everglades

Governor Candidate Ron DeSantis Tours Everglades, Discusses Environment Plan

By Sam Turken • Sep 12, 2018

Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis said on Wednesday he plans to protect the environment if elected, including restoring the Everglades and ending algae blooms near Lake Okeechobee.

But he refused to explicitly state whether he believes in climate change.

The former U.S. Rep. toured the Everglades in Broward County on an airboat to learn more about efforts to improve water flow through the National Park.

A Year After Irma, Everglades City Struggles To Rebuild

By Amy Green • Sep 12, 2018

A year ago Hurricane Irma barreled into Everglades City. Everything in this remote southwest Florida fishing village that was not on stilts flooded.

Now the town is rebuilding in a state where a policy of climate change denial leaves coastal residents on their own to face the risks.

The water outside was chest high by the time Lisa Marteeny flung open the trailer door to flee with her husband Lee and their dog Killer.

Toxic Algae Seeps Into Florida Congressional Races

By Greg Allen • Sep 7, 2018

On Florida's St. Lucie River, east of Lake Okeechobee, locks and a dam hold water before it races downstream to the estuary on what is known as Florida's Treasure Coast.

But looking out over the river, Stephen Davis with the Everglades Foundation sees signs of trouble. "There's a pretty substantial mat of the blue-green algae we see floating on the surface," the wetland ecologist says. "As soon as these gates are open, the water will pass out into the estuary."

Scientists Studying New 'Hybrid' Pythons In The Everglades

By Alejandra Martinez • Aug 30, 2018

FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION

The U.S. Geological Survey, USGS, is collecting DNA to track a new snake hybrid in the Everglades.

As Florida Struggles With Algae Blooms, NOAA Research Program Is At Risk

By Kate Stein • Aug 30, 2018

As Florida struggles with 'red tide' algae blooms on the west coast and blue-green algae in inland waterways, a federal program to help communities deal with harmful algae outbreaks is set to lose its Congressional authorization at the end of September.

Everglades Advocates Call On Senate Majority Leader To Help Florida With Algae Crisis

By Kate Stein • Aug 9, 2018

Andrew West / The News Press via the Miami Herald

Everglades advocates are telling Congress to get moving on a major restoration project needed to help prevent future algae blooms like the ones currently choking inland and coastal waterways in Florida.

Rubio To Oppose 836 Extension Into Kendall Due To Everglades Concerns

By Alex Daugherty • Aug 8, 2018

Marco Rubio announced Tuesday that he will ask federal agencies to oppose the 836 expressway expansion into West Kendall, a major roadblock for Mayor Carlos Gimenez and the Miami-Dade County Commission after they gave preliminary approval for the 14-mile highway in June.

The Republican senator’s alignment with environmentalists, who say the highway would damage the Everglades and cause urban sprawl, could affect the project’s progress due to federal land swaps from the Department of Interior that are needed before construction can begin.

From Traffic To Sea-Level Rise, South Florida Has Many 'Resilience' Issues. Here's What That Means.

By Kate Stein • Aug 3, 2018

There's a buzzword among people who work on quality-of-life issues in South Florida: "Resilience."

It’s a concept we often apply to a person, someone who's able to cope with difficult circumstances. But more and more, the word is being used in the context of how communities respond to issues like traffic, hurricanes, affordable housing and rising seas.

Event Highlights Why Birds Matter To The Everglades

By Kate Stein • Jul 17, 2018

When it comes to the health of the Everglades, scientists often look to the birds. The healthier the ecosystem, the bigger the populations of wading birds like wood storks, spoonbills, egrets and herons.

Scientists say this year is shaping up to be a very good season for wading bird nesting, on the heels of a 2017 nesting season where some bird populations grew by 50 percent or more.

Nathaniel Reed, Champion Of Florida's Everglades And The Endangered Species Act, Dies At 84

By Kate Stein • Jul 12, 2018

A man who championed Everglades restoration and inspired decades of Florida conservationists died Wednesday during a fishing trip, according to his family.

Lake Okeechobee Reservoir Gets Approval From Federal Budget Officials

By Kate Stein • Jul 11, 2018

A plan to build a water storage reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee was approved by federal budget officials on Tuesday, as part of an effort to reduce blue-green algae blooms on Florida's coasts.

The roughly $1.6 billion dollar reservoir project will now pass from the White House Office of Management and Budget to the U.S. Senate, where it's expected to be funded as part of a water resources bill.

Algae Outbreak Prompts State Of Emergency Declaration ... Again

By Kate Stein • Jul 9, 2018

Gov. Rick Scott on Monday declared a state of emergency for seven counties experiencing blue-green algae blooms, including Palm Beach County.

The blooms are in large part due to water discharges from Lake Okeechobee. They can cause fish die-offs and respiratory irritation in humans. And it's not the first time the foul-smelling blooms have prompted an emergency declaration: in the summer of 2016, at the peak of the July tourist season, the blooms closed beaches and fishing businesses.

Dike Repair Money Coming Amid Algae Woes

By News Service of Florida • Jul 9, 2018

As calls grow for state action to deal with toxic algae blooms in Southeast and Southwest Florida, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced funding is in place to speed repairs to the Herbert Hoover Dike around Lake Okeechobee.

Figure Out How To Cheaply Fix Algae Blooms And Win $10 Million

By Greg Allen • Jul 6, 2018

Smack in the middle of the Florida peninsula, Lake Okeechobee, one of the largest lakes in the U.S., has a nagging problem. Nearly every year now, large blooms of algae form in the lake.

On a recent visit, even Steve Davis, a senior ecologist with the Everglades Foundation, was surprised.

"Oh my gosh," he exclaimed, "look how thick this blue-green mat is right here."

The Case Of The (Not) Missing Flamingos: A South Florida Detective Story

By Nancy Klingener • Jul 3, 2018

Is there anything more Floridian than a flamingo?

They’re everywhere. Pink plastic ornaments dotting lawns. On cocktail swizzlers and motel signs.

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