Our Neighborhood

Earth

Keeping It Green

 
Florida's Phosphate Risk

 

Green Living Toolkit

Essential Guide to Florida Suncoast Living

Apr. 15, 2022,-They break it down to show you the most effective solutions, curated especially for Sarasota and Manatee County residents.

We connect you with local events and experts on energy, food, waste, water, and nature. The Toolkit is designed with options to meet you where you’re at, then help you level up to live smart and future-focused. Every step you take accrues personal and community benefits, now and for future generations.

The Right to Clean and Healthy Waters

This is a #WatershedMoment

FloridaCleanWater.org-It has become clear that the current system of water protection has failed; the state executive branch is not enforcing clean water legislation according to environmental laws, legislative intent and constitutional policy. Although a right to clean water already exists by statute, it defers too much to state executive agencies to guard against harm.

Click now to learn what you can do.

ECO SUMMIT +EXPO

Get Free Tickets

Science & Environment Council-December 2 and 3, 10am-5pm. One ticket includes General Admission for up to 5 people. City of Sarasota Municipal Auditorium, 801 North Tamiami Trail.

Click now to learn more.

Florida
Environmental Action

Eco Summit+Expo

Page Updated:
July 4, 2026

 

The Sink or
Swim Newsletter

Ecology Florida

• • 1 Woman Dead After 3 Alligator
  Interactions Get Violent In Span Of Week

  Later, the Eight-Foot-Plus Alligator Was Trapped and Removed By Officials
  
  {DAILY CALLER}

  June 30, 2026 -In the span of one week, a total of three people in Central Florida have fallen victim to alligator attacks, with one of the incidents resulting in a death.

  The original attack took place June 21 after a man made contact with a gator while at Marion County’s Rainbow River, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) per FOX Weather.

• • New Florida Law Bans Local Net-Zero Emissions Policies

  Gov. Ron DeSantis Characterized the Clean Energy Goals the Law Bans As “Radical Climate Policies

  

  June 30, 2026 -A new state law limits Florida communities’ aims to offset greenhouse gas emissions that are warming the global climate and intensifying disasters such as hurricanes.

  Specifically, HB 1217 prohibits local governments from pursuing net-zero emissions goals. At least 10 cities and counties have implemented such policies, including Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Orlando and Leon County, where Tallahassee, the state capital, is located. But the new law will not necessarily upend these policies, said Bradley Marshall, senior attorney at Earthjustice, an advocacy group.

• • Bayfront Cleanup Reveals Encouraging Signs for Sarasota’s Waters

  A Healthy Bay is Everybody’s Business
  
  {SARASOTA BAY WATCH}

  June 24, 2026 -On June 14, Sarasota Bay Watch and a dedicated team of volunteers gathered along Sarasota’s Bayfront for a large-scale underwater and shoreline cleanup aimed at protecting local waterways and wildlife.

  The cleanup area stretched from the 10th Street Boat Ramp south to the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, bringing together a remarkable team of community partners and volunteers. At 9:30 a.m., 21 divers entered the water alongside 21 shoreline volunteers, supported by four boats, two jet skis, and a kayaker. Working together, they searched for and removed marine debris from both the water and shoreline.

• • Brush Fires Scorch 1000 Acres in Sarasota County

  Now Mostly Contained

  

  June 24, 2026 -Brush fires on Orange Hammock Ranch, a 5,777-acre preserve in south Sarasota County, were about 90% contained as of Wednesday morning, according to a North Port Fire Rescue District (NPFR) Chief.

  “The last report we got, it was 90 percent contained and we’re sending brush trucks out to contain it,” NPFR Chief David Ingalls told the Herald-Tribune shortly after 9:30 a.m.

• • Dangerous Heat Forecast Today In South Florida

  Heat Indices Up to 110

  

  June 23, 2026 -A heat advisory is in effect across the eastern portion of South Florida today, with possible heat indices ranging from 105 to 110 degrees.

  The heat advisory will last from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 23, according to the National Weather Service, and the area under warning spans from north of Fort Lauderdale to south of Homestead, with both cities, as well as Miami, included.

• • Where Sharks Are Encountering People Along the East Coast

  As Summer Approaches, Beachgoers Face the Reality of Human-Shark Interactions
  
  {THE WALL STREET JOURNAL}

  June 20, 2026 -Back-to-back shark attacks in the Florida Panhandle have left at least one swimmer in critical condition this month. But despite the clips inundating your Instagram feed, your chance of getting bitten is still small—less than one in four million, said Gavin Naylor, director of the University of Florida’s shark-research program.

  Shark populations have rebounded since the 1990s thanks to conservation efforts, for both sharks and their prey. Today some 130 species patrol the East Coast, Naylor added. Most stay at depths where they’re unlikely to encounter people, but some are more likely to stray into waters with swimmers and surfers—especially at coastal hot spots. More people in the waves plus more sharks means more encounters.

• • Chances Increase For Development of Tropical Storm Arthur

  Florida Impact?

  

  June 15, 2026 -Forecasters are keeping an eye on a disturbance in the western Gulf.

  Chances for development continue to increase. At 2 p.m. June 15, the National Hurricane Center is now giving the disturbance a medium chance for development over the next two to seven days.

  A "short-lived tropical storm" could develop in the Gulf June 17 into June 18, forecasters said.

• • Sarasota Residents Report Feeling Strong Cuba Earthquake

  Here’s Why

  

  June 8, 2026 -Sarasota residents are reporting feeling a magnitude 6.1 earthquake that struck near Cuba on Monday, June 8, with tremors reaching parts of Florida.

  The United States Geological Survey reported receiving more than 100 reports related to the earthquake from the Sarasota-Manatee area.

  Multiple Reddit users also reported feeling the earthquake, including one who identified themselves as a resident of Aster & Links, the downtown Sarasota luxury apartment community on Main Street featuring twin 10-story towers.

• • Mass Sloth Deaths in Florida Are a Warning
  About Wildlife Trade and Pandemic Risk, Scientists Say

  Necropsy Reports From Sloths Imported By an Orlando Business Found the Animals Were Riddled With Bacteria, Parasites and Viruses

  

  June 7, 2026 -When pathologists cut open dead sloths from a planned Florida tourist attraction, they found a plethora of pathogens.

  Parasites, bacteria and viruses were all lurking in animals weakened by grueling international transport and stressful conditions at the warehouse that received them, according to necropsy records and a state inspection report obtained by Inside Climate News through an open records request. The sloths had distended stomachs, diarrhea matted into fur and lungs congested with pneumonia.

• • Manatee County's Piney Point Funding Gap
  Reaches $23.4M as Commissioners Clash

  Piney Point Budget Battle
  
  {FOX13}

  June 5, 2026 -A funding rift has divided Manatee County commissioners as they work to handle an unexpected $23.4 million shortfall stemming from the prolonged cleanup of the Piney Point phosphate plant.

  What we know: More than 400 million gallons of treated water from the former phosphate processing facility have been safely pushed down into a deep well injection site in Manatee County.

• • A Holistic Perspective on Florida’s Wetland Emissions

  By Cheryl Doughty, Qing Ying, and Erin Delaria (University of Maryland/NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and Ayia Lindquist (SSAI/NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
  
  {NASA}

  May 29, 2026 -Like other early career researchers who collaborate to address Earth’s most pressing issues, we four scientists work together to support NASA’s BlueFlux project, bringing together data that allow us to observe important changes happening on our Earth. We are driven by the question “Will the benefits we get from wetlands be lost with the ever-increasing pressures of human needs and climate change?”

  To address these issues, our science takes us from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) to the field. We’ll splash into mangrove and freshwater wetlands of the Everglades with Cheryl Doughty of the University of Maryland and GSFC’s Qing Ying; we’ll take off in planes to fly over the South Florida region with Erin Delaria, also from GSFC; and we’ll assimilate into the communities of people whose lives are intertwined with the health of the whole Everglades ecosystem with GSFC’s Ayia Lindquist. Along with the many scientists who helped with the BlueFlux field campaign that began in 2022, our shared research goal is to better understand whether wetlands will remain resilient carbon sinks as they face changing conditions in an environment heavily influenced by humans.

• • After 20 Years of Healing, This
  Drained Wetland Sees Wildlife Comeback

  It Will Restore Your Faith in Nature
  
  {HEALTHY HAPPY NEWS}

  May 28, 2026 -Sometimes the best thing humans can do is hit the undo button on past mistakes—and that’s exactly what’s happening in a stunning corner of south Florida. After more than 20 years of painstaking work, a massive stretch of the Everglades is coming back to life in ways that will make any nature lover’s heart soar.

  Picayune Strand, a nearly perfect rectangle of wetland northwest of Everglades National Park, was once slated to become just another sprawling suburban development. Decades ago, developers drained this precious ecosystem, carving up the landscape with roads and canals in preparation for homes that would never be built.

  But nature had other plans—or rather, conservationists did.

• • In Florida, an Agricultural Town in Need of an
  Economic Boost Eyes Hyperscale Data Centers

  The Massive Facilities Would Reshape Florida’s Rural Lands

  May 25, 2026 -Carroll McAllister frets over the prospect of a hyperscale data center opening next to the grassy expanse where she grew up, in a shack her father built.

  Now 87, McAllister is a tiny but sturdy woman with a bob of blonde hair. She fondly recalls running wild on the land in her youth with her three siblings, fishing and picking berries among the stands of oak and pine trees and cabbage palms. Her father raised watermelons, cantaloupes, strawberries, peas and beans and nurtured an orange grove. With no running water in the shack, the family members used an outhouse and drew their drinking water from an outdoor pump.

• • Sarasota County Dredging Removes 60,000 Yards From Creek

  Sarasota County Moves Ahead With Major Phillippi Creek Dredging

  

  May 20, 2026 -The first phase of the Phillippi Creek dredging project has removed 60,000 cubic yards of material from the waterway, Sarasota County Stormwater Director Ben Quartermaine told the Sarasota County Commission on May 19.

  That’s enough dirt and sediment to fill 8,000 dump trucks.

  “This Phase 1 effectively reestablishes the efficacy of the channel,” he added.

• • A Milestone in the Revival of the Everglades

  Restoring the Flow
  
  {YaleEnvironment360}

  May 14, 2026 - Patterson Boulevard looks like a road to nowhere. In fact, it’s hardly a road at all, just two dirt tracks into the Florida swampland, hemmed in by willow thickets, pine flatwoods, and cypress forests, passable only in the dry season, and then just barely.

  Patterson is part of what’s left of an immense grid of roads built years ago for a failed development that was both massively ambitious and ecologically ruinous. Yet these tracks have now become an entryway into one of the more striking restoration projects in South Florida, a bright spot in nearly three decades of efforts to protect and revive what remains of the greater Everglades ecosystem.

• • Roach Activity, Rodent Droppings Found at Sarasota Area Restaurants

  A Live Roach Was Found in the dish area of a Sarasota County Restaurant During a Recent Health Inspection

  

  May 5, 2026 -Our digital database of restaurant health inspections is updated regularly with the latest information on which Sarasota, Bradenton and Venice area restaurants passed or failed.

  You can use the database to search by Sarasota or Manatee County or by restaurant name. You can see which restaurants were fined and which were forced into temporary closure.

• • Florida’s Flamingos Are Back

  Here’s Where to See Them

  
  

  April 30, 2026 -With their impossibly long legs and lipstick hue, flamingos sport a memorable look. Their image adorns Florida postcards, tourist sites, and TV shows, but the state’s population of wild flamingos was virtually extinct for a hundred years due to plume hunting and habitat loss. Then in 2023, they began claiming headlines when several blew in from Cuba and Mexico on the winds of Hurricane Idalia.

  “There was a pink invasion,” says Audubon Florida’s Keith Laakkonen, director of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. Some of these flamingos stayed on, especially around the Florida Bay coastline, which is also the perch of the aptly named Flamingo outpost of Everglades National Park.

• • Trump’s Environmental Cuts Further
  Marginalize Vulnerable Communities

  In Florida, Majority Black and Brown Communities Face Hotter Temperatures, Rising Seas and More Damaging Storms

  
  

  April 27, 2026 -Since returning to the White House for his second term, President Donald Trump and his administration have drastically cut environmental programs and programs designed to serve disadvantaged communities and communities of color. These are groups with the fewest resources to deal with climate impacts such as hotter temperatures and more damaging storms.

  The cuts have put pressure on nonprofits to fill the funding gaps. Yoca Arditi-Rocha is chief executive officer of the CLEO Institute, a Florida-based nonprofit dedicated to educating and empowering communities to stand up for climate action.

• • Wildfires Leave Amtrak Passengers Stranded Overnight

  Effectively Shut Down Train Travel In and Out of Florida
  
  {News4JAX}

  April 23, 2026 -Two wildfires raging near the Clay-Putnam County lines that are expected to merge into one massive 3,000-acre blaze have effectively shut down all Amtrak traffic in and out of Florida.

  That left passengers on one train stopped for hours and stranded overnight.

  Passenger Katrinia Wheeler told News4JAX her trip turned into a 24-hour delay—derailing her anniversary getaway to Florence.

• • Why Florida Ranks Highest For Lightning Fatalities in the US

  While Florida is Known as the Sunshine State, Its Notorious For Thunderstorms, Lightning Strikes and Fatalities
  
  {AccuWeather}

  April 21, 2026 -Florida ranks fourth in the nation for lightning flashes behind Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.

  However, because of the dense population and the amount of people that spend a great deal of time outdoors year-round, more people are struck and killed by lightning in Florida than any other state, according to Vaisala and the National Weather Service.

• • Local Strategies and Statewide Partnerships
  For Florida Wildlife Protection

  Closing Critical Gaps
  
  {1000 Friends of Florida}

  April 15, 2026 -In this webinar, 1000 Friends of Florida, the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation, and Tall Timbers come together to share how education, policy, and on-the-ground partnerships can protect Florida’s most vital conservation landscape. Allyn Childress of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation discusses the Foundation’s planning efforts across the state, highlighting initiatives to protect critical Corridor areas and engage local governments and communities. Kim Dinkins of 1000 Friends of Florida introduces the Mind the Gaps online curriculum — a free, two-module resource designed to help elected officials, planners, and community members move from awareness to action on Corridor protection.

  Ben Naselius of Tall Timbers describes a current project in Florida’s Big Bend region connecting landowners within the Corridor to technical support and funding opportunities for stewardship on working and wild lands. Explore the full Mind the Gaps curriculum at 1000fof.org/floridawildlifecorridor/onlinecurriculum.

• • 2026 Hurricane Forecast Rolls Out Florida's Chances to Get Hit

  Florida Remains the Most Vulnerable State

  
  

  March 17, 2026 -A leading seasonal hurricane forecast is calling for slightly below normal activity as a meaty storm-shredding El Niño develops but the Atlantic Ocean gives mixed signals as to its intent.

  Colorado State University is predicting 13 named storms for the season that begins June 1 and that follows Florida’s 2025 reprieve from tropical catastrophe.

  Of the 13 named storms, six are forecast to become hurricanes including two that could swell to major muscle with 111 mph Category 3 winds or higher.

• • Why Manatees Need Humans to Slow Down and Pay Attention

  These Gentle Giants Forage in Shallow Waters, Primarily Along the Coast of Florida, and Often Have Fatal Encounters With Boats

  
  

  April 9, 2026 -In early March, a female manatee measuring 9 feet 5 inches long that was injured after being in the path of a boat was rescued in an estuary in Cape Coral, Fla., which is known to be a winter habitat for the rotund water mammals.

  It’s not clear where the boat and the manatee collided, but the mammal suffered injuries to its ribs and lungs, which led to its death 10 days later at a rehabilitation center.

• • How Sea-Level Rise and Community Design
  Impact Our Rapidly Growing State

  Spotlight on Florida’s Future
  
  {THE INVADING SEA}

  April 8, 2026 -What could Florida’s future hold? The relocation of a million residents by 2070 due to land inundation from sea-level rise? The loss of 250 acres of land every day – more than 90,000 acres a year – to sprawling development?

  Or the protection of priority natural and agricultural lands and the valuable ecosystem services they provide? A thriving agricultural economy? More compact, livable and fiscally sound communities?

  Since 2022, the University of Florida Center for Landscape Conservation Planning and 1000 Friends of Florida have partnered on a series of GIS-based and economic studies to better understand how sea-level rise and community design decisions could impact Florida’s lands, waters and economy.

• • Sarasota Neighborhood Takes Legal Action After Storm Flooding

  Alleging a Dike Breach Damaged Their Homes

  
  

  April 5, 2026 -Residents of Laurel Meadows recently filed suit in circuit court against Sarasota County because of flooding that occurred in August 2024 from Tropical Storm Debby.

  The first of three major storms to impact Sarasota County during the 2024 hurricane season, Debby was still at tropical storm strength when it brought record rainfall to the area — 11.06 inches recorded on Aug. 4 at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, according to the National Weather Service, and more than 16 inches over a three-day span.

• • Vegetative/Island Restoration

  Learn How You Can Join In
  
  {Sarasota Bay Watch}

  April 1, 2026 -Sarasota Bay Watch aims to balance water and land habitats by removing debris and invasive species, which harm native plants. SBW has tackled invasives on Sister Keys and Big Edwards Island and partnered with Sarasota County for the Jim Neville Marine Preserve. Our goal is habitat enrichment through native plantings that attract pollinators and birds, fostering biodiversity, ecological balance, and resilience.

  Success is monitored by Audubon and volunteer birders who conduct bird counts, guiding the restoration plan. This project involves kayaking, digging, cutting, and planting, creating an enjoyable and impactful volunteer experience. Join us!

• • What AccuWeather Predicts For Hurricane Season

  Florida Threat?

  
  

  Mar. 25, 2026 -Who's ready for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season?

  Thought so, but ready or not, the season will be here before we know it, and AccuWeather forecasters have released their first prediction for the season.

  There's good news and bad news for Florida residents.

• • Swiftmud Orders Shorter Watering
  Hours for Sarasota as Drought Worsens

  The Region Faces a 13.7-Inch Rainfall Deficit, Causing Aquifers, Rivers, and Lakes to Decline

  
  

  Mar. 25, 2026 -In response to a severe rainfall shortage in the region categorized as "extreme,'' stricter outdoor watering hours are now being enforced for residents of Sarasota County as aquifers, rivers and lakes continue to dissipate.

  Those not in compliance with the new regulations will be issued tickets instead of warnings.

• • Decades After a Florida Canal Project Was
  Abandoned, Advocates Are Trying to Reunite 3 Rivers

  FAA’s New Program Aims to Have Them Flying Soon

  
  

  Mar. 28, 2026 -It was supposed to be Florida’s version of the Panama Canal — a shortcut for boats to pass through the middle of the state from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf instead of navigating around the peninsula. But work on the Cross Florida Barge Canal was stopped in 1971 over environmental concerns.

  Since then, a dam and reservoir built for the aborted canal in northeast Florida has drowned a chunk of the Ocala National Forest, put 20 springs underwater and disrupted wildlife crossings, including some used by migrating manatees.

• • A Massive Climate Resilience Program is Escaping Florida’s DOGE Purge

  The state’s Largest Climate Resilience Program is Proving Itself Immune to the Governor’s Purge
  
  {YALE Climate Connections}
  
  

  Mar. 2, 2026 -hen it comes to government spending, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is taking a cue from the Trump administration.

  As his second term nears its end, DeSantis is spearheading a campaign to slash property taxes, which provide around 30 percent of local government revenue. He’s also looking to dramatically pare down state-funded programs, and he’s commissioned a state-level version of Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” to do so. DeSantis’s DOGE will be run by his hand-picked chief financial officer, the creator of a YouTube show called “Government Gone Wild.” In a signal of his seriousness about cutting spending, the governor’s proposed budget for this year is 10 percent lower than his 2019 budget in inflation-adjusted and per-capita terms..

• • Sarasota Seeks to Raise $3.5 Million For Bobby Jones Nature Park

  Officials State the Park's Restoration Will Also Help Reduce Flooding and Improve Water Quality in the Area

  
  

  Feb. 19, 2026 -Sarasota and the Big Waters Land Trust are seeking $3.5 million in funding to put the finishing touches on improvements to the Bobby Jones Nature Park.

  The Nature Park at Bobby Jones encompasses 110 acres north of the city’s public golf course and features walking and biking trails. A recent effort to improve the park has seen the city partner with the Big Waters Land Trust, Christine Johnson, the group's president, joined Jerry Fogle, the city’s Parks and Recreation Director, to present the fundraising effort to the City Commission on Tuesday.

• • A Massive Climate Resilience Program
  is Escaping Florida’s DOGE Purge

  Ron DeSantis is Slashing Government Spending, But the Sunshine State Can’t Afford to Abandon Its Climate Adaptation Fund

  
  

  Feb. 17, 2026 -When it comes to government spending, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is taking a cue from the Trump administration.

  As his second term nears its end, DeSantis is spearheading a campaign to slash property taxes, which provide around 30 percent of local government revenue. He’s also looking to dramatically pare down state-funded programs, and he’s commissioned a state-level version of Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” to do so. DeSantis’s DOGE will be run by his hand-picked chief financial officer, the creator of a YouTube show called “Government Gone Wild.” In a signal of his seriousness about cutting spending, the governor’s proposed budget for this year is 10 percent lower than his 2019 budget in inflation-adjusted and per-capita terms.

• • Iguanas Are Falling Out of Trees in Florida

  But Here's Why You Shouldn't Try to 'Save' Them

  
  

  Feb. 3, 2026 -The odds of a frozen 10-pound reptile crash-landing on its head in front of you is unlikely, but this time of year in Florida, the chance may be higher than you think.

  Green iguanas are not native to Florida but were introduced to the Sunshine State in the 1960s. Since then, the large, dinosaur-like reptiles have made themselves at home across the south and central regions, lazing about on backyard fences, moving through canals, and gobbling up many an ornamental garden plant.

• • What’s Happening at Sarasota County
  Landmark Warm Mineral Springs?

  Here’s What We Know About Its Future
  
  
  

  Jan. 16, 2026 -While progress continues on efforts to establish a conservation easement at Warm Mineral Springs, that path will not include an attempt to designate the historic location among Florida’s Outstanding Springs.

  The North Port City Commission voted 4-1, on Jan. 13, to continue to pursue a local protection strategy for the 83-acre park.

  The park includes Warm Mineral Springs — Florida’s only surviving hot spring that was thought to be the Fountain of Youth when it was discovered by explorer Juan Ponce de Leon — that, over the decades, evolved into a popular tourist attraction.

• • 'Rednecks' and a Billionaire. Inside a Battle Over a Florida Dirt Road

  In a High-Stakes Clash Over Florida’s Vanishing Rural Landscape, Englewood Residents Are Fighting Billionaire Developer Pat Neal
  
  
  

  Jan. 14, 2026 -The battle between a billionaire housing developer and a few self-identified “rednecks” in Englewood broke into the public view on a particularly hot August afternoon in 2025 at the chambers of the Sarasota County Commission.

  In a time where the average political partisan could probably tell you more about Gavin Newsome’s California than their own local government, much of what happens at the county commission is the business of major developers, their assisting engineering firms and attorneys, the suited county staffers who know all the intricate details about municipal zoning, library maintenance and stormwater mitigation, a few of the local non-profit groups, and a handful of hyper-plugged in local activists.

• • Ten Million Corals Are in the Path
  of a Federal Dredging Project in Florida

  Scientists Warn That a Proposed Expansion of Port Everglades Could Cause Unprecedented Damage to Corals in the U.S.
  
  
  

  Jan. 4, 2026 -Beneath the surface of one of South Florida’s busiest maritime hubs, Port Everglades, scientists found 10 million corals thriving in and around the main channel traversed daily by cargo and cruise ships, now threatened by a major federal dredging project.

  The discovery, detailed in a new scientific analysis by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Shedd Aquarium, shows that coral populations near the port in Fort Lauderdale have persisted, and in some cases grown over the past decade, even as most reefs across Florida have collapsed from disease, coastal development and rising ocean temperatures.

• • These Florida Counties Under Burn Bans On New Year's Eve

  No Fireworks Allowed!
  
  
  

  Dec. 29, 2025 -Not everyone may be firing off fireworks in Florida this New Year's Eve.

  Weeks, even months of drought in some areas have caused more than a dozen Florida counties to issue burn bans, which restrict residents from all outdoor burning that has not been specifically permitted by the Florida Forest Service.

  That includes fireworks. Here's what to know:

• • Controversial Florida Bear Hunt is Taking Place Mostly Out of Sight

  Wildlife Defenders and Hunters Are At Odds Again As the First Bear Hunt in a Decade Proceeds
  
  
  

  Dec. 20, 2025 -Ten years ago, a Florida bear hunt shocked the public when photos spread online of bloody carcasses of mother bears loaded in pickup trucks and splayed out on concrete slabs at hunter check-in stations.

  The hunt, the first in 20 years, was halted in less than 48 hours after an estimated 304 bears were killed the first weekend. The quota that year was 320.

  Hunters said the quick success rate was proof of a robust bear population. Wildlife defenders called the state-sanctioned hunt “a slaughter” and succeeded in discouraging officials from authorizing another one, until this year.

• • Winchester Ranch Will Hurt Quality of Life

  Sarasota County Politicians Are Ruining Our Way of Life
  
  
  

  Dec. 11, 2025 -In reference to the Dec. 8 article, “Sarasota County Planning Commission approves 8,999-home development,” I say, "Enough is enough."

  I am among countless Sarasota County residents who are unequivocally opposed to Winchester Ranch.

  It threatens our environment, community integrity and the character of the land we call home.

  And it is indicative of how the Sarasota County Commission – time and time again – fails to stop overdevelopment and protect Sarasota’s quality of life.

• • New Vibrio Vulnificus, 'Flesh-Eating Bacteria' Case Reported in Florida

  Here's Where
  
  
  

  Nov. 13, 2025 -The Florida Department of Health has reported another case of Vibrio vulnificus, the horrific infection also called "flesh-eating" bacteria, in a Thursday, Nov. 13 morning update.

  The new case was in Polk County, the update said, bringing the yearly listed statewide total to 31.

  Five people have reportedly died from Vibrio vulnificus so far this year. The deaths occurred in Bay County, Broward County, Hillsborough County and St. John’s County, according to FDOH data.

• • Sarasota Wants $82 Million in Federal
  Funds For St. Armands; Bayou Stormwater Projects

  If Approved, the New Infrastructure Would Protect Over 120,000 Residents and $1.9 Billion in Property
  
  
  

  Nov. 7, 2024 -The city of Sarasota is requesting $82 million in federal funds for major stormwater projects in the wake of the historic flooding wrought by the 2024 storm season.

  Sarasota is requesting nearly all the funding from the Resilient SRQ Program – through which Sarasota County will disburse $211 million in federal hurricane recovery dollars. Mayor Liz Alpert outlined the projects in a letter to the county commission, which her colleagues on the city board approved at a Monday meeting, Nov. 3.

• • Venice Takes Bold Step to End Golden Beach Flooding

  With $14M Drainage Plan
  
  
  

  Nov. 6, 2025 -The city of Venice took the first step toward improving persistent flooding issues in the Golden Beach neighborhood on Oct. 28, when it purchased a drainage easement to an undeveloped quarter-acre lot on Flamingo Ditch.

  Purchase of the lot, which will be used to improve the retention capacity of Flamingo Ditch, as well as a location for real-time water-level monitoring of the drainage outfall, was one of several recommendations made by Coastal Protection Engineering in a feasibility study on drainage improvements for Flamingo Ditch.

• • Radiation and Your Environment

  A Guide to Low-Level Radiation for Citizens of Florida
  
  {FIPR Institute}
  
  

  Apr. 10, 2025 -The Florida Institute of Phosphate Research (FIPR) was created in 1978 by the Florida Legislature (Chapter 378.101, Florida Statutes) and empowered to conduct research supportive to the responsible development of the state’s phosphate resources. The Institute has targeted areas of research responsibility. These are: reclamation alternatives in mining and processing including wetlands reclamation, phosphogypsum storage areas and phosphatic clay contaminant areas; methods for more efficient, economical and environmentally balanced phosphate recovery and processing; disposal and utilization of phosphatic clay; and environmental effects involving the health and welfare of the people, including those effects related to radiation and water consumption.

• •  The Florida Solar Bill of Rights

  It’s Time to Put the “Sun” Back in the Sunshine State!

  SOLAR UNITED NEIGHBORS, Dec. 16, 2021 -As residents of the Sunshine State, we call on our local and state officials to protect and encourage access to solar power for all Floridians, as well as to reform laws and policies that restrict our freedom to produce solar energy.

  Click now to read the list of those rights.

• • Engarde, Swordfish!

  Swordfish Reduction Sends Rippling Fears
  
  

  Aug. 27, 2022 -Swordfish and other sea creatures have used the Florida Straits and Gulf Stream for thousands of years, migrating with the warm current as it gathers in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea and then blasts up the East Coast and into the northern Atlantic Ocean.

  But things have changed in the Gulf Stream system. Waters have warmed, and the regional Gulf of Mexico-to-North Atlantic current has slowed, according to some scientific evidence. The data is not complete.

• • Algae Blooms Are Killing Our Manatees

  Hundreds of Them Have Starved to Death

  Mar. 25, 2022, (ZME Science)-Nearly 1 in 10 died last year.

  A wildlife official in Florida said hundreds of manatees have starved to death along the state's east coast due to the algae blooms and contaminants that are killing seagrass resources they eat, The Associated Press reported.

• • Coral Reef Monitoring & Assessment

  Coral Reefs Must Be
  Protected Against Bleaching

  October, 2021, (Mote Marine)-Coral bleaching is the corals’ loss of their symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae), which give them their color. Bleaching is a natural event that occurs to some extent annually in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS).

  Records show that coral bleaching has been occurring for many years in the Florida Keys and also indicate that the frequency and severity of these events has steadily increased since the 1980s. Large-scale mass coral bleaching events are driven by unusually warm sea temperatures and calm seas. The effects of these mass events are potentially devastating to ecosystems and the people who depend on them.

• • History Of Phosphate Mining
  In Florida Fraught With Peril

  Accidents Like the Spill at the Piney
  Point Plant Fill the History Books

  Jun. 16, 2021, (WUSFPublic Media)-At the construction entrance to the Piney Point phosphate plant - off Buckeye Road in northern Manatee County, just south of the Hillsborough County line - the smell of phosphate and gypsum hangs heavy in the air.

  A bulldozer is busy pushing sand into a hole from which more than 200 million gallons of tainted water flowed into Tampa Bay. This isn't the first time this has happened. Accidents like this fill the history books in Florida, including two here at this very site.

• • Hazardous Waste Mixed Into Roads

  Are Our Roads Not Getting
  Enough Radio-Activity?

  June 17, 2021 (Bradenton Times) -If you live next to a road, will you be living next to a hazardous waste site? Unfortunately, this may be a reality for many, especially here in Florida.

  The Environmental Protection AgencyThis is the radioactive waste product left over from the production of fertilizer, and Florida has a lot of it.

• • Red Tide’s Impact on Humans

  Roskamp Institute Awarded
  Federal Grant to Study Red
  Tide’s Impact on Humans

  May 8, 2020 (floridadaily.com) - This week, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., praised the Roskamp Institute in Sarasota for winning a federal grant to study the possible connection between exposure to red tide and neurological disorders in humans.

  “Roskamp is one of the leading scientific research institutes in the nation and I’m thrilled they were able to secure funding to conduct this important review,” said Buchanan on Wednesday. “People need to know if exposure causes long-term damage. This grant of more than $400,000 will allow Roskamp to determine if human exposure to the red tide neurotoxin called brevetoxin causes brain impairment or other problems.”

  In particular, the institute will study why some people have mild reactions to red tide while others react more severely.

• • Would You Like a Little Radon With That Home?

  Radon Gas and Florida's Development

  Aug. 11, 2019 (The Bradenton Times) -Radon is found in one out of every four Florida homes. Every citizen, whether they are aware of the problem or not, is affected. All exposure to radon is potentially harmful. Radon is an odorless, colorless, radioactive, gaseous element that results from the breaking down of radium.

  Numerous studies support the clear and simple fact that radon exposure is a serious public health hazard. Indeed, more is known about the adverse health effects of radon exposure than any other environmental pollutant. Indoor radon air pollution is the number one environmental pollutant in Florida.

• • What To Do About Plastic's Affect on Martine Life?

  How Plastic is Harming
  Florida’s Marine Life, and
  What We Can Do About It

  By Joe Land (Greenpeace)- My passion for environmental conservation began when I was inspired by my 3rd-grade teacher to focus on my own interactions with the world around me, and to learn about the impact humans have on the Earth. I started the first Kids for Saving the Earth club in my hometown of New Albany, Indiana, where I became involved in sharing my enthusiasm for the natural beauty of the planet and in talking to people about the importance of protecting our only home. We worked on a recycling program and on stopping the use of Styrofoam in the school cafeteria.

  When I was 12, I took my first trip to Florida where I fell in love with the ocean and knew that’s where I belonged. When I first moved to Florida in the summer of 2007, I watched the release of sea turtle hatchlings, and I decided that I wanted to focus on their protection and coastal ecology. I became certified as an Advanced Florida Master Naturalist and Land Steward through the University of Florida; that program gave me the tools to understand and share the impact we have on Florida’s diverse marine and natural resources. Today I’m pursuing a degree in Marine and Environmental Science.

  Click for the story and a slideshow.

• • Legislative Environmental Considerations

  Florida Conservation Coalition Legislative Priority:
  Funding for Conservation Land Acquisition:

  Mar. 4, 2019  Florida Conservation Coalition

  
  • SB 944 Land Acquisition Trust Fund
  
  • SB 1256 Apalachicola Bay Area of Critical State Concern
  
  
  • SB 92 C-51 Reservoir Project
  
  To read all of the bills on this list, click now.
• • The Legislature: Onsite Sewage Treatment

  Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal Systems

  Florida House of Representatives,-Directs DOH to identify certain information for onsite sewage treatment & disposal systems, update database of such systems, & submit report to Governor & Legislature

  Requires periodic inspection of such systems

  Directs DOH to administer onsite sewage treatment & disposal system inspection program & adopt rules; provides inspection requirements

  Provides exceptions; requires owners to pay costs of inspections & pump-outs; requires that inspections & pump-outs be performed by certain registered contractors

  Provides notice requirements; requires system disclosure summary for certain properties & acknowledgement of such disclosures by purchaser before or at execution of contract for sale.

• • Public Notice: Florida Has Got Its Pollution

  Public Notice of Pollution

  -Protecting Florida's pristine environment is the Department of Environmental Protection's top priority. Pursuant to Section 403.077, F.S., the Department is establishing a method for regulated entities to submit Public Notices of Pollution for reportable releases. Additionally, the Department is making available to the public all Notices received to date as well as offering an e-mail subscription service for interested parties to be informed of Notices submitted for their area of interest.

  Reporting entities should be aware that, while submission of a Notice through this website complies with the requirements of Section 403.077, F.S., it does not relieve them of any obligation to report to the State Watch Office.

  Click for more from The Florida
  Dept of Environmental Protection.

• • 6 Key Issues Facing Florida Environment

  Florida’s Environmental Challenges

  With leadership from the late Nathaniel Pryor Reed, Trouble in Paradise is the work product of deeply concerned members of the Florida environmental community who wish to help elected officials and candidates for office better understand six major statewide environmental issues impacting Florida’s natural resources and our residents’ quality of life. Reflecting that ‘one size does not fit all’ this report also identifies four of Florida’s many resource areas meriting specialized treatment.

• • Sarasota To Go 100% Renewable

  Sarasota, Florida Commits
  to Transition to
  100% Renewable Energy

  June 19, 2017 - The Sarasota City Commission today adopted a goal of powering all of Sarasota with 100 percent clean, renewable energy by 2045. Sarasota joins St. Petersburg as the only two cities in the state of Florida to commit to transition to 100 percent clean and renewable energy.

• • FPL: Solar Use Illegal During Outages

  Florida Power & Light
  Lobbyists Made It Illegal to
  Use Solar During Outages

  Sept. 18, 2017 - One thing has changed since 2005: solar. Many of the FPL customers who are living through dangerous heat without power now have solar panels on their roofs that could keep them going while FPL repairs its infrastructure. Except doing so is illegal, thanks to FPL's lobbyists, who literally ghost-wrote much of Florida's dreadful solar rules.

  
  Click now to shed some sunlight.
• • Miami Rejects the 20-Foot Flood Wall

  But Still Must
  Combat Climate Change

  Miami Herald, Sep. 8, 2022 -Miami-Dade County’s hard “No” on the federal government’s proposal to build a 20-foot-tall coastal wall to combat flooding has paid off. The feds have agreed to re-examine that part of the Back Bay Coastal Storm Risk Management Study, and without any cost to the county.

  It was difficult to take the idea seriously from the start. Installing hulking, flood-protection walls up to 20 feet tall along the coast of Biscayne Bay would mean, in essence, exchanging the scenic water views that draw people to this area for the unappealing sight of concrete barriers.

• • Avoid Hurricane Surge Flooding:
  KNOW YOUR ZONE!

  Know Your Flood Zone

  FloridaDisaster.org, - The greatest killer of people during hurricanes is storm surge – the dome of water pushed ashore by powerful hurricane winds. Entire buildings can be moved, and can cause more damage than the winds of a hurricane itself. Florida is extremely vulnerable to surge flooding because of its coastal and low-lying geography.

  To stay safe from surge flooding, if you live in a zone that has been ordered to evacuate, get out. The best way to be prepared for a hurricane storm surge is to know your evacuation zone and plan your destination and travel routes ahead of time.

  Flood Zone maps are available if you click now.

• • How Florida’s Springs are Threatened

  The Amount of Water they
  Discharge are Threatened by Both
  Human Activities and Natural Factors.

  (Southwest Florida Water Management) -Increases in nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus due to development in springsheds, excessive fertilizer use, wastewater treatment plant discharges and failing septic tanks.

  Excess nitrate levels in water can be harmful to aquatic insects, amphibians and fish. If algae have an unlimited source of nitrates, excess growth may occur. Large amounts of algae growth can cause reduced water clarity and extreme fluctuations in dissolved oxygen, which is stressful to aquatic life.

• • Good Air in Florida? - Don't Count on It.

  Florida's Air Quality
  Shows Mixed Rankings for
  Ozone, Particle Pollution

  April 21, 2020 (FloridaTrend.com)-The American Lung Association’s 2020 “State of the Air” report found several cities earned mixed rankings for the nation’s most widespread air pollutants—ozone and particle pollution—both of which can be deadly. Gainesville, Lake City, Palm Bay, Melbourne, and Titusville were named on the cleanest cities list for short-term and year-round particle pollution after experiencing zero unhealthy air days.

  The Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville metro tied 14th in the nation for the cleanest city in the nation in year-round particle pollution ahead of the Gainesville-Lake City metro area which tied 23rd.

  However, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, St. Lucie, Orlando, Lakeland, Deltona, Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater all experienced more unhealthy air days of ozone in this year’s report.

• • Sarasota County Sustainability

  Defining Sustainability as Satisfying Our
  Present Needs Without Compromising
  the Ability of Future Generations

  Dec. 16, 2020(Sarasota County)-Committed to environmental, social and economic sustainability. To achieve the balance necessary for a sustainable community, this means:
  
  • Replenish the resources we use or consume;
  • Ensure our values guide us into the future; and
  • Invest in our community to ensure future prosperity.

  This is a constantly evolving journey, with countless directions and possibilities. We invite you to join us on this journey, through your choices and actions and by encouraging others in the community. Together we can make a difference – today, and for future generations.

  
  Click now for their Sustainability page.
• • Hey Florida Schools: Get the Lead Out

  Is There Any Excuse
  For Failing to Test
  For Lead in Our Schools?

  July 25, 2019 (mwfDailynews.com)-According to a statewide investigation conducted by WFTS-Tampa Bay late last year, 68% of Florida’s school districts do not test for lead in drinking water, or only partially test. Further, according to this same investigation, Gulf County’s public schools do not test for lead in the water, but, rather, rely on public utilities to perform such testing. However, as the recent public water debacle in Flint, Michigan has shown, and as reputable and independent experts have been warning for more than a decade, public utility testing for lead cannot be relied upon to protect our children’s health.

  Earlier this year, Florida Senator Janet Cruz sponsored a bill, SB 66, that would’ve added water filters in all of Florida’s older schools (including ours in Gulf County) to filter out lead particles from corroded pipes. As Ms. De La Vega’s recent Letter to the Editor pointed out, however, SB 66 failed in Florida’s 2019 legislative session. Admirably, in response to this temporary legislative setback, Senator Cruz has started a $250,000 fundraising effort to add water filters to Hillsborough County’s 136 schools.

• • NEST - Neighborhood Env. Stewardship Team

  The Benefits of NEST

  (Sarasota County wateratlas) —The Sarasota County Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship Team, or NEST, promotes neighborhood involvement in environmentally-friendly projects to protect and restore our shared water resources. The NEST program operates at the neighborhood level to improve the community and our watershed resources.

  NEST projects focus on both education and hands-on activities like, watershed-friendly landscaping, pond, lake, and bay shoreline restoration, bioswales, rain gardens, pervious pavement and invasive plant removal.

• • Phosphate Mining in Florida
  Threatens Water & Wildlife

  Significant Threats to
  Water and Wildlife

  Center for Biodiversity -Processed phosphates — little-discussed but widely spread throughout the food chain — pose a serious threat to our environment. Phosphate rock mining, along with the inorganic fertilizers and animal feed supplements for which phosphate is mined, pollute our air, contaminate our water and destroy invaluable wildlife habitat. -Especially in Florida.

  Because in fact, the state of Florida is home to the majority of phosphate-mining operations in the United States — and the United States is the world's third-leading producer of phosphate rock. Thus it's not all that surprising that Florida hosts the world's largest phosphate strip mine —100,000 acres wide.

• • Florida Environmental Issues

  Florida Environmental Issues

  Click now for a free PDF download addressing three of the key environmental issues that South Florida is challenged with today.

• • Florida Offshore Drilling is a No-No

  10 Reasons Not to Drill for Oil Offshore of Florida

  -This reminder from Manasota-88 warns of the ten reasons not to drill for off-shore oil.

• About Manatee County Flood Zones

  Manatee County Flood
  Zone Information Tool

  My Manatee County - Based on recent studies of the area, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has proposed updates to the County's flood zones. Depending on whether your flood zone has changed, your flood insurance may be affected. Search your address to find information regarding potential changes in flood zone for a property. Some information may take a moment to load.

  FEMA also has a viewer for map changes, you can find the tool and instructions for its use on FEMA's Community Flood Hazard page.

• • Florida Slime Tracker

  Track That Slime Crime

  Florida's waterways are plagued by slime caused by fertilizer, sewage and animal manure. Click now for an interactive map allowing you to view photographs of the muck, in the areas shown on the map.

• • Watershed Excursion

  Take the Excursion

  View a slideshow of the Springs Coast waterways, brought to you by Southwest Florida Water Management District

Asbestos is a proven human
carcinogen, and all forms of
asbestos can cause cancer.

• Read All About It

• Florida is not Alone

• Why is Asbestos Used
in Power Plants?

Asbestos Exposure Treatment

Name

Power Source

Location

(County)

Owner

Output (Mw)

Homes
Powered

When
Built