Articles by: Gil Smart

There’s a couple things that Floridians have learned to count on each and every summer. A betting man could safely put his money on excessive heat and some amount of sure rain. Lately, unfortunate odds have made toxic algae outbreaks…

The Indian River Lagoon: trophy seatrout capital of the world. Or, at least it used to be. Mike Conner is no stranger to the brilliance of South Florida waterways. He speaks with the familiarity of a long-time angler and guide…

The system we have right now might work if Florida weather was predictable. It’s not. We average about 55 inches of rain, but we have more extreme years than we have average years. Mismanaged priorities and our broken operational system…

Last week, Martin County commissioners were given the opportunity to advocate for our human health and safety. Spoiler alert: they didn’t take it.   The back story.   In February, a familiar lineup of out-of-town naysayers came to a Martin…

Last summer’s red tide event persisted longer than any in more than 10 years with help from a constant source of nutrients from Lake Okeechobee discharges. Marine life was killed in unprecedented numbers, sparking headlines across the nation that had…

WE NEED YOUR HELP. Our legislature is using the final hours of Florida’s 2019 legislative session to reduce Florida Forever funding. Florida voters like you made it very clear that the Florida Forever program must be fully funded, not least…

The Army Corps asked and the people of South Florida answered–in force. Monday brought to a close more than two months of public comment sessions hosted by the Corps. Thousands of voices weighed in, from across the state and beyond,…

Any legislation that paves the way for private interests to use taxpayer resources to develop the Everglades is not in the public interest. In this episode of Florida politics, Eye on Miami’s Alan Farago takes a closer look at the…

If ever there was a person who captured the spirit of the fight to save Florida’s River of Grass, the famously feisty defender of the Everglades, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, was it. And who better to commemorate those efforts than Martin…

There is no question that insufficient and outdated water management priorities have led us to a human health crisis. Holding Lake Okeechobee water levels too high before the rainy season last year resulted in the emergency discharge of 392 billion…