Florida Natural Resources Leadership Institute Alumni Newsletter

Presidents Welcome
Greetings NRLI Alumni! As your new NRLI Alumni president, I first want to thank our past president, Deborah Burr for her dedication and service to the NRLI Alumni Association. She deserves a lot of credit for helping to build the Alumni Association to what it is today, and I have some very big shoes to fill. She is still an active member of the Associations Board of Directors and has been a big help to me, as I take over as the new president. Thanks Deborah! Fall is here and that means we have another NRLI class underway. I hope you will get a chance to participate in one of the remaining sessions of Class X. As always, the NRLI team put together a great schedule. I highly recommend that you check out a session if it is in your neck of the woods. It is always great to have alumni participate, meet current class members, and catch up with the project team and other alumni. Also, if you havent already done so, you can also stay in touch with other alumni by becoming a friend on NRLIs Facebook page. Hopefully by now you have heard about the Alumni Associations efforts to raise funds for scholarships for future NRLI fellows. As alumni, there are several ways to contribute. Im proud to announce that the first NRLI Alumni Class Challenge, which is a friendly Class vs. Class competition running through the end of November is underway (see page 4 for details). Of course, donations are always welcomed outside the competition as well!! With the majority of our alums able to participate because of scholarships and insightful generosity from employers, we feel that because of your association with NRLI, we are first asking you, our alumni, for financial assistance. We suggest a donation of $25, $50, or whatever feels right. This year, we had one alumni sponsor a partial scholarship with $2000! (If you or your company would like information on underwriting a Fellow, please contact Bruce Delaney at delaneyb@ufl.edu or (352) 846-1511.) In our role as the NRLI Alumni Association, we are continuously working toward furthering our mission of fostering effective leadership and professional development, and enhancing the future of NRLI. Many of the benefits from the NRLI experience can be unexpected and have helped many careers in various ways from networking to job opportunities. On behalf of the NRLI Alumni Association Board of Directors, thank you for your support! Enjoy the eNewsletter!! Bryan Fluech (Class VIII), NRLI Alumni Association President

Volume 2, Issue 2

Fall 2010

Inside this issue: Meet your FNRLI Board of Directors In Memoriam Class Challenge Welcome Class X NRLI Milestones Winters Native Plant Nursery KEA Facilitates Panel Discussion on Transport Stakeholders and Southwest Florida Waterways 2 3 4 5 6 7 7 8

Trends Analysis for Parks, 8 Recreation and Culture Public Opinion on Florida's Water Quality Restoring IFAS site in Sanford The Water Choices Membership Dues 9 10 11 12

The Alumni Association Mission is to: foster effective leadership and professional development provide networking opportunities enhance the NRLI program, and promote its long-term viability.

Page 2

Florida Natural Resources Leadership Institute Alumni Newsletter

The NRLI Alumni Association Board of Directors

Bryan Fluech, President (Class VIII) works for the University of Florida Extension Service as a Sea Grant Extension Agent in Collier County. His extension work focuses on marine fisheries, resource stewardship, and marine education. Hank Vinson (Class VII) works for the Florida Communities Trust. FCT administers two land acquisition grant programs that assist local communities in meeting outdoor recreation and open space needs as well as preserving Floridas commercial fishing industries. Stan Bronson (Class II) is the executive director of Florida Earth Foundation, a publicprivate partnership whose mission is to bring people together through education, outreach and facilitation to ensure Floridas environmental integrity and quality of life. Ed Wright (Class VII) serves as a USDA Liaison to Floridas 5 Water Management Districts. He is a certified total quality management facilitator, and has over 20 years of experience in meeting and small group facilitation. Ed Dunne, Secretary (Class VI) Is a supervising environmental scientist with the St Johns River Water Management District. Ed has worked with the district for three years and works in the Lake Apopka Basin Program. His activities focus on wetland and lake management. Pat Gostel (Class II) is retired but has continued to support the South Florida Water Management District as a volunteer. Pat supports SFWMD outreach activities in the Treasure Coast Region and the Lake Worth Lagoon in Palm Beach County. Pat recently completed the Coastal Module of the IFAS Master Naturalist Program. Paul Monaghan (Class IX) is an Assistant Professor with the University of Floridas Department of Agricultural Education and Communications and his expertise is in communitybased social marketing. Dr. Burl Long, Alumni Advisor Burl is just awesome. What else is there to say?

Teresa Watkins, Vice President (Class VII) is an environmental landscaping consultant, and a horticultural specialist with the St. Johns River Water Management District's Florida Water Star program. Dianne Hughes, Treasurer (Class VIII) is an Environmental Consultant for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Since 1999, she has been working on the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan and other South Florida restoration issues.

Tom Ostertag, Annual Meeting Coordinator (Class IX) works for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Deborah Burr, Past President (Class IV) works for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as the Gopher Tortoise Management Plan Coordinator. She is responsible for implementing the Gopher Tortoise Management Plan to restore and maintain viable populations of gopher tortoises throughout their range in Florida.

Page 3

Florida Natural Resources Leadership Institute Alumni Newsletter

IN MEMORIAM
FNRLI Loses a Remarkable Alumnus, Bob Tietz, Class VI,
Burl Long, FNRLI Emeritus Director

It did not take long to come under the influence of Bob Tietz, Class Vl alum and former member of FNRLI Board of Directors who lost his battle with cancer this summer. Bob was the county biologist for Pasco County and leaves a lasting legacy for his work in environmental lands acquisitions and many other contributions to Pasco Countys environment. For those who knew Bob, we could never forget his charm, wit, the sparkle in his eye and his genuine love for people and nature. Bob epitomized everything that NRLI is about. He was a consummate conservationist who fought to save a part of nature in the face of development. No session of NRLI passed without the entire group being impressed with Bobs infectious laughter and stories, his knowledge and his wisdom which he joyfully shared. He made us all better and always happier for being around him. The family has maintained a website, http.bobtietz.com, which contains a marvelous collection of images, stories and memories of Bobs life. I urge you to take a look at this, which includes some memories from other NRLIs. In addition to his love of nature and family, Bob was a sailor and talented musician who loved to entertain and share with his friends. At NRLI sessions Bob always played his 12 string guitar and entertained us. Several years ago Bob wrote a song called Fanfare Florida. We adopted it as our NRLI theme song. If you do nothing else, please click onto this at the website. For those in Class VI it will bring pleasant memories and for those who did not know Bob, it will inspire you and tell you why Bob was so in tune with and supportive of NRLI. Pasco Wildlife is establishing a memorial to Bob and the FNRLI Alumni Association has made a contribution to it.

Florida Natural Resources Leadership Institute Alumni Newsletter

Page 4

The NRLI Class Challenge is a unique opportunity for NRLI alumni to give back to a program that has provided each of us with so many valuable skills and learning experiences, so that other natural resource professionals may benefit from the program in the future. The Challenge is a Class versus Class competition where each of the nine NRLI classes competes against one another, to raise money for future NRLI fellow scholarships. Each class has always thought their class has been the best; heres your opportunity to prove it! Challenge Rules: The competition starts September 1st and ends November 30th, 2010. Alumni can donate money themselves or have sponsors (organizations and/or other individuals) donate money on behalf of their class as often as they would like. **All donations are tax deductable**

Donate now online!

https://www.uff.ufl.edu/OnlineGiving/FundDetail.asp?FundCode=013735 (Please write down what class you are representing in the comment field) Donations by check can also be mailed to: Florida Natural Resource Leadership Institute Attn: Candace Kaswinkel P.O. Box 110240 Gainesville, FL, 32611-0240 Please make checks payable to: University of Florida Foundation or UFF. Include NRLI Class #in the memo line. The NRLI class that collectively donates the most by 5PM on November 30th, 2010 will be declared the winner of the NRLI Class Challenge. The winning class will be featured on the NRLI Alumni Association website, and will get first choice to the block of free hotel rooms designated for NRLI alumni during the Class X graduation the week-end of April 14-16, 2011. They will also be presented with a special award during the NRLI Class X graduation ceremony. The class that has the greatest percentage of its fellows participate in the competition will also receive an award.

Donate now online!

Page 5

Florida Natural Resources Leadership Institute Alumni Newsletter

Welcome FNRLI Class X! Bruce Delaney NRLI Executive Director

Greetings from the NRLI Project Team!
We would like to update the NRLI Alumni Network on the status of the NRLI Program. Class X commenced with an excellent session in Cedar Key on August 12th, 13th, and 14th. The session was a success both as a bonding experience for the new class and as a vital issue of the moment. While the focus of the session was Water Quality and Clam farming, the concerns raised by the Deepwater Horizon blowout were on everyones mind and were raised and discussed throughout the three-day session. The planning and implementation of the session were greatly aided by our Cedar Key Alumni, Sue Colson and Leslie Sturmer of Class V and Greg Lang of Class IX. Their efforts, combined with their contacts and knowledge of local issues, led to a very successful introductory session for Class X. Ginger Adair and Joy Hazell, of Class IX, helped the Project Team conduct the session and their help is appreciated as well. The new class is composed of eighteen Fellows, eight men and ten women, who have quickly jelled as a class and are on top of their Practicum planning and other assignments. As always, we encourage alumni to take a look at our schedule for the current class and consider attending one of the remaining sessions. It is early in Class X but we encourage you to start thinking now about who, in your organization, would benefit from becoming a NRLI Fellow and start talking to them about it now. If you will forward their name and contact information to us, we will initiate contact with them as well. Thank you for your continued interest in the success of the NRLI Program.

An oldie, but a favorite Steps to NRLI!

Fellows prepare for a boat trip out to the waters of Cedar Key

Panelists discuss water quality and clam farming issues

Florida Natural Resources Leadership Institute Alumni Newsletter

Page 6

Bob Adair, Class I Receives State Citrus Awards

Bob Adair, Executive Director of the Florida Research Center for Agricultural Sustainability in Vero Beach, is the 2010 recipient of the Florida State Horticultural Societys Best Paper Award for Citrus. This award is presented to the authors of the best and most meritorious paper in the citrus section. This same paper entitled Demonstration of a Sustainable Approach to Citriculture within a National Wildlife Refuge in the Indian River Area was also selected for the Presidents Industry Award as the best single citrus paper by an industry author. Both awards were presented to Bob and his coauthors, Ms. Beverly Norquist and Mr. Gregory Ross, who work at the center, at the Societys Annual Meeting in Crystal River on June 8th. The Florida State Horticultural Society is the oldest, active horticultural society in the United States. Bob is the Executive Director of the Florida Research Center and serves as Chairman of the Indian River County Agriculture Advisory Committee of the Countys

and Vice Chairman of the Countys Soil & Water Conservation District. The Florida Research Center conducts research on sustainable agriculture practices and bio-rational pesticides. Bob was a fellow in the Charter Class of NRLI, where he served as President from 1999 to 2002. He is also a graduate of the Florida Leadership Program for Agriculture & Natural Resources Alumni Association where he served as Treasurer 2000 to 2002.

Gregory Golgowski, Class III Appointed to Florida Greenways and Trails Council
Gregory Golgowski of NRLI class III has been appointed to a seat on the Florida Greenways and Trails Council by Governor Charlie Crist. The Council serves to advise the Florida Department of Environmental Protection on greenway and trail related issues, promote partnerships for developing Florida's greenways and trails system, recommend priorities for critical links in the system and provide funding recommendations for developing and managing the system. Greg is currently employed as Conservation Director for the Harmony Development Co.

Promotion? New Business Venture? Award?

NRLI Alumni want to know! We would love to include a mention of your achievement in the upcoming eNewsletter. Please send your milestone to:

Are You a Friend of FNRLI on Facebook?

Become a Friend! The Florida NRLI Facebook Page is up and running. It provides you with general program updates, NRLI session schedules and photos, and allows you to catch up with other NRLI alumni!

communications@fnrli-alumni.org

Page 7

Florida Natural Resources Leadership Institute Alumni Newsletter

Green Winters Native Plant Nursery Jennifer Winters, Class VIII

Green Winters Native Plant Nursery is close to its one-year anniversary! Class VIII graduate, Jennifer Winters, and her husband have managed to bring a dream to life, while also bringing native plants and supplies for organic gardening to their community. The nursery is located in Ormond Beach, FL in the location of a former garden center that was an established business for over 50 years. Using previously established relationships and making new ones along the way, the business not only has a retail organic gardening shop and over 150 varieties of plants, but it has now expanded to include bee keeping supplies, locally made art and furniture, and will be hosting their first organic gardening class this October. NRLI really helped opened some doors for this to becoming a reality. We were able to use suggestions from class members to help us get started and many contact suggestions were made and utilized as the nursery came to life. We continue to cross paths with friends of NRLI friends. One of my favorite things that happened was after visiting an organic farm at Class IX graduation was that Green Winters formed a partnership with a local organic food club. The nursery is now a distribution location for club members one day each week. Please check out our website and if you are visiting this part of the state, stop by and say hi! www.greenwinters.com

KEA Group Facilitates Multi-Disciplinary Panel Discussion on Logical Termini Evaluation in Georgia Bruce Hart, Class I
On April 30, 2010 at the 35th Annual National Association of Environmental Professionals Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, an interdisciplinary team comprised of representatives from the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) -- Georgia Division, Atlanta Regional Commission, and Kennedy Engineering & Associates Group (KEA Group) presented a panel discussion on FHWAs logical termini evaluation of road construction projects in Georgia. The FHWA logical termini regulations outline three general questions at 23 CFR 771.111(f) that are to be evaluated in transportation decision-making: is the project of sufficient length to address environmental matters on a broad scope?; does the project have independent utility?; and does the project restrict the consideration of alternatives for other reasonably foreseeable transportation improvements outside of the projects limits? The issue of logical termini fits into the transportation decision-making process in several places - establishing a projects Need and Purpose, implications to project traffic analysis, and potential consequences to project scope, schedule, and budget. On a broader scale, logical termini evaluations to individual transportation projects can impact regional and/or statewide transportation planning, budget allocations, and regional air quality conformity modeling. The initial notion of assembling this panel was conceived by KEA Group due to the number of projects that we have encountered which have extensive logical termini evaluations. Dale Youngkin, Bruce Hart, and Laura Dawood of KEA Group assembled the panelists, which consisted of Katy Allen, FHWA; Michael Murdoch, GDOT Office of Environmental Services; Matthew Fowler, GDOT Office of Planning; David Haynes, Atlanta Regional Commission; and Dale Youngkin, Kennedy Engineering & Associates Group, with Bruce Hart of Kennedy Engineering & Associates Group serving as moderator. Each panelist presented to the session audience their own personal and agency perspective to the issue. After the 1.5 hour panel presentation, numerous conclusions could be made about the current state of the logical termini process. One clear conclusion is that the logical termini issue is highly woven through the transportation decision-making process, from the initial identification of a project (and associated allocation of funding) to the implications that logical termini has within project-level National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documentation. The forum was an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas and provide an opportunity for dialog among all the participants.

Florida Natural Resources Leadership Institute Alumni Newsletter

Page 8

NRLI Alumni bring together Boating and Waterways Stakeholders for a Strategizing Session Betty Staugler, Class VI and Joy Hazell, Class IX
A team of Southwest Florida Sea Grant Agents which included NRLI alumni Betty Staugler (workshop chair), Bryan Fluech and Joy Hazell held a two day Southwest Florida Regional Boating and Waterways Workshop in Punta Gorda in September, 2010. The Regional Workshop examined innovative strategies to balance economic vitality with ecologically sound management practices along southwest Florida's waterways. The participants included a mix of managers, planners, policymakers, lawyers, and industry people from state, local and regional levels (both private and public sectors). The first day of the workshop consisted of presentations by local and state experts. The presentations were grouped by subject matters including comprehensive planning tools; funds, permits and legal considerations and dealing with derelict vessels. Each series of presentations was followed by a panel question and answer session that was moderated by a Florida Sea Grant Agent. The presentations were very informative and were followed by lively discussions that included inquiries about methods to make boating and waterways planning easier, more useful to stakeholders and quantifiable. The second day of the workshop was a session facilitated by Joy Hazell and designed to allow participants to conduct strategic planning for boating and waterways in Southwest Florida based on participants expertise and information gathered from the previous days presentations. The process for strategic planning was borrowed from NRLI Fellow Ed Wright (Class VI) and used by our own fearless NRLI project team leaders Bruce Delaney and Jon Dain in a session that was held in 2006 at the Statewide Boating and Waterways conference. issues with as few as two and as many as nine participants who were now the team for that issue group. The teams were then asked to strategize how the issues could be addressed and identify existing or potential networks to carry out the strategy. Finally the issue teams were asked to report back on their brainstorming session and the participants were invited to provide feedback. The workshop organizers are now in the process of compiling the issues, strategies and action networks to present back to the participants. Subsequent steps will be setting measurable goals and following up with networks to determine if those goals were met.

Developing and Applying a Trends Analysis Process for the Parks, Recreation & Cultural Affairs Department City of Gainesville,
Gary Paul, Class V

A couple of years ago, as part of my assignment working toward accreditation for our Parks, Recreation & Cultural Affairs Department (through the National Recreation & Parks Association), I was asked to describe our Trends Analysis Process. That could have been easy to do, since, in common with many agencies like ours, we have no such The exercises objectives were to: process. Nor could I find one to serve as a boilerplate. Prioritize waterways issues So, working with interns from the University, I began the process of Discuss strategies to address prioritized issues creating such a process for the City. Even though our accreditation activities have been put on temporary hold due to budget constraints, Form action networks the value of having such a process seems critical. Participants were presented a summary of the subject matters and key points from presentations and question After many false starts and looking at what trends analysis products we could locate, we identified the parameters we felt we should track, and answer sessions. Their next task was to write down on a large sticky note their most pressing boating how often we should track them, and what we should do with the data and waterways issue. The issues were stuck to the wall we collect. Among the tools we decided to use were Alachua County & City of Gainesville demographics; State of Florida demographics; City and read aloud to the group to ensure understanding, then came the fun part. Participants were instructed to of Gainesvilles Report of Norms, FINAL; Recreation use survey results; the Evaluation and Appraisal process for the Citys Comprehenstand up and group the issues how they saw fit. After much discussion and switching of issues, the participants sive Plan, as required by Florida Statutes; Florida Forever Benchmarks, were asked to stand by the group of issues they deemed a progress report prepared by the Florida Natural Areas Inventory for most important. This process led to nine groups of (continued on page 9)

Page 9

Florida Natural Resources Leadership Institute Alumni Newsletter

Trends Analysis Continued from page 8 the Florida Department of Environmental Protection; the National Citizen Survey completed by the City of Gainesville in April 2008; The Latest on Trends in Nature-Based Outdoor Recreation, a paper by H. Ken Cordell for the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and reprinted in Forest News Today in Spring, 2008; Responses To Current nationwide Trends in the Municipal Park and Recreation Setting by Steven F. Illum & Joshua Jackman, Spring 2008; Ten Trends Re-Shaping Florida Recreation & Park Services, Geoffrey Godbey, Ph.D., Penn State University; and Tough Choices 2008, a report from the LeRoy Collins Institute. From historical State, County and City demographic data, as well as data from several years of our own departments facilities and programs use surveys, a baseline for comparison will be created. Yearly, a designated department professional (probably me), will glean the most recent data and also attempt to obtain any updates to the reports and papers listed above as well as look for new work. From this information, data mining software will be used to identify trends and from this, not only short and medium term Goals and Objectives can be formulated, but there may be implications for periodic revisions of the Citys Comprehensive Plan as well. I am excited about learning more about this process and being able to play a key role in developing an application for our City. Its clear to me that diligent attention to ongoing trends analyses is becoming critical to the success of service providers, not only for Parks and Recreation agencies, but for most other natural resource-based organizations as well.

Public Opinion about Surface and Ground Water Quality in Florida

Dr. Tatiana Borisova, Class VIII As part of a nation-wide study, a mail survey about water resource issues was conducted in Florida in 2008 - 2009. The purpose of the survey was to examine Florida residents' awareness and attitudes about water quality and quantity issues and the strategies to protect water resources. The survey was designed by researchers at the University of Idaho, University of Florida, Florida A&M University, and other cooperating institutions within the United States Department of Agriculture's Southern Regional Water Program. The survey was mailed to 1,154 randomly selected Florida households in the fall of 2008 and spring of 2009; 523 households completed and returned the survey (45.5% response rate). About half of the respondents believed that the quality of surface and ground water was good (specifically, good or excellent, good and improving, or good but deteriorating) (Fig. 1 and 2). However, half of those respondents thought that quality was good but deteriorating. Hence, Florida's state and regional agencies should continue focusing on protecting state water resources. We also found that the percentage of respondents who did not know / had no opinion about the quality of surface and ground water was higher among those who reported moving to Florida less than five years ago. Hence, effectively targeted programming may (continued page 10)
Figure 1. Perceived quality of groundwater (percent of responses)

Figure 2. Perceived quality of surface water (percent of responses)

Florida Natural Resources Leadership Institute Alumni Newsletter

Page 10

Figure 3. Perceived pollutants affecting surface or ground water (percent of respondents)

Ground Water continued from page 9 be needed to educate recent residents about Florida water resources. When asked about pollutants affecting surface and ground water quality, about one-half of the respondents know / suspect that the surface or ground water quality in their areas is affected by fertilizers (phosphorus and/or nitrogen) and pesticides (Figure 3). When asked about the three causes most responsible for pollution problems in the rivers and lakes in Florida, new suburban development, agriculture (crops), and stormwater runoff were mentioned most frequently (Figure 4). However, each of these categories was mentioned as a cause of pollution problems by less than half of the respondents. Survey respondents differed in their demographic characteristics from the Florida population as a whole: they were older, more educated, and more frequently male. This difference may have influenced the results of the survey. Specifically, we believe that the number of people who had no opinion on ground and surface water quality is higher than is indicated by the survey results.

Figure 4. Perceived pollution sources affecting rivers and lakes in Florida (percent of

NRLI ALUMNI COLLABORATE TO RESTORE FORMER IFAS SITE

Mark Flomerfelt, Class VI The University of Floridas Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), Central Florida Research and Education Center (CFREC) was located in Sanford, Florida adjacent to Lake Monroe. The CFREC facility was established in 1933 on approximately 65 acres of land devoted to field crop experimentation. Research activities included plant nutrition studies, pest management and studies of control measures for plant disease, insects, weeds and nematodes. Other programs dealt with reclamation of wastewater, biomass production using aquatic plants and management of aquatic insect pests. The facility went through a series of expansions in the 1940s, 1950s and 1970s. In early 1999 Mark Flomerfelt, NRLI Alumni Class VI, was working for Seminole County Stormwater Division when he met with an adjacent property owner to the IFAS facility. They discussed flooding problems and ditch maintenance. Since the operations at the IFAS site were closing, the property owner asked if the county could partner with IFAS to move the ditch off his property. IFAS representatives said the facility was to be abandoned and could be leased to the County from the State of Florida. The county was partnering on other projects in the area with FDEP and St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD). Mark met with the SJRWMD Project Manager, Regina Lovings-Morse, NRLI Alumni Class VII and noted that the site had potential for a flood control and water quality improvement project. Over the next year they worked on concepts for a Regional Storm water Facility. The biggest concern was contamination of the site due to pesticide and hazardous-chemical handling, storage and disposal of materials at the facility. Initial assessments identified elevated concentrations of Toxaphene, Arsenic, Copper, DDT, and Dieldrin that exceeded Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) threshold limits. Over the next several years FDEP developed a clean-up plan. Once complete the site could be safely transferred to the County. In 2005 FDEP coordinated the removal of several buildings and removal of 9,741 cubic yards of contaminated soils. The area was backfilled with certified clean soil until the stormwater facility could be built. Hundreds of soil samples were analyzed during and after the removal phases to ensure the site met the current allowable limits for contaminates. Groundwater sampling continued for the next several years. As the site was under cleanup by FDEP, the team collaborated on final design plans. (continued page 11)

Page 11

Florida Natural Resources Leadership Institute Alumni Newsletter

IFAS SITE continued from Page 10 A nearby Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) road widening project needed large quantities of dirt for surcharge and fill. Talks began with FDOT to provide 280,000 cubic yards of dirt from the excavated stormwater ponds to use as roadway fill. Once FDEP completed their final clean-up work and gave the green light for the project to move forward, agreements between Seminole County, FDOT and SJRWMD were finalized. In September 2007, the County entered into a 50 year lease for the property from the Trustees Internal Improvement Trust Fund of the State of Florida. The project proceeded through construction bidding in the summer of 2008 and the contract was awarded to Johnson Brothers Contactors for $2,875,264. As a partner, FDOTs share of the contract was $1,614,556. This allowed the project to continue with other costs shared by Seminole County and SJRWMD. Construction began in January 2009 and was completed in December 2009 with only minor change orders during the project. Over the past 10 years the collaboration between numerous agencies and hard work by the participants allowed the project to reach completion even though the project was complex. In the end, the project will remove over 27,000 pounds per year of stormwater pollutants entering into Lake Monroe. The reductions in pollutants will help with the pending Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL) reductions that will be required in the Middle St. Johns River segment between Lake Harney and the Wekiva River.
Before

After

The Water Choices, Stan Bronson, Class II

On Tuesday, October 19, Water Choices I convened at the Fairwinds Alumni Center of the University of Central Florida in Orlando. Water Choices is a series of forums developed by Florida Earth Foundation under the direction of Stan Bronson, Florida Earths Executive Director and a Fellow of FNRLI Class II. Over the past several years, water quality regulations have gotten more stringent and will continue to be a compliance challenge. Recent EPA rulings and court decisions around the Clean Water Act have added to the concern stakeholders are expressing concerning this issue. The Water Choices Series offers the opportunity for participants to engage in a meaningful conversation that develops ideas on how to deal with these ever-changing and more difficult regulations. Water Choices creates a type of think-tank venue for stakeholders to come up with ways of dealing with and, hopefully, getting ahead of the curve of water issues. The project has two parts in the Forums themselves and secondly, the products that the forums produce. The first product mandated by Water Choices I is a global compendium of water quality success stories, which will be a resource world-wide for those wanting insight on how to accomplish water quality improvement. Water Choices II will be held at the University of Miami in the last part of February while Water Choices III will be at the University of North Florida in July, 2011. For more information go to Florida Earths website, http://floridaearth.org or give Stan a call at (561) 686-3688.

Page 12

Florida Natural Resources Leadership Institute Alumni Newsletter

FNRLI Alumni Association Membership Dues $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Have you paid your FNRLI Alumni Association Membership dues? Your dues help support the Associations efforts to promote alumni interaction with FNRLI such as the annual graduation ceremony and the Alumni Association website. The dues structure are: $25 a year $125 for a life-time membership. Please send check to: FNRLI alumni Association c/o Dianne Hughes 1065 NE RIO Pine Lance Jensen Beach, FL 34857.

Dont Forget to Visit the FNRLI Alumni Association Online at:

http://fnrli-alumni.org/default.aspx