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Last week we published that the League of Conservative Voters had written Congress that they would not endorse any candidate who did not support the ACES Bill. The organization was not the League of Conservative Voters, but the League of Conservation Voters as in conservationists.
On Jul 3, 2009, at 3:01 AM, Lucille wrote:
Reading your article about the Phirilongwe/Mangochi elephant translocation in Malawi, it struck me how misinformed you are on the real facts regarding these elephants, the communities wishes and the translocation. As I have been involved in Malawi conservation for the past 13 and half years, have worked with the elephants in Mangochi since 2000 and met with local communities together with the department of National Parks and Wildlife Malawi and South African National Parks, as well as Conservation Solutions in trying to solve this human/animal conflict situation, I would like the opportunity to give you the real facts surrounding this translocation and how it came about.
Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida's response to Don Philpott's article dated July 10, 2009 entitled, “The Everglades-What Does the Future Hold”
Dear Editor:
Politics v Conservation—Right on point. Governor Crist’s proposed purchase of U.S. Sugar Corps. (USSC) lands are all about politics and undermine real Everglades restoration. Let’s look at the facts:
FACT: Farmers in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) have helped pay for the creation and operation of 40,000 acres of artificial marshes called Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs) through a special tax imposed since 1994. Farmers will also help pay for the 18,000 acre expansion of STAs to assure that water quality standards are met in the Everglades Protection Area.
FACT: Farmers perform on-farm agricultural Best Management Practices (BMPs) to reduce the amount of phosphorus leaving the farming region. The 1994 Everglades Forever Act requires a 25% reduction. Farmers have far exceeded this mandate and last year reduced phosphorus by 68%. The long-term rolling average is above a 50% reduction.
FACT: Since 1994, 2,898 metric tons of phosphorus has been removed through the implementation of BMPs and STAs. No other region in the South Florida Ecosystem can claim this kind of success.
FACT: The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) was conceptually authorized by the 2000 Water Resource Development Act (WRDA). It contains some 68 components that would improve the timing, delivery and distribution on water, capturing water loss to tide with the goal of making the water management system sustainable for the next 50 years.
FACT: The federal process in painstakingly slow and Congressional authorizations and appropriations has been virtually non-existent during tight budgetary times.
FACT: The state expressed frustration with the federal process and in 2004 decided to “accelerate” eight key projects that were conditionally authorized in CERP. Gov. Bush announced the initiative calling it “Acceler8” with the commitment that each of these projects would go through the same feasibility level of planning to qualify for federal cost share at a later date. In order to implement the fast-track approach, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) for the first time utilized a financial instrument called Certificates of Participation (COPs) for construction funding.
FACT: Construction or test cells on all three major storage reservoirs (EAA-A1, C-43, and C-44) were underway and the Corps of Engineers were working on the Project Implementation Reports (PIRs) to take to Congress for authorization. In fact, close to $300 million has been spent on the EAA-A1 reservoir when construction was halted in favor of Gov. Crist’s new political solution to Everglades restoration—the bailout of U.S. Sugar Corp.
FACT: All Everglades, Northern Everglades and Estuary Watershed projects have been put on hold pending the closing of the proposed acquisition of U.S. Sugar.
FACT: The terms of the buyout assure that farming continues on USSC lands far into the future thus forestalling any Everglades restoration from taking place.
FACT: The SFWMD has been forced to abandon its current course of Everglades restoration and pledge its ad valorem and non-ad valorem revenues to purchase USSC. This will as the District has said will “max out” their credit card preventing any real restoration from taking place.
The bottom line—once again, politics trumps scientifically driven solutions to Everglades restoration using farmers as the scapegoats.
George H. Wedgworth
President & C.E.O.
Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida
PO. Box 666
Belle Glade, FL 33430
561-996-4788
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