Spring 2006 Pelican Newsletter, Florida Sierra Club

8/9/2019 Spring 2006 Pelican Newsletter, Florida Sierra Club

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Explore, enjoy and protect the planet

Legislative

PrioritiesBy Susie Caplowe, Chapter Lobbyist

The Florida Chapter has adopted along list of legislation for us to work

collectively on during the 2006 FloridaLegislative Session. Lets work togetherto stop the further weakening of our

environmental protections.Competing interests in legislators

priorities provide exciting challenges and

opportunities for us to make a differenceevery session. Year after year, Floridalegislators (with an exception of a few),

sponsor and vote on laws that continuesto eat away at citizen enforcement,wildlife habitat protection, wetlands

protection and more. Rising land values

have reduced the states ability topurchase privately held land for

conservation. And law continues to tiethe hands of environmental agencyemployees. The agencies mission

statement is to protect the public healthfrom polluters contaminating our ocean,rivers, streams, creeks, drinking water

and air quality. But year after year, theagencies budgets are being starved of

(continued on page 6)

Inside This Issue:

Sierra Victories..Page 3Scripps and the Everglades....Page 4Chapter AwardsPages 8-9

Issue Chair Directory.. Page 11Outings ...........Page 14

Dueling on the RanchBy Sue Reske, Greater Charlotte Harbor Group

Far from Tallahassee, in southern Charlotte and northern Lee Counties, back wherethe pastures meet the swamps and panthers tread the earth, a land deal looms on thehorizon. This deal has grabbed the time and attention of state and local legislators,

caused conservation groups to faction off against each other and may have implicationsat your next commissioners meeting. Heres why:Babcock Ranch is 91,362 acres of swamps, pastures, gulleys, flatwoods and lakes

which are home to Shermans fox squirrels, Florida Black Bear, Southern Mink and theFlorida Panther, among other species. Its been in the Babcock family since the early1900s, yet since the death of its patriarch in 1995, its 39 heirs have been trying to

develop or sell it along with their company, Babcock Florida.Many potential deals have come and gone since then, including a state offer to

purchase it for $400 million. Last spring, a fast-moving deal appeared on the horizon.

Morgan Stanley and Kitson & Partners, founded by Syd Kitson, a developer andformer NFL player, have proposed a complex 20-year deal which involves building acity of 19,500 residential units (to house potentially 50,000 people) and six million


Spring 2006

Vol.38, No. 1

Miami Sierrans tackle urban sprawl in wacky parade.Read more on page 5.


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Page 2 The Pelican

Dueling on the Ranch(Continued from page 1)

square feet of commercial buildings, all planned for one corner of the ranch. The rest ofthe tract, 74,000 acres, would be sold for $350 million to the state for conservation.

To some, this sounds like a good deal. To the Florida Panther, however, this dealwould sound like a gunshot from afar. Scientists have said that in order for it to survive,the Florida Panther must find new territory north of Lee Countys Calloosahatchee

River, which is just south of Babcock Ranch. Not only does a 50,000-person citygreatly reduce the chances of panther crossing at the Lee/Charlotte County border, butthe infrastructure for this city would stymie its migration northward. The Ranchs

western border, Route 31, and its northern border, Route 74, would likely be widened tosix and four lanes respectively. Panthers are being killed on I-75s four lanes in thatarea right now.

It also sounds like trouble to many humans. Kitsons team told Charlotte Countyresidents that the road widenings would likely take $74 million from their local coffers.In addition, the state has to find the $350 million. If it takes all the money from Florida

Forever, it almost depletes the fund. It can consider bonding or a payment plan, but thebottom line is that if the state doesnt purchase the 74,000 acres within a specified time,the lands revert to Kitson & Partners to develop as they may.

The agreements are complicated. They require two counties to amend theircomprehensive plans, as this development is outside their urban service areas. Theyallow a developer to skirt the normal time frames and processes for approvals. They

have cost Lee County and Charlotte County staff members countless hours ofevaluation. According to the Charlotte County planning staff, so much information ismissing from the proposals that they recommended their commissioners vote no or

delay on them. But in hearing after hearing, prodded by a developer with a quickcontractual time -frame, 4/5 of the commission voted yes.

Fortunately, with great lobbying from Sierras Calusa Group and local groups like the

Babcock Preservation Partnership, Lee Countys commissioners revised the interlocalagreement to better address conservation concerns. And, thanks in great part tolobbying from Chapter Conservation Chair Betsy Roberts and Lobbyist Susie Caplowe,

the state removed language which would have allowed Kitson and Partners to hold

water rights on public land.At the time of this printing, however, it appears that water rights will most likely be

retained by South Florida Water Management District, which serves Miami and muchof Floridas east coast. So where is Charlotte County in this equation? It is trying toobtain water which is technically under its soil, but associated with a more southerly

watershed. Some of the Charlotte County commissioners who voted yes arereportedly now expressing maybe no.

Our questions now are: What else will our elected representatives not know about this

deal until its too late? What other deals like this are looming on Floridas horizon? Afew things we will surely know when the smoke from this deal clears:

We must all keep our local political committees active, recruiting and supporting

environmentally-astute local government so decisions like the Babcock Ranch one willbe dealt with responsibly.

We can sign onto the Florida Hometown Democracy campaign

(www.floridahometowndemocracy.com) so that someday decisions of a Babcockmagnitude will be truly in the hands of the people.

Last, we can support with dollars and time the Sierra Clubs fight to keep the

Endangered Species Act intact, (www.sierraclub.org)so that those responsiblelegislators who choose to protect our environmental treasures have the laws on theirside in the years to come.

Florida Hometown

Democracy Petition

Clears First Hurdle

The state has just confirmed the

Florida Hometown Democracy (FHD)campaigns collection of 65,630 validsignatures, enough to qualify us for

Supreme Court review. We are confidentthat this time the Court will approve thepetition for the statewide ballot.

FHD seeks to amend the FloridaConstitution to establish that the votersshall make the final decision on whether

or not they want a particular change totheir comprehensive plan. Theamendment process is the only hope for

saving what's left of the originalFloridians...its irreplaceable flora andfauna. It will allow voters to step up to

the ballot box and make their voices

heard.Please support FHD. This is a unique

opportunity to break through the politicalstalemate and bring genuineaccountability to development in our

rapidly changing state. Take the pledgeto save Florida's future and get involvedtoday.

You can read all about the petitioncampaign and get a copy atwww.floridahometowndemocracy.com. If

you dont have access to the Internet,call or fax us at 386-424-0860, or write

to P.O. Box 636, New Smyrna Beach,Florida 32170.

You can make your own copies or wewill send you all the petitions you need.

Petitions are also available at the SierraClub monthly meetings.

We also need volunteers to collect

signatures and monetary donations tohelp with expenses.


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The Pelican Page 3

Victories

Developer Loses Bid

To Increase Density

In Green SwampThe developer of a six-acre parcel in the Green Swamp

attempted to increase allowable density by having thedesignation changed from Transitional Area to Ridge. If

approved, the change would have increased the density from sixunits to 21 units on the property near lake Susan in LakeCounty. The site is currently a non-conforming use. A lodge,

restaurant and convenience store have been operating on theproperty since the 1940s long before the Comprehensive Planwas adopted. The existing use would not be approved under

todays Lake County Comprehensive Plan since those activitiescreate significant environmental impacts. While no one wants tosee these activities continue, a large increase in density does not

offer a good solution.The Ridge designation in the Green Swamp Area of Critical

State Concern was determined scientifically, not arbitrarily. The

Ridge Land Use category was delineated by mapping thoseareas above the water line where the Green Swamp rises on itseastern border to the Ridge ecosystem. The area of the Ridge

within the Green Swap boundaries is hydrologically connectedto the Green Swamp.

The developer asked the Lake County Land Planning Agency

to change the property designation to Ridge even though thesite is in the wetlands portion of the Green Swamp and nowherenear the Ridge.

John Ryan testified about how and why the Ridge designation

occurred and supported denial of the new land use designation.After nearly two hours of testimony, the Lake County Planning

Agency denied the request based on the improper designation ofthe area as ridge.

-- John Ryan, Polk Group

A Great Year for Tampa

2005 was a great year for the Tampa Bay Group. Wecelebrated successes in many of our conservation campaigns

this year. The highlight for 2005 was the transfer of the 70-acreMorris Bridge property to the countys ELAPP program after

many years of hard work by the Tampa Bay Group.We were also successful in our goal of raising the groups

profile in the community by being repeatedly recognized for ourwork by the local media. In addition, our group is represented

by members on local boards and committees.-- Deborah Cope, Tampa Bay Group Chair

Memorial Nesting Box Project

A total winner thats what the Polk Groups MemorialNesting Box project is.

Wood ducks and screech owls are cavity nesters. Withhabitat destruction, good nesting sites have becomeincreasingly scarce. These boxes help to address that need.

Homeowners love to obtain the boxes because they arebeautifully constructed from inch-thick rough-cut wood;they are attractive additions to anyones yard. And, not tobe discounted is the subtle commitment to wildlife a person

makes when he puts up a box.

All donations in excess of the actual mater ial costs aredonated to the Richard Coleman Scholarship Fund at New

College. The boxes can be obtained by making a minimumdonation of $35 (small box) or $50 (large).

Finally, the Group gets great visibility because each box isbranded with the Sierra name and address.

Richard and Bob Taylor started making the boxes in 2002;

together they constructed around 50. Since Richards death Bobhas perfected the construction technique, held demonstrationsand made more than 100.

If you'd like to purchase a box, call Bob at 863-439-2251.-- Frances H. Coleman, Polk Group


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Update on Scripps Research Institute

Everglades Watershed in Palm Beach CountyBy Kay Gates, Loxahatchee Group Chair and Richard Grosso, ELULC Executive Director

When it was announced that swift and secret negotiations had

resulted in a done deal to locate the Scripps Research Instituteon the Mecca Farms site in Palm Beach County, and to plan abiotech village surrounding this remote site, local citizens and

environmentalists were stunned. A worse site could hardly havebeen chosen for a project exp ected to generate so muchdevelopment and economic activity. Its impact was likened to

the arrival of air conditioning in Florida. Surrounded by theCorbett Wildlife Management Area, Hungryland Slough,Loxahatchee Slough and the adjacent environmentally sensitive

Vavrus parcel, the site is in a remote, rural area with virtually noroadway network. It has been planned for many years to remaina rural area. The specter of building a massive biotech village on

this 2,000-acre parcel and a massive roadway and infrastructurenetwork needed to serve that development threatens to severely

compromise the restoration of the Loxahatchee River, thenorthern Everglades, and the rural character of west-centralPalm Beach County. The economic and political momentumbehind the project -- a $600,000 combined state/federal subsidy

and a site chosen by the Countys Business Development Board,whose members stood to benefit from opening up this area todevelopment -- seemed unstoppable. Many activists were

stunned into silence by this monstrously bad done deal.Susan Kennedy, a Sierran and President of the Loxahatchee

River Coalition, likened trying to stop Scripps development on

Mecca to lying down in front of the tanks at Tiananmen

Square. The environmental community watched in dismay asthe plans rolled out. Some tried to help the county make the best

of this unbelievable mistake. Every time a suggestion toimprove the project was made it was prefaced with, but this isthe wrong place to build a city.

Palm Beach County Environmental Coalition objectedvehemently from the get-go. Sierrans, Audubon members, theLoxahatchee River Coalition, private citizens - all of the

countys environmentalists advocated for environmentalprotection and managed growth. Lisa Interlandi, Environmentaland Land Use Law Center (ELULC) Regional Counsel and

Joanne Davis, 1000 Friends of Florida Community Planner,brought credibility and bolstered local citizens and activists. Ourobjections grew louder and more pointed. The media - initia lly

smitten with the economic riches promised by the project -

began to repeat questions raised. As the weeks rolled on and thefacts came out, the record began to reflect the accuracy of our

objections and to vindicate our opposition to the site selection.The ensuing weeks and months rolled on into two years of

intense highly charged political and public debate. Repeatedly,

Lisa explained to a hostile county commission why the MeccaFarms site made terrible economic and environmental sense, andoffered points in support of the citizens alternative site in

eastern Palm Beach County.Lisas skillful advocacy before the Commission and in the

media almost resulted in a political decision to relocate the

project to the preferred alternative location. When that effort

failed, Lisa and ELULC backed up our opposition with lawsuitsunder state and federal law. All of the environmentalorganizations in the county joined one lawsuit or another. Sierra

Club Loxahatchee Group and the Florida Wildlife Federationcombined forces with ELULC to challenge the Army Corps ofEngineers piecemeal permit for 534 acres on Mecca Farms.

After many months of intensive preparation and trials, andseveral initial setbacks, the legal challenge to the federalwetlands permit resulted in a huge victory in September 2005,

as the judge invalidated the permit and stopped virtually allconstruction at Mecca Farms.

As a result, Scripps has informed the county that it would

prefer to relocate the project to the Florida AtlanticUniversity/Abacoa site. While there still is not a final resolution,

Lisa Interlandis efforts have resulted in one of the moststunning legal victories for Florida's environment in years, andhave given environmentalists newfound leverage and credibilityin the struggle to preserve the future of western Palm Beach

County and the Everglades.

National Club Election

Coming This Spring

The annual election for the Clubs Board of Directors is nowunderway. In March, you will receive your ballot in the mail.

This will include information on the candidates and where youcan find additional information on the Clubs website.The Sierra Club is a democratically structured organization at

all levels. The Club requires the regular flow of views on policyand priorities from its grassroots membership in order tofunction well. Yearly participation in elections at all Club levels

is a major membership obligation. Your Board of Directors isrequired to stand for election by the membership. This Boardsets Club policy and budgets at the nat ional level and works

closely with the staff to operate the Club. Voting for candidateswho express your views on how the Club should grow andchange is both a privilege and responsibility of membership.

Members frequently state that they dont know the candidatesand find it difficult to vote without learning more. You can learn

more by asking questions of your group and chapter leaders andother experienced members you know. Visit the Clubs electionwebsite: www.sierraclub.org/bod/2006election. It provides linksto additional information about candidates and their views on a

variety of issues facing the Club and the environment.You should use your own judgment by taking several minutes

to read the ballot statement of each candidate. Then make your

choices and cast your votes. You will find the ballot is quitestraightforward and easy to mark. A growing number ofmembers find the user-friendly Internet voting option to be very

convenient as well as saving postage.


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The Pelican Page 5

Wildlife fights back against the evil developer!

A budding environmentalist joins the fun.

Sierra Club Presents:

Desperate Wildlife - Attack of the Killer SprawlThis was the banner of the Sierra Club

Miami Group entry at the popular King

Mango Strut, a wacky, irreverent paradeheld every year in Coconut Grove,

Florida. To the delight of thousands ofcheering spectators, Miami Sierransstaged a fight between the bad guys andthe good guys over the Urban

Development Boundary line, representedby a rope and properly identified on bothsides.

On one side of the rope, fighting withtheir briefcases full of money and even abulldozer, were developers, lobbyists and

county commissioners, who favoredmoving this boundary west, closer to theEverglades, in the hope of making a quick

buck. On the other side were theEverglades and its wildlife, fighting thebad guys with all they had: tree branches,

palm fronds, inflatable animals, etc.The Urban Sprawl Monster was always

present, terrorizing the audience and the

animals with his diabolical laugh andpromises of more traffic, congestion and pollution. Shouts ofMove the line! and Hold the line! could be heard all along

the parade route, as the rope was repeatedly pushed from oneside of the street to the other.

In spite of the fact that we almost passed out at the end fromheat and exhaustion, we had a blast, while bringing out thiscrucial issue to the public in a fun way. We were also delighted

to see our picture in The Miami Heraldthe following morning.

Coky and Paul Michel, Don Howe and Amy Werba organizedthe Sierra entry. Dozens of Miami Group members created

costumes, banners, and posters and marched in the parade,showing the public the lighter side of Sierra Club.

-- Coky Michel, Miami Group

Parade photos by Steve Handshu

The Pelican Vol. 38, No. 1Editor: Kathy Criscola

Published by the Florida Chapter of the Sierra Club, PO Box

575, Tallahassee FL 32302-0575. The Pelican is mailed tomembers of Sierra Club in the state of Florida. Annual

membership dues include $1.00 for the chapter newsletter.Masthead by Moose Marx Design of Tampa Bay,

www.moosemarx.com. Send address changes to Sierra Club Member Services, PO

Box 52968, Boulder CO 80322-2968 or [email protected].

Send articles in ASCII text or Word format on disk to PO Box

575, Tallahassee FL 32302-0575. Articles and letters may beedited for space and clarity. Next deadline: May 20, 2006.

For an advertising rate sheet, call Ben Ochshorn at 850-894-

2869 or e-mail [email protected](ad inquiries only).


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Message from Our Chapter Lobbyist(Continued from page 1)

much-needed money to keep the

employees who enforce the

environmental laws. Those who are stillworking are often silenced from issuing

an opinion. So, we welcome your

participation from your homes and your

much- needed voices to turn around bad

legislation that is certainly forthcoming.

Here is a summary of the legislation

the Florida Chapter has identified thus

far as being hazardous to our

environment and our citizens rights. We

will face several bills that we defeated

last year. These are not listed in order of

priority.

Preserve Citizen Initiative

Constitutional Amendment Process OPPOSESenator Jim Kings Bill:

SB 26 - Relating to Constitutional

Amendment/Initiative 2006.

Sponsor(s) by King, Jr. Cosponsor:

Atwater

Summary : Supreme Courts

Review Filter: Joint Resolution

ConstitutionalAmendment/Initiative;

constitutional amendment to require

that constitutional amendment or

revision proposed by initiative

amend existing article of thisconstitution on same subject and

matter, except that any proposed

amendment or revision of Article X

must amend or repeal existing

section of that article on same

subject and matter; addresses basicor fundamental right of citizen of

this state, etc.

OPPOSE: Sen. J. D. Alexander hasagain filed his version of the

petition-gathering fraud bill. He has

refiled a bill that will make it

impossible for citizens to petitiontheir government or participate in

the citizen initiative process. SB

1244 appears identical to last years

SB 1996 that places extreme

restrictions on the petition

gathering process itself.

The bill purports to address a

problem that does not exist. Dubbed

the Petition Fraud, Voter Protection

Act last session, it would

criminalize the petition gathering

process by placing heavy fines on

citizens who turn in petitions after

ten days and removes important

quality control mechanisms such asphotocopying petitions. The bill was

drafted by the Chamber of

Commerce.

OPPOSE: Senator Dan Websterand other members are discussing

purifying the constitution. A

cleansing, if you will, of what they

believe does not belong in the

constitution. Like smoking ban,

class size, pig crates. So if they are

successful they will offer legislationthat will be on the 2006 ballot.

SUPPORT: Introduction of SaveVoters Voice Legislation on

petition gathering to avoid fraud;avoid complications for volunteer

and paid petition gatherers. Inconjunction with the AFL-CIO,

Save the Voters Voice is filing their

own version of a petition protection

bill and hopes for sponsorship in

both chambers. Our bill will allow

citizens to petition their government

without having to jump through

hoops or face criminal penalties.

Property Rights and Eminent

Domain: definition of blight or slumconditions.

The Florida House created a Special

Committee to look into various aspects

of eminent domain and try to determine

when it is appropriate to take a persons

private property. The Committee is still

trying to define slum and blight and

determine when local governments can

use eminent domain.

Growth Management Glitch Bill

Interim Community Affairs

Committee Report: 2006-108 FloridaSenate:

www.flsenate.gov/data/Publications/200

6/Senate/reports/interim_reports/pdf/200

6-108ca.pdf

SUPPORT:The purchase of Babcock

Ranch through bonding instead of using

Florida Forever money. Several

members are generally supportive of

coming up with all the cash or bonding.

Some have stated that they are leery that

this could become another Scripps. Local

Sierra Groups in the effected counties

are working on the local governments to

ensure the comprehensive planningprocess stays intact. See Dueling on the

Ranch, on page X.

SB 1226 by Senator Paula Dockery:

General Land Acquisition/Babcock

Ranch; authorizes distribution of certain

moneys into Florida Forever Trust Fund

for cash purchase of the states portion

of Babcock Ranch; provides for debt

service payments on Florida Forever

bonds, if any, issued to purchase states

portion of said ranch; authorizes use of

funds in Conservation and Recreation

Lands Trust Fund for management,

maintenance and capital improvements

for conservation and recreation lands,etc.

OPPOSE Agriculture Enclave Bill:

This repeat performer for the last three

years has been hard-fought during each

session and finds a different way to die

every time. This bill that would make it

easier to convert farmland to industrial,

commercial or residential development.

Sen. Nancy Argenziano is refiling her

bill. Senate President Tom Lee doesnt

like it and the Governor does not support

the final 2005 version either.

Environmental Resource Permit for

NWFWMD to protect isolated wetlands

and have money for infrastructure for

stormwater and flood protection, either

in the Governors budget or legislation.

Also try to eliminate the 2010 delay

extension they passed in 2005 with their

last minute amendment. Representative

Evers from the Panhandle has a draft bill

we are reviewing. It does not appear to

protect isolated wetlands. It does havemoney and delegates authority to the

Department of Environmental Protection

(DEP) to implement a program.

Clean Ocean Act: HB313 by Rep.

Allen. This bill seems to place a cap on

penalties. We need to study this to

understand the far reaching impact.

Summary: General Clean Ocean

Act/Gambling Vessels; requires

gambling vessels operating in coastal



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The Pelican Page 7

Tallahassee Report

Home Lobbying

Network

One of the Florida ChapterSierra Clubs greatest strengthsis that there are members inevery legislators district in thestate. If Sierra Club membersand supporters call or write in,we can deluge a legislator withvoices in support of theenvironment.

Are you willing to help? Join

the Home Lobbying Network.This is a network of people whoare willing to respond whencalled. To stay informed aboutthe activities of the Governorand Cabinet, special sessions,agency hearings, etc.,subscribe to the TallahasseeReport (TR).

You can sign up to receivethe report online by sending ane-mail to Chapter lobbyist Susie

Caplowe [email protected] sure to put Add me to theTRin the subject line andprovide your name, Groupname and Sierra membershipnumber in the body of themessage.

(Continued from page 6)

waters to register with DEP; specifies

requirements for vessel registration;

requires gambling vessels to release

certain substances upon return to port

facility; requires port authorities to

establish procedures for release of

certain substances by said vessels at port

facilities; prohibits release of certain

substances into coastal waters by said

vessels, etc.

Clean Money Clean Elections:

SUPPORT SB1264 and SB1262

Sen. Wilson refiled this legislation for

us. General Florida Clean Elections Act;

provides eligibility requirements for

clean-money campaign funding for

candidates for statewide or legislative

office; provides transitional

requirements for current election cycle;

provides for seed money contributions;

provides revenue sources for Clean

Money Trust Fund; repeals Florida

Election Campaign Financing Act;, etc.

Environmental Disparity Legislation:

This bill would require DEP to evaluate

the community that would be

impacted by a polluting industry. The

question is, what if this community is

already burdened by too much

pollution? SUPPORT. The bill was

been drafted by LEAF. Sen. Al Lawson

sent the language to bill drafting. Rep.

Susan Bucher sent it to bill drafting in

the House.

Solar Power: Rep. Dorothy Hukill has

introduced HB 713. It looks promising

and deserves our support, but is subject

to revision. It would be a key step

toward establishing the Sunshine

State as a leader in solar power.

The Governors Energy Task Force

has generated several items for

legislation. One of them is to modify

and streamline the Power Plant Siting

Act. No legislation was available at thetime of this article, but find out more by

signing up for the online Tallahassee Repor

(see article at left).

The Florida Forever Program is coming

to a close and we need to find a way to

replace the states land buying program

with another program to continue the

purchasing of valuable lands that provide

habitat for wildlife and protect our quality

of life. Stay tuned for information on

upcoming legislation.

Another attempt to virtually eliminate

class action lawsuits is going to raise its

ugly head again this year. This impacts low-

income communities victimized by

corporate contamination.

I look forward to my 14th

year lobbying for

you and having the opportunity to be an

organizer and activist. Together, we can

make a difference. Your phone calls, e-

mails, letters to editors and letters to

legislators can move legislators to support

our positions. One handwritten or typed

letter counts for ten constituents. So please

join our home lobbying network and sign

up to receive the Tallahassee Report.

Moving?

Dont miss any Club publications!

Send your address change to:

Sierra Club

P.O. Box 52968Boulder CO 80322-2968

OR e-mail:[email protected]

Include your membership number (frommailing label or your membership card).

Allow 4-6 weeks for processing.

Message from

Our Lobbyist


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Page 8 The Pelican

Chapter Awards

Top Chapter Award of 2005 Goes to Richard GrossoRichard Grosso, Executive Director of the Environmental and

Land Use Law Center (ELULC) in Ft. Lauderdale, has been

awarded the Florida Chapters prestigious Legal Services Awardfor 2005.

Grosso was honored for his commitment to a broad range of

legal battles to protect and restore the South Florida ecosystem,

the most recent of which has been the ongoing fight to stop the

huge Scripps-related plan for massive development of theMecca Farms property in western Palm Beach County.

The Chapters William K. Red Howell Legal Services

Award is given in remembrance of a dedicated friend of the

environment. Red Howell was an attorney and a Sierra Club

activist who specialized in land use law. This award recognizes

attorneys who work through the legal system to improve

Florida's environmental quality.

The ELULC is not your typical law firm or your typical

environmental group, said Grosso. We exist because about 10

years ago, a small group of young, idealistic environmentallawyers and law professors agreed that Florida's environment

sorely needed a good lawyer. So they created a strange creature

- a not for profit law firm - to try to help fill the great need for

affordable lawyers to represent the environmental side of

growth and development disputes.

Grosso has successfully litigated a number of precedent-

setting cases, including Pinecrest Lakes v. Shidel, where

demolition of buildings erected in violation of a local

comprehensive plan was ordered by the courts; 1000 Friends of

Florida v. Monroe County, another precedent-setting case on the

issue of carrying capacity-based planning; and Sierra Club, et al

v. Miami-Dade County, which overturned the state approval for

a commercial airport at the former Homestead Air Force Base.

Jim Woodfin Receives

Pine Tree Award12 Other Activists Honored for Group Service

Jim Woodfin of the Turtle Coast Group received the highest

Florida Chapter award for group leadership and service during

the annual awards ceremony in December. Woodfin became

chair of the Turtle Coast Group in 2002 and it was his work inthat role that earned him the honor.

It is hard to describe all the things he has done. He

immediately set goals and priorities for our group and kept uson track with that, said Suzanne Valencia as she presented the

award. And he took over as webmaster for our languishing

group web site and not only revised and revitalized the entire

thing, but he continues to keep it up-to-the-minute. The

newsletter, outings, volunteer opportunities and other events are

posted on the web before most of us even know about them. All

this while also serving as Chapter Secretary. No one is more

deserving of the Pine Tree Award than Jim Woodfin.

Suzanne Valencia and Jim Woodfin.

A dozen other Sierrans from across the state were honored for

other areas of group service.

Four members received Manatee Awards for GroupService: John Koch, Loxahatchee; Rebecca Falkenberry,

Suncoast; Patty Lillie, Central Florida; and Rheda Weeks,

Tampa Bay.

Receiving the Otter Award for service to their groupsoutings programs were Claudia Germano, Northeast; and

Claire Garcia, Tampa Bay.

The Gopher Tortoise Award for behind-the-scenes supportof the activity of a more visible spouse or partner went toColin Whitworth, Suwannee-St. Johns .

Three group fund raisers received Sand Dollar Awards fortheir activity: Maria Papazian, Miami; Don Pepe,

Northeast; and Jerry Strain, Tampa Bay.

Whooping Crane Awards for public relations orpublications for their groups were given to Stu Juengst,

Suncoast and Alice Platt, Northeast.

Six Sierrans Honored for Group

Environmental Work

Six activists from throughout the state were recognized forenvironmental work ranging from protecting the quality of our

air to preserving natural areas at our awards ceremony.

Panther Awards for outstanding environmental work went to

Warren Anderson, Northeast; Kathy Cantwell, Suwannee-St.

Johns, and Sara McDonald, Suncoast.

From among those nominated for Panther Awards, the awards

committee singles out the best for Oak Leaf awards, for special

achievement in the area of conservation activity on behalf of a

group. Karen Ahlers, Suwannee-St. Johns; Amy Tidd, Turtle

Coast; and Mariella Smith, Tampa Bay received the Oak Leaf.


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The Pelican Page 9

Journalists, Government Employees and Others

Receive Sierra HonorsThe 2005 recipients of the Florida Chapters community-at-

large awards included two journalists, a businessman, a pair of

government employees and three Sierra Club activists.

Author Susan Cerulean and newspaper reporter Cathy Zolloreceived Indigo Awards for writing.

Tallahassee-based writer and activist Ceruleans latest book is

a nature memoir entitled Tracking Desire: A Journey after

Swallow-tailed Kites. Her essays have appeared in five

anthologies and a variety of magazines and newspapers,

including Orion,Hope andDefenders. It is hard to name a

Florida writer today who has played a larger role in helping

Floridians understand the natural legacy of the state, through

writing, inspiring others and breaking trail for regional

writing, said nominator Laurie Macdonald, a veteran Chapter

activist.

Cathy Zollo, the other Indigo recipient, was recognized for her

work at the Naples Daily News . Cathy was a voice for theenvironment in southwest Florida when no one else bothered,

said nominator and former Chapter Chair John Swingle. She

was also one of the writers for the 16-part, Pulitzer-nominated

series The Gulf in Distress that the Naples Daily News did that

delved into all of the problems ailing the gulf. Zollo said: I

think the environment is the story of our era. If we don't get this

one right, all the others don't much matter.

% % %The Chapters Barred Owl Award is for a business that has

consistently made environmental concerns a major part of itspresence in the marketplace.

JP Patten of HUGR Systems, Apopka, was honored for his

work in the use of bio-diesel fuel. His company is growing at a

slow but steady pace. He has been successful in entering the

commercial marketplace of Central Florida with his equipment

and fuel by renting pressure washers with biodiesel fuel through

House of Rentals in Winter Garden and Leesburg, said

nominator Corbett Kroehler, chair of the Central Florida Group.

He is equally comfortable discussing the benefits and

ramifications of bio-diesel with average consumers,

bureaucrats, manufacturers and politicians alike.

% % %The Osprey award is presented for extraordinary effort by a

governmental staff person to promote or effect changes in policyor practice to protect or preserve Florida's environment.

Awardees for 2005 were Gary Emerson, Fleet Supervisor, St.

Johns County, St. Augustine, and Barbara Goodman,

Superintendent, Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve,

Jacksonville.

Emerson, a bio-diesel pioneer, experimented in solitude,

refining his homemade fuel until it was good enough to burn in

St. Johns County equipment engines. He took used vegetable oil,

strained it and catalyzed it to make biodiesel, a fuel fit for any

diesel engine, stated a recent Florida Times Union article.

Were only limited by the amount of waste oil we can get

from consumers, said Emerson. The great thing about this is,not only will we save money ... its environmentally safe. If you

have a fuel spill, call in animal control to bring in 100 dogs and

have them lick it off the road.

Barbara Goodman came to the attention of the Northeast

Group through her work protecting the Timucuan Trail State

and National Parks.

Effective in organizing an environmental coalition to fend off

a Jacksonville Ports Authority proposal for development of a

mega-cruise ship terminal in the middle of the Parks. Ms.

Goodman is recognized by the National Parks Service as one of

its best representatives, serving as its key press contact for the

southeast USA, said nominator Tom Larson of the Northeast

Group.

% % %The Cypress Award is for an individual who has contributed

greatly to the publics environmental awareness in his or her

own locale or Florida as a whole.

Juanita Greene of Miami, received a Cypress for her decades

of work protecting the Everglades. Said nominator Mark

Oncavage: Juanita Greene is a remarkable person. She was

the environmental reporter for the Miami Herald from 1956 to

1987. She is 81 years old and she is feisty. Her persistent

reporting of important environmental stories in the MiamiHerald helped to establish Biscayne Bay as a national

monument, then later, a national park. Not resting on her

laurels, she is actively working to save the Everglades

Agricultural Area (EAA) from development destruction.

Annette Long of the Suwannee St. Johns Group received a

Cypress for her work educating the public and government on a

wide range of important environmental issues. Her advocacy

adventures started with investigating and helping stop a White

Construction proposal to blast and mine for limerock adjacent to

Andrews Wildlife Management Area and Manatee Springs State

Park. Annette is an awesome and tireless activist. Her

continual work over the past three years has resulted in her

being recognized as a defender of the environment whenever she

shows up at the many different city halls and county commission

meetings, said nominator and Group Chair Linda Pollini.

A joint Cypress award went to Joe Murphy, Randall

Lutenberg and Bill Stokes of the Suncoast Group, for their work

as hosts of a bimonthly environmental radio show on WMNF, a

Tampa community radio station. Said nominator Michael

Miller: This has been a real showcase for Sierra Club and its

mission, as all three co-hosts are avid members and frequently

talk about the Clubs mission, events, issues and action calls.

The show has become regionally known as a forum for anything

noteworthy in the environmental/conservation community.


10/16

Page 10 The Pelican

Conservation Chairs Report

Weve Reorganized and Prioritized,

So We Can Tackle Big IssuesThe Sierra Summit in September 2005 brought together

members from all across the country to plan the Sierra Clubsenvironmental priorities for the next ten years. We developed

new conservation initiatives. The number one priority attacksGlobal Warming: Smart Energy Solutions (SES), AmericasWild Legacy (AWL); and Safe and Healthy Communities

(SHC). Based on these and other outcomes, National Sierra hasreorganized its structure and continues to reallocate resources.

As a result, the Florida Chapter Conservation Committee and

the Florida Chapter Executive Committee recently restructuredour own Conservation Committee. We now have a ConservationExecutive Committee (CEC) made up of four categories with

several Issue Committees. We have the same three initiatives asNational plus a fourth, Democracy and the Environment (DE)to cover issues that do not fit into the first three.

Each category has a chair, who coordinate the issue chairsincluded in his or her category. It may take some adjustment,but I think it will work well. This will provide us with better

lines of communication and coordination of our efforts. TheSES Chair is Ed Deaton, AWL is John Hedrick, SHC is KarenOrr and DE is Pedro Monteiro. The Conservation Executive

Committee is chaired by the Conservation Chair (thats me) andalso includes the Chapters Legal and Political Chairs andLegislative Liaison.

We have been busy with Cabinet and Legislative activities.Chapter Lobbyist Susie Caplowe and I talk frequently, jugglingpriorities and keeping up with the various committees and

agencies. Im not sure what wed do without Susie in

Tallahassee; she really keeps up with the legislators and theissues.

Phosphate mining is still an area of concern and may becomeone of our priorities soon. We are waiting for the judge todecide on the Ona mine and are hoping for an independent

Environmental Impact Statement on this mine. We are workingto strengthen our coalition with other groups and to getsurrounding counties to help Charlotte County with this fight.

Exploding development in the Panhandle, most of it drivenby St. Joe Corporation, is another important issue. Many of ushave bought stock in the company so we can attend the

stockholders meeting. Please join us. We need to keep thePanhandle from becoming paved over. I am convinced that the

goal of Floridas elected leaders is to pave over the entire state.Many lawsuits are in the works. We did get a victory whensome good guys were elected to local offices around the state.John Hedrick, Rosalie Shaffer and Dan Hendrickson are

working really hard on these issues. Besides our celebrated legalvictory against the Scripps development at Mecca whichthreatened the Everglades, our Vice-Chair for Sprawl, Lesley

Blackner, won another significant case against St Joe, whoseRegional General Permit outside Panama City has been stalledfor now. See page 4 for more on Scripps.

Red tide continues

to be a threat, for overa year now. A donor

has given money towork on this issue anda National Sierra Club office will soon be opened in Sarasota to

work on ocean concerns, primarily red tide and phosphate. Wewill all benefit from this, as red tide affects most of the state andphosphate will never go away.

Coal-fired power plants seem to want to crop upeverywhere and off-shore oil is l ike a yo-yo, it goes away andthen comes back again. With the prospect of five to seven new

plants being built in Florida, a high priority is focusing; citizenswon a successful vote in St. Lucie where commissioners saidno to FPL. In Tallahassee, we had a very good campaign, but

the business community spent $400,000 and the City spent morethan $100,000 in taxpayer money to promote the Taylor Countycoal plant. The City of Tallahassee bought a seat at the table (a

tiny seat of 20 percent). The fight is not over and we are shiftingour efforts to Taylor County comprehensive plans and permits.Ed Deaton, Linda Jamison, John Hedrick, Dan Hendrickson and

Susie, among others, worked hard and need a big hand. Wewent door-to-door, raised money, did forums and spoke atchurches. We built a good grassroots network and are keeping it

going. Keep us posted on power plant activity in yourcommunity.

Babcock Ranch: I testified before the Governor and Cabinet

on the sale of Babcock Ranch, 94,000 acres in Charlotte and Lee

Counties. We sent a letter to the Cabinet aides and spoke to theCabinet, focusing on water rights. Developer Syd Kitsen was

planning to donate three-quarters of the land to conservation,but most of the water wells are on this land. He hoped to sellback the water on these public lands to the citizens of Charlotte

and Lee counties. Fortunately the Florida Cabinet agreed withus, but put the vote on hold. Kitsen gave up the water rights andthe cabinet voted in November allow the sale to go ahead. Both

counties are working on comprehensive plan amendments, etc.,so it isnt over yet. See the front-page article for more.

We need to get Florida Hometown Democracy on the ballot

statewide to help protect all our communities from localgovernments decisions to pave (and not save) land for our

future. Does it ever end?On the next page, youll find a list of the Conservation Excom

Committee members, with the approved chapter issue chairs sofar. I look forward to working with this group all year.

Thanks for all the help from everyone and please call anyt ime.

-- Betsy Roberts, Chapter Conservation Chair

Phone: 941-266-0192; e-mail [email protected]


11/16

The Pelican Page 11

Florida Chapter Conservation

Executive Committee

Chair: Betsy Roberts, [email protected]

Chapter Conservation Initiative Committees:

A. SMART ENERGY SOLUTIONS

Chair: Ed Deaton, [email protected] Oil Drilling: vacant

Energy: Ed Deaton

B. AMERICAS WILD LEGACY

Chair: John Hedrick, [email protected]

Bone Valley: Marian Ryan, [email protected]

Green Swamp: Marian Ryan

Everglades: vacantAgriculture: vacant

Public Lands: vacant

Growth/Sprawl: John Hedrick

Biodiversity: David Auth, [email protected]

Manatees: Helen Spivey, [email protected]

C. SAFE AND HEALTHY COMMUNITIES

Chair: Karen Orr, [email protected]

Wetlands and Water: Karen Orr

Environmental Justice: vacant

Safe Drinking Water: John Glenn: [email protected]

Toxics: Dan Hendrickson: [email protected] Waters: vacant

St Joe/Panhandle: John Hedrick

D. DEMOCRACY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Chair: Pedro Monteiro,[email protected]

Clean Elections: Helen SpiveyCitizen Participation: Dan Hendrickson

Florida Hometown Democracy: vacant

Election Reform: Mike Thompson, [email protected]

Other Conservation EXCOM members:

Legal Chair: Dan Hendrickson

Political Chair: Curt Levine, [email protected]

Legislative Liaison: Helen Spivey

Sierra Club Chronicles

Sierra Club Chronicles is a monthly TV series capturingseven David vs. Goliath stories: the dramatic efforts of

committed individuals across the country working to protect thehealth of their environment and communities. The series is

hosted by Daryl Hannah.

The seven-episode Sierra Club Chronicles series is broadcast

the second Thursday of each month at 8:30 PM Eastern and

Pacific January through July 2006 on Link TV (DIRECTV

channel 375 and Dish Network channel 9410). These 30-minute

programs air after the original series The ACLU Freedom Files.

Linda Bremer Receives

Environmental Champion Award

At the Florida Coastal

School of Laws

Environmental Summit in

November, the

Congressman Charles

Bennett Champion for theEnvironment Award waspresented to Linda Bremer,

the Northeast Florida

Groups conservation chair.

The award was given In

appreciation and

recognition of your decades

of work and dedication to

the protection and

preservation of the lands

and waters of northeast

Florida and your tireless,

quiet, effective advocacy topreserve our natural

resources for future

generations of humans and

wildlife.

Later, during a seminarfollowing the presentation,

Linda called for the city to undertake to preserve the Pottsburg-

Julington Creeks Headwaters Forest from expansion of the

Freedom Commerce Centre, a project that would destroy mature

forested wetland that make up the headwaters of Julington and

Pottsburg creeks, which are St. Johns River tributaries.

Your Ad Here

Reaches

30,000 Readers

The Pelican is published by the Florida Chapter ofthe Sierra Club for its members and other interestedreaders. Sierra Club members, as a group, haveabove-average income and education levels. They

enjoy outdoor activities and travel.Our readers are interested in products or services

that are environmentally considerate, enhanceenjoyment of the outdoors or help them express theirenvironmental ethic.

For an advertising rate sheet, call Ben Ochshorn at850-894-2869 or e-mail [email protected]


12/16

Page 12 The Pelican

Solar Power Can Bring Relief During Power OutagesBy Pedro Monteiro, Florida ExCom Officer

With the increasing occurrence of hurricanes, many Floridianshave been spending a long time without electricity, taking coldshowers and storing food in ice boxes. Floridians have been

asking to bury electric power lines underground to increase

power reliability. Instead, we should eliminate our dependencyon power lines by generating our own power. Traditionally,

electricity has been generated only at the power plants, then soldto consumers through the power grid. This concentration ofpower (pun intended) must end: we should employ distributed

solar power generation if we are to reduce our dependency onthe power grid, slow global warming, reduce pollution and seeksustainable lifestyles. Floridians should be especially concerned

about global climate distortion due to our increasedvulnerability to hurricanes and rising sea levels.

Fortunately the average family house, if unshaded, has enough

roof space to power the entire home with solar energy. Whileyoure at the office, a thermal solar panel on the roof of yourhome can heat the water and store it in a hot water tank ($2,500

- $3,000 installed cost). What can you do with all the electricitygenerated by solar (photovoltaic or PV) panels when youre nothome to consume it? One option is to store it in batteries so that

you will have your comforts when the power grid fails. Anotheroption is to sell it to the power grid and buy it back when youcome home at night, saving the cost and space requirements of

large batteries. Many states have a net metering law where youpay only for the net amount of electricity that goes from thepower grid into your house. So if you generate as much power

as you consume, you will not have to pay the power company. Ifyou generate more than you consume, the power company mustpay you for that energy. This is a needed incentive, as a PV

installation can cost $10,000-$40,000, depending on how much

power you want to generate. With net metering , the reducedmonthly electricity bills recover that installation cost sooner.

Some states also provide as a rebate of $5 per watt to offset PVequipment costs.

Florida's Energy PolicyIn the Sunshine State the only PV consumer incentive is a

sales tax exemption on the equipment purchase. There is no law

requiring net metering by the power utilities. Instead, once youinstall PV panels on your home, FPL will come to your houseand install a separate meter so that they can buy electricity from

you at a lower rate than what they charge you for it. So after youspend all that money on PV panels, FPL will sell the electricity

you generated back to you (or to your neighbor) for 50 percentmore than what they paid you for it. The Union of ConcernedScientists gave Florida a D because it lacks a comprehensiveapproach to promoting renewable-energy technologies. (Sun

Sentinel, December 2005).Although power utilities charge us a surcharge to be spent on

conservation incentives and education, they have as much

motivation to spend that money effectively as Big Tobacco hasfor running effective anti-smoking campaigns. Studies havefound that we get very little in return for this monthly surcharge.This money would be more effective if it were used for a public

benefit fund to encourage energy efficiency and renewable

energy.In January, Florida's Department of Environmental Protection

announced Floridas Energy Plan. Sadly, it expands the powers

of the Public Service Commission (PSC), which has a reputationfor catering to the utilities rather than the Florida citizens it

purports to serve. Moreover, it enables a state siting board tooverturn local government decisions regarding power plants.This will make it harder for people to stop irresponsible energy

plants such as coal and nuclear. Florida is rushing to add evenmore power plants, not because we do not have enough energy,but because short-sighted officials make decisions that enable

the cramming of another thousand people into Florida everyday, and do little to improve efficiency.

Such poor leadership has resulted in the PSC allowing power

utilities to raise their electricity rates to fund the construction ofmore polluting power plants. That money should instead bespent subsidizing clean distributed solar power generation.

Clear the Airreports that 1,416 people die prematurely inFlorida each year due to dirty power plant emissions. When thehealth costs of coal are taken into account, it is no longer the

cheapest energy source. Moreover, the EPA reports that coalmines have caused the greatest environmental disaster east ofthe Mississippi.

What You Can Do Make your home more efficient and benefit from the

numerous federal 2006 tax credits.

Buy Energy Star-rated efficient appliances and replaceincandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs.

Add solar panels to your home. They will pay forthemselves in reduced electricity bills.

During this Florida legislative session there should be someenergy bills that include a renewable energy component.Call your state representatives and ask them to support:

Keeping power plant siting decisions at the local level(where we breathe).

Mandatory net metering and reasonable power gridinterconnection standards.

State rebates for solar panel installations A public benefit fundrather than power utility-

controlled education and efficiencyincentives

Learn More Find your state representative: visit http://congress.org andenter your ZIP code.

Self-powering your home: Home Power Magazinehttp://homepower.com/

Florida Solar Energy Research and Education Foundationhttp://www.flaseref.org/or call the Solar Hotline at 1-800-

59-SOLAR

Florida Solar Energy Center http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/ Watch the documentary Kilowatt Ours

(http://www.kilowattours.org/).


13/16

The Pelican Page 13

Federal Tax Credits Available for Solar Systems

And Energy Conservation EffortsBy Becky Gillette, Sierra Club Mississ ippi Chapter Co-Chair

For the first time in two decades, significant tax credits areavailable for making homes more energy efficient and for

installing alternative energy solar systems.According to the EPA Energy

Star program(www.energystar.gov), the

Energy Policy Act of 2005 givesdifferent levels of creditdepending on the type of

improvement made. Themaximum amount of homeownercredit for all improvements

combined cannot exceed $500during the two-year period of the tax credit. This tax creditapplies to improvements made from January 1, 2006 through

December 31, 2007.Eligible measures are:

Added insulation to walls, ceilings, or other part of thebuilding envelope.

Replacement windows. High-efficiency gas, oil, and propane furnaces and boilers. High-efficiency central air conditioning units, including air-

source and ground-source heat pumps.

High-efficiency fans for heating and cooling systems. High-efficiency water heaters, including heat pump water

heaters.

Incentive amounts are:

Added insulation: 10 percent of cost, up to $500. Replacement windows: 10 percent of cost, up to $200. Furnaces and boilers: $150 for qualifying uni ts. Central air conditioning units: $300 for qualifying units. Fans for heating and cooling systems: $50 for qualifying

units.

Water heaters: $300 for qualifying units.Other Tax Credits

In addition to these homeowner tax credits, a separate tax

credit for solar hot water systems is available. These credits arenot limited to the $500 cap. Consumers can earn a credit of upto 30 percent of the cost ($2,000 maximum lifetime) for

installing PV or solar hot-water systems used exclusively for

purposes other than heating swimming pools and hot tubs. Thesystem must use solar power to provide at least half of a homes

hot water. In addition, the water must be used in the dwellingand the system must be certified by the Solar Rating andCertification Corporation (SRCC).

There is also a $1,000 tax credit to the producer of a newmanufactured home achieving 30 percent energy savings forheating and cooling over the 2004 IECC and supplements (at

least 1/3 of the savings must come from building envelopeimprovements) or a manufactured home meeting the

requirements established by EPA under the ENERGY STARprogram.

There are tax credits for buying energy-efficient cars. Thelargest credit applies to the hybrid-drive Toyota Prius: $3,100for the first 60,000 cars sold in 2006. As an added incentive, youcan drive qualifying hybrid cars in the HOV lane on Florida

highways once you purchase a $5 decal from the Department ofMotor Vehicles.

" " "

Visit Us on the Web

Keep up-to-date on the Florida Chapters activities via ourwebsite at www.florida.sierraclub.org. You can findinformation on our outings, conservation issues and more.


14/16

Page 14 The Pelican

Outings: Travel Near or Travel Far

Wild Legacy Advocacy and Adventure Team Up on Activist Trips

Sign up for a 2006 Sierra Club national

activist outing and become part of thenew Wild Legacy Conservation Initiative

that the Club inaugurated as a result ofthe 2005 Sierra Summit. Our nationsWild Legacy is at the heart of the SierraClub mission, and our outings program

is tied to this proud tradition. NationalActivist outings inspire people to fight topreserve our wild legacy and also

educate part icipants about the values ofwildlands preservation and how tospread the word about the special places

theyve seen once they return home.Four Wild Legacy activist adventures

await you: in wild Nevada, Utah, Idaho,

or Vermont. Join one, for fun andadvocacy training!

Nevada: July 6 12. Endangered

Wilderness of the Toiyabe Crest.Follow leader Melinda Goodwater on a

43-mile moderate backpack along thelofty dazzling crest of this unprotectedroadless area in the longest of this wild

states 300 mountain ranges. The trailweaves among peaceful meadows at10,000 ft., cascading trout streams, and

sheer cliffs with bighorn sheep. Trip

#06101A, cost $395.

Utah: August 27 September 4. From

the Tushar Highlands to the Aquarius

Plateau. Enjoy Central Utahs

undiscovered national forest plateaus ontwo short moderate backpacks separatedby a rest day. From these remote heights,

admire broad views over Utahs basinand range to spectacular Escalantecanyonlands. Learn Utah wilderness

history and issues with Vicky Hooverand Jim Catlin. Trip #06102A, cost$545.

Idaho, Oregon, and Nevadas Owyhee:

September 8 16. Big Sky and

Winding Rivers. A hidden land of highdesert and a vast, undulating volcanicplateau deeply cut by abrupt gorges is

known to few people. Well day hikethe Owyhees dramatic ridges and riverswhile van-camping along obscure

backcountry roads. Leader CraigDeutsche shows off this prime habitat for

pronghorn antelope, eagle, sage grouseand more. Trip 06103A, cost $725.

Vermont: September 10 17. Autumn

Wanderings in Wild Vermont. Come

enjoy our mixture of moderatebackpacking and trail maintenance inVermonts proposed Glastonbury

Mountain Wilderness. Early autumncolors and an exciting wildernesscampaign enhance our two separate short

working backpacks in the legendary

Green Mountains, with leader DebbieSmith and Vermont activist John

Harbison. Trip #06104A, cost $595.

Sign up for a fun and educational trip

now while space is still available. Fordetails, contact Vicky Hoover at 415-977-5527 or

[email protected] aboutpartial trip scholarships if cost is a

deterrent. For a trip brochure and

application form, call the Sierra ClubOuting Departments 24-hour voicemailat (415)977-5522 or visit

www.sierraclub.org/outings/national

-- Vicky Hoover, Activist Outing Chair

Spring Into a Florida

Chapter Outing

Here is just a sampling of the trips we

have planned for you. For more, visitwww.florida.sierraclub.org, call ChapterOutings Chair Rudy Scheffer at 727-

726-8375 or [email protected].

Nonmembers are welcome on our

outings. All participants are required tosign a standard liability waiver. If youwant to read the waiver before signing

up, go to www.sierraclub.org/outings/chapter/forms, contact the OutingsDepartment at 415-977-5528 or ask the

trip leader for a copy.

March 25: Hike at Jonathan

Dickinson, Corbett, or Dupuis. ContactCharles Hunt at 561-967-4770 [email protected]

March 25: Hike in Arbuckle State

Forest. A moderate day hike with an

option to overnight with a short back tripafterwards. Day hike distance is 11

miles. Contact Rudy Scheffer at 727-726-8375 [email protected]

April 22: Hike at Jonathan Dickinson,

Corbett, or Dupuis. Contact CharlesHunt at 561-967-4770 or

[email protected]

April 29: Canoe or kayak the

Loxahatchee River from the JupiterOutdoor Center. Contact Ron Haines at561-964-1995 or

[email protected]

Save the Date

September 3-9: Mountain Adventure

in the High Sierras in California. TheTurtle Coast Group will again be

sponsoring a fun(d) raising week ofhikes in the mountains west of Reno.More details in the next Pelican. Contact

Suzanne Valencia at 321-984-0604 [email protected]


15/16

The Pelican Page 15

FLEXCOM Officers and

Committee AppointmentsWelcome to all of our new leaders,

both at the Chapter (state) level and

within each of our 17 regional Groups.

Here are the key leaders for most of our

administrative-type committees.Elsewhere in this issue, youll find our

Conservation Issue Chairs. Thanks to

everyone who voted in our Fall annual

election. Our nine At-Large members

serve staggered two-year terms. We look

forward to working with you, and for

you, as we help guide our Florida

Chapter over the sometimes roughwaters posed by adversaries of

environmental well-being. Please feel

free to contact any of us, or your local

Group leaders, anytime.

Bob Sullivan, Chapter Chair

Barbara Curtis, Administrative Vice

Chair

Rosalie Shaffer, Vice Chair

(Conservation Conference)

Pedro Monteiro, Secretary

Ben Ochshorn, TreasurerDan Hendrickson, CCL Co -Delegate

John Glenn, CCL Co-Delegate

Betsy Roberts, Conservation Chair

Helen Spivey, Legislative Liaison

The following committees wereappointed by the Chapter Chair:

Atlantic Coast Eco Region :John

Swingle

Awards :Ron Haines, Marsha Biggs,

Mary Slater-Linn, Cecilia Height, Linda

Jamison, Francine Robinson, ElaineWise

By-Laws : John Glenn, Bob Sullivan,

Ron Haines

Chapter Directory: Greg Ka lmbach,

Betsy Grass, Bob Sullivan

Computer: Pedro Monteiro, Jim

Woodfin, John Glenn, John Ryan,Corbett Kroehler, Greg Kalmbach, Al

Donn

Conservation Conference: Rosalie

Shaffer, Betsy Roberts, Barbara Curtis,

Suzanne Valencia

Deferred Gifts: Ben Ochshorn

Election: Bob Fay, Buddy Baker,

Paula Thomas (others TBD)

Emergency Committee: Bob Sullivan

(Chair), Barbara Curtis, John Glenn,

Pedro Monteiro, Betsy Roberts, RosalieShaffer (Alternate)

Finance: Ed Schlessinger-Chair, Tom

Larson-Vice Chair, Ben Ocshorn, Fred

Zimmerman, John Glenn

Fundraising: Rod Jude (Co-Chair),

Dan Hendrickson (Co-Chair), Bob

Sullivan (Co-Chair), Alan Parmalee, Ed

Schlessinger

Group Health: John Glenn, Gerry

Swormstedt

Gulf Restoration Network: Chad

Hanson

History-Archives : Alan Parmalee,

Corbett Kroehler, Pedro Monteiro

Legal : Dan Hendrickson (Chair), Mara

Schlackman (Vice Chair), Warren

Anderson, David Ludder, John Hedrick,Peter Belmont, Curt Levine, George

Cavros, Barbara Curtis

Legislative Liaison: Helen Spivey

Membership: John Glenn

Outings: Rudy Scheffer

PAC Compliance Officer: Bob

Sullivan

PAC Treasurer: Bob Sullivan (Until

replacement is recruited)

Parliamentarian : John Glenn

Pelican: Kathy Criscola, Editor; Ben

Ochshorn, FLEXCOM Liaison

Political : Curt Levine (Chair), Karen

Orr (Vice Chair), John Koch, Betsy

Roberts, Dan Hendrickson, Bob Sullivan

(Until replacement is recruited)

Website : Greg Kalmbach

We need volunteers for the following

committees:

oNominating

oGroup Health

oBy Laws contact John Glenn

oPolitical Compliance contact Bob

Sullivan

oDeferred Gifts need more volunteers;

contact Ben Ochshorn

oTraining Coordinator contact Bob

Sullivan

Bob Sullivan

Florida Sierra Chair

P.O. Box 11895

St. Pete, FL 33733-1895

727-522-0398

2006 CalendarFLEXCOM Meeting Schedule

April 9 - Sunday phone conferenceto substitute for Tallahassee meeting

July 15 - Suncoast September 10 - Conference Call November - Conservation

Conference

January 20, 2007 Loxahatchee

Pelican Deadlines

Summer May 15 Fall August 14

Everything ishitched to

everything else

Make a commitment to the nextgeneration by remembering the

Sierra Club in your will. Yoursupport will help others topreserve the intricate balance of

nature. Bequests have played akey role in the Sierra Clubsenvironmental successes over

the years.

There are many gift options

available. We can even help youplan a gift for your local Chapter.

For more information andconfidential assistance, contact:John Calaway

Director of Gift Planning85 Second Street, 2

ndFloor

San Francisco CA 94105

415-977-5639 [email protected]


16/16

March Fund Appeal

Please Give Generously To Your Chapter

By Bob Sullivan, Chapter Chair

The National Club allows the Chapters only oneopportunity per year, during the month of March, tosolicit our entire general membership for much-needed funds. You should receive either the

statewide general fund appeal letter or a letter fromyour local Group. Please be as generous as possible.Your contributions will help sustain our highly

successful lobbying efforts, our numerous legalchallenges and our reverberating voice for the

environment throughout our fragile state.There are three choices for you to make:

(1)Our general Chapter Fund, from which we canderive funds for our lobbying efforts and anyother proactive activities we take (not tax

deductible).(2)Our Political Action Committee (PAC), from

which we can make direct donations to the

green candidates whom we endorse (not taxdeductible).

(3)Our tax-deductible Sierra Club Foundationaccount, for use in education and non-lobbying/political endeavors.

You can choose to donate to one of the abovefunds, or write separate checks to two or all three.Please include your full name, address, ZIP andphone number, there be any questions we need to

contact you about. Donors contributing over $100to our PAC fund must also include theiroccupation, per state law.

Thanks again to Don Lieb for his continuingefforts to coordinate our Chapter March Appeal.

You can beat the letter, or contribute anytime bymailing your check(s) to:

Don Lieb

888 Willow RunOrmond Beach, FL 32174-6148

FLORIDA CHAPTER SIERRA CLUB NONPROFIT ORG.

THE PELICAN U.S. PostageP.O. Box 575 PAID

Tallahassee, FL 32302-0575 Tallahassee FL

Modern MailersPermit 236

Documents

Spring 2006 Pelican Newsletter, Florida Sierra Club