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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