Water qualilty
The Florida Legislature last week passed a revised version of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ property tax cut plan, sending a proposed constitutional amendment to the November ballot. If 60% of voters approve, it’ll be a windfall for homeowners — and a…
For the Florida Legislature to fully fund the Indian River Lagoon Protection Program in the upcoming budget session is more than a matter of state leaders fulfilling a promise; it’s a matter of life and death… for thousands of manatees.…
The Everglades immigrant detention center known as “Alligator Alcatraz” is damaging enough in its own right, inflicting untold harms on the site and the greater Everglades ecosystem. But more damaging over the long haul may be the legal precedent being…
The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan is often described as a massive effort to “get the water right.” Unfortunately, CERP isn’t going to “get the water right” right away. On Dec. 11, 2000, President Bill Clinton signed the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration…
Now it all makes sense. As we and others have noted this legislative session, there’s been a huge onslaught of pro-”sprawl” bills, most of which invoke “affordable housing.” That is, if we limit local governments ability to regulate new housing…
One day — Monday, Feb. 27, 2023, to be exact — Steve Zelenski was in a boat checking stone crab traps on the Indian River Lagoon just west of the House of Refuge near Stuart. Four days later, the 68-year-old…
Wetlands — whether massive marshes stretching across South Florida like the Everglades or little bitty bogs tucked away in a subdivision — are vital to the environment. They improve water quality, help prevent and reduce floods, recharge groundwater and store…
Florida Sen. Stan McClain comes off as an affable guy — the type of person you might like to get a beer with. But after seeing the legislation he’s filed ahead of the 2026 Legislative Session, you may want to…
It’s been quite a year. It began with the battle over the future of Florida’s state parks and Big Sugar’s proposed rock mine in the Everglades Agricultural Area. It concludes, now, with a new EPA proposal to eliminate crucial wetlands…
Some people think we clean-water types are in it for the aesthetics. That water ought to be clean like Mother Nature made it, so it can support all sorts of wildlife and other living things. That’s part of it. But…