House of Representatives’ in recent days, State Affairs Committee and Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee, Florida’s sugar farmers proudly laid out the successful results of their collaboration with state and federal agencies to restore the Everglades ecosystem.
“Florida’s sugar farmers are part of a solution that is working,” said Brian Hughes a spokesman for the Florida’s sugar farmers. “As was demonstrated in the expert testimony of Phil Parsons, sugar farmers are proud of the success and committed to working with the Legislature to get the job done.”
Parsons’ testimony shows successful public works projects, jointly paid for by farmers and the South Florida Water Management District, have removed significant amounts of phosphorus from the ecosystem. On?farm Best Management Practices (BMPs) – paid for 100% by farmers – have removed more than twice as much phosphorus as the public works projects–resulting in clean water for the Everglades.
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NOTE: Information about Phil Parsons.
Phil Parsons practices in the areas of environmental, land use and administrative law. He has coordinated complex environment al permitting and local and state land use regulatory proceedings, has appeared in multi-party administrative litigation and represented clients before the Legislature and U.S. Congress.In these roles he has had substantial involvement in Everglades Restoration and South Florida Water Management issues.
He was counsel to the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives from 1972 to 1975 and, in 1973 and 1974, was assigned responsibility in drafting the Florida Administrative Procedure Act.He was formerly a partner in MacFarlane, Ferguson, Allison & Kelly (1976-1981), in Ausley, McMullen, McGehee, Carothers and Proctor (1981-1985) and in Landers & Parsons, P.A. (1985-2005).
He is a frequent lecturer on environmental and administrative law for continuing legal education programs sponsored by the Florida Bar, American Bar Association and Local Government Lawyers Associations.
Mr. Parsons received his undergraduate degree from Trinity College, Hartford, Conn., where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and his law degree from Harvard Law School.He is listed in Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA Leading Lawyers for Business and Florida Trend Magazine’s Legal Elite.