Florida's waters are getting worse and corruption is the problem

If you haven’t seen it, be sure to check out the Tampa Bay Times blockbuster two-part series on how Florida’s water quality is getting worse almost across the board — in large part because Florida lets special interests (developers, Big Sugar, etc.) pollute with impunity.

If you follow VoteWater you know this is our reason for being. But the Times brings it all together in one place.

The opening salvo from Part 2, published Oct. 30: 

Florida is supposed to police the state’s biggest sources of water pollution: agriculture and development.

Instead, regulators and lawmakers have protected the major industries at nearly every turn, a Tampa Bay Times investigation has found.

The approach has resulted in hundreds of waterways across Florida growing dirtier for decades — including the Caloosahatchee, where algae blooms have fueled fish kills, and the Indian River Lagoon, where scores of manatees starved to death as the ecosystem neared collapse.

And it gets more grim and depressing from there.

Also included in the project: an interactive map showing which Florida waterways are improving, and which are getting worse. The St. Lucie estuary is improving; the Caloosahatchee is getting worse. Four of five water quality testing sites on Lake Okeechobee show the “beating heart of the Everglades” is getting worse. As is Florida Bay. And Biscayne Bay. And the Miami River… need we go on?

It’s not that we CAN’T do more to address pollution, it’s that we WON’T. We lack the political will; special interests call the tune and our decision-makers dance.

We can wait around for elected officials to grow a spine and stand up to those special interests. But you’ll notice that hasn’t worked so far. So what will? We've got an idea or two; check out our latest blog post by clicking the button below.

Update on efforts to save the mangroves in Dania Beach

A few weeks back we told you about efforts to stop Broward County Commissioners from removing a parcel of land now containing mangroves from the county’s Local Area of Particular Concern (LAPC) Environmentally Sensitive Land (ESL) map to pave the way for those mangroves to be destroyed - and a warehouse built in its place.

The City of Dania Beach recently passed a resolution objecting to the parcel’s removal from the map; now activists are turning their attention to the Broward County Commissioners, who are expected to discuss the issue in January. 

What you can do:

• Sign the Change.org petition asking elected officials, local agencies, and community leaders to protect the mangrove habitat.
• If you’re a Broward County resident, contact your commissioner to voice your concerns (find your commission district by clicking here).
• If you’re NOT a Broward County resident, contact one (or all!) of the Broward Commissioners; find contact info at this link.

For as we said before, this is a comparably small project — but these “small” projects have a huge impact on the Florida we seek to protect and preserve.

Telling developers 'no' —

your town can do it, too!

Developers in Florida are used to running the table (see item #1 in this week’s rundown). But every so often they’re told “no” — and we’d like to see more of that.

Specifically, check out this column from Craig Pittman on how homebuilder D.R. Horton wanted to build dozens of homes on 50 acres next to a bird sanctuary in Sarasota County. But thanks in large part to the efforts of the Sarasota Audubon Society, the builder was thrice told “no” by the county planners, then the county commissioners, then again by the county commissioners after the builder sued.

Then, just this past week, we saw this story out of Martin County on how the Local Planning Agency gave a thumbs-down to Kolter Land Management’s request to redraw the Urban Growth Boundary in order to accommodate 1,000 new homes on 646 acres west of I-95. The plan had drawn the ire of some county commissioners, including Blake Capps, who, according to the story, “has said growth should occur according to the rules of the growth management plan rather than amending them.”

Can we get an “amen?”

Unchecked growth is one of the biggest threats to water quality in Florida, and much of it is going on land that requires a comprehensive plan amendment or rezoning. Developers spend lots of time (and money) to convince your local elected officials to give them what they want — and often, they get it.

But as Pittman noted, there is no right to a rezoning. Your local elected officials can say "no." But that might take some work on your part.

Writes Pittman "If you’re trying to preserve your slice of Florida paradise from the runaway growth that’s wrecking a lot of special places around the state, then you need to imitate the Sarasota folks ... Be organized, know how land-use law works, keep your emotions in check as you focus on your goal, present photos showing the downside of the development, and use subject-matter experts to testify."

And your final redoubt is the ballot box. Make it clear — politely — that if your local elected officials side with developers over the community, those local officials can be UN-elected next time around.

This is what we're fighting for

Beautiful vistas; a glimpse of the Florida we all love.

VoteWater is working to protect these waters from pollution and the political corruption that fuels it. Your support helps us hold decision-makers accountable and elect leaders who will put clean water first. Donate today to keep Florida’s natural beauty alive for generations to come. Or help us turn the tide by becoming an annual member for $60, or a WaveMaker for $1,200.

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