SOS! Joins the Florida Forever Coalition

SOS! Joins the Florida Forever Coalition

Florida Forever, the state's premier land conservation program, protects our beaches, lakes, natural areas and wildlife habitat for future generations. Unless we act to protect Florida Forever now, many of our beautiful natural areas will disappear before our children and grandchildren have a chance to enjoy them. Florida Forever and its predecessor Preservation 2000 have protected more than 2.4 million acres of land, including:

* 645,350 acres important to significant water bodies

* 5,190 acres of fragile coastline

* 426,290 acres of rare species habitat conservation areas

* 206,390 acres of land to support priority recreational trails

* Habitats for more than 200 protected species

Land conservation isn’t just good for the environment, it’s good for the economy. Florida Forever projects support nearly every aspect of Florida’s economy, from job creation to real estate to the creation of new industry. Consider:

*Hunting, fishing and wildlife watching supported 120,000 jobs in 2007.

*For every 1,000 people attending a state park, the total direct impact on the local community is more than $43,400.

*Consumers spend a daily average of $79 for fishing, $25 for camping, $40 for wildlife viewing and $35 for hunting.

*92% of Florida’s tourism industry leaders agree or strongly agree with the statement that “the conservation of Florida’s natural and historical assets is necessary for the long term success of my business.”

*U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates anglers generate $4.3 billion on fishing-related activities. Wildlife-viewing activities generate more than $3.1 billion, and hunting an additional $377 million.  This makes outdoor recreation an $8.1 billion industry.

To see the full economic impact of public land conservation, visit: The Economic Impact of Public Land Preservation.

For the first time in over two decades, the 2009 Florida Legislature did not fund the state's primary land conservation program. This decision places the continuity of Florida Forever in jeopardy. Even in times of economic downturn, the threats of unmitigated urban sprawl and rampant overdevelopment are evident daily. The resulting loss of parks and public spaces, the decline in water supply and quality, and the harm to Florida's unique ecosystems that will accompany this growth will have severe negative impacts on the quality of life for all Floridians.

The Florida Forever Coalition needs your help attending upcoming public events to convince our decision makers of the need to re-fund the program. Though it’s not always possible to get on the agenda, most meetings have time for public comments or questions. We hope you’ll attend your local legislative delegation meeting and ask them to support Florida Forever! Visit the Coalition's Take Action page for some suggested talking points and key facts to share. Keep checking our Upcoming Events page for meeting dates as they are released.

Save Our Shores! Florida is excited to partner with the Florida Forever Coalition and is looking forward to building a strong grassroots citizen effort on behalf of the program.

Read More

Offshore drilling claims: mostly lies

Offshore drilling claims: mostly lies

 
The debate about whether or not the Florida state legislature should lift the nearly three decade old offshore oil exploration and drilling moratorium has been heating up lately, and has been fueled by a series of symposiums organized by both the media and the industry over the past few weeks. 


The skirmishes between environmentalists and the oil industry hinge on one major question: what are the risks if Florida allows drilling as close as 3 miles to its world class beaches?

So-called industry “experts” have made quite a few claims about the technological safety, absence of documented spills, and job creation and economic stimulation that drilling could bring. But are these claims well-founded, or are they cleverly phrased propaganda to win over the Florida public, which has a strong history of opposition to drilling on their beaches?

Let’s look at some of the claims made by the industry and compare them with known facts:

The pro-drilling group Florida Energy Associates claims that Florida will increase its revenue by $2.25 billion in royalties annually by opening up its coastal waters to drilling. That figure is based partly on their assumption that companies will be pumping 150 million barrels of oil annually.

However, according to Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Michael Sole, states which already allow drilling are producing much less than is claimed exists in Florida’s coastal waters. Louisiana produces just 6 million barrels of oil annually. And Texas, which has the most relaxed drilling policies in the nation, produces just 2 million barrels annually from its state waters. Even including state revenues from natural gas, it nets on average about $45 million a year.

That would be quite a leap to assume Florida could be producing 150 million barrels annually.

What about the industry claim that environmental concern about spills amounts to “fear mongering”?

100 miles north of the Australian coast in the Timor Sea, a rig touted for its modern technology and environmental safety has been spilling anywhere from 400 to 2,000 barrels of oil a day for nearly 11 weeks; enough oil to cover nearly 6,000 square miles of ocean. Five attempts by experts have been attempted to seal the leak to no avail. The company that owns the rig, Seadrill, is among those lining up to drill within 3 miles of Florida’s coast if the moratorium is lifted.

This could spell devastation for Florida’s beaches, which are not only known for their beauty and diversity of marine life, but also for the near $65 billion tourist dollars that they bring in annually.

Fortunately for the state of Florida, decision-makers on both sides of the aisle remain skeptical of claims by the oil and gas industry and are taking plenty of time to consider all sides of the issue. Hopefully, that time will be well spent in weighing bogus industry claims against the reality of state revenue loss from tourism and inevitable environmental clean up costs.



Photo Credit: Danrandom

Read More