by Gary Cooper In this new atmosphere of starting over from scratch with South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) leadership, a growing number of people in agriculture are asking more often and more loudly, “What’s going on?” Agriculture appears to be under the microscope, some say more like under attack, as a fast-growing urban sector reacts to what they don’t …
Fact Checking South Florida’s Water Politics – What Got Us Here?
by Gary Cooper Roots of Algae Debate Show Political Rhetoric Trumping the Facts Politically driven actions in recent months have undeniably brought major upheaval and confusion in South Florida’s water management circles. More than eight million people who are living in and invested in South Florida are directly impacted by these decisions in one way or another. Misinformation swirls about …
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 …
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 …
South Florida Environmentalist Shares Concerns Amidst Growing Water-Quality Debate
A native of the Pacific Northwest and now a resident of St. Lucie County, Nyla Pipes began working in 2013 with those concerned about growing water-quality and related environmental issues in Florida. She’s been a driving force and is now executive director of the non-profit One Florida Foundation. Pipes gave an exclusive interview following the February meeting of the South …
Lake Okeechobee Brouhaha Heats Up
by Gary Cooper The series of public meetings about Lake Okeechobee water levels and related issues continues this week in South Florida, hosted by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. According to last-minute media announcements this morning, Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL 18th District), is expected to attend the first of two public meetings today at 1:00 p.m. at Indian …
South Florida’s Water Politics Raising Questions
By Gary Cooper One of several bombshells dropping at last week’s South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) governing board meeting was the resignation of district executive director Ernie Marks. In the audio clip below, Governing Board Member and Vice Chair Brandon Tucker echoed the feelings of several other board members about Marks’ resignation: There was no quorum at last week’s …
Governor Ron DeSantis Calls for Resignations of Governing Board Members of South Florida Water Management District
Governor Ron DeSantis called for the immediate resignations of all governing board members of the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD). The announcement was made during a stop in Stuart to discuss the Governor’s major water policy reforms to protect and improve Florida’s water resources. “One of the recommendations that Congressman Mast has provided to me was that we really …
WRAC Discusses EAA Reservoir
The Water Resources Analysis Coalition (WRAC) held a public forum this morning along with some board members of the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD). Brandon Tucker, governing board member of SFWMD and WRAC facilitator says he was happy with how the forum went and the discussions that took place. One hot topic during the forum was the Everglades Agricultural …
Florida’s Algae Blooms and Red Tide: Consider the Facts
The algae and red tide blooming along Florida’s coastal waterways are concerning to everyone, including those of us in agriculture. It is understandable that many Floridians are upset and are anxious for answers, but misinformation is being circulated by anti-farmer activists that erroneously points to farmers in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA), south of Lake Okeechobee, as the cause of …