florida forever

Funding Fight Begins for Florida Forever

Dan Environment, Florida, Industry News Release

(NSF) — A proposal to designate $100 million a year of voter-approved money to the Florida Forever conservation program began moving through Senate committees Monday. However, even after past funding proposals failed and as legislative leaders remain vague about future spending, environmentalists are pushing for three times that amount, seeking to match what Florida Forever received annually more than a …

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Deadline Extended to Enroll in CSP Grassland Conservation Initiative

Dan Environment, USDA-NRCS

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending the deadline for eligible agriculture producers to enroll in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) Grassland Conservation Initiative. The original deadline of Oct. 25 has been extended to Nov. 8. This program, created by the 2018 farm bill, is available to producers with base acreage that has been in grass or grasslands over a nine-year …

DeSantis

Sierra Club Says Addressing Climate Change Urgent

Dan Climate Change, Environment, Industry News Release, Lake Okeechobee, Water

(NSF) — Sierra Club Florida Chapter Director Frank Jackalone warned Friday that time is running short as the state faces the consequences of climate change. “It’s just one minute to midnight in Florida, because the state is at ground zero for sea-level rise,” Jackalone told reporters in Tallahassee as he discussed environmental issues for the upcoming 2020 legislative session and other …

ncc

NCC Applauds EPA Revisions for Pesticide Applications

Dan Cotton, Environment, Industry News Release

(NCC) — The National Cotton Council (NCC) appreciates the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposal to change some aspects of the Worker Protection Standard (WPS) that were finalized under the last administration. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler made the announcement today regarding the proposal that provides much needed changes to what is called the Application Exclusion Zone, or AEZ. The AEZ is …

Deformed Wing Virus

Deformed Wing Virus Genetic Diversity in U.S. Honey Bees Complicates Search For Remedies

Dan Environment, Industry News Release, Pollinators, Research

(USDA/ARS) — Deformed Wing Virus (DWV), one of the leading causes of honey bee colony losses, is much more genetically diverse in the United States than previously thought, according to a study published by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in PLoS Biology. The diverse lineages of this virus are all equally bad for bees, and they make it more complicated to …

permit

Permit Issued for Everglades Road Project

Dan Environment, Florida, Industry News Release, Lake Okeechobee, Water

(NSF) — A state permit has been issued to remove a 5.45-mile section of roadbed along the Tamiami Trail that is considered an impediment to the natural flow of water through the Everglades. As plans proceed to raise a section of the 91-year-old road, the permit issued by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection is expected to allow the roadbed …

cabinet

Cabinet Approves Panhandle Land Deal

Dan Environment, Florida, Industry News Release

(NSF) — Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet agreed Tuesday to spend $1.095 million for 6.4 acres along the Gulf Coast if the federal government will cover at least half the cost. State Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, noting the Northwest Florida land may be difficult to develop, said he had “reservations” about spending the money without a guarantee …

conservation funding

Rehearing Rejected in Conservation Funding Fight

Dan Environment, Florida, Industry News Release

(NSF) — An appeals court has refused to reconsider a decision that backed Florida lawmakers in a battle about conservation funding. With no explanation, the 1st District Court of Appeal on Monday issued an order denying a request by environmental groups for a rehearing in the case. A three-judge panel of the appeals court on Sept. 9 overturned a ruling by …