Audubon Advocate | Your Policy Update

We have one week to go! The State’s lawmaking session in Tallahassee is scheduled to end on May 3, 2019, and we need your support through this last stretch, especially for Florida Forever!  Your Policy Team is in the Capitol fighting for conservation funding and legislation impacting the environment, especially in these last days when budget deals are brokered and amendments are flying. This edition of the Audubon Advocate gives you the latest updates on Florida’s top conservation issues and asks for your help to garner more funding for important conservation programs and on an important issue impacting your constitutional rights.  Read on to learn more. P.S. – Be sure to share the Audubon Advocate with your family and friends on social media!

Limpkin

Budget Conferences Close, Decisions Now Bump to Budget Chairs Budget Chairs – Senator Bradley (R- Fleming Island) and Rep. Cummings (R- Fleming Island) – gave budget conferees until Friday morning to work through their differences in next year’s state budget. While the House and Senate largely agree on funding for Everglades ($360 million) and water quality, they are far apart on funding the landmark Florida Forever Program and a few other programs important to Audubon. It is good news for springs restoration, both the House and Senate have allocated $50 million in new funding for springs and are in agreement that the unreleased $50 million from the 2018-19 budget should be reallocated to the Department of Environmental Protection.  They will need to resolve differences in allocations for Total Maximum Daily Loads (water quality) and local water quality grants - in both instances, the House sets aside $50 million versus the Senate’s $25 million.   The House and Senate include $31 million for state parks (they however need to agree on the funding source), about $23 million less than the Governor requested at the start of session. Florida state parks are still reeling from the damage caused by hurricanes in 2017 and 2018 and are in need of state dollars for recovery and land management.  The State’s Resiliency Program has also been underfunded.  The House and Senate budgets include $2.9 million and $2.6 million respectively for the Coastal Resilience Initiative.  The Governor requested $6 million to help Florida’s communities prepare for the impacts of climate change and sea level rise. This funding is also meant to help protect Florida’s coral reefs that are experiencing considerable loss from disease.

Great Blue Heron

ACTION NEEDED: Lend Your Voice to Land Protection Many of Florida’s most vulnerable and important places are at risk to development if state legislators do not invest in land protection programs like Florida Forever and Rural and Family Lands. Currently the Senate budget includes $45M for Florida Forever, and the House, $20M. This issue is going to have a photo finish! Please use our easy email function here to let decision-makers know you support maximum funding for these critical programs.

Purple Gallinule

Major Roadways Bill Passes Senate and Heads to the House for a Vote Senate Bill 7068 (Multi-Use Corridors) establishes task forces to study the economic and environmental impacts of extending the Suncoast Parkway from the Tampa Bay area to the Georgia border, extending the Florida Turnpike to connect with the Suncoast Parkway and a new toll road from Polk County to Collier County. Task forces are expected to complete their work next year, with construction starting by 2022. With no debate, the bill cleared the Senate on a 37-1 vote, despite much criticism this week from many groups expressing concerns about the need for these roads as well as the exorbitant costs associated with their construction. Audubon worked with the bill sponsor Senator Lee (R-Brandon) on amendments to protect vital natural areas, and ensure that if these bills pass, there would be an objective task force process. We have worked hard to give the environment a voice in this process and to ensure smart growth planning is front and center.

Black-Bellied Whistling-Duck

Good Biosolids Management Bill Continues its Steady Progress Last summer’s algae blooms in Blue Cypress Lake elevated awareness of the impacts of biosolids spreading on water quality in the lake. As a preventative measure, Indian River County enacted a moratorium on the spreading of this waste sludge on agricultural properties.  SB 1278 by Senator Mayfield (R-Melbourne) bans spreading this sludge on land where it would get into the water table, and requires the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to develop rules for permitting use in other areas.   Audubon is encouraged that this bill continues to move.  SB 1278 passed its third reading on Friday, April 26. Its House companion, Bill 405 by Rep. Grall (R- Vero) stalled and a new House water bill (below) has biosolids language that would make it easier to spread this nutrient-laden material in vulnerable locations.

Osprey

Omnibus Water Bill Gaining Momentum and Absorbs Other Water Bills An omnibus water bill, HB 973 by Rep Payne (R-Palatka) has absorbed provisions of many other water bills from earlier in session, and has a bit of everything, good, bad and ugly. HB 973 would transfer septic tank regulation from DOH to DEP like its companion bill SB 1022 by Senator Albritton (a good thing).  Portions of SB 1758, the Clean Waterways Act as well as HB 405 relating to biosolids sludge management were also added to HB 973 last week. Unfortunately, the language relating to sludge management was modified and Audubon quickly raised the alarm that it would make it easier to spread biosolids in inappropriate locations.  Audubon was very encouraged to see an amendment filed by Rep Grall (R-Vero Beach) that bans the application of sewage sludge where it could interact with groundwater similar to the language in Senator Mayfield’s SB 1278.   Additionally, two good amendments added public notification requirements for wastewater spills as well as the Blue Star Certification Program that provides incentives to public and private utilities that limit wastewater overflows. HB 973 is on the House calendar for Friday.  Audubon is supportive of Rep. Grall’s amendment and is working for a positive outcome.

Sandhill Cranes

Attempts to Hinder the Citizen’s Ballot Initiative Process Continues The Florida House on Thursday passed a measure that makes it harder for citizens’ initiatives to get on the ballot. Its companion SB 7096 by Senator Simmons (R-Altamonte Springs) did not see any movement this week. As we mentioned last week, this bill makes it harder to get citizen-led initiatives like 2014’s Water and Land Legacy Amendment (Amendment 1) on the ballot and ignores the voice of the voter. HB 7111 drew heavy debate during the House session with many legislators making the point that citizen groups resort to amending the Constitution when the Legislature ignores the wishes of voters on critical issues. The House bill sponsored by Rep. James Grant (R-Tampa) bill makes several changes to laws dealing with initiatives, such as making it illegal to pay petition gatherers based on the number of petitions collected, requiring submission of information about petition gatherers, including their permanent and temporary addresses, and would require the gatherers to sign statements that they will follow state laws and rules.

Bald Eagle

Bad Tree Bill Passes the Senate This week, the House passed HB 1159 by Representative LaRosa.  The bill was improved with amendments in the last committee but is still problematic making it difficult for local governments to protect their tree canopies.  The Senate had an amendment filed that included much more protective language.  The Senate amendment limited the provisions of the bill to single family residential, which would allow local governments to apply permitting requirements to multi-family locations such as apartment complexes.  The Senate amendment also allows for replanting, although limited to a 1:1 basis, while the House bill prohibits local governments from having any replanting requirements.   The Senate would have allowed local governments to continue to permit the removal of special protected trees such as specimen, heritage, or patriarch trees. Audubon appreciates the Senate for its thoughtful and reasoned approach to this legislation. However, the Senate’s amendment was withdrawn at the last minute and despite much debate expressing concern by several Senators the House version passed the third reading.

Everglade Snail Kite

Lake Okeechobee Operations Process Picks Up Steam, Audubon Leads The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers solicited input from the public as part of their process to update the rulebook it uses to manage Lake Okeechobee water levels. When completed, the Corps will adopt a new Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual or “LOSOM.” Audubon’s policy team has been participating of this process and submitted written comments to the Corps advocating for making Lake health, the needs of the natural environment and endangered species protection high priorities in the overhauled rulebook.  Click here to read Audubon’s written comments on this issue.

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