Monthly Meeting & Program
The Nature Coast Coalition:
Protecting the Last Best Places

by Cindy Liberton, Web Manager, Nature Coast Coalition,
Owner, Next Steps Collective
January 3, 2011

The Nature Coast, stretching between Pasco and Wakulla Counties, is one of Florida's longest natural coastlines. This little known region holds an rich mosaic of wetlands, rivers, springs, seagrass beds, coastal marshes, and uplands. As coastal habitat disappears across Florida, the Nature Coast becomes critical for recreational and commercial fish species, marine mammals, sea turtles, and migratory birds, as well as the wildlife and plant life further inland.

The Nature Coast Coalition was formed under the leadership of Joe Murphy, then with Gulf Restoration Network, to help communities and organizations work together to protect our natural heritage for future generations. The Hernando and Nature Coast Chapters of FNPS are among the organizations sharing information and providing expertise to develop a sustainable vision for the Nature Coast's future.

Our presenter, Hernando Chapter member Cindy Liberton, collaborated on creation of the Coalition's website; a project that introduces the public to vast intact expanses of real Florida, and describes the threats most likely to despoil them. This presentation will offer a tour of the character and issues of the Nature Coast with images from photojournalist Eriz Zamora's project, "Life on the Edge: The Story of Florida's Nature Coast." These images include aerial views compliments of Southwings, a group of private pilots that donate airtime in support of conservation.

 

The challenges that face the pristine landscapes of the Nature Coast include destructive and fragmenting development, non-sustainable resource extraction, and pollution of water systems. The challenge that faces the Nature Coast Coalition is to equip local champions with the science, advocacy and public education tools they need to build local support for preservation of natural areas.

In November, representatives from Nature Coast organizations gathered in Crystal River to look at the history of large advocacy efforts, such as the defeat of the Cross-Florida Barge Canal, current issues related to mining permits in Levy County, and how we can use lessons learned to influence policy. Experience tells us that the necessary efforts will be difficult, multi-faceted and long-term. But together, we can create widespread allegiance to the label, "Nature Coast."

Learn more:

The Nature Coast Coalition, http://naturecoastcoalition.org
Eric Zamora's Life on the Edge Project at http://ericzamora.com/conservation/life-on-the-edge.html
Southwings, http://southwings.org
Gulf Restoration Network, http://www.healthygulf.org/

Programs of the Hernando Chapter are open to the public, free of charge. We meet on the first Monday of the month (except for holidays) at the American Legion Hall in downtown Brooksville across from the post office. We gather for delicious food and fellowship at 6:30pm, meeting and program starts at 7:00pm. For more information about this program or the Florida Native Plant Society, contact the Hernando Chapter Board at hcfnps@gmail.com.

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Planning for the Future of Hernando County

Currently, there are several important planning activities afoot where our Chapter is speaking out for the conservation of native plant communities. We encourage all Hernando County citizens to get involved in whatever way you can to keep the "nature" up front on the Nature Coast.

The Hernando County Comprehensive Plan Evaluation and Appraisal includes a series of public workshops held by the Planning and Zoning Commission to discuss key issues related to future development and resource use in Hernando County.
Several workshops have taken place, and our Chapter has been there to represent you. The workshop on January 10 is a particularly critical one: Workshop on Future Land Use Pattern.

At http://www.hernandocounty.us/plan/EAR/ you can get the agenda packet, review minutes of previous workshops, e-mail your comments for the record and fill out an on-line survey. This is an important opportunity to weigh in on continuation and expansion of our county's sensitive lands program as well as priorities in job development, transportation and housing.
To get on the mailing list for the newsletter summing up the progress of the process, contact Patricia McNeese, 352-754-4057 ext. 28016

Appropriate Use for SWFWMD Lands. On November 18, several members of the Hernando Chapter showed up to be counted at the discussion of public use meeting for the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Kevin Love, of SWFWMD, says this, "The FNPS was well represented, as were other environmental groups, and they all contributed to a well-balanced discussion on the pros and cons of expanding hunting on District lands. The hunters, the other stakeholders and the attending board members now have a more complete and healthy perspective on balance and wise use of our preserves. Best of all, they are now well aware that the hunters will no longer dominate the process."

The next meeting will evaluate criteria to apply to District lands to determine if there are hunting opportunities on District properties that are not currently hunted. The next SWFWMD hunting working group meeting will be held on January 28 at 2:00 at the District’s Tampa Service Office Board Room, 7601 US Highway 301, Tampa, FL 33637. The objectives of this meeting include prioritizing properties for further evaluation and reaching consensus on the evaluation criteria. Hernando Chapter members who wish to attend on behalf of the Society can write the board at hcfnps@gmail.com to coordinate and receive instructions for RSVPs.

Cooperative Invasive Species Management Areas, generally delineated along political boundaries, bring together representatives from various stakeholders–private and public–in a partnership for locating and managing exotic plant problems in their area (http://www.floridainvasives.org/cismas.html). The potential formation of a CISMA for the central West Coast of Florida is being considered, and will be discussed on February 9, 2011 in Tampa, 9:30am, at the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Tampa office, located at 7601 U.S. 301 Tampa, Fl 33637 which is just north of the intersection of I-4 and U.S. 301. For more information, contact Chapter Member Brian Nelson at his SWFWMD day job, brian.nelson@swfwmd.state.fl.us

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Jason LaRoche is Volunteer of 2010

On December 3rd, Hernando Chapter President Miki Renner awarded the volunteer of the year to our Secretary, Jason LaRoche. Miki notes that Jason rarely missed a meeting and provided consistent and thorough meeting minutes. He also persists in all efforts and errands.  For example, he followed through numerous times with the Green Bean activity; was diligent in accomplishing the Parker's Landing planting; and attends, hauls materials, and sets up at almost all events.

Jason is reliable and consistent in providing plants for all our plant sales and has worked hard to reestablish plant opportunities at our general meetings. Jason has carried all this out with grace, patience and a delightful pleasant attitude, even acting as mediator in negotiating occasional misunderstandings. As Miki says, Jason a great volunteer, an exceptional representative of the Hernando Chapter FNPS, a good friend and a caring and warm-hearted human being.