Saturday, June 30, 2012

Speak Up and Sign Up for Silver Springs and Florida's Waters


Dear Friends,
One of the luxuries of writing a blog and not a newspaper article is that, while timeliness is important, one’s economic life doesn’t depend upon it.  Thus, it's time to share some thoughts and photos about the event, “Speak up for Silver Springs and Florida Waters,” sponsored by the Florida Conservation Coalition this past weekend (2012.06.23) at Silver River State Park, but before doing so, I hope you’ll do one very meaningful and very important thing. 
Please be sure you’ve signed the petition.
If you didn’t get the chance to sign it at the event, please do so now.
Here’s what the petition is asking Governor Rick Scott to do:

“We urge you to do everything within your power and ability as the Governor of Florida to protect and restore Florida's aquatic resources, beginning with a plan to address and resolve the dire conditions of Silver Springs, Silver River, Rainbow Springs and Rainbow River. Please, consider the establishment of a Resource Planning and Management Committee, under Section 380.045, F.S, or the implementation of a stakeholder task force process similar to those that led to the protection of the Wekiva River.

There are two ways you can sign the petition: 
1.  One is by doing it online.  Tap the following link to go to FCC’s webpage:
2.  The other is to print the petition, sign it and mail it in, or, print it out and take it to meetings for others to sign along with you.  You can find it here:
Thank you for taking this important action.  Even if the Govenor doesn’t heed our request, he will know there are a lot of folks who are watching out for natural Florida and he would be wise to do so as well.
So you’ll have an idea as to what Chapter 380.045 actually says, the following is the statute you’re asking the Governor to consider.  All it does is set forth a public process by which a geographic area with a resource problem can be assessed by all the interested players, including local governments, and a plan of action developed to address any problem identified.  It is a reasonable and thorough process that should give the public ample opportunity to understand the evidence and develop an informed opinion as whether a problem exists, what’s causing it, and how it should be addressed.

380.045 Resource planning and management committees; objectives; procedures.
(1) Prior to recommending an area as an area of critical state concern pursuant to s. 380.05, the Governor, acting as the chief planning officer of the state, shall appoint a resource planning and management committee for the area under study by the state land planning agency. The objective of the committee shall be to organize a voluntary, cooperative resource planning and management program to resolve existing, and prevent future, problems which may endanger those resources, facilities, and areas described in s. 380.05(2) within the area under study by the state land planning agency.
(2) The committee shall include, but shall not be limited to, representation from each of the following: elected officials from the local governments within the area under study; the planning office of each of the local governments within the area under study; the state land planning agency; any other state agency under chapter 20 a representative of which the Governor feels is relevant to the compilation of the committee; and a water management district, if appropriate, and regional planning council all or part of whose jurisdiction lies within the area under study. After the appointment of the members, the Governor shall select a chair and vice chair. A staff member of the state land planning agency shall be appointed by the director of such agency to serve as the secretary of the committee. The state land planning agency shall, to the greatest extent possible, provide technical assistance and administrative support to the committee. Meetings will be called as needed by the chair or on the demand of three or more members of the committee. The committee will act on a simple majority of a quorum present and shall make a report within 6 months to the head of the state land planning agency. The committee shall, from the time of appointment, remain in existence for no less than 6 months.
(3) Not later than 12 months after its appointment by the Governor, the committee shall either adopt a proposed voluntary resource planning and management program for the area under study or recommend that a voluntary resource planning and management program not be adopted. The proposed voluntary resource planning and management program shall contain the committee findings with respect to problems that endanger those resources, facilities, and areas described in s. 380.05(2) and shall contain detailed recommendations for state, regional, and local governmental actions necessary to resolve current and prevent future problems identified by the committee. A major objective of the proposed voluntary resource planning and management program shall be the effective coordination of state, regional, and local planning; program implementation; and regulatory activities for comprehensive resource management. The committee shall submit the proposed voluntary resource planning and management program to the head of the state land planning agency, who shall transmit the program along with the recommendations of the agency for monitoring and enforcing the program, as well as any other recommendations deemed appropriate, to the Administration Commission.
(4) The Administration Commission shall by resolution approve, approve as modified, or reject the proposed voluntary resource planning and management program and state land planning agency recommendations; and the Administration Commission shall request each state or regional agency that is responsible for implementing a portion of an approved program to conduct its programs and regulatory activities in a manner consistent with the approved program. Each state and regional agency involved in implementing the program shall cooperate to the maximum extent possible in ensuring that the program is given full effect.
(5) The state land planning agency shall report to the Administration Commission within 12 months of the approval of the program by the commission concerning the implementation and the effects of the approved voluntary resource planning and management program. The report shall include, but shall not be limited to:
(a) An assessment of state agency compliance with the program, including the degree to which the program recommendations have been integrated into agency planning, program implementation, regulatory activities, and rules;
(b) An assessment of the compliance by each affected local government with the program;
(c) An evaluation of state, regional, and local monitoring and enforcement activities and recommendations for improving such activities; and
(d) A recommendation as to whether or not all or any portion of the study area should be designated an area of critical state concern pursuant to s. 380.05.
The state land planning agency may make such other reports to the commission as it deems necessary, including recommending that all or any portion of the study area be designated an area of critical state concern because of special circumstances in the study area or in the implementation of the approved voluntary resource planning and management program.
History.—s. 2, ch. 79-73; s. 1, ch. 84-281; s. 640, ch. 95-148.

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