T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F S I E R R A C L U B F L O R I DA
Sierra Club’s priorities for the Florida
Legislature
The Florida Legislature is now in session,
and as usual we are doing our best to see that
any bills that could harm our environment
and wildlife are defeated, and those that help
protect our natural resources will succeed in
becoming law.
A summary of the Sierra Florida Steering
Committee’s 2009 Legislative Platform
is below. A more detailed version of it is
available in pdf format on the Sierra Club
Spring 2009 Florida website at http://florida.sierraclub.
org/Legislative.asp.
Inside this issue
Everglades restoration 3 How you can get involved
As in years past, the most effective part of
Group Advisory Council 3
our lobbying program will be the efforts
Crane Island victory 4 of every member of the Sierra Club in
National Sierra election 4 Florida. Your informed input on issues to
Sierrans strut their stuff 5 the members of the legislative lobbying team
and your well-written letters and emails to
Wakulla Wildlife Festival 5
Hometown Democracy 6 Victory! Wal-Mart puts Tarpon Springs
Paddling Chassahowitzka 6 Supercenter plans “on hold” indefinitely
Renewable energy 7
Though the Big W still smolders, this is an
Rock mining lawsuit 8 amazing victory for the environment and
Inner City Outings 8 the wishes of this community. This battle
Outings 9 for the property next to the Anclote River in
Tarpon Springs has required the continued
Day of Service 10
and dogged attention of unbending fighters
Community partnerships 10 in Tarpon Springs and throughout Pinellas
Water reservations 11 County for over four years.
Fund appeal 11
This fight started in 2004 with strong
Cleaning up Tampa Bay 12 testimony from the Sierra Club’s Suncoast
Group and Friends of the Anclote River at
the planning and zoning board, followed by
the marathon all-night hearing at the Tarpon
Springs City Commission in January 2005.
Along the way it was aided by many people
and several organized groups and a $5,000
contribution from Florida Sierra.
Coincidentally, we were involved in a
similar battle over in St. Petersburg. That
one began and ended in 2005. In that
www.florida.sierraclub.org
legislators on behalf of our priorities will be
invaluable. There are three ways you can
help:
• Please join our fact-packed legislative
email listserv. This is where you will
get weekly alerts with the most up-
to-date information and learn where
your email and letter writing efforts
will count the most. To join, simply
have your membership number
handy and go to:www.sierraclub.org/
memberlists?listname=FL-FLORIDA-
REPORT. If you need assistance you
can email the owner of the list at
FL-FLORIDA-REPORT-Request@
LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG
• To follow bills through the Florida
Legislature, you can go to the Florida
Legislature cont’d on Page 2
fight, the Suncoast Group, Association for
Community Reform Now (ACORN), the
Service Employees International Union
(SEIU), AFL-CIO and the Brighton Bay
Homeowners Association successfully
and permanently fended off a Wal-Mart
Supercenter on a wetland along Gandy
Boulevard. That victory showed us what
could be done in Tarpon Springs.
We hope the victory in Tarpon Springs is
also permanent. Wal-Mart must go back
to square one if they want to revisit this,
and they are facing a political situation that
increasingly favors protecting the property.
All such battles have low points, and at one
point in Tarpon Springs it seemed that all
was lost. Spirits were flagging and money
was scarce. Then, a combination of the
Sierra Florida financial help for the ongoing
legal effort and the enthusiasm of Suncoast
Wal-Mart victory cont’d on Page 10
1
Sierra priorities for Fla. Legislature
—continued from page 1
• House of Representatives’ website at http://www.
myfloridahouse.gov and click on Legislative Tracking.
You can set up a userid and input the bill numbers you
are interested in following.
• If you are in, or will be visiting, Tallahassee in the next
month or so and have time to visit legislators on our
behalf, let the lobbying team know you are available.
By the same token, if you have time to visit legislators’
district offices in your area on behalf of the Sierra Club,
let the legislative team know so you can be provided the
most up-to-date information.
Legislative Platform 2009
• Support full funding for the Florida Forever land
preservation program.
• Support the purchase of 180,000 acres of sugar lands in
the Everglades.
• Support increased seagrass bed protections and oppose
seagrass mitigation bank schemes.
• Support increased protection of mangroves.
• Support the ratification of Florida’s adoption of the
California motor vehicle emission standards by the
Florida Legislature.
• Support legislative ratification of the Public Service
Commission’s recommended Renewable Portfolio
Standard in support of the Governor’s goal: 20 percent
renewables by 2020.
• Support legislation strengthening regulatory authority
to mitigate nutrient pollution in Florida’s 33 first-order
springs.
• Support statewide ban on phosphorous lawn fertilizer.
• Support stormwater policy that reduces or eliminates
nonpoint source pollution and oppose unwarranted
exceptions.
• Support legislation promoting mass transit and
alternatives to automobile use.
• Oppose legislation that preempts local government’s
ability to manage growth according to comprehensive
plans or that prevents local governments from enacting
stricter land use restrictions than the state.
• Oppose legislation that would reduce the rights of local
governments and/or citizens to act to protect their
environmental resources.
• Oppose the elimination of moratoria prohibiting
offshore drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf near
Florida’s Gulf and Atlantic coasts.
• Oppose preemption of local control of fertilizer
management.
• Oppose legislation that deprives citizens of meaningful
opportunities to be involved in shaping their society,
including the citizen initiative process. Support full
transparency in government.
2 www.florida.sierraclub.org
Lobbying Advisory Team
Our lobbying advisory team will be helping us with
information and advice on lobbying. These volunteers are:
Dwight Adams, Linda Bremer, Kathy Cantwell, Cecilia
Height, Lisa Hinton, Terry Janssen, Tom Larson, Drew
Martin, John Miller, Demetra McBride, Mark Oncavage,
Marian Ryan, and Rosalie Shaffer. The team’s contact on the
Florida Sierra Steering Committee is Marian Ryan, (863) 293-
6961; email: marianryan@gmail.com.
—David Cullen, Florida Sierra Legislative Lobbyist
Preserve The Future
Make a commitment to the next
generation by remembering Sierra Club in
your will. Your support will help others
preserve the intricate balance of nature.
Gift Planning Program
85 Second St., 2nd Floor
San Francisco CA 94105
800-932-4270
planned.giving@sierraclub.org
The Pelican, Vol. 41, No. 2
Kathy Criscola, managing editor
The Pelican is published by Sierra Club Florida, 319 E. Park Ave.,
Tallahassee FL, and mailed to Florida Sierra Club members. Annual
membership dues include $1 for the Pelican newsletter. Address
all inquiries to PO Box 575, Tallahassee FL 323092-0575 or email
editor@floridasierraclub.org or katwalk100@aol.com
Steering Committee
Linda Bremer, Jacksonville
Craig Diamond, Tallahassee
Betsy Grass, Miami
Tom Larson, Jacksonville Beach
Marian Ryan, Winter Haven
Rudy Scheffer, Safety Harbor
John Swingle, Fort Myers
Communications Committee
Liz Cantarine, Bradenton, ecantarine@tampabay.rr.com
Kathy Criscola, Tallahassee, katwalk100@aol.com
Betsy Grass, Miami, betgrass@ix.netcom.com
Ron Haines, Lantana, ronaldhaines@bellsouth.net
Frances Howell-Coleman, Winter Haven, fcoleman@tampabay.rr.com
Corbett Kroehler, Orlando, corbettkroehler@yahoo.com
Rosalie Shaffer, Bradenton, Shaffer_us@yahoo.com
Visit www.florida.sierraclub.org
Sugar lands critical to Everlades restoration
The first thing you should know about the state of Florida’s
pending purchase of U.S. Sugar lands (a.k.a “the sugar deal”)
is that everyone’s trying to kill it. No, not just a few people.
It’s so many that they have to sit and take a number. We’ve
got an Indian Tribe, a pair of sugar barons, entire towns,
high schools, editorial boards, the Florida Legislature, and
yes, even an environmental group.

The next thing you should know is that this $1 billion plus
sale must go through or the Everglades has no chance
of survival. As environmentalists, we understand the
problem: Lake Okeechobee is separated from the remaining
Everglades by more than a half million acres of sugar farms.
These sugar farms have been pumping out phosphorus for
decades and altering water levels to the detriment of the
Everglades. In order to clean, store and move enough water peat that keeps the Everglades out of the sea. It means
for the Everglades to survive, we have to buy land. If we everything is possible.
don’t, the Everglades will continue to be taken over by a
cancer of phosphorus-loving cattails in the north, and dried But if we do nothing, we will simply return to the box we’ve
into dust in the south. created, and the death of the Everglades will continue.

There are a myriad of arguments made against the deal. Here
are a few: the Miccosukee Tribe says it opposes the deal
because it will strip funds from other restoration projects.
That would be a valid point if it wasn’t also true that few
other projects work unless you have the land to clean the
water. Florida Crystals, which has launched two lawsuits and
is lobbying to kill the deal, objects to a $50 an acre seven-year
leaseback to U.S. Sugar. We, too, would have preferred the
state to use all the land now, but the lease terms were set by
the parties, not us. Seven years is a long time to wait, but in
year eight, time is on our side.
Help the Sierra Club Everglades Committee reach out to non-
environmental organizations and activate our friends. Help us
explain that despite the pitfalls and uncertainties, Governor
Crist’s sugar deal is a once in a lifetime opportunity to restore
the Everglades. To get involved, call 305-860-9888 or email:
jonathan.ullman@sierraclub.org
—Jonathan Ullman, Everglades Coordinator

The underprivileged communities around Lake Okeechobee,

like Clewiston and Belle Glade, are opposed because these
are company towns and the sale comes during an ever-
deepening recession. While one cannot underestimate the
personal suffering that will most likely take place, we can
see a brighter, stronger future there. After the purchase, the
Lakeside communities will have seven years to transition to
a new economy – one that is economically empowering and
environmentally sustainable.

One concern that lingers is that of the 187,000 acres to be
purchased, the state may be forced to sell a sizable percentage
of the land back to a private entity as “surplus” because it
can’t afford the financing. The extent and nature of such a
resale is not clear. It’s something we need to watch vigilantly,
but even that threat is not reason enough to oppose the deal.
By this summer, if all goes well, the state of Florida will
be holding the deed to one-third of the state’s sugar lands.
It means we won’t have to spend tens of billions of dollars
in the future. It means that we can clean up phosphorus
before it heads south. It means an end to fish kills in the
Caloosahatchee basin and Indian River Lagoon. It means
fires won’t ravage Shark River Slough and erode the organic
Meet the Group Advisory Council
National Sierra appointed these volunteers to help groups
connect with each other and with the Steering Committee
while we attempt to build a new Sierra Club Florida.
From left to right: Sachi Sachidanndan - East Region
(Central Florida, Turtle Coast, Volusia/Flagler); Chad Hanson
- Panhandle (Big Bend, Northwest Florida); Debbie Matthews
- Southeast (Miami, Broward, Loxahatchee); Rob Brinkman
- North (Nassau County, Naturecoast, Northeast Florida,
Suwannee-St. Johns); Linda Jones - West (Manatee-Sarasota,
Suncoast, Tampa Bay); Chuck Geanangel - Southwest
(Ancient Islands, Greater Charlotte Harbor, Calusa)

www.florida.sierraclub.org 3
 Nassau Sierrans Win Lawsuit to Stop
Crane Island Development
A Nassau County Circuit Court judge has agreed with three
members of the Nassau Group and ruled that Nassau County
violated the law in approving a planned unit development on
environmentally sensitive Crane Island. The three members
of the Nassau Sierra group ExCom had sued the county
after the commission voted in 2006 to create a Planned Unit
Development (PUD) on the island, which is designated as
conservation in the county’s comprehensive plan.
The history: There were three failed efforts by Crane
Island landowners and developers to amend the county’s
comprehensive plan and change the island’s designation
to residential between 1995 and 2003. None of the efforts
met the approval of the Florida Department of Community
Affairs (DCA). So then, the Amelia Island Company, one of
Nassau’s largest developers, successfully lobbied the county to
use an obscure section of the comprehensive plan to approve
a PUD consisting of 169 houses with a 92-slip marina. The
existing conservation designation allows for only one dwelling
every five acres - a maximum of 41 houses on the property,
which consists of two-thirds of the island.
Crane Island is a maritime hammock—with a number of
large heritage oaks and magnolias—that lies between Amelia
Island and the Intracoastal Waterway. It is directly opposite
the Fernandina Beach airport. The northern third of the
island is owned by the Florida Inland Navigation District for a
dredging spoil site.
The lawsuit, brought by Nassau Sierrans Eric Titcomb, Julie
Ferriera and Robert Weintraub, claimed that the county did
not have the authority to amend the comprehensive plan
without getting DCA approval. Judge Brian J. Davis’
December 22 ruling agreed with that position and vacated the
county’s order approving the PUD.
The plaintiffs’ victory is the most recent chapter in a long
history of tension over the island. In 1991, when the state
required counties to have comprehensive plans, Nassau
County’s first attempt at a plan was rejected because Crane
Island and other environmentally sensitive areas were not
protected. In a 1993 negotiated settlement with the DCA,
Nassau was required to establish a “conservation” category in
its comp plan that included Crane Island.
When the Amelia Island Co. decided to press for the
approval of a PUD, then-county attorney Mike Mullin
met with DCA officials to ask if an obscure clause in the
county’s comprehensive plan would allow the plan to be
“self-amending.” DCA said it would not, but Mullin issued a
contrary legal opinion upon which the commission proceeded.
“The county ... ignored [DCA] and utilized the policy to
approve 169 units on Crane Island without amending the
Future Land Use Map designation for Crane Island,” Davis
wrote in his ruling.
4 www.florida.sierraclub.org
The case, which lasted more than two years, went to trial
in October. Plaintiff witnesses included Shaw Stiller, DCA
general counsel, and Mike McDaniel, DCA bureau chief. The
plaintiffs’ attorney is Ralf Brooks of Cape Coral, who had also
assisted Nassau Sierra with an earlier Crane Island issue.
The Nassau County Commission voted on January 12 to
appeal the ruling. The developer is expected to lead the
appeal and cover defense costs. For more information,
contact me at 904-491-6817; email: rweintraub@bellsouth.net.
—Robert Weintraub, Nassau County Group
National Sierra Club
BOD election underway
The annual election for the Club’s Board of Directors is
now underway. Those eligible to vote in the national Sierra
Club election will receive in the mail (or by Internet if you
chose the electronic delivery option) your national Sierra
Club ballot in March. This will include information on the
candidates and where you can find additional information
on the Club’s website.
The Sierra Club is a democratically structured organization
at all levels. The Club requires the regular flow of views
on policy and priorities from its grassroots membership in
order to function well. Your Board of Directors is required
to stand for election by the membership. This Board sets
Club policy and budgets at the national level and works
closely with the Executive Director and staff to operate the
Club. Voting for candidates who express your views on
how the Club should grow and change is both a privilege
and responsibility of membership.
Members frequently state that they don’t know the
candidates and find it difficult to vote without learning
more. You can learn more by asking questions of your
group and chapter leadership and other experienced
members you know. Visit the Club’s election website:
http://www.sierraclub.org/bod/2009election. This site
provides links to additional information about candidates
and their views.
You should use your own judgment by taking several
minutes to read the ballot statement of each candidate.
Then make your choice and cast your vote. Even if you
receive your election materials in the mail, please go to the
user-friendly Internet voting site to save time and postage.
If you have not received your mailed ballot by early April,
contact membership.services@sierraclub.org or 415-977-
5500. The voting deadline is April 21, at 12 noon, E.T.
Sierrans wow a crowd of thousands in zany parade
“Nananana, nananana, hey, hey, Bush, good-bye!” A group
of twenty-six fun-loving Sierrans said good-bye forever to
President Bush and Vice-President Cheney at the annual
King Mango Strut, a popular and wacky parade held in the
Coconut Grove section of Miami. This year attracted more
than 6,000 spectators – a great audience to see our humorous
conservation message. Our theme was “BASHED BY BUSH
AND THE CHAIN-Y GANG”: we highlighted and mocked
the last eight years of environmental disasters under the Bush
regime.

Mr. Bush punched Earth balls into the audience, with the help
of Mr. Cheney, while a whole circus of activities was going on:
Mother Earth in intensive care, all bandaged up and on
crutches, was pursued by two nurses, who tried to give her a
shot with an immense syringe, craftily created by Chris. An
immense Earth ball was 212 degrees—too hot to handle.
Paul Michel had to wear mittens to carry it to the audience,
warning them not to touch it. A logger chased “The Last Tree
Standing” with an axe, while a hunter ran after an unfortunate
wolf with a rifle. Two oil rigs attacked Sun and Wind Power,
who tried desperately to avoid them. When a polar bear wasn’t
fanning six penguins on an iceberg, he was running after
them in search of a little ice.
Additionally, a huge smokestack pursued a poor, coughing
victim, who wore a gas mask and was covered with soot.
Last, but not least, two blind and clueless “E.P.A. Enforcers,”
wearing dark glasses and sporting canes, followed the group,
running into one another and doing all sorts of antics to
amuse the audience. Amy Werba hammed it up as usual, as
she enthusiastically led our group and the crowd into singing
the “Good-bye, Bush” song.
We even got newspaper coverage: a photo of Mother Earth
and her nurse was published in The Miami Herald. This
was a group effort: we met a few times to plan our strategy,
work on signs and banner, and rehearse. Thanks to all of
you who participated and who helped make this such a fun
event! Special thanks to my husband Paul, Pat Hudson,
Nurses take care of “Mother Earth”
Debbie Matthews, and Chris DeMello for their invaluable
contributions, and to Brian Logan for attending Mangohead
meetings and keeping us informed. Don Howe was our expert
prop maker—we couldn’t have pulled this off without him
and Amy. As always, they worked non-stop to make our
Sierra Club entry the huge success it was.
—Coky Michel, Miami Group
See natural wonders of Northwest
Florida at Wakulla Wildlife Festival
The Big Bend’s colorful heritage and exceptional ecosystems
will be celebrated at The Wakulla Wildlife Festival, at Wakulla
Springs State Park on April 2-4. The festival will feature
opportunities to explore diverse habitats, enjoy its expressive
music, and discover new skills and information.
Tours given Thursday through Saturday will showcase the
magnificent flora and fauna of Wakulla County. Many of the
30 tours will take you to places unknown or often unavailable
to the general public, such as underwater viewing through
glass-bottom kayaks, or seeing what’s inside a gopher tortoise
burrow. Other tours will take you through the Cathedral of
Palms, on a journey to the hidden “Liquid Gems” (the sinks)
of Wakulla County, or down the Wakulla River, where the
ruby-red eyes of alligators may be seen in the flashlight-lit
nightscape.

Also enjoy fine art, dining, and music. Living history

demonstrations bring to light skills once necessary for
survival. There will be free children’s activities, shows, and
over 30 knowledgeable exhibitors on Saturday. Be sure to
visit the Sierra Club Big Bend Group’s booth.

Wakulla Springs State Park is located south of Tallahassee.

Visit www.WakullaWildlifeFestival.org for information, and
The crowd chants “Drill baby, drill,” as an oil rig for directions to the park go to www.FloridaStateParks.org. If
and solar panel dance by. you have questions, contact Jeff Hugo, 850-561-7286.

www.florida.sierraclub.org 5
FHD campaign update
Making our efforts more challenging, the Florida Supreme
Court has recently approved the growth amendment backed
by the Florida Chamber of Commerce and development
interests for placement on the 2010 ballot. If the rest of the
signatures the organizers need are collected, this so-called
“Smarter Growth” Amendment will compete head-to-head
with the Florida Hometown Democracy (FHD) Amendment,
which is supported by the Sierra Club.

“Smarter Growth” provides for a citizen vote on changes

to a local growth plan, but only after completion of an
onerous process, requiring 10 percent of voters to physically
go to the local supervisor of elections office (SOE) to sign
a petition within 60 days. In effect, the process is designed
to make it next to impossible to actually achieve the right to
vote on comprehensive plan land use changes. It also serves
to discriminate against the disabled, housebound or active
military stationed out of state—anyone who cannot get to an
SOE office.
One of the results of FHD, when it is approved by 60 percent
of voters on the 2010 ballot, will be an end to many of the
speculative, developer-driven comp plan changes contrary
to the best interests of communities and the environment.
Developers are concerned about that. For example, the
Miami Corp. requested a comp plan change in Edgewater/
Volusia County, and admitted to the Orlando Sentinel that
their goal is to beat the adoption of FHD. Some places in
Florida, like Yankeetown, already have their own versions of
FHD, and show the advantages it would bring statewide.
The Florida Hometown Democracy campaign
is ramping up our efforts for the 2010 ballot, so please
tell at least five new people each week about Hometown
Democracy. And please donate either on our website (www.
floridahometowndemocracy.com) or send a check (FHD, P.O.
Box 636, New Smyrna Beach, Florida 32170-0636). The time
is now! Note that our opposition is also gearing up—the
Florida Association of Realtors just contributed $150,000 to
the “Smarter Growth” campaign.
Join us to protect the Florida we love, and spare our
communities from comp plan changes that are threatening
our environment and quality of life. The bulldozers that are
paving over our beautiful state will continue to do so until we,
the people, regain control over our communities. For more
information and other ways you can help, please contact one
of the following key people working with FHD and who are
also Sierra members. Thanks in advance for your continuing
support and anticipated help:
Lesley Blackner, President
Email: lblackner@aol.com
Barbara Herrin, Campaign Manager
Email: flhometown@yahoo.com Tel. 866-779-5513
John Hedrick. Florida Sierra contact
Email: johnhedrick13@yahoo.com Tel. 850-339-5462
Paddling on the Chassahowitzka—
a threatened Florida river
The Chassahowitzka River, located in the Chassahowitzka
Wildlife Refuge about 65 miles north of St. Petersburg, is one
of the few remaining undeveloped rivers in Florida. There are
no houses lining its shores or parking lots bordering its banks,
and no industry is allowed to dump wastewater into the river.
Sierra Club of Central Florida received a grant to go camping/
kayaking on the river from October 18-19. On Saturday we
volunteered at the wildlife refuge for its annual festival.
We had fun doing our volunteer duties—we gave out free boat
ride tickets, helped staff the gift shop and helped launch the
boat to see Three Sisters Spring. We also gave out compact
fluorescent light bulbs at the Sierra booth and passed out
information on public lands in Florida.
On Sunday we met several local guests who came out to
paddle with us. The refuge is 31,000 acres and accessible
only by boat. Over 250 species of birds, more than 50 species
of reptiles and amphibians and more than 25 species of
mammals (including the manatee) call this place home. This is
Florida the way it used to be, and a place that few get a chance
to see. Local activists took us paddling into narrow hidden
springs. Manatees came up to our kayaks and greeted us.
Maybe they were encouraging us to speak up for saving their
river.
A study conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency
found that rain falling into the Chassahowitzka River has
mercury levels more than 23 times higher than federal
standards allow. One of the nation’s largest emitters of
mercury, the Crystal River power plant, is just 15 miles from
the Chassahowitzka River. In addition to mercury, coal
power plants release large amounts of carbon dioxide, which
contributes to global warming. In the event of sea level rise,
the Chassahowitzka River will be very much affected, since
the headwaters—several fresh water springs—are just seven
miles from the Gulf of Mexico. With our Sierra Club grant,
we were able to become educated on these issues and speak up
for the manatees and wildlife that call this river home.
Read more at http://www.fws.gov/chassahowitzka/
—Mary-Slater Linn, Central Florida Group Outings Chair

6 www.florida.sierraclub.org
 The Sunshine State v. nuclear state
Issue before the Legislature may determine Florida’s energy future
While Florida has made a commitment to encourage clean,
renewable energy, a current proposal would cripple these
efforts. The Legislature will soon determine whether almost
20 percent of the big utilities’ power may come from nuclear
or renewable sources. Of course, that’s not the way it is being
stated, but that is what it comes down to.
Governor Charlie Crist issued an executive order in 2007
directing utility regulators to set a standard requiring energy
utilities to produce 20 percent of their power from renewable
sources by 2020 (Renewable Portfolio Standard). However,
Florida Power and Light (FPL), for example, produces less
than two percent of its energy this way, and is lobbying for
nuclear energy to count toward this goal. If its Turkey Point
plant is expanded as proposed, FPL would meet the 20
percent target without using any solar or other renewables
in the mix. In order to make this use of nuclear sound more
acceptable, names such as “Alternative Standard” and “Clean
Energy Standard” are under consideration.
The utilities have a significant business incentive for making
it easier to go nuclear, since in 2006 our Legislature made it
legal for the big energy companies to have their rate payers
prepay for nuclear power plants just as they do for gas, oil and
coal. It is called “Early Cost Recovery”, and in other states,
“Construction Work In Progress.”
The problem comes when the Public Service Commission
must answer two questions before approving charging
ratepayers for new power proposals:
• Is there a demand for the power?
• If so, is this the most cost effective means of meeting
that demand?
If almost 5,000 megawatts of new nuclear are constructed in
Florida, there will be no need for more power, no matter how
clean. As a result, the truly sustainable energy solutions such
as solar, wind, tidal, and geothermal, will lose their financial
incentive and those efforts will come to a screeching halt.
This is unconscionable in light of the study commissioned by
the Florida Public Service Commission which determined the
amount of renewable energy possible for utilities to produce
in Florida—Navigant Consulting predicted almost 150,000
Gigawatt-hours from solar alone!
Also on the nuclear front, Sierra has contributed to a pro se
intervention by Nuclear Information and Resource Service,
Green Party of Florida and the Ecology Party into the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission proceeding on Progress
Energy Florida’s Levy County nuclear proposal. It would
be the first Greenfield site application in the country, so the
environmental impacts are potentially great. Sierra’s Carter
Quillen, Calusa Group of southwest Florida, submitted
contentions regarding alternatives to the plant which have not
www.florida.sierraclub.org
been considered. The contentions have yet to be admitted and
we will post progress on this case as it develops.
What you can do
Contact your state representatives and tell them not to change
the state Renewable Portfolio Standard in name or otherwise,
and not allow new nuclear to compete for incentives which
must be applied to truly clean renewable energy resources.
For website links to petitions to representatives, to sites
protesting pre-paying for nuclear, and for background
material on this issue contact me at marshmaid@gmail.com.
—Rhonda Roff, Energ y Issues Committee, Sierra Club Florida
Interested in energy issues? The Sierra Club Florida Energy
Issues Committee has just been formed, is looking for more
volunteers, and is setting up their web page. Go to florida.
sierraclub.org/energy for more information.
How to keep up with your
Florida Sierra
A complete record of what Florida Sierra is doing and
information about plenty of opportunities to help Sierra
Club in Florida are now at your fingertips.
The Clubhouse
Never been to the Clubhouse? If you are a Sierra leader
and need resources to help with programs and activities,
or if you have a new position in the club and want
information, go to http://www.clubhouse.sierraclub.org.
They will give you the userid and password for lots of
information, and for finding Florida Sierra Club fi les.
Florida Clubhouse
Summaries of all the actions of the Florida Sierra
Steering Group, as well as the records of the Florida
Chapter, are on the Florida section of Clubhouse. Simply
go to http://www.clubhouse.sierraclub.org/fl. The
Steering Committee has worked hard to get all these
documents into one, easily accessible place. You gain
access by using the Clubhouse userid and password.
The Florida Website
Simply go to http://florida.sierraclub.org/ No username
or password is required. There is a link to the Steering
Committee and you will find information about
committee activities. If you think you can assist one
of the committees, use the contact link for the steering
committee and tell us you want to help. This site is also
full of news about environmental efforts in Florida and
tips on how you can help. Please visit the site regularly.
7
Altman Tract phosphate mine update: the fight goes on
As reported in the last Pelican, phosphate mining giant
Mosaic Fertilizer’s plans to strip mine the wetland-rich
Altman mine were stopped dead in its tracks, thanks to years
of activism by the Manatee-Sarasota and Greater Charlotte
Harbor Groups, Sierra regional staff, and a September 2008
Manatee County Commission vote to deny the land use
change and mining plan that Mosaic would require.
Not two weeks after the historic denial vote, Mosaic informed
Manatee County that it would fi le a “takings claim” for the
value of the phosphate on the tract, which it estimated to be
$617 million, unless the county reversed its decision in 90
days.
Several days after that legal threat was made, the legal
challenge fi led in July 2008 by the Sierra Club, Gulf
Restoration Network (GRN), ManaSota-88 and People for
Protecting the Peace River (3PR) against the Army Corps of
Engineers resulted in a suspension of Mosaic’s Altman permit.
The Corps had issued the Altman wetland permit without
having completed an environmental impact statement for
the proposed mine—a requirement under the Clean Water
Act and National Environmental Policy Act. The Corps
had determined that it was in the public interest to revisit the
analysis in support of the permit decision.
and February – the impression we made together will not be
soon forgotten. Activism in the Sierra Club is alive and well.
Although the new Manatee Board of County Commissioners
did vote on February 5 to permit mining on the Altman Tract,
this fight is not over. On February 17, Sierra, along with
ManaSota-88 and several citizens, fi led suit in circuit court to
prevent the Manatee County–Mosaic settlement and Altman
zoning change to take place. Our petition cited numerous
failures of the county to follow its own rules and procedures.
The battle will continue on several new fronts and we will
keep pressuring the various powers-that-be to protect the
natural environment and our precious water resources.
Mining on the Altman Tract would destroy 400 acres of
pristine wetlands in the 2,048 acre tract, which sits at the
headwaters of Horse Creek, a major tributary to the Peace
River. This watershed is of great ecological importance, as
well as a source of drinking water for southwest Florida.
—Sierra Club Regional Office, St Petersburg

However, the federal permit suspension did not stop Mosaic

from wielding its various forms of pressure on the Manatee
County Commissioners and legal staff. In December 2008,
after two new pro-business commissioners were sworn in,
the public was given only 6 days notice of the existence of
a Mosaic settlement agreement before the new commission
voted (without any public hearing or public vetting of the
settlement language) to invalidate the September denial vote,
readdress the Altman Tract permitting issues, and take a new
vote by February 5, 2009.

The settlement agreement language itself made it clear that a

vote for the agreement would lead to a rubber stamp approval
of the Mosaic proposal at the hearings scheduled in January
and February but that did not stop us from rallying our
activist troops to make another stand against the mine.
In the course of the 3-month campaign against the settlement,
Sierra Club members from Manatee, Sarasota, Hardee,
Desoto, Charlotte and Hillsborough Counties attended the
Manatee County Commission hearings. We were joined by
our friends and allies from ManaSota-88, P3PR and GRN.
We also organized more Duette-area residents (those who live
close to the Altman Tract) opposed to the mine than we ever
had before.
Attendees challenged the county’s failure to provide its
citizens due process in making its rezoning decision and
challenged the legality of the decision itself – what a show
of strength! Many thanks to everyone who attended the
Manatee County Commission meetings in December, January
Sailing with Inner City Outings
Inner City Outings had a fantastic day on the water, courtesy
of the Lake Monroe Sailing Association. The day was picture
perfect for sailing, with blue skies, a little wind and balmy
weather.
We split up among 6 boats, each one different. The kids got
to see how a sailboat operates, when to duck, lean, or move
to the other side of the boat, and, best of all, got to steer the
boats. At first a couple of them were worried that there were
sharks in the lake. We told them there were only 12-foot
alligators. They responded by saying, “Go Gators!”
One girl said she liked steering the boat the most. Another
liked when the sailboat was at a steep angle. They all said it
was so much fun and one boy now aspires to own his own
sailboat someday.
Story and photo by Karen Frye,
Central Florida Group Inner City Outings Chair

8 www.florida.sierraclub.org
 Spring for outings
March 28, Sat. 9:30 am. Public Transportation Adventure
. Mangrove Park Ecowalk in Boynton Beach. Explore
and
the mangrove system along the Intracoastal waterway and
hopefully see migrating birds from the short walking trail and
boardwalk. Read more at www.boyntonbeach.com/points/
mangrove/index.html. We’ll take a free trolley to the park
and back. Leisure. Limit 10. FREE. Sabrina Carle, 561-732-
4486, Carles@bellsouth.net. (Loxahatchee)
March 28. Hike the Alligator Creek Trails at the
Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center (near Punta
Gorda). We will begin with a leisurely one-mile interpretive
walk led by a center volunteer. Those who are interested can
continue for 2-3 miles at a more moderate pace on other trails.
Bobcat, bald eagles, gopher tortoises, and red-shouldered
hawks inhabit the pine flatwoods. Reserve with
Brigita at 239-337-1857 bbgahr@embarqmail.com (Calusa)
April 4-5. Gum Slough Paddle and Potts Preserve Car
Camp. We will spend Saturday on a strenuous exploratory
upstream paddle of beautiful Gum Slough Spring. For
experienced and strong paddlers; kayaks are recommended.
Saturday night we will enjoy a full-moon car camp on the
Withlacoochee. Sunday morning we will do an optional day
hike on the Florida Trail. Leader Ben Berauer, 727-392-2821
or bfberauer@aol.com. (Suncoast)
April 11, Sat. 8 am. Ocean to Lake Trail Day Hike.
We’ll hike from Riverbend Park west of Jupiter to the
www.florida.sierraclub.org
Jonathan Dickinson State Park marina. The total distance,
11 miles. More details are available at http://lox.floridatrail.
org/html/ocean_to_lake.html. Strenuous. Limit 10. FREE.
Donna Brown, donnabrownintl@gmail.com. (Loxahatchee)
April 26. Florida Trail Day Hike at the Dupuis
Management Area near Indiantown. 3 hour, 6 to 8
miles. Moderate. FREE. Charles Hunt, 561-967-4770,
loxoutings@comcast.net https://my.sfwmd.gov/portal/page?_
pageid=2236,4744679,2236_19848181&_dad=portal&_
schema=PORTAL (Loxahatchee)
May 1-3. Cayo Costa Kayak and Camping. Join us for
a great weekend at one of the state’s premier island parks.
Truly a Gulf Coast paradise located on Lacosta Island west of
Fort Myers; it has one of the top-rated beaches in the nation.
We’ll paddle out on Friday morning with a stop at legendary
Cabbage Key restaurant for lunch, and paddle back on
Sunday. If you wish to take it easy, there is a ferry boat, Tropic
Star (239-283-0015; tropicstarcruises.com). We’ve rented
four primitive cabins and four campsites and will divide costs
appropriately. This trip is rated moderate to strenuous because
of open water and possible wind conditions. Contact Don
Kirkley at 941-493-3085. (Manatee-Sarasota).
All participants on Sierra Club outings are required to sign a
standard liability waiver. If you would like to read the waiver,
please go to: www.sierraclub.org/outings/chapter/forms/.
9
A day of service
Ancient Islands volunteers clean up!

Answering President Obama’s call for a day of service, the Ancient Islands
Group organized a work morning at Circle B Bar Reserve, a new Polk County
park. Twenty-one participants answered the call; about half were Sierrans
and half were citizens who had read of the event on the internet and wanted a
meaningful experience at this time of change.

Many Sierrans volunteer hours each week at the Reserve. Staff there had
identified the removal of the monofi lament line webbing, which underlies
the sod, as the most vexing problem. The webbing, which has been exposed
by hog rooting and water action, has proved dangerous to birds, snakes, and
fish. In addition to the webbing removal, a lot of trash that had blown into the
Reserve from the adjacent highway was picked up and removed. And, Florida’s
only (we think) chimney swift tower, built by Sierran Bob Taylor, received a
coat of paint!

Historically, swifts used large hollow trees as roosting and nesting sites. As the
forests were cleared, swifts adapted to chimneys. But now, most people cap
or screen their chimneys. Towers have been accepted by the swifts in other
states and Sierrans have high hopes that the tower will soon have a flourishing Photo credit: Reinier Munguia
colony of swifts.
—Frances Howell-Coleman, Ancient Islands Group

Expanding community Wal-Mart victory

partnerships --continued from page 1

Sierra Club Florida’s task force on Expanding Community
Partnerships requests assistance in developing a partnering
guide to help groups build both membership and group
capacity and effectiveness. Do you have success stories
that you would like to share about partnering with
environmental, civic, religious, or business organizations?
We are looking for suggestions you may have about
other potential partners in your group’s area, and tips for
identifying partners and establishing relationships. We
are also brainstorming about obstacles that groups may
need to overcome to improve their partnering skills. Input
from general members is welcome, so please announce
our project at an upcoming meeting or post to your group
newsletter. Of course, if you know any members who would
like to be a part of our committee, please let us know.
Debbie Matthews, Miami Group.
Email: Dmatthews@de-simone.com
Joe Murphy, Gulf Restoration Network
Email: joe@healthygulf.org
Lazaro Isada, Clean Energy
Email: laz@cleanenergy.org
Craig Diamond, Steering Committee
Email: cjdiamond@comcast.net
volunteer Chris Hrbovsky turned the tide. With those funds
and his indomitable spirit, Chris personally drove the legal
process to keep Wal-Mart at bay. And while he was at it, he
ran for local office.
WARN (Wal-Mart Action for Reform Now) has always been
a critical supporter of this fight and continues to do amazing
work against Wal-Mart sitings – special thanks to Colin Fiske
at WARN for all he and his organization have done and are
still doing to force this dialogue about Wal-Mart’s siting and
employment practices. We also thank our north county
Suncoast Sierra Club Conservation Chair, Marc Washburn,
who has been our connection to the complexities of this
effort, and who personally stepped in front of bulldozers
attempting to bury the many gopher tortoises on the property.
Additionally, the continued fundraising and community
awareness efforts of local activist Shelley Eckert and Friends
of the Anclote River drove this process from the start.
Finally, to all those folks calling, writing letters, attending and
speaking at hearings—this is
what it’s all about. Thanks to
all.
—Cathy Harrelson, Conservation
and Coastal Chair
Suncoast Group

10 www.florida.sierraclub.org
 Managing water for fish
and wildlife FIRST
Water Reservations to protect fish and wildlife are being
established by the South Florida Water Management District.
If the Reservations truly manage water for wildlife before
allocating any for new development, it will be good news for
the entire ecosystem from the Orlando area to the Everglades.
Healthy wildlife habitat should mean better water quality and
a more natural water flow cycle.
The District is close to adopting the rule establishing a
Reservation for Picayune Strand and Fakahatchee Estuary. Any
Reservation will be subject to revision, so activists in south
Florida will want to monitor this process closely. The first
public workshop for a Kissimmee Basin Reservation was held
in December. An overview of this latter Reservation follows.
As the lack of water has become more apparent and water
restrictions have become a way of life in Central Florida, the
fear has surfaced that local governments on both sides of
the Kissimmee Basin would apply for and be granted water
allocations—water which would then fuel more development,
and deprive the Kissimmee River of a flow adequate enough to
sustain the restoration. However, there is a substantial first-
use which must be met before utilities can tap into Kissimmee
water.
Florida Statutes state, “The Governing Board [water
management districts] or the department, by regulation, may
reserve from use by permit applicants, water in such locations
and quantities, and for such seasons of the year, as in its
judgment may be required for the protection of fish and
wildlife or the public health and safety.”
A Reservation should prevent new uses from accessing water
reserved for the protection of fish and wildlife. Protection
means ensuring a healthy and sustainable native fish and
wildlife community—a community that can remain healthy and
viable through natural cycles of drought, flood, and population
variation. The Basin extends from the Upper Kissimmee
Chain of Lakes (the Orlando area) to S-65E (basically where
the Kissimmee pours into Lake Okeechobee). It is now
envisioned there will be seven lake management areas and the
restored river and floodplain. The eight areas will be managed
somewhat separately because certain areas may have different
species which have different needs.
Science must drive this entire project or the Rule will not
stand against the legal challenges which will surely come, since
everybody wants cheap water. Intense study has been done
using 40 years of water records, to establish how much water
is available. The biologists have identified the species and
habitat with well-defined linkages to hydrology, addressing
which species need water at what levels, and when for nesting
and foraging. Only the water that is not needed for wildlife at a
given time will be available for utility allocation.
www.florida.sierraclub.org
The establishment of the Reservation Rule is on a fast track.
At the first public workshop in December it was obvious a lot
of scientific work had already been done and that staff was not
going to “study it to death,” because there is an intense sense
of urgency to protect the resource. There will be a scientific
peer review of data, analysis and assumptions in March, and
the Governing Board will be asked to approve publishing the
final draft rule in June.
Sierrans need to focus on at least these points at this time:
• This process will require close monitoring, because
a Reservation will be subject to periodic review and
revision in the light of changed conditions—and
obviously there will be political pressure to provide
more water for consumption.
• No allocation for consumption should be made
unless the permit applicant has established the most
rigorous water conservation measures.
• The Reservation Rule should insure sufficient water
flow to maintain the restored Kissimmee.
Follow the progress by going to www.sfwmd.gov. Click on
What we do > Water Supply > Rule Development, click on the
Water Reservations tab and then the KISS/UCOL tab.
—Frances Howell-Coleman, Ancient Islands Group
Please give to Florida fund appeal
You should have recently received our annual fund
appeal letter, or will receive it soon. This is our once-a-
year plea for funds. Every penny you donate stays right
here in Florida to help defend our state’s irreplaceable
natural resources and our rights to clean air and water.
Florida Sierra Club makes every dollar count because
we rely mainly on volunteers—people like you who
give time and energy because you care. But we still need
money to support our public outreach and education,
lobbying and advocacy, and legal action when necessary.
Please donate based on your ability to pay. We
understand these are difficult times for many members,
so we appreciate your consideration. Like other
nonprofits, Sierra Club Florida resources are shrinking
rapidly, and we’ve significantly cut spending. Yet special
interests are trying to use these hard times as an excuse
to weaken Florida’s environmental protections. We
can’t—and won’t—let them do it!
Send your contributions to: Sierra Club Florida, P.O.
Box 28353, Kenneth City, FL 33709. No amount is too
small. Please note: Contributions are not tax-deductible.
They support our effective, citizen-based advocacy and
lobbying.
11
Sierra Club Florida
The Pelican
P.O. Box 575
Tallahassee FL 32302-0575
Explore, Enjoy and Protect the Planet
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Send current mailing label and new address to:
Sierra Club
PO Box 52968
Boulder CO 80322-2968
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Cleaning Up Tampa Bay Waterways, the Easy Way!
The campaign to make the Tampa Bay region’s waterways
cleaner and healthier without raising taxes is underway.
The Sierra Club Red Tide Campaign is building community
coalitions to support passing fertilizer management
ordinances by all local governments in Hillsborough and
Pinellas County. This grassroots initiative could serve as a
model for other areas of Florida.
For these ordinances to have a meaningful effect in the
long term, we must approach nonpoint source pollution in a
regional way. After fighting for and winning strong fertilizer
management ordinances in Sarasota, Lee and Collier counties,
we are now focused on the Tampa Bay region.
If only half of Tampa Bay’s residents were to comply, we
would still reduce nitrogen pollution of Tampa Bay by 84
tons—an achievement that would otherwise cost millions
in new tax dollars for the construction of pollution control
infrastructure. Tampa Bay’s estuary, rivers and lakes would all
become cleaner and clearer. We would reduce the likelihood
of fish kills from harmful algae blooms that feed on nitrogen
and phosphorus runoff, including the dangerously toxic
Karenia brevis— the dreaded “red tide” organism that creates
dead zones and drives tourism dollars from our beaches.
12
NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
TALLAHASSEE FL
Modern Mailers Permit 236
We are promoting a fertilizer ordinance that includes these
provisions:
• Ban phosphorus fertilizer application throughout
the year (unless a soil or tissue test demonstrates a
phosphorous deficiency).
• Prohibit the application of any nitrogen fertilizer
during the rainy months of June to September.
• Establish a limit of four pounds of nitrogen per 1000
square feet of lawn/landscaping per year.
• Require 50 percent slow-release nitrogen content.
• Establish a 10 foot fertilizer-free zone from the top
of the bank to any surface water.
• Create a 6-foot low-maintenance zone from any
surface water, within which the planting of Florida-
friendly and native plants is recommended.
• Require deflector shields on all broadcast fertilizer
spreaders.
• Require mandatory training of all landscapers in best
management practices.
This approach to reducing taxes and cleaning impaired
waters works because it relies on personal responsibility to
prevent pollution at its source. If you are interested in getting
involved with this campaign, email Phil Compton at phil.
compton@sierraclub.org.
—Phil Compton, Sierra Club Regional Representative
www.florida.sierraclub.org