A state bill aiming to entice oil companies onto state land has apparently stalled out in a senate committee this morning. The senate’s Environmental Preservation and Conservation Committee considered Sen. Greg Evers’…
Category: Environment
Evers’ Blackwater Backyard
A Northwest Florida senator is working to bring oil drilling close to home—his home. As Senator Greg Evers’ bill encouraging drilling on public lands—specifically, in Blackwater River State Forest—heads to the Environmental…
Restored?
In an effort to pass the RESTORE Act—which would assure that 80 percent of the fines incurred as a result of the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico would stay…
Chairman Wilson on Bay Bridge Toll
The Escambia County Commission didn’t score any points in Tallahassee when it recently formalized its opposition to imposing a toll on the Pensacola Bay Bridge in order to fund work on the…
Learn About Your World
Escambia County is partnering with other organizations to offer a Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP). Along with the University of Florida-Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and other groups throughout the state,…
FL Public Land Up For Grabs?
Source: Les Coleman/Florida News Connection Pending Florida legislation could convert some 500,000 acres of publicly owned shoreline into private ownership. Opponents, including Audubon Florida Director Eric Draper, warn that it’s a land…
The Beach’s Other Bridge
It’d been a long night down at the Santa Rosa Island Authority meeting. The packed-house gallery had said their piece and board members had tossed motion after motion onto a merciless table….
Buzz: Gulf Coast may not get BP fine money
I’m hearing that the U.S. Senate and House are  balking at the Restore Act – which would guarantee that the majority of the BP fine money related to the 201o oil spill…
All Aboard?
Will Amtrak’s Sunset Limited passenger train service once again travel through Pensacola? City officials would like to see that happen. During today’s Pensacola City Council Committee of the Whole meeting, council members…
NW Florida lawmakers love manure
When the fertilizer industry needs someone to co-sponsor a bill to keep it from being regulated, they only have to look to the Northwest Florida delegation for support. Last year, Rep. Clay…
Council to Discuss Environmental Advisory Board
During the last Pensacola City Council meeting, Jan. 26, a citizen expressed concern about the city’s environmental advisory board not having met since March 2011. Councilwoman Sheri Myers said that she brought…
Drill, Maybe, Drill?
With less than two years having passed since the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, nearly 80 percent of Floridians support increased oil and natural gas development. This…