<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML xmlns:o = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16414" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left> </DIV><BR>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left>
<HR tabIndex=-1>
<FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>From:</B> Marilynn Wills
[mailto:marilynnwills@msn.com] <BR><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, April 15, 2007 1:46
PM<BR><B>Subject:</B> ACTION ALERT HB957/SB2082<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV class=RTE>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><I><U>REVIEW:</U></I></B></P>
<P><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 11px; FONT-FAMILY: tahoma,sans-serif"><B><FONT
size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">HB 957/SB2082 ENVIRONMENTAL
PERMITTING</FONT></FONT></B></P>
<DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #a0c6e5 2px solid">
<DIV>
<DIV class=RTE>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><I><U><SPAN
style="COLOR: black"></SPAN></U></I></FONT></FONT></B> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">***Section 4.
Subsection (4) of s.373.441, Florida Statues is created to read: <U>In order
to avoid duplication and inefficiency, no local government shall enact or
enforce a wetland regulatory program except through delegation of the state
environmental resource permit program pursuant to 403.182, Florida
Statute</U></FONT></FONT><U><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">.</SPAN></U></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><U><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"></SPAN></U><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="BACKGROUND: white"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="COLOR: black"><FONT size=3>HB#957/SB2082
is an environmental permitting bill that the League has opposed during this
session.<SPAN> </SPAN>It has since been amended***; the amendment would
take away the right of local government to enact or enforce a wetland
regulatory program except through the state environmental resource permit
program.<SPAN> </SPAN>That means that counties like Hillsborough and
Leon would not be able to enforce the more strict regulations they have been
using.<SPAN> </SPAN>Representative Kendrick states that there is a
“duplication of effort” here.<SPAN> </SPAN>However, the League supported
and worked for the passage of the environmental permitting program passed
during the 2006 session, one that allowed local governments to enforce a
higher standard on environmental permitting, and this bill will undo what we
have worked for.<SPAN> </SPAN></FONT></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black">HB 957 could lead to large scale filling
of wetlands in a state that has already lost over half of its
wetlands</SPAN><SPAN style="COLOR: black"><FONT size=3>
<SPAN> </SPAN>(See “Wetlands”, Study and Action, p. 52).
<SPAN> </SPAN></FONT></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV></DIV></DIV></FONT>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><I><U></U></I></B> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><I><U><FONT color=#ff0033 size=4>I. ACTION NEEDED:.
HB957/SB2054,2082: WETLANDS DESTRUCTION:</FONT></U></I></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><I><U>Senate Bill 2082 be heard </U></I></B><B><I><U><FONT
color=#ff0066>4/18/07</FONT></U></I></B><B><I><U>: contact Senate Environmental
and Preservation Committee members NOW. </U></I></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">The Senate version SB2082
will be heard in the Senate Environment and Preservation Committee
</SPAN></B><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Wednesday 4/18/07</SPAN></B><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">.</SPAN></B> We need to contact all members of that
committee and tell them not to support this legislation especially if the LOCAL
GOVERNMENT pre-emption language is amended to the bill. To date there are no
amendments, but the amendment deadline is usually by 5 pm the day before the
committee meeting.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="TEXT-DECORATION: none"><STRONG>
Chair: Senator Burt L. Saunders (R) <A
href="mailto:saunders.burt.web@flsenate.gov">saunders.burt.web@flsenate.gov</A></STRONG></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-style: italic">Vice
Chair: <A href="http://www.flsenate.gov/legislators/Senate/S34"><SPAN
style="COLOR: #335c7a; TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: none">Senator Nan
H. Rich (D)</SPAN></A> <A
href="mailto:rich.nan.web@flsenate.gov">rich.nan.web@flsenate.gov</A></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><A
href="http://www.flsenate.gov/legislators/Senate/S15"><SPAN
style="COLOR: #335c7a; TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: none">Senator
Paula Dockery (R)</SPAN></A> <A
href="mailto:dockery.paula.web@flsenate.gov">dockery.paula.web@flsenate.gov</A></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><A
href="http://www.flsenate.gov/legislators/Senate/S04"><SPAN
style="COLOR: #335c7a; TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: none">Senator Don
Gaetz (R)</SPAN></A> <A
href="mailto:gaetz.don.web@flsenate.gov">gaetz.don.web@flsenate.gov</A></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><A
href="http://www.flsenate.gov/legislators/Senate/S13"><SPAN
style="COLOR: #335c7a; TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: none">Senator
Dennis L. Jones, D.C. (R)</SPAN></A> <A
href="mailto:jones.dennis.web@flsenate.gov">jones.dennis.web@flsenate.gov</A></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><A
href="http://www.flsenate.gov/legislators/Senate/S16"><SPAN
style="COLOR: #335c7a; TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: none">Senator
Charlie Justice (D)</SPAN></A> <A
href="mailto:justice.charlie.web@flsenate.gov">justice.charlie.web@flsenate.gov</A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P></SPAN></DIV></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>