On Thursday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the investment of $26.6 million by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) into 45 projects that will spur innovative conservation initiatives on both rural and urban farms across the country. The investment is made through USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program, which fosters innovation in conservation tools and strategies …
Martin County Challenges New Water Standards
FROM THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA: Pointing to concerns about increased chemicals going into Lake Okeechobee and nearby waterways, Martin County has filed a legal challenge to controversial new state water-quality standards. The case, filed this week at the state Division of Administrative Hearings, is the fourth challenge to the standards, which were
Legal Challenges Mount over New Water Standards in Florida
FROM THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA By JIM SAUNDERS THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, August 24, 2016………. After the Seminole Tribe of Florida launched a legal challenge earlier in the month, the city of Miami and a paper-mill industry group also are taking aim at controversial new state water-quality standards.
Glades Lives Matter Opposes Negron Land Buying Plan
From Glades Lives Matter: Wednesday, Hendry County Commissioner Janet Taylor led 50 residents from the Glades community to Senator Joe Negron’s, Martin County office. The group drove over an hour and a half to the incoming president’s office to let him know that they were sick and tired of elected officials playing politics with their livelihoods.
FDACS Still Concerned with Water
Water issues are still top of mind for many in Florida and Matt Joyner, director of federal affairs for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, says it is still a top issue for his boss, Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam. Play Audio
Negron Land-Buying Plan Draws Panhandle Foes
FROM THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA By JIM TURNER THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, August 11, 2016………. Two Panhandle lawmakers and a county commissioner objected Thursday to a $2.4 billion proposal by incoming Senate President Joe Negron to buy 60,000 acres of farmland south of Lake Okeechobee to help reduce toxic algae blooms in Southeast Florida waterways.
Seminole Tribe Challenges Water Standards
FROM THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA By JIM SAUNDERS THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, August 9, 2016………. The Seminole Tribe of Florida has filed a legal challenge against controversial new state water-quality standards, arguing they don’t adequately take into account the amount of fish and other wildlife eaten by tribal members. The tribe filed the challenge Monday in the state Division of …
Negron to Pursue Money to Buy Everglades Land
FROM THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA By JIM TURNER THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, August 9, 2016………. Lawmakers will be asked next year to approve bonding a big chunk of environmental preservation money to support the incoming Senate president’s desire to buy sugar farmland for water storage in the Everglades south of Lake Okeechobee. Sen. Joe Negron, whose Stuart community has been …
Florida State Panel Backs Controversial Water Standards
FROM THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA By JIM TURNER THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, July 26, 2016………. A state regulatory panel Tuesday narrowly approved the first changes to Florida’s surface-water quality standards in nearly a quarter-century, despite objections from environmentalists who argued the new criteria potentially create more health hazards.
Water from Lake Okeechobee Discharges
Significant Portion of Water from Lake Okeechobee Discharges Has Been Sent South in 2016 During the ongoing media coverage of the blue-green algae blooms and Lake Okeechobee releases, some individuals have been calling for additional land to be purchased to “send the water south.” According to data made available by the South Florida Water Management District, a significant portion of …