VOLUME XXII, NUMBER 10SERVING SOUTHWEST FLORIDA DECEMBER, 2000 Index FISHEATING CREEK UPDATE Water management had agreed to after we pay them millions for the Fisheating Creek Update 1 allow us to participate in the hearing right to watch them destroy twenty Conservation Conference 2 for the Lykes permit extension by seven square miles of the headwaters Sierra Club for Children 2 attending the meeting by remote area. Part of this area is directly General Meeting 2 conferences, but, we were notified across from one of the access points that Lykes had withdrawn the applica- Ingrams Crossings. Canoeing past TMDL What?? 2 tion. That turned out to be only a citrus groves will not provide the Outings 3 postponement to a date uncertain. same experience that paddling Star Watching 3 Possibly December or January. This through a cypress swamp gives to us Help DEP 3 is a tactic used by most when they now. This original permit was Executive Committee 4 learn of opposition to a permit obtained in 1993 at a time when we application. Please plan to call the were embroiled in the lawsuit over Job Cuts at State Park 4 District at 338-2929 in early Decem- the creek area and probably should Membership Form 5 ber to determine the day and time and not have been permitted since much Sea Turtles 5 come to be with us. Some facts you of the gully could have been found to Vote for New Officers 6 could use when you speak are: This is be submerged lands and declared to be part of the corridor. The permit Non-Fiction 6 an immense area, 27 sections, almost an entire township, in the last viable was not submitted to the West Palm Extraordinary Find 7 headwater wetland (Hale Pen Gully) Beach office as had been the case Big-Whopper Jellyfish 8 left to nurture the creek and Lake with all other Lykes permits in the Global Warming 8 Okeechobee. The creek provides the area. It slipped by unnoticed and second largest source of water for the unchallenged. Water management Executive Board Meeting lake which is in the process of dying. staff seems to believe at this time that The creek is already on the state list of Lykes has a right to have the permit (FIRST MONDAY OF EACH MONTH) impaired waters. The people of in case the state doesn't buy the DECEMBER 4, 2000 Florida, represented by our Attorney conservation easements. This is sorta' a moot point cause Lykes will 7:00 P.M. General spent over ten years in court and millions of dollars before being get the citrus in either scenario. EVERYBODY WELCOME! awarded 18,000 acres of submerged Besides this is panther habitat...We CALL ELLEN PETERSON lands for our use and enjoyment. The need some one to testify to that 992-5455 state has already designated (with the point. If you can think of any thing concurrence of Lykes) thousands of else...Please let us know. FOR DIRECTIONS acres over which we will pay millions The conservation easement states of dollars to purchase conservation that Lykes cannot use any part of the Because space in the newsletter is easements. The easements already land covered by the easement for limited, additional material is purchased were bought at about 95% drainage. The permit is essentially printed directly to the website at of the retail price (fee simple). an MSSW permit extension, and the http://www.sierraclub.org/chapters/ Unfortunately the settlement specifi- District has been explicitly informed fl/calusa/index.htm cally allows Lykes to continue any by the FWCC (as the manager of the If you do not have access to the activity already permitted so this easement) that the permit extension Internet and would like to read these permit will give them the opportunity is in clear violation of the easement. to plant citrus and other crops and to articles, please call Fay at 283-5812 John Tallent is now claiming it is all destroy wetlands and upland wildlife and a copy of the article will be just a misunderstanding. mailed to you. .habitat for provision of pasture land 1 CONSERVATION CONFERENCE, SALE AND REWARDS!!! SIERRA CLUB FOR CHILDREN A contingent of Calusa Group board members (five of us) attended the Sierra has a very worthwhile State Sierra's fall Conservation Conference. It was held at a place with program designed for underprivi- beautiful old trees, sandhill cranes and wild turkeys. We learned a lot leged and inner city children that about deep injection wells, state politics, the Arctic Refuge. we would like to implement in our Charlotte Representative Louise Raterman made a presentation regarding area. It’s known as Inner City our appeal of the judge's decision in the Heritage Trees case. The members Outings program, ICO. We must of other Sierra Groups around the state were overwhelmingly enthusiastic, have at least twelve volunteers to because in their counties they have the same issues: lack of public partici- get this program started. Calusa pation in land-use matters, trouble saving the resources because of no Chapter is looking for a few good citizen hearings. We were awarded $3,000. Locally, Lemon Bay Conser- men and women to help in our vancy contributed $1,000 toward the appeal. Thanks a lot also to these endeavors to proceed in helping the individuals for their donations: Roger Lee, Budd Pollock, Virginia and area’s children. If you’re interested Leon Karel, John J. Hickey, Ed and Dorothy Dunn, Sydney Crampton, please contact either Ellen Peterson Wilnor and Frank Weck, Marjorie and John Derrick. at 992-5455 or Julia Habel at 432- 0111. Calusa Group also had a bazaar at the convention, which was a lot of fun. Ellen brought some lovely doodads, including musical gourds, keepsake GENERAL MEETING boxes and turtles. Louise made Wild Beautyberry ginger cookies. Thanks Wednesday, Dec. 27 at FGCU. John and Karen for the table and money jar. Our sale made $111. Money goes toward appeal. We had displays to illustrate our loss of historic trees MEET YOUR EXECUTIVE and the concerns regarding possible degradation of the wondrous COMMITTEE Fisheating Creek. Thank you to all contributors. If you too wish to donate Come and find out what we are much needed funds for the court appeal - which hopefully will give about. Take this opportunity to affected citizens the right to a proper hearing and help us all to protect our tell us what you want us to natural resources - please contact Fay Phillips, Treasurer or make monies concentrate on this upcoming payable to year. refreshments will be served Sierra Club, Calusa Group 7:00 p.m. in building 3, look for 13631 Banyan Dr. our sign. Please park in lot 2. Bokeelia, FL 33922 Thank you. TMDL WHAT??? It means Total Maximum Daily Tell Governor Bush and Daryll Fax: (850)487-0801 Load. It is a program mandated by Joyner of DEP that you know that Email: [email protected]: the Clean Water Act. A program DEP is resisting cleaning up Daryll Joyner that could come close to cleaning Florida’s polluted waters by under- Department of Environmental up our nations waterways. It mining the TMDL program and Protection requires every state to identify all exclude Florida from the protec- 2600 Blairstone Rd. polluted water bodies in the state tions guaranteed by the Clean Mail Station 35 and then set and enforce pollution Water Act. Tell them that DEP Tallahassee, Fl. 32399 limits for each. It seems that our must abandon this entire draft rule (850) 488-3608 own Department of Environmental and start cleaning up our waters Email: Protection is doing a big job…one according to the process mandated [email protected].: designed to keep as many of our in the federal Act’s TMDL legisla- Dave Hill polluted rivers off the list as pos- tion. The addresses are: US EPA Region4 sible. Oddly enough the list has Governor Jeb Bush 61 Forsyth St. SW been published but now we’re re- The Capitol Atlanta, Ga. 30303-8960 making the rules that were origi- Tallahassee, Fl. 3239 (404)562-9249 nally proposed…Rivers are actually (850)488-2272 Email: [email protected] being removed. What can you do? 2 OUTINGS 1. Arrive 10 minutes before outing to get signed in. Every effort will be made to start outings on time. Please be prompt! 2. A small fee will be charged for every outing. All outings are rated EASY unless otherwise specified. 3. IMPORTANT! Call Leader first to be sure an outing/hike is still scheduled. 4. You don't have to be a member to come to an outing. Everyone is welcome! December 3rd – Goodland Canoe/ 2.5 hrs. $3.00 M, $5.00 NM. Historic Site in Estero. Contact Kayak, Challenging, must have Contact Charles Holmes 540-0599 Julia at 432-0111. experience on open water and know or Jim Hessler 267-7224 (Calusa). Also, we are including activities of how to swim. No rentals available. February 16th - Everglades Canoe / friends of the Calusa Chapter of Contact Jim Hessler 267-7224 Kayak Annual Outing - (Calusa) Sierra Club. These outings are not (Calusa). February 18th – Collier Seminole conducted by Sierra, but as a December 4th - EXCOM Meeting Hike, Moderate, nature interpretive resource for other area activities. @ Ellen's 992-5455 7:00 pm hike. Meet @ 10:00. Wear long November 26th - Alligator Creek, Everyone welcome! (Calusa) pants, long sleeves & socks/shoes you Punta Gorda, explore lower part of December 16th – Cecil B. Webb don’t mind getting wet.