Crist to veto seagrass mitigation bill

Gov. Charlie Crist said Tuesday morning that he intends to veto a bill that would allow developers to destroy seagrass beds. Crist said he decided to veto the bill "to save the seagrass, of course."

The bill was originally intended to help seagrass beds, creating fines for boaters who damage them. But a last-minute change to the bill created a means for developers to gain permission to destroy seagrass beds through mitigation -- essentially writing a check to replace the damage on public property elsewhere in the state. Many environmentalists who originally pushed for the bill had wound up calling for its veto because of the change.

Comments

I am very happy to see we have a Governnor who cares about our state. Thank you Governor Crist.

[Not all Republicans sell out to developers]

Thank you Governor Crist.

SPT - please repeat the name of the Republican scum legislator who tacked the mitigation clause onto a otherwise perfectly good pro-seagrass bill, so everyone who hates dirty pols can vote him out next cycle.

Thanks!

he is a weasel who just switched parties. He actually has only been elected as a democrat. So there

I'd be happy to see a Governor who actually showed up for work more than once a week.

Rep. Will Kendrick, R-Carrabelle

10:03 Since when does "R" mean Democrat? You mean he switched parties because his weaseling would fit right in with the Republican ideology?

He must be a loyal GOP now, since you wouldn't post his name - NOW LET'S VOTE THIS SCUM OUT OF OFFICE!

Who is analyzing this bill for the Gov? Anyone who is familiar witht this legislation knows this an agency bill for DEP and Florida Forever oversight. The Gov and Cabinet already had the ability to create mitigation banks...and will still have that power when he vetoes this bill. He is just bowing to enviros who are crying wolf for no reason.

[deebee]

This is a perfect example of backdoor lobbyist legislation that gets inserted into bills at the last minute without anyone knowing it. Thank goodness for the line item veto and thanks, Gov. Crist.

[Lucy]

Rep. Will Kendrick - a name that needs to be remembered and voted AGAINST at the next election. As a matter of fact, I'm ready to clean house and vote against all incumbents. I'm tired of their same old games. Let's see what some new blood will do.

[Lucy]

Rep. Will Kendrick - a name that needs to be remembered and voted AGAINST at the next election. As a matter of fact, I'm ready to clean house and vote against all incumbents. I'm tired of their same old games. Let's see what some new blood will do.

so the enviros were for it before they were against it

veto? kind of awkward since 2 of his agencies have come out in favor of the bill. nice that cc would rather not take the recommendations of his own dep secretary in favor of what the newspaper says.

[Wayne Jackson]

Thanks Gov. Crist for doing the right thing and vetoing this bill. Thanks again!

Yes, thanks Gov. Crist for doing the right thing and not listening to your agency recommendations in vetoing this bill. We all see who influences your decisions now.

[Matt]

Unless there is studies that show that newly planted seagrass does not offer the same environmental benefits that "old seagrass" provides, then I see no reason why mitigation should not be allowed. Without a mitigation clause a developer would be more likely to destroy the seagrass if discovered on the site without notification, or (depending on the fine) just take the fine without worrying about replantation.

They do this for roadways. If a road has to be built through a wetland, any area that is affected is mitigated with the creation of new wetland areas, generally near pond sites.

[Carol]

Thank you to Governor Crist for the promised veto on this bill. For far too long developers have been allowed to buy their way around whatever they wanted and Florida's coastline, wildlife, and forests have suffered. Time to say "No" to developers and "Yes" to the preservation of our environment.

carol - if you're so concerned about "preservation of our environment" then why don't you send audubon society an email asking about profiting from oil and natural gas drilling on their largest nature preserve in Louisiana?

I hate sea grass... I jump in the water behind my house and basically rip that stuff up... it gets in propellars... the kids hate it around their feet... it is just a pain to be around.

Don't worry, people will be asking Audubon a lot of questions, especially after they nearly undercut everyone group working to stop this bad bill.

Carol, 1:58 is right. If Audubon is allowing that to occur, then we should all object. We should object even more strenuously to the Bush/McCain hegemony that wants to sink wells all over the Gulf Coast of Florida, in the Everglades, and in the Arctic Nat Wildlife Refuge.

So please, Carol, Vote for Barack Obama, just as I'm sure the environmentalsit at 1:53 will be.

Love the quote: "to save the seagrass, of course." What he really means is "cut law enforcement off at the knees so they are unable to fine anyone who destroys seagrass beds, of course."

1:53 What are you talking about? As the law stands right now the Governor can still create mitigation banks if he wants with the approval of the Cabinet. This legislation makes it okay for people who destroy seagrass beds to be fined. This includes developers but also your average boaters who harm seagrass on a regular basis. And DEP still has to approve any new development anyway - this law doesn't change that...you don't know what you are talking about.

I prefer to use one of those underwater rakes to pull up seagrass... like the one here...

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6748728-0-large.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6748728.html&h=802&w=1593&sz=258&hl=en&start=3&um=1&tbnid=XuLsSul1QgMY3M:&tbnh=76&tbnw=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dunderwater%2Brake%26gbv%3D2%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den

2:28 More lies and half-truths. Grow a conscience, you're a bad example even for Republicans.

Keep doing the right thing Governor. The majority of real people are supporting you. Please dont ever let those special interests sway you from doing the right thing.

2:36 It's not about having a conscience, it's about realizing this bill does more good than bad. You are probably one of the so-called "enviros" who only sees the negative, wants only good and no potential bad and then throws up your hands in defeat and accuses the Legislature of never doing anything to help the environment as you support the Governor vetoing a perfectly good bill.

4:08 Nope, as you well know (but won't admit), it was a much better bill before the loser Rep. Will Kendrick, R-Carrabelle, tacked on the mitigation loophole for his developer pals. Replanting seagrass beds is not the same as leaving them undredged and undeveloped.

Rep. Will Kendrick, R-Carrabelle
Rep. Will Kendrick, R-Carrabelle
Rep. Will Kendrick, R-Carrabelle

Remember!

4:17 And what you won't admit is there is no mitigation until this is actual damage, and there is no damage until a developer gets approved to build, and that process has not changed. A developer still has to go through the same process with DEP and the Cabinet to obtain a permit before building can even begin, and if it does not meet the standard of providing public benefit, demonstrating avoidance and minimization of impacts - then nothing will be damaged. Because why would DEP approve a permit they knew would damage seagrass beds? Also, the Cabinet already has the right to authorize mitigation banks. This bill doesn't change that either. I think your conspiracy theory has some holes.

4:27 after doing some research it seems that you are right. I am still not comfortable with what this legislation could mean for developers but it does not change as much as the protesters want us to believe.

[Chris W]

What's getting lost in the back-and-forth here is that the public knows that developers aren't set up to do anything except look after their own profits, and when there's a conflict between private profit and public good we all know which one will win unless there are rules like "you can't destroy mangroves" or "you can't destroy seagrass beds no matter *who* you gave money to last election".

Making money is a natural thing for a business; for some of them, that means destroying something nice that existed there before. But just because something is natural doesn't mean it's good; it's natural for sharks to eat, but we still try to keep them away from the swimmers however we can.

4:27 After reading the article in question, it sounds to me like you are just a disappointed developer or lobbyist shill trying to whitewash the issue.

The orginal Bill said: "Boaters who destroy seagrass will be fined."

Stop right there! Great idea, nothing wrong with that.

Now along comes the weasel:

Rep. Will Kendrick, R-Carrabelle

and introduces an addendum which would have "created a means for developers to GAIN PERMISSION to destroy seagrass beds through mitigation."

and you ask:

"why would DEP approve a permit they knew would damage seagrass beds?"

Answer: BECAUSE NOW ITS LEGAL TO DO SO!

Before:

Developer: "Hi, I'd like to build a marina that will trash 10 acres of seagrass."

DEP: No way! Trashing Seagrass is strictly illegal.

After:

Developer: "Hi, I'd like to build a marina that will trash 10 acres of seagrass."

DEP: "I hear the J.D. Alexander Parkway in Polk country needs some new sod in the right of way. $10,000.00 please!"* Any gopher tortoises you'd like to bury alive? There's a special this week.

Developer: "I'll take a dozen!"

* - $100 with a recent GOP campaign donation.