Public News Service

After public backlash, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has rescheduled meetings to discuss developing golf courses and other amenities in state parks until the week of Sept. 2, 2024. (Pixabay)

Controversial FL state park development meetings postponed

In a rare unifying and bipartisan rebuke, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has postponed tomorrow's meetings to discuss a …

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection proposes adding more amenities and lodging to nine Florida state parks. (Adobe Stock)

Florida’s hidden agenda: Developments in state parks spark public outcry

Many Floridians online are expressing concerns over the DeSantis administration's surprise proposal to add golf courses, pickleball courts and lodges …

In recent years, saltwater anglers have noticed a rise in shark populations and are increasingly reporting losses of sportfish to these predators. (Bluegroper/Pixabay)

Rising shark depredation threatens Florida's sportfishing industry

Florida's saltwater anglers are increasingly frustrated by sharks swooping in and taking their catch in what is known as shark depredation. The …

Red areas on the map show regions more likely to have wildfires. (Wildfire Risk to Communities)

New map reveals high wildfire risks for Florida amid heat wave

By Claire Carlson for The Daily Yonder.Broadcast version by Trimmel Gomes for Florida News Connection for the Public News Service/Daily Yonder Collabo…

When it comes to managing the summer heat, health experts suggest for every 15 minutes of outdoor activity, people should drink about four ounces of water, which is about four sizable gulps. (stevepb/Pixabay)

Essential summer safety tips for staying healthy in Florida heat

As the summer sun blazes, especially in the Sunshine State, it is easy to get caught up in the fun and excitement of the season. But according to …

Salt marshes are composed of a variety of rushes, sedges and grasses. Florida's dominant salt marsh species include black needle rush (Juncus roemerianus). (Florida DEP)

Conservation groups tout natural defenses against hurricanes

With the start of hurricane season, salt marshes are among the natural features playing a critical role in protecting coastal communities by …

The Gulf Coast Resilience Network spans Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas. (preschoolinhsrlayout/Pixabay)

FL child care centers brace for above average hurricane season

The nonprofit organization Save the Children is collaborating with child care providers in Florida ahead of the upcoming hurricane season. The group …

In Sept. 2022, Hurricane Ian made landfall near Cayo Costa, Fla., as a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 150 mph. (NOAA)

FL expert stresses vigilance, compassion this hurricane season

As experts predict one of the busiest Atlantic hurricane seasons on record, they also recommended Florida residents and visitors prepare, so they …

Local oyster harvesters help deploy limestone rock, a restoration material, for the Apalachicola Bay System Initiative oyster reef restoration experiments. (Courtesy FSU Coastal and Marine Laboratory)

Community effort aims to restore Apalachicola Bay oyster harvests, livelihoods

Since the 2020 collapse of the famed Apalachicola Bay oyster fishery, people who made their livelihoods on the bay have been counting on local …

From Alabama to the Everglades, the Florida Wildlife Corridor is a superhighway of interconnected acres of wildlands, working lands and waters. (FAU/FWC aerial view)

FL Wildlife Corridor study reveals role in climate resilience, population growth

As the Sunshine State grapples with rising temperatures and escalating weather events such as hurricanes, a new study sheds light on the pivotal role …

The Florida panther is the only mountain lion subspecies remaining in the eastern United States. (Everglades NPS)

Groups push for less pesticide use to save Florida's endangered species

Last month, an environmental group sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, accusing it of failing to protect endangered species from dangerous …

In 2022, about 29% of the people in Florida's prison system were age 50 or older, which is one reason their advocates are urging state lawmakers to ensure prison housing units are climate-controlled. (geralt/Pixabay)

Heat crisis in FL prisons: Lawmakers urged to add air conditioning

Florida lawmakers are being asked to use the winter months to swiftly install air conditioning in prison housing units before the return of scorching …

According to the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission at UNESCO, plastic waste makes up 80% of all marine pollution, and around 8 to 10 million metric tons of plastic end up in the ocean each year. (Flockine/Pixabay)

Community activists engage in hands-on beach cleanup initiative

Olympic swimmer turned environmental activist Merle Liivand has seen a rise in plastic waste while navigating the Intracoastal canals of South Florida…

Climate change with rising seas is making it more dangerous, and much more expensive, to live on the subtropical islands at the southern tip of Florida. (Stingrea1/Pixabay)

In face of rising seas, Monroe County adapts, innovates

By Steve MacLaughlin for NBC Miami.Broadcast version by Trimmel Gomes for Florida News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Publi…

Florida Power & Light, a subsidiary of NextEra, continues to receive a high grade when it comes to its plans to transition to clean energy, according to the Sierra Club's 2023 Dirty Truth Report. (Ulleo/Pixabay)

Report: Florida Power & Light scores high in transition to clean energy

In its latest report rating the progress of utility companies transitioning from fossil fuels such as coal into clean energy like wind and solar…

An aerial view shows the salt marsh adjacent to the runway at Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, Florida. (Mark Bias)

How Salt Marshes Are Preserving Life Along FL Coast

Florida's nearly 500,000 acres of salt marshes are under threat from rising seas, polluted runoff, and an abundance of urban development that's been …

In March 2023, thousands lined the streets of Adjuntas for Casa Pueblo's second annual rally for solar energy. (Photo courtesy od Katherine Rapin)

Puerto Rico's Solar Microgrids Illuminate Path to Energy Security

By Katherine Rapin for Next City.Broadcast version by Trimmel Gomes for Florida News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public …

Barry Walton, a Ph.D. student at Florida State University, is studying how two popular recreational fish species, red drum and spotted seatrout, share resources in the Apalachicola Bay System. (Barry Walton)

FL Research Highlights Importance of Fish Communities, Environment

Two Florida graduate students are part of a Forage Fish Research Program. They are looking at how altering water flows in coastal estuaries affect …

Florida panthers are the larger of Florida's two native cat species, the other being bobcats. Panthers are listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/Wikimedia Commons)

Bipartisan Bill Could Help Save 600+ FL Wildlife Species

Conservation groups in Florida and around the country want Congress to pass bipartisan legislation to help states with wildlife conservation…

William Toney is a fourth-generation fishing guide and Homosassa native who lobbied local and state elected officials to protect the Nature Coast Aquatic Preserve. (Charlie Shoemaker/The Pew Charitable Trusts)

Grassroots Effort Protects Gulf of Mexico’s Largest Seagrass Bed

Florida's newest aquatic preserve is officially set to move forward, with a management plan aimed at protecting some 350,000 acres of sea grass…

A study on the impacts of hurricanes by the nonprofit research institute Resources for the Future found no significant change to the sociodemographic characteristics of neighborhoods after a hurricane other than income. (Wikimedia Commons)

Study: Gentrification & Increased Property Values Follow Hurricanes

After a hurricane, according to a new study, wealthier people tend to sweep into impacted communities, purchasing homes even at the increased …

American children spend a total of 3 billion hours on school buses each year. (Adobe Stock)

Advocates: State Must Do More on School Bus Electrification

With the Inflation Reduction Act supporting the beginning of a transition to clean school buses, elected officials in Florida are calling for quicker …

President Joe Biden issued a proclamation on the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, encouraging people to protect their traditions and consider the role that clean water plays in Americans' lives. (revilo82/Pixabay)

Uncertainty Hovers on Clean Water Act's 50th Anniversary

The Clean Water Act turns 50 this week, but parts of it are being challenged in a case before the U.S. Supreme Court. The case, Sackett v. EPA…

The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is the headwaters of the Suwannee and St. Marys rivers. The swamp's wildlife, cypress forests and flooded prairies draw thousands of visitors each year. (Moultrie Creek/Wikimedia Commons)

Environmental Groups Fight to Stop Mine Near Okefenokee

Environmental groups are calling on Georgia's Environmental Protection Division to reject permits to build a titanium mine near an intact freshwater w…

Salt marshes are coastal wetlands rich in marine life. They sometimes are called tidal marshes, because they occur in the zone between low and high tides. (FWC)

Multi-State Conservation Plan to Protect Salt Marshes

Conservation groups along several states on the East coast stretching from North Carolina to northeast Florida are working through a plan to conserve …

Florida Forage Fish Research program fellow Kira Allen, from the University of Central Florida, explains her ecosystem model that explores the effects of climate change on Apalachicola Bay food webs. (Justin Grubich)

FL Research Tracks Impact of Drought, Sea-Level Rise on Forage Fish

Preliminary research shows less fresh water and higher sea levels could be changing the forage fish in Florida's famed Apalachicola Bay and the fisher…

The decades-long project to restore the historic Kissimmee River was completed in 2021. (Screenshot of aerial tour via South Florida Water Management District)

A Call to Prevent Future Mistakes with "Wild and Scenic" Rivers

It took about $1 billion to restore Florida's historic Kissimmee River to its natural state and U.S. Rep. Darren Soto - D- Kissimmee - wants to keep …

According to Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Office of Insurance Regulation, the Florida insurance industry has seen two straight years of net underwriting losses exceeding $1 billion each year. (Pixabay)

FL Lawmakers Miss Climate Change in Fixes to Property-Insurance Crisis

Florida lawmakers have signed off on quick fixes to the state's property insurance crisis - but critics say the plan pays little attention to the grow…

The Nature Coast Aquatic Preserve along with the Big Bend Seagrasses, St. Martins Marsh Aquatic Preserves and the Pinellas County Aquatic Preserve together protect the largest contiguous seagrass meadow in the Gulf of Mexico and the largest spring-fed seagrass habitat in the world. (Charlie Shoemaker for The Pew Charitable Trusts)

FL Officials Open Virtual Public Hearing on New Aquatic Preserve

This afternoon, members of the public will get to have a say on the management plan for the first new aquatic preserve created in Florida in 32 years…

The Sentinel Landscape proposed in the Florida panhandle is one of the largest in the country and the second in Florida. (Sentinellandscapes.org)

Conservation, Military Join Forces to Preserve FL Panhandle

A new project in the Florida panhandle is ensuring military readiness while conserving one of the most biodiverse regions in the country. Federal …

Experts estimate the Gulf of Mexico lost between 4 billion and 8 billion oysters due to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and loss of reproduction in ensuing years. Places like Suwannee Sound in Florida and other Gulf states are tapping settlement money to help populations rebound. (macayran/Pixabay)

Settlement Funds from Oil Spill to Help Restore FL Oyster Reefs

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Storm damage, pollution and other factors - some related to climate change - are reducing the oyster population. But settlement …

Numerous studies including from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency shows disproportionate impacts of climate change on socially vulnerable populations in the United States. (Pixabay)

Advocates Call Build Back Better Essential For Environmental Justice

ORLANDO, Fla. - Advocates are calling on Florida's leaders to keep the momentum going after the U.N. Climate Change Summit by thinking of ways to …

Numerosos estudios, incluidos los de la Agencia de Protecci�n Ambiental de EE. UU., Muestran impactos desproporcionados del cambio clim�tico en las poblaciones socialmente vulnerables en los Estados Unidos. (Pixabay)

Defensores dicen que Build Back Better es esencial para la justicia ambiental

ORLANDO, Fla.-- Defensores están pidiendo a los líderes de Florida que mantengan el impulso después de la Cumbre del Cambio Climá…

The Piney Point property has received 22 inches of rain since the start of June, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protections' motion to request to transfer control of the troubled former phosphate plant from its owners, HRK Holdings. (Pixabay)

Piney Point Pollution Could Overflow with Storms, Hurricanes

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Due to the recent tropical weather systems threatening the region, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is …

The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) decided not to act to change the state's net-metering rule at its Sept. 17, 2020, workshop on Customer-Owned Renewable Generation. (mrganso/Pixabay)

Report: Power Companies Block Rooftop Solar Growth in FL, US

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A new report shows an effort by investor-owned utilities in the Sunshine State to block the growth of rooftop solar. The …

Florida mangroves' natural ability to curb flooding protected over 626,000 people during Hurricane Irma in 2017, according to a University of California Santa Cruz report. (Adobe Stock)

Groups Say FL Coasts Need Federal Dollars to Mitigate Storm Impacts

TAMPA, Fla. -- Environmental groups are urging federal lawmakers to allocate $10 billion in the upcoming infrastructure package for coastal …

On Florida's northwestern Gulf coast, the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve supports 664 jobs and generates $46.4 million, including $15.1 million in labor income. (NOAA/Wikimedia Commons)

Report: Apalachicola, Other Estuarine Reserves Help Power Local Economies

APALACHICOLA, Fla. - A system of little-known public lands protecting sensitive coastal habitats generates significant economic impacts for local …

According to Advanced Energy Economy, each dollar of public investment into electric vehicles generates $2.60 of direct private investment. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Electric Transportation Investment Would Boost FL Economy

MIAMI - Florida would benefit from the federal government's proposed $274 billion investment in electric vehicles and infrastructure, according to a …

Forage fish are small, nutrient-rich species that serve as food for predators like saltwater fish, sharks, coastal birds and marine mammals. (Pexels/Milada Vigerova)

FL Researchers Study Links Between Prey Fish, Predators and Algal Blooms

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- For the most part, if you're a fish, you're either prey or predator, but Florida research is finding the symbiotic relationship …

Florida's Blue-Green Algae Task Force outlined in 2019,

As Toxic Algae, Other Issues Bloom, FL Environmental Secretary Resigns

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Today marks the last day on the job for Florida's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) secretary, who turned in his …

This image depicts Piney Point's water management features. This year, a liner in the wastewater pond leaked again, causing Manatee County to declare a state of emergency. (FPWC)

Lawsuit Launched Over Piney Point Wastewater Leak

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Conservation groups say Florida's environmental regulators ignored a decade of warning signs - including advice from the U.S…

A study by the National Academy of Sciences reveals salt marsh provides an average of $695,000 per square mile a year in protective value to Southeast communities and military installations from storm-surge flooding. (Adobe Stock)

Million-Acre Southeast Salt Marsh Conservation Plan Gets Green Light

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- An initiative to conserve a million acres of salt marsh from Northeast Florida to North Carolina is in motion, following …

Connecticut, Maryland and Vermont all have banned the sale of neonicotinoids, bee-killing pesticide, according to Environment America. Florida has yet to do so, but the group hopes it also will take action in order to save the insect. (Adobe Stock)

On Earth Day, Environmentalists Push to Save Bees

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Today is Earth Day, and environmental advocates are calling on citizens to do their part to save the bees. National …

The most recent manatee population survey by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission shows 400 Florida manatees died in 2019. But 2021 could set a new mortality record, due to water pollution and loss of food and habitat. (Adobe Stock)

FL Manatees Face Greater Threats to Habitat, Health

TAMPA, Fla. -- Polluted wastewater released into Tampa Bay at Piney Point in the last two weeks is only one threat to Florida manatees, as an …

The Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection is partnering with Tampa Bay area governments and the Tampa Bay Estuary Program to monitor water quality at locations affected by the Piney Point breach. (Pexels)

Tampa Bay Braces for Red Tide Outbreak After Toxic Wastewater Leak

TAMPA, Fla. - The uncontrolled release of millions of gallons of polluted wastewater at Piney Point into Tampa Bay is raising concerns about a …

According to the International Energy Agency, electricity generation from renewables will increase by 50% in the next five years. Student leaders in Florida hope their universities will commit to using them in the next two decades. (Adobe Stock)

More Students at FL Universities Seek Clean Energy for Campus

TAMPA, Fla. -- Student-government leaders from several Florida universities want their schools to commit to using 100% renewable energy. This week…

One of the goals of the Green New Deal is to meet

Southern Communities Rally for Inclusion in Green New Deal

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Leaders of Southern organizations, including environmental advocates, have come up with a Green New Deal - with a Southern touch…

Senate Regulated Industries Chairman Travis Hutson, R-St. Augustine, filed a proposal that would target local energy projects. (Pexels)

Conservationists Warn of Power Grab in FL's Energy Policy

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - While Florida's electrical grid is more resilient than Texas' deregulated model, energy experts warn state lawmakers are still …

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FL: Environment