What a Waste!

On February 21, 2008, Clean Water Fund and Clean Water Action released “What a Waste!” a report on curbside recycling and stormwater issues in St. Petersburg. Close to 3,000 local residents participated in the survey, indicating they want curbside recycling and would be willing to help pay for it. Clean Water Fund’s recommendations to the City are clear - establish a city-wide curbside recycling program now and work with members of the community to resolve stormwater issues in the City. View the recommendations and full report.

Help Protect the Florida Everglades

In mid June, the State of Florida announced the proposed purchase of 296 square miles of lands critical to the Everglades ecosystem. Without this land, restoration of the River of Grass cannot truly happen.

Clean Water Fund thanks all of the supporters who attended the special meeting of the South Florida Water Management District on June 30th in Palm Beach to vote on whether to ratify the purchase of the 296 acres needed for restoration.

Right now land evaluations and cost analysis studies are underway and the plan is expected to be finalized in November. Clean Water Fund will continue educational efforts in this critical water resource area.

Hold the Line!

Clean Water Fund remains active in the Hold the Line Campaign, an alliance that includes over 100 municipalities, homeowner groups, businesses, and non-profit organizations working to "hold" Miami-Dade County's Urban Development Boundary (UDB) from development pressures.

The UDB helps to recharge the local drinking water supply by keeping lands unpaved; it preserves agricultural lands, and protects Everglades and Biscayne National Parks from being encroached on. The UDB also helps control flooding and prevents overcrowding of roads, especially in areas crucial for hurricane evacuation. Moving the UDB spreads finite resources (tax dollars) away from communities of need, and further burdens over-crowded schools in outlying areas.

This year alone, numerous proposals and applications for commercial development outside Miami-Dade County’s Urban Development Boundary (UDB) have come before the Miami-Dade County Commissioners. And the applications just keep coming. Clean Water Fund urges its supporters to remain diligent and let County decision makers know that they must Hold the Line!

To find out more about the UDB and what Hold the Line Campaign partners are doing to help protect it please visit the Clean Water Action web site.