National Audubon Society

Your Audubon Advocate Update

Crested Caracara

This year is off to a bold start for environmental policy in Tallahassee. Lawmakers convened this week for another set of committee meetings before the 60-day lawmaking session begins next month. Committees are already focused on septic tanks and biosolids following a year of record toxic algal blooms and red tide.

Next week, the House and Senate are expected to consider legislation that bans fracking in Florida. Water quality will be a big issue this session, and Audubon is working to support policy changes that positively impact the health of our water and natural resources. Legislative committees also heard presentations on Governor DeSantis' budget recommendations. In this edition of the Audubon Advocate, get the latest on what’s happening in Tallahassee. With your support, Audubon’s policy team is working to advance conservation and protect Florida's wildlife and special places. Please enjoy and share this update!

Water Policy Taking Center Stage as Florida Recovers from Harmful Algal Blooms

After a summer of red tide and algal blooms, water policy is getting a lot of attention in Tallahassee. Governor DeSantis signaled his interest in water policy when he announced a sweeping executive order last month. He also included a substantial budget request for water projects including funding for targeted water quality improvements and expediting restoration. With a focus on better environmental enforcement, the 19 law enforcement officers of the environmental crimes unit will be returned to DEP from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to help strengthen DEP’s culture of enforcement.

Biosolids (treated sewage used as a fertilizer) are also attracting attention after water quality problems came to light in pristine Blue Cypress Lake in Indian River County. A state advisory committee, which included Audubon’s Dr. Paul Gray, proposed several recommendations for DEP to drastically modify its current permitting process. State officials must revise the management of biosolids to reduce nutrient pollution from this source as we work to restore Florida’s iconic lakes, rivers, and streams.

Peregrine Falcon

Governor Releases Budget Recommendations to Lawmakers, Includes Significant Conservation Investments

Last Friday, Gov. DeSantis released his budget recommendations for the upcoming fiscal year. While the state’s budget is determined by the legislature, the governor’s recommendations signal his priorities to lawmakers as they enter into the annual lawmaking session. Back in January, the governor also released several recommendations for projects that addressed water quality and quantity challenges across the state. Some of the notable highlights from the governor’s recommendations include:

$100 million for Florida Forever, our state’s signature land conservation program;
$6 million for Florida's Resilient Coastline Program, including a Chief Resiliency Officer created by Governor DeSantis' recent Executive Order;
$360 million for Everglades restoration with an emphasis on boosting critical projects like the EAA Reservoir, C-43, and C-44 Reservoir;
$40 million for alternative water supply projects for the Central and North Florida water initiatives;
$50 million for springs restoration;
$4.2 million to advance Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Research on red tide;
$10 million to jumpstart innovation used to combat and respond to harmful algal blooms;
$150 million for targeted water quality improvements in significant areas like the Caloosahatchee and St Lucie Estuaries as well as the Indian River Lagoon that have been plagued by harmful algal blooms;
$100 million in cost-share grant funds for water quality improvements including septic conversions, wastewater upgrades, and stormwater improvements; and
$50 million to accelerate total maximum daily loads (TMDL) goals using projects including green infrastructure and land conservation.

Audubon is encouraged by the momentum for conservation funding and looks forward to working with legislators to secure funding in the upcoming lawmaking session. We’ll need your help! Be sure to be on the lookout for Audubon Action Alerts.

Audubon Encouraged by New Water Management Board Appointees

On January 29, Audubon Florida joined Gov. Ron DeSantis at two press conferences where he announced the appointment of two new Governing Board members to the South Florida Water Management District: “Alligator Ron” Bergeron from Broward County and Chauncey Goss from Sanibel. Audubon applauded both appointments. Alligator Ron is a born and raised Gladesman and an avid spokesperson for sending more freshwater south to Florida Bay, and Chauncey Goss has been a leading voice in the fight to ensure water supply for natural systems like the Caloosahatchee Estuary. Both new appointees are strong additions to tend to South Florida’s water management needs and Audubon Florida extends a warm welcome to “Alligator Ron” and Mr. Goss.

Everglade Snail Kite nesting on Lake Okeechobee is directly impacted by water levels

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to Expedite Review of 2008 Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule

In 2018, Congress directed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to expedite its review of the 2008 Lake Okeechobee regulation schedule (LORS 2008) to coincide with completion of the Herbert Hoover Dike rehabilitation project which is scheduled to be completed in 2022. The review will result in a new Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSOM) that guides water management decisions. This effort kicked-off this week, and Audubon Florida is ready to ensure ecosystem health is a top priority.

LORS 2008 set a goal of maintaining seasonal lake levels between 12.5 and 15.5 feet and contains rules on when and how much water to release from the lake. Higher lake levels result in a dirtier lake and harm submerged aquatic vegetation, nesting birds on the lake’s marshes, fisheries and wildlife-rich prairie communities. Higher lake levels also result in high-volume releases to the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries, which causes extensive, long-lasting negative impacts on those ecosystems and sets the stage for harmful algal blooms.

The development of a new operating manual is an opportunity to re-examine how water management operations impact ecological conditions on Lake Okeechobee, the estuaries, and the Everglades. Stay tuned because Audubon Florida will be reaching out to you soon on how you can help. There will be opportunities to use your voice and ensure the new schedule makes sustaining a healthy lake, estuaries, and southern Everglades ecosystem a top priority.

Crested Caracara. Photo: Sandesh Kadur/Audubon Photography Awards; Black-necked Stilt. Photo: Jacqueline Deely/Audubon Photography Awards; Snail Kite. Photo: James Robellard/Audubon Photography Awards. Peregrine Falcon. Photo: Brian Kushner/Audubon Photography Awards

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(305) 371-6399 fl.audubon.org

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