manatee-sarasota group boca - sierra club...of local activities and national environmen-tal issues....
TRANSCRIPT
1 www.sierraclub.org/florida/manatee-sarasota
May/June2016
Manatee-SarasotaGroup
BocaNotblindoppositiontoprogress,butoppositiontoblindprogress
What: Manatee-SarasotaGroupMeetingWhen: Thursday,May12th,7p.m.Where: SarasotaGardenClub,1131Blvd.oftheArts
What: Manatee-SarasotaGroupMeetingWhen: Thursday,June9,7p.m.Where: SarasotaGardenClub,1131Blvd.oftheArts
Our May general meeting is going to be a special round table discussion with a pot-luck dinner,
bringing together our members for a chance to share our ideas, concerns and maybe some solutions and roads to action concerning our environment. There will be six tables and six topics including: (1)
Phosphate Mining; (2) Mangrove & Shore Protec-tion; (3) Urban Sprawl; (4) Habitat Issues; (5) Climate Change; (6) Water Pollution/Fracking.
We will have a half hour discussion and then move to a different topic table, for the next segment. The third segment will be dessert time.
Please bring a dish serving six to share, and a long-standing Sierra tradition by bringing your own plate, cup and utensils.
Hope to see you there!Gerry Swormstedt, Group Chair
Borneo is a mythical land of tropical rain-forest hosting exotic plants and animals,
including the iconic orangutans. It is a land etched in our memories as one of the final truly wild places where life remains primitive and untamed. Yet the modern world encroaches on this paradise of our imagination and com-mercial interests and agro-businesses are trans-forming Borneo, hauling it into the Twenty-first Century.
On a Sierra Club National Outing, Gail Swan-son and Bob Fellman visited Borneo in the fall of 2015 and will report on its still pristine beauty through beautiful pictures, as well as the tidal wave of change enveloping it. Join us for this singular view of a remote island country and bring a snack to share in the social time at the end of the program.
Gerry Swormstedt, Group Chair
Round Table Discussion and Pot-luck Borneo – a Study in Contrasts
PACtion! A Call for Candidates.
Conservation Update
In the last election cycle, 75% of Floridians voted for Amendment 1 and the values of land preservation,
environmental quality, wildlife habitat and clean water, and yet those same voters re-elected Rick Scott and a full slate of pro-development county commissioners into both Manatee and Sarasota counties.
What’s wrong with this picture?We think that voters were only familiar with the
well-funded pro-development candidates, whose coffers were overflowing with quasi-legal campaign contri-butions, many from dark-money special interest PACs PACtioncontinuedonpage4
ConservationUpdatecontinuedonpage4
Phosphate
Two major new mines, totaling over 40,000 acres, are being proposed for Manatee and Hardee Counties.
The Wingate East mine, in Manatee, will destroy over 600 acres of wetlands, and permanently degrade a vast swath of land in the east county. For thirty years, the land will be excavated to depths of 50’-60’ by teams of draglines, with booms as long as football fields. Whole aquifers will be dug up and thrown away forever. The land will look
like a moonscape, carefully concealed from casual view by massive earthen berms. The headwaters of our most treasured rivers will be dug up, thrown away, and then “reconstructed” with carefully engineered soil matrices and geotextiles.
After mining, if Mosaic is still solvent, the land may or may not be reclaimed. So far, the percentage of land mined since 1975 that has been reclaimed and “released”
formed in the post-Citizens United era. Those were the only names those well-intended voters recognized!
Enter Sierra Club. With a well-established, all-volun-teer public interest PAC of its own, we have the capacity to change that simplistic calculus by publicly endorsing strong pro-environment candidates, and highlighting the voting records of those who have been consistently anti-environment.
2 www.sierraclub.org/florida/manatee-sarasota
Boca Sierra Vol. XX Issue 3ThisnewsletterispublishedmonthlybytheManatee-SarasotaGroupoftheFloridaChapteroftheSierraClub.Theintentistoinformmembersandinterestedindividualsoflocalactivitiesandnationalenvironmen-talissues.MembersoftheSierraClubsubscribetoBocaSierrathroughtheirannualdues.Non-membersubscriptionsareavailablefor$6annually.
Sarasota Conservation CommitteeTuesdays, May 3rd, 1:30 - 4 p.m. Please join us at the Selby Library’s con-ference room, 1331 1st Street, and & June 7th, 1:30 - 4 p.m. at the Gulf-gate Library, 7112 Curtiss Ave. We will discuss Sarasota’s environmental issues. Contact Andre Mele at 914-204-0030 or [email protected]
Manatee Conservation CommitteeMondays, May 16th & June 13th, 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. Please join us at the Bradenton Central Library, 1301 Barcarrota Blvd. Help us contribute to sound environmental policy in Manatee County. Strategize for upcoming hearings on development and mining. Contact Sandra Ripberger at 941-794-3878 or [email protected] Interested in Saving the Manatees?
Tom Larson, Conservation Chair for the Florida Chapter of the
Sierra Club, is forming an action oriented team to create credible plans for reducing mortality in light of the two recent die offs of hundreds of manatees. There is a need to update recovery plans, address losses due to loss of habitat thru waterside devel-opment and climate changes.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has proposed downlisting the West Indian manatee from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act. It is hard to see how the FWS justifies this move despite the agency’s findings that “population trends are declining or unknown in 84% of the countries where manatees are found.” Before any downlisting should proceed in Florida, there’s need for a credible plan for further reducing mortality and preserving/enhancing warm-water habitat availability (many sites manatees adopt are future-to-be-closed power plant cooling warm-water outflows) and establishing an updated Recov-ery Plan with successive goals.
Further, two recent, massive die-offs of hundreds of manatees are not addressed in FWS analysis. There were catastrophic manatee losses from long cold snaps and poisonous red tide blooms from 2010 through 2013—and another algae bloom is looming in the Indian River. The FWS analytical model also does not account for loss of habitat due to water-side development.
If you are interested, contact [email protected] or call 904-247-1876
2015 Executive CommitteeGroup Chair: Gerry Swormstedt 941-366-9596, [email protected]
Vice-Chair/Sarasota Conservation/Political: Andre Melee 941-204-0030, [email protected]
Secretary: Cathy Page, 941-795-8973, [email protected]
Manatee Conservation Chair:Sandra Ripberger, 941-794-3878, [email protected]
Development/Volunteers: Krista Pizzurro [email protected]
Hospitality: Shar Nelson 805-320-6772, [email protected]
Inner City Outings: Sarah Mitchell, 941-721-7132, [email protected]
Membership: Mary Sheppard,941-752-3200, [email protected]
Newsletter Editor: Jessica Benoit, [email protected]
Interim Newsletter Design & Production: Barry Zack [email protected]
Outings: Don Kirkley, 941-493-3085, donkirk @gte.net
Past Chair: Linda T. Jones 941-358-3249, [email protected]
Programs: Open
Publications/Tabling: John Myers, 941-961-7095, [email protected]
Appointed CommitteesPublicity: Gerlinde Kohl, 941-474-4712, [email protected]
Treasurer: Bob Fellman 973-689-5556, [email protected]
Web Master: Rebecca Rowland, [email protected]
Website: http://sierraclub.org/florida/manatee-sarasotaMailing address: P.O. Box 3485, Sarasota FL 34236-3485
Executive Committee meetings are held once a month. For details about date and time, con-tact Gerry Swormstedt, Group Chair.
Not a member? Join Sierra Club todayAct now and become a member of Sierra Club! By joining you’ll support vital environmental advocacy, receive three publications, and gain access
to local outings, members-only adventures, and other rewards. More at: http://tioga.sierraclub.org/joinorgive/member3.htm
Join Sierra Club’s Meetup Group!Become a member and receive information on all meetings,
outings, and actions etc. Check it out by visitinghttp://www.meetup.com/Manatee-Sarasota-Sierra-Club-Group
3 www.sierraclub.org/florida/manatee-sarasota
May/June2016
Botanical WalkSaturday, May 7. Join us for a 3 to 5-mile morning walk exploring one of our most biologically diverse county parks. We will hope to see all 3 species of pine native to Sarasota and some of the early summer wildflowers. Group size limited. Reserve with Bill Lewis at 941-355-2156
Alluvial Delta to HeadwatersSaturday, May 14. This will be an exploratory hike tra-versing marsh, hammock, prairie and creek upwards to the headwaters of the channel. It will be in the Myakka river system and mostly off-trail for about six miles, parts in heavy palmetto. Group size limit-ed. Reserve with Bill Lewis at 941-355-2156.
Full Moon Casperson WalkSaturday, May 21. Enjoy a full moon 4 mi RT walk at Caspersen Beach at 8 p.m. Start with a shared potluck at 7 p.m. Wear sturdy shoes and carry water. No flashlights please. Must Reserve with Sally at 941-484-4113
Carlton Reserve WalkSaturday, June 4, 8 a.m. We will walk 3-4 miles in the reserve. Wear sturdy shoes, carry water, insect repellent, sunscreen and bring brunch. Must reserve with Sally at 941-484-4113.
Myakka HikeSaturday, June 18. Join us for an exploratory hike in ancient hammock, swamp and marshes of the Myakka system. We will be mostly off-trail for 6 to 7 miles and
making some attempt to follow the footsteps of an intrepid Myakka explorer. You will need usual day hike gear. Group size limited Reserve with Bill Lewis at 941-355-2156
Morning Interpretive WalkSaturday, June 25. We will spend the morning exploring one of our local county parks where we can observe the response to recent March burns. Distance is about 3 to 5 miles. Group size limited. Reserve with Bill Lewis at 941-355-2156.
Suggested outings contribution $5
The Brunch for the Bay on March 13 was a great
success. We raised just over $6,000 to support the joint efforts of Suncoast Water-keeper, Sierra Club Manatee Sarasota Group and the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage (FISH) towards pro-tecting our shorelines from illegal overdevelopment and mangrove destruction. These organizations are made up solely of dedicated volun-teers, no paid staff and no big administrative costs. Donations go directly to cover necessary court costs and the hiring of experts when needed to pursue crooked development schemes and protect environmental laws and regulations from efforts to subvert and weaken them.
With an abbreviated time-frame within which to organize the event, the turnout and
support surpassed our expec-tations. Special thanks to Dr. Buddy Powell for his presen-tation on Manatee’s and the work of Sea to Shore Alliance, to all the volunteers, and folks who purchased raffle and auction items.
We look forward to a bigger and better brunch next year. Meanwhile, please continue supporting the work of these great organizations.
Justin Bloom, Executive Director,
Suncoast Waterkeeper
The Brunch for the Bay crowd surpassed expectations, fill-ing the room at the Bradenton Yacht Club on the spectacular Manatee River waterfront.
Sandra Ripberger, Manatee Conservation Committee
Brunch for the Bay was a Huge Success!
Outings Leaders NeededBe an active club member and have fun at the
same time – become an outings leader. Contact Out-ings Chair Don Kirkley at 941-493-3085 for details
Nobody dozed when Buddy Powell spoke about his lifelong work with manatees, beginning in Crystal River and recently in Cuba, where Florida manatees have made an appearance. Perhaps they know it’s opening up.
4 www.sierraclub.org/florida/manatee-sarasota
PACtion! A Call for Candidates (continued from page 1)
Conservation Update (continued from page 1)
by FDEP is a scant 42%. Until reclamation, the land lies exposed, with caustic and toxic dusts blowing far and wide. COPD and lung cancer are just two of the many diseases becoming common in the mined lands of the Bone Valley.
Eventually, weeds such as cogon grass, often called the most pernicious weed in existence, gain a foothold. When reclamation begins, if it begins, Mosaic helicopters spray tens of thousands of gallons of Round-Up on the moonscape. Round-Up itself contains glyphosate, now ranked by the World Health Organization as a carcino-gen. Scientists we have talked with say that glyphosate is turning up in all living things, over the entire planet. It is the next DDT; the next PCB.
We will alert you to the impending permit hearings at Manatee County, probably some time this summer. The permit applications are in and are being reviewed by County staff. To date, the US Army Corps of Engineers has not issued permits to dredge and fill the wetlands inside the mine boundaries.
How You Can Help:• We need you to speak out on behalf of the lands and
species that cannot speak for themselves. We need to hear your voice at the County hearings, and we need your letters or calls to the Corps teams consid-ering Mosaic’s permit applications.
• We need you to speak out against the lies in Mosaic’s advertising campaign, and to tell your friends that you are boycotting organizations and events that take Mosaic funding.
• To stay current, please visit the Group Facebook page frequently, and visit the Group’s web page.
Two partner organizations, Manasota 88 and People Protecting Peace River (3PR) have web sites with excellent phosphate mining content.
Krista Sabin is the ACoE point person for the Wingate East Mine application.
Email: [email protected] Fellows is ACoE point person for the Ona Mine
application.Email: [email protected]
Whole Foods:A 4.49 acre wetland at the corner of Honore and
University has become the focal point of a lawsuit be-tween three Sierra Club members (though not the Club itself) and frequent ally Manasota 88, represented by Ralf Brookes. At issue is the Sarasota Board of County Commissioners’ propensity for creatively privatizing preserved lands through re-zoning and violations of the County’s own Comprehensive Plan. The Comprehensive Plan states that a high-functioning wetland shall not be destroyed, period. The County staff, who have frequently facilitated these re-appropriations of public lands, were articulate in their defense of this wetland, which has been defended and preserved by previous Boards for over 20 years.
To no avail.Whole Foods, the anchor tenant of the proposed devel-
opment, is stonewalling public expressions of disappoint-ment, hiding behind a supposedly generous over-mitiga-tion in Manatee County. Fact is, however, that the lands purchased for mitigation are not and were never going to be developable, hence were never in need of mitigation at all.
Read about it in Emily LeCoz’s excellent and very thorough article at http://www.heraldtribune.com/arti-cle/20160409/ARTICLE/160409632/0/fast
The trial date is set for August 22.
The PAC is calling for candidates of any political party who believe in fighting for environmental quality. Local races, such as County Commission and, in Sarasota, the Charter Review Board, often have a greater impact on the regional environment than statewide or federal offices. That impact has been almost universally bad for the envi-ronment in recent years. It is a trend that must be reversed. If you are outraged at the way phosphate mines are
permitted to gobble up agricultural land and wetlands
in Manatee County, or the way conservation lands are being de facto privatized by Sarasota County, think about making a difference. Run for office. We cannot guarantee an endorsement. That has to be
earned. But we can offer advice and answer questions about the political process at the local level, and we won’t sugar-coat the pill. We need motivated, principled candidates to begin tak-
ing our counties back from the developers. Andy Mele
5 www.sierraclub.org/florida/manatee-sarasota
Why?
We Need Your Images!Lots of pictures of our beautiful natural areas, our
wonderful Outings, the great variety of birds, mammals and sea creatures, new and old members working on projects
to clean up the community, and the many advocacy activities, tabling, sign waving, demonstrating
So let’s have a photo contest!
Two ways to submit your entries:** Mail your pictures to:
M/S Sierra, P.O. Box 3485, Sarasota, FL 34236-3485
or email them as attachments to:[email protected]
(be sure to label your entries as “Photo Contest”)
The dealine is June 30, 2016DISPLAY and VOTING AT THE JULY 9TH MEETING
This Page is Blank on Purpose
Image courtesy of Google Play
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