These are difficult times for Florida’s precious environment.
We lost more than 1000 manatees in one year, a record that no one wants. Tens of thousands of acres have been lost in seagrass. Red Tide has caused the death of thousands of fish. Red Tide also fuelled the Piney Point disaster which saw more than 400,000,000 gallons toxic, nutrient rich water leaking into Tampa Bay.
Florida is the only state that is not at risk from sea level rising, with more homes than any other place in the country.
There is good news. The Florida Legislature has a huge opportunity to address these challenges during its 2022 session and continue to work towards healthy oceans and coasts for future generations.
First, Gov. First, the governor. DeSantis appointed a new chief resilient officer last fall to coordinate state and local efforts. These challenges can be effectively met if there is a statewide strategy.
The Legislature should make the chief resilience officer permanent this year by enshrining the position in state law and funding an Office of Resilience. The state should formally assign the office to create a statewide strategy to address rising sea levels and coordinate efforts across all government agencies. These changes will ensure accountability at the governor’s desk and provide one point of contact for planning and overseeing a coordinated approach to making our state resilient to rising waters and stronger storms.
A small change in state law could also make a difference. Many construction projects are underway in the state and should be designed to adapt to rising sea levels. Planners are not consistent in determining what data about sea level rise should be used.
A small change in state law can save time and money. State departments should be required by lawmakers to use the most current sea level rise data from NOAA when designing projects. This is a smart approach that will save taxpayers billions over the long-term and protect Florida’s coastal economy.
Legislators have other options to improve and protect the environment. Lawmakers should improve the effectiveness of basin management plans, which are one way to improve and restore water quality. They should also codify recommendations from the Blue Green Algae Bloom Task Force, which will help protect our oceans coasts from the ravages nutrient pollution and harmful algal Blooms.
Common-sense changes that could protect our beaches and wildlife should also be approved by lawmakers. Give local governments the authority and power to ban smoking on beaches and in state parks. For decades, cigarette bits — small, fibrous bundles made of plastic — have been the most frequent item found at annual beach clean-ups. A simple solution to a long-standing problem is to ban smoking on beaches.
Jon Paul J.P. Brooker, director of Florida Conservation, is the lawyer for Ocean Conservancy. This non-profit organization is the oldest in the field of marine conservation.
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