Thursday, June 22, 2023

Wetlands can protect developments (but developments can destroy wetlands)

On June 21, we wrote to Kelly Klepper of Kimley Horn, asking for an update on timing of the DR Horton submission of its plan for 160 homes on the Raymond Road farm to the County's development review coordinating committee (DRC). Still waiting to hear back.

Here's a story from Marketplace.org that offers the kind of vision, common sense, awareness of science, and human ingenuity that we could use more of in Sarasota.

It's about restoring wetlands along the northern Mississippi River in Wisconsin. They're finding that wetlands protect developments that banks are invested in. In fact, banks love these wetlands, and some even offer better interest rates to developers who restore them.

    Mike Sertle, who manages wetlands restoration projects on the Mississippi River for Ducks Unlimited, motions how high the water can get in a roughly 250-acre restored wetland behind him in Southern Illinois on May 24. Eric Schmid/St. Louis Public Radio
Is there something here we might apply to our Celery Fields, and to the proposed DR Horton heap of homes across Raymond Road from them? 

I've put some notes below, but the story is available at this link - it's only a couple of minutes long:

NOTES 
  • Climate change - Riverfront developments
  • The river is a tourist draw - parks, kayaking, fishing, birding
  • Developments - multi-million$ want to tap into natural river activities.
  • Wetlands restoration to manage water - Raskie slough - 60 acres of tall grasses, shallow ponds - birds abound - this slough can hold excess water, but eventually it flows back into the Mississippi - 
  • This Mimics a natural system - $250,000 to restore wetland 
  • Stem flooding from snow melts - Lacrosse Wisconsin  - pumps move from lower areas to wetlands, stores it there - marsh in the city

Having nature "work for them" reduces risk, plus, banks offering loans - give better interest rates on developments that preserve wetlands because the “wetland creates a natural buffer to protect what we’re buying/paying for.”


Your thoughts are most welcome. 

Thursday, June 1, 2023

A local contact for the Right to Clean Water Amendment

A message from Sarasota's local contact point for the Right to Clean Water:


My contact information for The Right to Clean Water is ronaturek@gmail.com

I'm the county ambassador for the initiative and should be contacted by any seeking more information as well as those wanting to help get this proposed amendment to the state constitution on the ballot for the voters to decide whether they want clean and healthy waters. 

Our legislators have doubled the number of signed petitions required for a citizen-initiated petition drive. By a deadline in this November, we need 900,000 signatures of registered Florida voters on our petitions to qualify for placement on the ballot. So we need your signatures and volunteers who can help for as little as a couple of hours one day gathering signatures, recruiting and informing their neighbors, helping at public venues, and spreading the word to voters in any Florida county.

Anyone may volunteer to help with this initiative, clean water is a concern to all — even if not a registered Florida voter, anyone here is concerned about unhealthy waters — and the other critters will benefit as well. 

website —  https://www.floridarighttocleanwater.org/

petitionhttps://www.floridarighttocleanwater.org/petition

donations of any amount  —  https://www.floridarighttocleanwater.org/donate 

walkup location - to sign petition or leave signed petitions —

Architectural Salvage
1093 Central Avenue
downtown Sarasota
Monday-Saturday

volunteer petition gatherers will be at many public venues and events

 

local contact   ronaturek@gmail.com 

  • get blank petitions   
  • return signed petitions to us locally
  • get yard signs
  • get questions answered  
  • volunteer locally  
  • arrange for a speaker to your neighborhood, group, organization