Save Biscayne Bay

[Connie Mier]

There is a bill in the Florida senate that could harshly affect Biscayne Bay's aquatic preserves. Please urge the senators to not support this bill. It only took a few minutes to send a few emails and make a few phone calls to the senators listed below.
http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2011/1404

Call your senators!!

Now there's a senate version (SB 1404 or a version of it) that would make this law.  Here's what it would do:
                       --Undo Biscayne Bay's hardship rule allowing dredge and fill operations  in Biscayne Bay's wetlands.  Biscayne Bay's 2 aquatic preserves are the most        
                            protected aquatic preserve of all 41 with a special provision to prohibit development on publicly owned lands
                      --not require permits to maintenance dredge even if the area was previously undistrubed
                      --allow turbidity (150 meters from dredge) which would significantly disturb our resources
                      --contains several action items to make it easier for ports to dredge and conduct other activities with little to no regulation, even in Outstanding Florida
                            Waters like Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserve
 
1.  CALL SENATOR JERRY RING'S OFFICE TODAY.  He is a democrat from Tamarac (Broward) who may not want to add the HB 991 language forward as he is being urged to do.  TELL HIM TO NOT SUPPORT THE LANGUAGE OF HB 991 in SB 1404 or any bill that he moves forward THAT WOULD WEAKEN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS ALL OVER THE STATE
 
2.  Call the Miami-Dade delegation--there are only 7 to call. 
         --Anitere Flores told volunteers on Thursday that she would stop at nothing to protect Biscayne Bay.  Let's count on her for that. 
         --Nan Rich is well aware of the threats to Biscayne Bay and the impacts of this bill--urge her to not support it.

Biscayne Bay Waterkeeper; Friends of Biscayne Bay; Tropical Audubon Society; Selkkie Society; Friends of Virginia Key; Sierra Club; Audubon of Florida and others--please make calls and spread this to your members immediately for calls to be made today.

Monster Bill passing house article from Miami Herald this weekend:  http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/04/29/2193415/fla-house-passes-environmental.html

Harvey Ruvin (Miami-Dade's Clerk of Court) article on protecting Biscayne Bay from Sunday:  http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/04/30/2193269/biscayne-bay-threatened-by-tallahassee.html

 

Miami-Dade Delegation of Senators and Representatives
	email	district phone	Tallahassee	Fax
Senators:
Senator Frederica Wilson (D)	[e-mail]	[phone]	[phone]	[phone]
Senator Nan Rich (D) (she's in broward but very friendly to our cause)	[e-mail]	[phone]	[phone]	[phone]
Senator Gwen Margolis (D)	[e-mail]	[phone]	[phone]
Senator Miguel Diaz de la Portilla (R )	[e-mail]	[phone]	[phone]
Senator Anitere Flores (R )	[e-mail]	[phone]	[phone]
Senator Larcenia Bullard (D)	[e-mail]	[phone]	[phone]	[phone]
Senator Rene Garcia (R )	[e-mail]	[phone]	[phone]	305) 364-3110
Senator  Jerry Ring (D) Tamarac;	[e-mail]	[phone]	[phone]	[phone]
Ring's aides:  Sheldon Plotnick, Joel Ramos, James Rusciano

[Esther Luft]

Thank you for the information, Connie.  It seems to be open-season for those less concerned about the natural World around us.  I will share, widely.

[Juan Estevez]

Thanks Connie, I also will be sharing this info.