The latest Advocate was released today:

Over the objections of Audubon and the conservation community, the Florida Legislature passed and Governor Crist signed into law SB 2080 and SB 360 this spring.

We’ve heard from many of you that you’re frustrated by the changes resulting from these bills: The potential reduction in environmental protection is disappointing and the procedural changes are confusing.

SB 2080 reduced the ability of the public to comment on water management district permits—such as those authorizing new drinking water withdrawals or the destruction of wetlands for development—by delegating those decisions to the districts’ executive directors.

SB 360 reduced state oversight of some growth management decisions by allowing local governments to establish or amend their urban service boundaries through an expedited process, and then exempt large developments within those boundaries from the significant oversight of the state’s Development of Regional Impact (DRI) process.

Don’t lose heart: We’re here to tell you, your advocacy is more important now than ever. And to help you navigate the procedural changes resulting from these bills, we’ve created two toolkits to help you ensure your voice is heard.

Download the toolkits and share with your friends!

SB 2080: An Advocate’s Guide to Changes in Water Management District Permitting

SB 360: An Advocate’s Guide to Changes in Growth Management Review

Florida’s wildlife and wetlands are won and lost one permit at a time, and often Florida’s dedicated environmental advocates make all the difference. We hope these toolkits will help you spend more time advocating, and less time deciphering the bureaucratic changes of the post-2080 and post-360 world. On behalf of Florida’s wildlife, thanks for all you do! Keep up the good work! ~ Audubon of Florida’s Policy Team

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