for citizens who care about Tampa Bay's growth management, transportation & environment
In the whole state-wide list of all the conservation land the state is considering for acquisition, throughout Florida’s 67 counties, Hillsborough is one of only 4 counties where the state lists NO proposed conservation projects. County Commissioner Sandra Murman responded to our emails and directed staff to address this.
Two weeks ago I reported that Hillsborough is one of only 4 counties where the state has NO land targeted for conservation on Florida Forever’s list. Some of us tried to talk to the DEP land-acquisition committee (ARC) about this, but they didn’t even show up for their public meeting. I think we need to ask our State Legislators for help.
Not a single one of the ten members of Florida’s Acquisition and Restoration Council (ARC) showed up for their twice-yearly “Regional Public Meeting” this week. Over 70 citizens went to the meeting to speak to the council during this rare chance to discuss State conservation projects with this group. Instead, citizens found themselves speaking into a mike facing a dais of empty seats where the ARC members would have sat — if they had come.
Now that Florida voters have overwhelmingly passed the Water & Land Conservation Amendment (Amendment 1), which restores the funding for our state to buy and protect environmental land, let’s take a look at the state’s list of proposed conservation projects … wait, what?! In the whole state-wide list of all the conservation land the state is considering for acquisition, throughout Florida’s 67 counties, Hillsborough is one of only 3 counties where the state lists NO proposed conservation projects.
There are TWO proposed developments threatening our environment & communities. YOU can help by attending the hearings: May 11, 9:00 a.m., is the critical FINAL hearing for the first half of the Wimauma Sprawl project. Please come! If we lose this …
Thanks to diligent citizens who refused to take “no” for an answer, the county has, finally, found a way to transfer Cone Ranch from the Water Dept. to ELAPP — immediately! After months of insisting that there was NO WAY this could be accomplished…