The Wheelchair Derby and Fundraising Event recently held at Highlands Hammock State Park was a great success.  Thanks to the combined efforts of park staff, Gathering of Clubs-Motorcycle Riders and Enthusiasts, Friends of Highlands Hammock State Park, Friends of Florida State Parks, and others, over $10,000 was raised.

The bulk of this money was used to purchase a Nomad all-terrain power wheelchair from Extreme Mobility.  The chair is maneuvered with a joy stick that can be used from either the right or left armrest and is equipped with a cell phone charger and a GPS locator.   This chair opens up the parks miles of beautiful trails to almost anyone unable to walk. 

Paula Russo, who uses a mobility scooter, says, “This Nomad will get me to places in the park I had no hope of getting to before.  I can now join my family on a long hike or I can go out on my own for some peaceful solitude.  A whole new world has opened for me.”

Brian Pinson, manager of Highlands Hammock State Park, believes it is important that visitors with disabilities are able to enjoy as many features of the park as possible.  This certainly shows in his willingness to make this kind of mobility equipment available to those who need it.

Friends of Florida State Parks donated $1,500 towards the purchase of the Nomad.  Thanks and regards go to the Florida Region of the Aliner Owners Club who donated $800 of that figure. 

Friends of Florida State Parks also helped out with promoting the event.

Florida’s award-winning state parks are the best in the nation and have been recognized as such a record three times.

Last year, Florida’s 171 parks and trails attracted more than 25 million visitors - more than Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. It takes quite an army to run such a huge operation from the officials with the Florida Park Service in Tallahassee down to the managers and rangers at each of the parks.

However, what a lot of people don’t realize is that there is another ‘secret’ army at work which plays a vital role in helping to keep the operation running smoothly. This is the army of volunteers – 27,000 strong – who last year contributed almost 1.4 million hours to state parks.

Those volunteer hours – the equivalent of 666 full-time employees- account for almost two-thirds of the park service’s total full-time manpower, and are a $29.6 million value to the State of Florida.

Many parks also have a non-profit Citizen’s Support Organization (CSO) which apart from providing volunteers also provides direct support which last year totaled more than $2.6 million. This support ranges from providing administrative support and maintenance of park infrastructure, building boardwalks and interpretive displays to organizing educational and environmental events and hosting school visits. It also includes providing visitor services, acting as campground hosts, helping to increase accessibility for all and much more.

While many volunteers interface with the public, many more perform their volunteer duties out of sight. Retired motor mechanics help to keep the park vehicles and equipment running. CSOs often use their funds to buy needed parts or new vehicles, equipment and supplies. Other volunteers work in areas of the park not regularly visited by the public keeping trails open, building new ones, removing exotic and nuisance plants and so on.

Volunteers come from all walks of life and provide the park’s with a treasure chest full of skills. Many have trades and can help erect and repair buildings. Others are skilled educators and interpreters. The one thing they all have in common, however, is their love of our wonderful state parks which is why they all give their time so freely.

So the next time you visit one of Florida’s state parks spare a thought for the volunteers. They may take your entrance fee as you drive into the park, they may lead you on a guided tour or conduct an interpretive program. Or you may never see one at all time because they are busy out of sight working to make your experience a more satisfying one.

Paula Dockery: The case for ‘yes’ on Amendment One

OPERATION RECREATION GEOTOUR

Florida state parks now offers geocaching adventures!

Click here for details.

A new statewide citizen support organization (CSO), the Aquatic Preserve Society, has been formed to promote the protection of Florida's 41 aquatic preserves.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Florida Coastal Office has long made use of the volunteerism and fundraising capabilities of citizen support organizations from around the state. These CSOs work in conjunction with regional staff to hold events and provide operational support throughout the year.

“We are very excited to see how the Aquatic Preserve Society develops,” said Kevin Claridge of the Florida Coastal Office. “CSO groups have been instrumental in our efforts across the state, and we look forward to adding more strength and stability to this network.”

After gathering a list of nominees to create this new CSO, a two-day meeting was held in April to gauge interest in the concept. This meeting was designed to determine the wants and needs of the existing CSO network, as well as solicit feedback from the group. As a result of this meeting, the group decided a statewide CSO could vastly increase the effectiveness of the existing network and enhance awareness of aquatic preserves.

During the April meeting, participants performed various visioning and brainstorming activities that established both short- and long-term goals, along with a name for the statewide CSO. Some of the main goals included fundraising and improving the overall support for the existing network.

The Aquatic Preserve Society has now gained the Florida Nonprofit Status and is currently working on filing internal documents with both the IRS and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

The next big steps for the statewide organization will be to draft bylaws and a memorandum of agreement with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Upon completion and signing of the memorandum of agreement, the Aquatic Preserve Society will become an official CSO for the Florida Coastal Office.

Aquatic Preserves are sovereign submerged lands protected under the Aquatic Preserve Act of 1975. There are 41 aquatic preserves in Florida totaling about 2.7 million acres. The preserves protect bird rookeries, fish nurseries, freshwater springs, salt marshes, mangroves and sea grass meadows. Some preserves contain cultural heritage sites of civilization that lived there for a time. While the preserves protect the beauty and landscape, visitors are encouraged to enjoy swimming, fishing, boating and paddling in designated areas.

The award-winning Battle of Bloody Mose at Fort Mose Historic State Park is one of the most celebrated reenactments which takes place at a Florida state park. The historic battle took place on June 26, 1740 in the village of Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose, the first legally sanctioned free black settlement in the continental United States and became the site of the bloodiest battle in Florida’s part in the War of Jenkins’ Ear. The decisive Spanish victory at “Bloody Mose” was one of the factors that caused the end of the British invasion of Spanish Florida.

On June 21 and 22, the sixth annual commemoration will take place thanks to a grant from the Florida Humanities Council. The event opens with a presentation of the colors by the Naval Sea Cadet Battalion of Saint Augustine with a cannon and musket salute. Two reenactments will take place at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and throughout the day visitors will have the chance to visit vignettes of life in Saint Augustine under siege, the Yamassee confederation preparing for battle and strategic planning for the surprise attack at the Castillo de San Marcos.

During a lunch break at noon, visitors will be entertained with performances by Florida Living History’s Theater with a Mission from one of Spain’s oldest plays, Nuevo Mundo by Lope de Vega. The second day of the event will allow visitors to meet and interact with reenactors. Invite family and friends to this amazing event and experience just a bit of the history that encompasses Florida.

Admission to the event is free and takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days.

242 Children, Teachers and Aides Enjoyed the Educational Experience

Note: Transportation costs for the children were underwritten through partnerships with the Friends of Florida State Parks and grant money from the Jelks Family Foundation.  This grant also provided transportation for the visits of several other classes of older children during the 2013/2014 school year.

On April 16and 17 the kindergarteners, with their teachers and aides from Dunnellon and Romeo Elementary Schools visited Rainbow Springs State Park.  Their visit included tours of the Park and a chance to meet some of the animals that make up the wildlife of the area.

Representatives from Homosassa Springs State Park , Silver Springs State Park, and the Animis  Wildlife Rescue brought lots of creatures to show and talk about, including a baby alligator, baby opossum, birds, turtles, and Indy, the Indigo snake, a past resident of our park.  Jeff Sowards, our guardian of all things aquatic, brought live catfish, crawfish, turtles, and more from the Rainbow River.  It may have been the first opportunity some of these children have had to see such animals up-close and personal.

Dan and Glenna, two Park volunteers, lead the children on walkabouts through the Park and shared their knowledge of plants, birds and other wildlife.

Friends of Rainbow Springs State Park volunteers provided a “goody” bag for each child filled with crayons, coloring book, stickers, and information about the Park, which they received before they left to return to school.

Many volunteers helped make this event a fun time as well as a great learning experience for all the children.  The teachers and aides were grateful for all the support.

(Reprinted from the Friends of Rainbow Springs State Park newsletter. Article by Linda Booth, Chair of Kindergarten Day)

By BRUCE RITCHIE

FLORIDAENVIRONMENTS.COM

Gov. Rick Scott on Friday signed 94 bills into law including most of the notable environmental legislation that passed in the 2014 legislative session.

The 2014 session overall was quiet, but only after controversial bills dealing with growth management (SB 372) and environmental regulation (HB 703) died in committees. Among the bills signed on Friday:

SB 272 dealing with water utilities. The bill allows customers to petition the Public Service Commission to revoke the operating certificates of private water utilities.

HB 325 dealing with contamination sites known as brownfields. The bill expands liability protection for those doing site cleanups to include property damage or diminished value of property. Sierra Club Florida had requested a veto.

HB 536 dealing with recycled wastewater. The bill calls for a study by Dec. 1, 2015,on expanding the use of wastewater, also called “reclaimed” water.

SB 1070 Relating to Fuel Terminals. The bill prohibits cities and counties in the future from classifying fuel terminals as incompatible with local zoning.

SB 1194 involving state agency citizen support organizations. The bill would provide for a review process by the Legislature every five years to determine whether groups should be abolished. Friends of Florida State Parks opposed the bill.

HB 7023 relating to a variety of Department of Environmental Protection issues. The bill allows DEP to review aquatic preserves for possible visitor concessions, deletes old language from the petroleum contamination cleanup program prior to competitive bidding being implemented and extends environmental permits for two years. Sierra Club Florida requested a veto because of the permit extensions.

HB 7147, containing energy recommendations by Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam. The bill drew environmental opposition because it eliminates the Solar Energy System Rebate Program that was shut down after 2010. HB 7147 also authorizes Putnam’s department to maintain a web page listing alternative fueling stations.

(Story and photo copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and Floridaenvironments.com. Reprinted with permission.)

The Wakulla Springs Alliance has come out against plans by Tallahassee Community College’s new Wakulla Environmental Institute to develop a campground near Cherokee Sink.

TCC intends to lease from the state 2,000 acres adjacent to Wakulla Springs State Park for an educational training site, including a 60-site RV and tent campground.

In a letter to Florida Division of Recreation and Parks Director Donald Forgione, alliance acting chairman Rodney DeHan said the group voted unanimously last week to oppose the project, contending WEI has not presented a plan with enough detail for the Department of Environmental Protection to make an informed decision.

“We believe the focus of any proposal for this valuable tract which lies within a very vulnerable watershed should be conservation and restoration, rather an intensive recreational use,” the letter said. “If approved, this project would be by far the largest lease of state park property every granted by FDEP. Approving this lease would amount to a fundamental change in state park management practices in Florida and must be very carefully evaluated.”

DEP plans to hold a public meeting on the Cherokee Sink lease proposal at 7 p.m. June 17 at the Woodville branch library.

The request for a 50-year sublease of the property, located west of State Road 61 across from Wakulla Springs Lodge, was sent May 6 to Forgione by WEI executive director Bob Ballard. In the letter, Ballard said the parcel is the only one in Wakulla County suitable to meet the new institute’s need for hands-on training of entry-level land managers and outdoor-recreation and park-hospitality students.

Ballard, who has twice met with the science-based spring advocacy group to discuss the WEI proposal, said the alliance members have asked good questions that have helped strengthen the plan.

“We want to continue to make this project better and we look forward to help from the springs alliance to make this better so we can move forward,” he said Friday.

The Cherokee Sink tract was purchased by the state in 1999 for $5.2 million from the St. Joe Co., to protect water quality in the vast, 200- to 300-feet-deep subterranean cave system that connects to Wakulla Spring and other nearby springs and sinkholes. The property, which was clear cut about 35 years ago, was made a part of Wakulla Springs State Park, but lacking money and resources, park staff members have been unable to undertake proper restoration of the land.

The WEI campground plan at Cherokee Sink is similar to one pitched in 2011 by DEP, when Ballard served as deputy secretary. That proposal, part of an agency effort to boost state-park revenue, included 120 campsites on 60 acres, as well as 12 equestrian camping areas, but it was halted following widespread public opposition.

The alliance, in its letter, said it is “perplexing” that such a major lease proposal would be so quickly given a public hearing “with no documentation beyond a two-page letter.”

“The current process appears to be moving on an accelerated time frame that does not allow adequate time for full consideration of public concerns,” said the letter, which includes a list of questions and comments.

WEI’s current proposal reduces by half the number of campsites previously envisioned, prohibits horses and calls for development at the highest environmental standards. The campground restrooms and all RV sites would be connected to the county central sewer system, and the sewer lines would be specially modified where they cross the underground cave system to avoid sewage spills in case of a broken pipe. Septic tanks, which are a leading cause of spring water-quality problems, would not be allowed.

Along with the 60 RV and tent sites, the proposed 200-acre campground would include 10 yurts, a ranger station with three offices, as well as a restroom and picnic pavilion at Cherokee Sink, a long-popular local swimming hole that has been closed to the public for years because of water-quality problems. The campground also would include access to Wakulla Springs State Park.

The rest of the parcel would be restored to its natural state in phases, replacing invasive species with natives such as longleaf pines and wire grasses, along with proper management techniques such as prescribed fire. Both the campground and the surrounding land would serve as a teaching laboratory for upcoming resource managers, Ballard said.

Development of the campground would cost about $3 million, to be borrowed by a new TCC limited-liability corporation. The park service would enforce compliance with the terms of the use agreement. If conditions weren’t met, the land would go back to the state’s care.