|
Environmentalists disapprove of deal
BY TRAVIS JAMES TRITTEN
Citizen Staff Writer
A local
environmentalist may legally challenge proposed changes to Monroe
County's environmental protection plans.
The proposal,
negotiated by the county and drafted by the state, was released this
week and would give the county a three-year extension to catch up on
promises to curb growth, protect threatened habitat and create
affordable housing.
Capt. Ed
Davidson, a 30-year champion of Florida Keys environmental issues, said
the plan will reward poor environmental performance by the county with a
potentially damaging increase in growth.
"There is a
very serious possibility of a challenge being filed," Davidson said.
"The challenge would be on the failure to live up to the mandates of
prior legal decisions and settlements."
The proposed
changes would require the county to spend $130 million on land
conservation, sewage treatment upgrades and housing for workers such as
teachers, police officers and nurses.
Meanwhile, the
state has agreed to speed up the purchase of conservation lands and
increase the amount of growth allowed by restoring housing credits lost
in the past.
Davidson said
environmentalists have been bought off year after year with promises
that never materialize.
"All of the
county's paperwork promises have serious caveats in them," he said. "The
only money you can spend is the real kind — the promise isn't worth very
much."
The county
agreed to a five-year work plan in 1997 to curb environmental
degradation after challenges by Davidson and other environmentalists.
That plan was
first stretched to seven years — the current proposal will extend it to
10 years.
"What we have
is the usual thing of talking and paper shuffling but we have not solved
the problems," Davidson said. "If any of the rest of us don't do our
jobs ... there are consequences. We get our butts kicked or we get
fired."
"That is what
elections are for I guess," he said. "We have lawyers for the
butt-kicking."
According to
Davidson, the local environment is in decline and years of delay can
mean further destruction. It also has a major impact on the tourism
industry, which is based on nearshore waters and other unique habitats
in the Keys.
Also, delays
destroy the credibility of state mandates and deadlines, according to
Richard Grosso, a top environmental attorney in Florida and a colleague
of Davidson's.
"The bottom
line is, it is not done so the state should be continuing to require
that it get done," Grosso said. "The bizarre part of all this is ... the
state has chosen to reward the county by increasing the rate of growth."
The county
negotiated the changes with the state Department of Community Affairs in
January after state fines for lackluster conservation efforts in 2003
appeared imminent.
The deal was
negotiated by County Mayor Murray Nelson and approved by Gov. Jeb Bush
and the Florida Cabinet.
ttritten@keysnews.com |
