Check the new
WhoseFlorida
for updates
Remember this post of 2/20/04?
(see also
PCC denounces DCA
approval 2/27/04)
"ASSEMBLY-LINE
ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITS FOR ST. JOE COMPANY TO BE ISSUED SOON
Coalition of growth management activists and environmentalists denounce
permit plans as another give-away to St. Joe. Fast-track permits will
cause severe impacts for Bay/Walton Counties. Citizens to be shut out of
process..."
Guess What? It's happened...
"As predicted by us just last week,
DEP issued their broad new EMA to the St. Joe Company for Bay/Walton
Counties-we understand Franklin may not be far behind-below you will
find our release from last week along with DEP's release of now
yesterday. "
More soon, John Hedrick, Chair, Panhandle Citizens Coalition
DEP's press release 2/25/04:
"FLORIDA AND THE ST. JOE COMPANY SIGN
PROTECTIVE AGREEMENT
-- Model plan for regional growth saves wetlands, conserves natural land
corridors--
PANAMA CITY - The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today
reached a highly protective, comprehensive agreement with The St. Joe
Company to save wetlands and conserve 20,760 acres along the Florida
Panhandle. The Ecosystem Management Agreement requires The St. Joe
Company to go above and beyond standard environmental requirements to
protect natural areas in a region known for its biological diversity.
The agreement will benefit Bay and Walton counties.
“This agreement provides unparalleled wetlands protection,” said DEP's
Northwest District Director Mary Jean Yon. “By taking a regional
approach and working closely with our federal partners, we are able to
preserve sensitive natural resources and achieve more protection for
Florida's environment."
The plan, known as an Ecosystem Management Agreement, covers more than
31,350 acres of St. Joe owned property stretching from West Bay to
Choctawhatchee Bay. Three years ago, DEP and the federal government
urged St. Joe to take a comprehensive, regional approach to conservation
and development that would provide for predictable community growth
while affording greater protection to natural lands along the Emerald
Coast.
DEP Secretary David B. Struhs praised the Department staff for
convincing St. Joe to enter into the agreement. “Florida’s environmental
team has secured a commitment that will better protect the resources
that matter most. This will avoid traditional piecemeal development that
would be insensitive to our desire to protect the entire landscape.”
St. Joe has extensive landholdings in Northwest Florida, some of which
is earmarked for residential, commercial and recreational development,
which requires environmental permits. The agreement provides protective
guidelines for activities associated with building roads, homes and
community infrastructure and establishes two mitigation areas for
environmental enhancement and restoration.
The agreement is a companion to the general permit under consideration
by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which covers more than 47,500 acres
including property owned by other landowners. Both the management
agreement and general permit determine the extent of land conservation,
wetland impact and mitigation before any development gets underway.
"This serves as a national example of responsible growth,” said newly
appointed DEP Secretary Colleen Castille. “Not only does the agreement
allow the region's economy to grow, it does so in a way that safeguards
important water resources and protects the quality of life of those that
live and work in Northwest Florida.”
As part of the agreement, St. Joe is setting aside thousands of acres of
high quality habitat for preservation. The conservation areas create a
two-pronged “Bay to Bay” wildlife corridor linking public land from
Choctawhatchee Bay to St. Andrew Bay and preserving the ecological
integrity of two of Northwest Florida’s most rapidly developing
watersheds.
The public has 14 days to review the agreement before it becomes final.
For more information, visit <
www.dep.state.fl.us/northwest >.
Questions and Answers
Ecosystem Management Agreement
The St. Joe Company - Bay and Walton Counties
February 25, 2004
What is an Ecosystem Management Agreement? An Ecosystem Management
Agreement is an alternative to traditional permitting that provides a
comprehensive, coordinated approach to regional development and provides
greater environmental benefits. Use of a binding Ecosystem Management
Agreement is voluntary and detailed in Section 403.0752, Florida
Statutes.
To enter into an Ecosystem Management Agreement, the applicant must
demonstrate that a net ecosystem benefit will result over and above the
environmental standards required by traditional permitting.
Who is signing the Agreement? The Agreement is between the Florida
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and The St. Joe Company.
DEP sought input from other state and federal agencies including the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
National Marine Fisheries Service and Northwest Florida Water Management
District.
Why is Florida using an Ecosystem Management Agreement? The St. Joe
Company has extensive landholdings in Northwest Florida, some of which
are earmarked for development where dredge and fill and stormwater
permits are required. Rather than have St. Joe pursue separate permits
for each development, an Ecosystem Management Agreement allows an
efficient and comprehensive evaluation of development impacts and
results in a development plan that achieves greater sustainability for
natural resources.
What does the Agreement do? The Agreement provides stringent
requirements for minimizing impacts to wetlands, wetland mitigation,
habitat conservation and stormwater management during residential,
commercial and recreational development. It authorizes dredge and fill
activities and construction and maintenance of stormwater facilities
associated with building roads, homes, shopping centers and communities.
Additionally, the Agreement coordinates the regulatory responsibilities
of DEP and the Corps in partnership with public and private interests.
How wide an area does the Agreement cover? The Agreement encompasses
31,369 acres of St. Joe Company property in Bay and Walton Counties,
including the City of Panama City Beach and Westbay Township. The area
is bordered by the Intracoastal Waterway to the north; U.S. Highway 98
to the south; St. Andrew Bay to the east and Peach Creek to the west.
The Agreement also includes two mitigation banks covering 7,686 acres.
These large, regionally significant areas are set aside for
environmental restoration and enhancement, which is conducted in advance
of permitted projects.
Why is the Agreement beneficial? The Agreement provides substantial net
environmental benefits and higher standards for stormwater treatment and
flood prevention than current regulatory requirements. The plan will
result in greater regional conservation that maintains biological
diversity, protects waterways and uplands, provides habitat for
threatened wildlife, establishes conservation corridors and creates open
space for recreation.
How much land is St. Joe setting aside for conservation? St. Joe is
conserving 10 areas of high quality habitat comprising more than 13,000
acres. The areas, known as “Conservation Units”, create a two-pronged
“Bay to Bay” wildlife corridor and preserve the ecological integrity of
two of Northwest Florida’s most rapidly developing watersheds.
The Conservation Units create greenways stretching from St. Andrew Bay
to Point Washington State Forest and from the Devil’s Swamp mitigation
bank to public lands that connect to the Choctawhatchee floodplain and
Bay. The conservation areas also protect wetlands, waterways and
wildlife near Lake Powell -- an Outstanding Florida Water.
How were the Conservation Units identified? Areas were selected for
conservation based on regional significance, biological diversity, water
quality, essential fish habitat and marine resources. The conservation
areas are reserved from development and may be used on a limited basis
for recreation and to enhance and restore wetlands, and maintain roads.
How are impacts to wetlands minimized? Together with wetlands preserved
in the Conservation Units, impacts to low quality wetlands outside of
the Conservation Units shall not exceed 20 percent of the total low
quality wetlands. Additionally, high quality wetlands would be preserved
and would be filled only when needed for road or bridge crossings. To
further protect high quality wetlands and Lake Powell, natural land
buffers will be maintained adjacent to developable areas.
How will St. Joe offset impacts to wetlands during development? Impacts
to wetlands will be offset with wetland restoration or enhancement
within mitigation banks, Conservation Units or the project area.
Together with the conservation areas, the mitigation banks create a
20,760 acre wildlife corridor linking public land from Choctawhatchee
Bay to St. Andrew Bay.
The mitigation banks and conservation areas will be preserved through
perpetual conservation easements, which allow property owners limited
use of the land while protecting it from development.
Is there an opportunity for public input? Yes. Over the last five
months, DEP held two public meetings to answer questions and provide
information about the Agreement. The public now has 14 days to review
the Agreement before it becomes final. In addition, each individual
development project requires approval and must meet the terms of the
Agreement. All approvals will be noticed in a regional newspaper.
A copy of the Agreement is available at DEP’s Panama City Branch Office,
2353 Jenks Avenue, Panama City or for more information, visit <
www.dep.state.fl.us/northwest >.
top
Panhandle Citizens Coalition press
release 2/19/04
ASSEMBLY-LINE
ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITS FOR ST. JOE COMPANY TO BE ISSUED SOON
Coalition of growth management activists and environmentalists denounce
permit plans as another give-away to St. Joe. Fast-track permits will
cause severe impacts for Bay/Walton Counties. Citizens to be shut out of
process.
Citizen groups have learned that outgoing Florida Department of
Environmental Protection Secretary David Struhs intends to issue an
agreement between FDEP and the St. Joe Company before his departure at
the end of February. These groups today denounced both the Ecosystem
Management Agreement (EMA) being proposed by FDEP and the Regional
General Permit (RGP) being developed by the Army Corps of Engineers
(COE) as giveaways to the St. Joe Company, the state's largest
developer. The groups said the permits would have potentially severe
impacts on the Northwest Florida environment, and also accelerate
runaway growth.
Both the EMA and the RGP set up an expedited permitting process in a
40,000 acre St. Joe project area in western Bay and Walton counties.
Once the agreements are in place there will be little review of
individual projects, no public notice given, and no public challenges
allowed. The permits give St Joe additional regulatory advantages over
other developers, and with renewals, these permits will never expire.
Struhs announced his resignation last month to work for International
Paper as their Vice-President of Environmental Affairs. Many
environmental groups are relieved to see him depart, due to his
regulatory tilt towards big industries. He lowered standards for them,
and made deals that required the taxpayers to foot the bill for
addressing pollution problems. "He will be joining the staff of a
polluter that he gave sweetheart deals to when he was regulating them.
Now as one of his last acts in FDEP, he will give another such deal to
the state's largest landholder, " said Art Stewart of the Panhandle
Citizens' Coalition. "Issuance of the RGP would violate requirements of
the Clean Water Act, because no public notice will be required.
Therefore the public will not have a clear understanding of the nature
and magnitude of the activities proposed, in order to generate
meaningful comments and sustainable challenges," said Linda Young of the
Clean Water Network. "Also, the proposed wetland set-asides and
conservation areas are a sham, since they could still be filled in by
using a regular individual permit." "The EMA contains no specific
information for any of the major projects to be considered under this
agreement, contrary to state statutory requirements," said Sharon
Maxwell of the Northwest Fla. Group of the Sierra Club. "FDEP is
automatically giving away 20% of so-called 'low-quality' wetlands
throughout the entire project area. There is no incentive to destroy
less, which is contrary to its rules of avoidance and minimization.
Impact 'credits' may also be transferred to other projects, where up to
100% of wetlands may be destroyed. . This brand-new impact transfer
provision has no statutory authority," said Maxwell. "These wetlands are
needed to control flooding, recharge groundwater and provide wildlife
habitat. Merely enhancing other wetlands will not replace them."
"Instead of following the rules that require that a compelling public
interest exists for these permits, these agencies seem more interested
in making the agreements acceptable to the St. Joe Company. The company
naturally would prefer to have one-stop shopping and one-size-fits-all
permits in two 'stores' (COE and FDEP) where the public is not invited
to enter," said Diane Brown, spokesperson for Citizens for the Bay.
"These permits are so flawed they should surely be subject to challenges
in the administrative and legal arenas when they come up for final
review," said Linda Young of the Clean Water Network. "There does not
appear to be any alternatives' analysis in either permit, and in the
case of the RGP, there will be no Environmental Impact Statement. The
impacts in the project area are so significant that an EIS should be
required. The agencies seem mainly interested reducing their
administrative burden and giving this particular landowner a huge
benefit in developing its property. They seem to have forgotten why they
were created."
Stewart concluded, "FDEP seems to be on a very fast track, trying to
push out their permit so that Struhs can sign off on it before he leaves
office. These far-reaching proposals should be stopped for now, reviewed
and revised to address public concerns and allow public participation in
the decision-making. Unless the public is allowed to enter the
permitting process, an EIS is required, and all the environmental and
statutory problems addressed, these permits should not be issued at
all."
