ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS
State backs board on mining ruling
An administrative hearing backs county commission’s vote to open up more DR/GR land to limerock mining, further weakening protections to environmentally sensitive lands. Originally published by Bill Smith in the News-Press on June 30, 2020 An effort to overturn a key part of Lee County’s approval of limerock mining at the Troyer Brothers potato farm off State…
From the Sierra Club: The fight to stop M-CORES continues unabated
Florida DOT begins another round of webinars this week. The Sierra Club is not encouraging participation. Originally published The Sierra Club on June 19th, 2020 FDOT begins another round of webinars next week. We are not encouraging participation. FDOT continues to forge ahead when true public participation is impossible in their virtual setting. Inclined to attend anyway? https://floridamcores.com/calendar-of-events/ has the details. If you attend, here are some suggestions for…
Turning the Toxic Tide
The issue of failing septic systems and proper wastewater treatment is chronic to many parts of Florida (including Southwest Florida), as this multi-part opinion piece details. Originally published by USA TODAY on March 27, 2019 Florida must address the problem of human waste 870,000 gallons of sewage spills into Indian River Lagoon in Titusville Florida…
Don’t sacrifice ecology to boost economy
SCCF (Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation) and Conservancy of Southwest Florida leaders make the case that “going backwards is not an attractive option. Protecting nature is protecting our economy, our quality of life, and our health.” OpEd Originally published by Gannet Newspapers on May 10, 2020 Ryan Orgera and Rob Moher Guest Opinion As we restart our…
Toll Road Webinar Important Chance to Stop the Roads to Ruin
LeeFuture encourages residents to show up and speak out against the Toll Roads to Ruin during Tuesday’s webinar by the task force making decisions. You must register by 5 today to be able to voice your opposition on Tuesday. Originally published by Progress Florida Public pressure is mounting against the multi-billion dollar rural toll roads…
Caloosa Palooza Concert for Clean Water March 22
Lee Future places a high priority on water issues in Florida. Calusa Palooza is holding a full day event and fund-raiser concert on March 22, 2020 at Centennial Park, Fort Myers. In addition, they are planning the largest ever clean-up of the region’s waterways in the week leading up to Calusa Palooza, starting on Saturday,…
Natural coastal protection of mangrove fringe getting squeezed by sea level rise, development
Florida’s first defense against an encroaching and eroding sea are the protected coastal mangrove forests. But laws can’t protect these plants from sea-level rise, a new threat to Lee County’s many miles of coastline. Originally published by Karl Schneider in the Naples Daily News on Feb. 14, 2020 Sea-level rise and onshore development are killing…
DR/GR dying a slow death
The DR/GR is dying a death by a thousand cuts, as county officials allow a variety of projects and requests to nibble away at the thousands of acres in Southeast Lee County once set aside to reduce overall population density (DR) and protect the aquifers in the area (GR) that supply most of Lee County’s…
Estero Bay Endangered
As development continues and stormwater management lags behind, Estero Bay is feeling the pressure of pollution and degraded water quality. A report (LINK) from the Cela Tega conference Jan. 25 documents how local residents and experts are rallying to protect this Outstanding Florida Water, but a commentary (LINK) by John Cassani is a sobering reminder…
State action needed on toxic algae risk
Blue-green algae is not just bad for the health of our tourist economy — it’s simply bad for our health! This article underscores the risks we face, calls for a quick response from the state Dept. of Health and others to protect the lives of residents and visitors. OpEd originally published in the News-Press on…