Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Ronald M. “Alligator Ron” Bergeron to the board of the South Florida Water Management District. The appointment comes after the Florida Commission on Ethics voted 8-0 to adopt an advisory opinion allowing Bergeron to join the board. “I am pleased the Florida Commission on Ethics reached a conclusion on this matter and I …
Key Facts and Direct Ag Input Missing at South Florida Water Board Workshop
by Gary Cooper It was a packed house Wednesday as the new crop of South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Governing Board members met in West Palm Beach for their first workshop. Input from the audience was tightly controlled. Even though there was an expert on the guest panel who is involved in working with agriculture in the region, agriculture …
Cattlemen Launch Final Push for Public Comment on New Water Rule
With the deadline to file comments to repeal and replace the 2015 Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule quickly approaching, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) kicked off a social media campaign aimed at encouraging cattle producers to take action. A series of short digital videos featuring NCBA members will be released on Facebook (@BeefUSA ) and Twitter (@BeltwayBeef) until the comment period officially …
NRCS Florida State Technical Committee Meeting
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida has announced they will conduct a State Technical Committee Meeting on May 21, from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Doyle Conner Agriculture Building Auditorium in Gainesville. The meeting is open to the public and will give an overview of the 2018 Farm Bill programs and conservation easements. This year’s …
Florida Department of Environmental Protection Addresses Ag Issues at Lay of the Land Conference
FDEP Secretary Noah Valenstein discusses growing water concerns, continued promotions for more urban growth, and views about agriculture south of Lake Okeechobee. By Gary Cooper Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) Secretary Noah Valenstein packed the room for his comments at the eleventh annual Lay of the Land Conference near Orlando late last week. The Lay of the Land Conference, hosted …
Trump: Everglades Money ‘Coming Soon’
President Donald Trump discussed the importance of completing restoration of the Herbert Hoover Dike around Lake Okeechobee, and vaguely promised funding “coming soon” for the Everglades, following a tour of the structure Friday. “What we’re doing is very important — it was very dangerous and it’s a big project,” Trump said of dike repairs during a brief media appearance at …
South Florida Water: Combating Fake News with Facts and Farm Tours
In recent weeks, South Florida farmers and residents continue to grow with nervous concern about misinformation circulating about Lake Okeechobee and related regional water issues. A couple of meetings taking place in recent days in local communities around the lake exemplify the growing rumble among grassroots residents and businesses throughout the entire region, especially those in rural areas. A growing …
No ‘Haggling’ Needed for Environmental Funding?
Gov. Ron DeSantis admits being worried that he asked for too much in his environmental-funding request. But as the House and Senate move forward with their budget plans, maybe he should have gone bigger. “I’ve got to say I’m pretty pleased where they came in, particularly on this water quality,” DeSantis said Thursday after appearing at a gathering of the …
Georgia Farmers Practicing Conservation through Innovation
Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG), through USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Georgia, is a program developed to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies in conjunction with agricultural production. And through such a grant, there is now a tool for Georgia farmers to tell when best to irrigate crops based on real-time field conditions and decades …
New Judge for Florida-Georgia Water War
Earlier this month, we told you a new federal appellate judge, based in New Mexico, is tasked with sorting out the long-running battle between Florida and Georgia over water in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river system. According to a story from the News Service of Florida, both sides recently filed briefs in the debate about whether limits should be placed on Georgia’s …