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Energy Conservation Policies at Risk!
Week 5 was an abridged week due to the Passover and Easter holidays, with the Senate completing their work on the floor on Wednesday, and the House hearing bills on the floor Wednesday and Thursday. Next week, Senate committee and House council meetings will resume in earnest, both chambers will continue hearing bills on the floor, and the hard work of resolving differences between House and Senate budgets will begin in Conference. Troubling discussions in the House Energy committee Thursday mean we need you to weigh in on behalf of energy conservation in Florida. Thanks to you all for your advocacy and hard work on behalf of Florida's natural resources. ~ Audubon of Florida Policy Team
Renewable Energy Policy Still Alive, Energy Conservation at Risk
 Take a Stand for Conservation and Renewable Energy
The House Energy & Utilities Committee is planning to take up renewable energy policy next Friday. However one member of the committee appears to be intent on reversing state policy on energy conservation and has said he will try to amend the House energy bill to eliminate recent conservation gains.
Audubon made energy conservation a top priority in 2008 and helped secure language that required the Public Service Commission to consider all costs of producing electricity, including costs related to climate change, when considering how much money utilities have to spend on conservation measures.
 However, some utilities are complaining that the new conservation goals are too expensive and could increase rates – even though average bills will go down. Representative Mike Horner (R-Kissimmee) actually mislabeled the practice of utilities paying for customer conservation efforts a "tax." He also claimed that rate payers were being charged for societal benefits.
Of course this is not true. It is not clear why Rep. Horner would mischaracterize a program that helps create jobs, save consumers money and saves energy and water.
Based on his public statements we expect that Horner will try to roll back the 2008 conservation language, which promises to save eight million megawatt-hours of energy annually and in doing so allow utilities to avoid building dozens of expensive new power plants certain to raise people's rates.
 Please help save energy by saving state energy conservation policy. Write the Members of the House Energy & Utilities Policy Committee. Ask them to vote for renewable energy and against amendments to weaken state energy conservation goals.
Snail Kite © shell_game1 via Flickr |
Appropriations: Florida Forever, Everglades and other Natural Resource Issues
Both chambers passed their respective budgets on the floor this week, and now their differences will be worked out in Conference. Reductions to land management and invasive species eradication dollars as a result of documentary stamp revenue declines will continue this year. Senate provision of $10M cash for Everglades Restoration and $15M cash for Florida Forever funding will have to be reconciled with the House, which has not budgeted any funding for these programs. (Note: this is a correction on last week's Advocate which erroneously reported the Senate budget included $15M each for Everglades and Florida Forever.) Audubon will continue to focus on these issues, as well as disparities between the House and Senate budgets on environmental programs like the Florida Springs Initiative and Florida Natural Areas Inventory.
Bad Language Transfering Conservation Land Management Removed from SB 1238 on Senate Floor
An amendment co-sponsored by Senate President-elect Haridolpolos (R-Melbourne), Sen. Nan Rich (D-Sunrise) and Sen. Lee Constantine (R-Altamonte Springs) stripped language from SB 1238 that would have transferred the Division of State Lands (DSL) to a new Department of Asset Management in 2011. Currently, DSL is charged with management of the more than 1.5 million acres of conservation land acquired under the Florida Forever and Preservation 2000 programs as well as millions of acres of sovereignty submerged lands under Florida's lakes, rivers, estuaries and nearshore waters. Given the value of the ecosystem services these lands provide as well as the intangible benefits to Floridians' quality of life and property values, these functions have been wisely housed in the Department of Environmental Protection, whose mission makes it uniquely qualified to value these less easily quantifiable benefits. It was not clear that the Department of Asset Management would have this same expertise or mandate. Facilities management functions from the Department of Management Services—the focus of this larger bill—are still destined for this new agency in 2011.
 Support Audubon's Legislative Efforts:
Make Your Birdathon Pledge Today!
It's that time of year again—Birdathon—when Audubon staff and friends put our binoculars where our mouths are (well, not literally) and get back to our birdwatching roots. For those not familiar with this traditional Audubon fundraiser, we spend the day—from before sun-up to after sundown—beating the bushes for every species of bird we can possibly identify. What we ask of you is to throw down a gauntlet for us: sponsor us at a set amount or for a bigger challenge, an amount per species—making us earn every penny in exchange for Hooded Warblers, Brown-headed Nuthatches, Bald Eagles and more.
 This year, our whirlwind "Big Day" is planned for SATURDAY, APRIL 10, and here in Tallahassee we hope to see between 130 and 160 species (weather, migration and stamina willing!). Your pledge will not only egg us on (pun intended), but will help support core Audubon of Florida policy work.
Whether it's 2 cents or $2 a bird, every pledge can help make a difference for Florida's natural resources (and is tax-deductible to boot). Pledge now via email, and we'll let you know the week of April 12th how our team fared, with all the juicy details!
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