by Chris Felker, Lake Okeechobee News BIG CYPRESS PRESERVE — The Big Cypress Sportsmen’s Alliance Inc. (BCSA) is up in arms and alerting its members and the public to what it calls a secret conspiracy among federal agencies to “condemn or forcefully obtain 248 private inholdings within the boundaries of the preserve.” This post on social media Thursday, June 27, …
EPA Not Banning the Use of Chlorpyrifos
(NAFB) — The Environment Protection Agency last week announced it would not ban chlorpyrifos, although court battles likely are ahead to fight the action. EPA denied objections to the agency’s 2017 order denying a 2007 petition from the Pesticide Action Network North America, and the Natural Resources Defense Council to cancel all registrations for the insecticide. CropLife America says the …
DeSantis, Cabinet Eye Land Purchases
(NSF) — Gov. Ron DeSantis and Cabinet members next week will consider spending just over $11 million of Florida Forever conservation funds to acquire more than 900 acres in three parts of the state. The pieces of land targeted for conservation are 717 acres within the Wakulla Springs Protection Zone in Wakulla County, 129 acres in Charlotte County and the …
Facts of the Flow: Lake Okeechobee, 2019 Year-to-Date
Here is the latest update on inflows into Lake Okeechobee for the calendar year to date. This data is provided by SFWMD’s DBHYDRO database. There has been no back-pumping into Lake Okeechobee from the Everglades Agricultural Area this year. Sponsored ContentUnited Dairy Farmers of Florida Director Encouraged About the FutureMarch 27, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Provided Opportunity To Highlight Difficult …
Environmentalists, State Wrangle Over Conservation Money
TALLAHASSEE (NSF) — Florida lawmakers defied a voter-approved constitutional amendment by improperly diverting money intended for land buying and maintenance to cover agency expenses and salaries, attorneys for environmentalists told a three-judge panel at the 1st District Court of Appeal Tuesday. But lawyers representing the state argued that the environmental groups are trying to impose restrictions on spending that doesn’t …
Ranch Rim Ditches Debated at South Florida Water Management Meeting
Thanks to south Florida ag news colleague Katrina Elskin at Lake Okeechobee News for this recap of this week’s South Florida Water Management District Governing Board meeting in West Palm Beach. WEST PALM BEACH — The South Florida Water Management District Governing Board once again turned their attention on the nutrient load from agricultural properties at their July 10 workshop …
Industry Reaction EPA Approval of Sulfoxaflor Use
Source: National Cotton Council? MEMPHIS, Tenn. (NCC) – The National Cotton Council (NCC) is grateful for EPA’s decision granting use on cotton of sulfoxaflor (commercially known as Transform©) – a uniquely designed insecticide that targets piercing/sucking insect pests such as aphids and plant bugs. “We appreciate EPA’s decision to make sulfoxaflor available for use on cotton,” said NCC Chairman Mike …
EPA Registers Long-Term Uses of Sulfoxaflor While Ensuring Strong Pollinator Protection
Registration provides benefits to growers and is supported by strong science that shows minimal risks for pollinators. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing a long-term approval for the insecticide sulfoxaflor— an effective tool to control challenging pests with fewer environmental impacts. After conducting an extensive risk analysis, including the review of one of the agency’s largest datasets on …
UF Researchers Link Increasing Seasonal Drought to Longer Fire Seasons
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (UF/IFAS) — A new study from University of Florida (UF) researchers examines the relationship between wet and dry season length and the potential for lightning-ignited fires. The study, led by faculty from the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences School of Forest Resources and Conservation (SFRC), highlights trends in dry season length in the southeastern region of …
Beneath the Earth, the ‘Black Box’ of Soil Holds a Key to Crop Growth
IMMOKALEE, Fla. (UF/IFAS) — Like much of what lies just beneath the earth’s surface, soil microbes present a mystery. University of Florida scientist Sarah Strauss seeks to help untangle the web of intrigue surrounding soil microbes to improve agricultural production in Florida and globally. “There are microbial activities going on that we don’t exactly understand. It’s known as the ‘black …