Broward County Audubon Society fosters conservation through local, regional, national and global environmental advocacy and activities throughout South Florida, with an emphasis on birds, other wildlife and their habitats.  

Click on Advocacy for an overview of Audubon's major advocacy areas: Land Conservation and Management, Growth Management and Transportation, Water, Wildlife and Protected Species, and Global Climate Change.  Details of each advocacy area as well as links to other websites can be accessed through the Advocacy page.  The Advocacy section also includes information on how laws can be added or changed as well as a historical look at the major laws pertaining to our natural resources.

Click on BCAS Events for details about current and future 2008 events sponsored by or including the Broward County Audubon Society (BCAS).

Click on Birding for access to Birding Hotspots, BCAS Bird Board, and information for new birders such as Essentials for Bird Watching and tips for Listening to Birds.  For a summary of Birding in the News from last quarter's news items, click here.  For photos of young birds seen on recent field trips, click here. 

Click on Audubon in the News for links to news stories provided by National Audubon Society on a weekly basis to all chapter leaders on Audubon Public Policy, State Programs, Centers, Chapters, and Birding. 

For brief overviews of recent action alerts and news read below under County, State, and National News. For last quarter’s news by advocacy areas, visit the advocacy section.

BROWARD COUNTY NEWS

House Republican budget writers were handed sharp pens last month, land preservation and Everglades cleanup enjoyed enduring bipartisan support in Florida. Now, as far as the House budget is concerned, preservation is yesterday's news.

House leaders are casting their decision to delete the entire $500-million allocation for Florida Forever land-buying and Everglades cleanup as an agonizing choice in a difficult budget year. But state revenue has dropped by 7 percent, not 100 percent, which suggests that belt-tightening is not the only motivation.

House Speaker Marco Rubio has publicly questioned the state's role in environmental regulation, even hinting recently that the Department of Environmental Protection could be abolished. His chamber's proposed budget, aside from the cuts to land-buying and Everglades cleanup, would also remove $175-million from trust funds designed to support environmental causes.

The Everglades portion already has caught the attention of Congress, which agreed in 2000 to share cleanup costs. "Florida's congressional delegation has been outspoken in support of ... increased federal funding," a bipartisan congressional group wrote to Rubio. "We believe that if the state ... now chooses to stop funding its share of this historic agreement, it will undermine the ability to secure federal funding now and in the future."

The Senate is unlikely to agree to the House's radical approach on the Everglades and land conservation. But the House Republican proposal should not be easily forgotten. It speaks to an ideological opportunism and an environmental hostility that voters might want to remember in the fall.

Nature Documentary to be aired on FL PBS

In Marjorie's Wake is a documentary retracing the historic journey of Pullitizer Prize winner Marjorie Kinnam Rawings on the St. John River.  This one-hour film celebrates "sense of place" and examines ways in which the St. John's River has shaped Florida's culture over time. Click here for further details.

FPL Releases Strategic Plan for Meeting Florida's Energy Needs

JUNO BEACH, Fla., Apr 01, 2008 -- BUSINESS WIRE

Florida Power & Light Company filed its 10-year plan for meeting the state's energy needs with the Florida Public Service Commission today, outlining a strategy that combines prudent additions in generating capacity with industry-leading demand-side management programs that will avoid the need to build four medium-sized power plants. Click here for further details.


Earthman and Marlins Mascot do Conservation PSAs

Earthman and Billy the Marlin, the mascot for the Florida Marlins Major League Baseball Team, are together during the shooting of the "H20" Conservation PSA, which will be shown on the Dolphin Stadium Jumbotron at each game.  They have also created an "H20" Conservation Radio PSA to play during Marlins games.  Viewers are encouraged to go to www.Earthman.TV website to learn how to conserve water.

NATIONAL NEWS

Action Alert

Environmental Laws to Be Waived for Fence

Lawmaker Accuses Administration of Abusing Authority to Build Barrier at Mexican Border  By Juliet Eilperin, Washington Post Staff Writer, Wednesday, April 2, 2008; A04

The Bush administration will waive more than 30 environmental and land-management laws in order to finish building 470 miles of border fence in the Southwest by the end of the year, officials said yesterday.

The move, permitted under an exemption granted by Congress, will be the most sweeping use of the administration's waiver authority since it started building the fence to curb illegal immigration. It will affect environmentally sensitive areas in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.  Click here for further details. 

Golf Courses and Audubon Wildlife Sanctuaries

March 2008. Marriott Golf has announced new standards requiring 34 of the company's managed golf courses at 25 locations throughout North America and the Caribbean to become Certified Audubon (Audubon is the US equivalent of the UK’s RSPB) Cooperative Sanctuaries by the end of the year.

Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries, which enable golf facilities to protect the environment by enhancing natural areas and wildlife habitats, are part of a commitment by Marriott International, Inc. to promote environmental stewardship wherever possible.

World Championship Held On a Sanctuary
The Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami became the first Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary in North America to host a World Golf Championships event when the 2008 WGC-CA Championship opened there on March 20th.

‘Marriott Golf is proud to be part of the company's broader green initiatives by supporting Audubon Certification, golf's environmental gold standard,’ said Robert Waller, senior director of grounds, Marriott Golf.

Audubon Certificates
In order to achieve Audubon Certification, a golf facility is required to demonstrate that it is maintaining the highest degree of environmental quality in several areas including environmental planning, wildlife and habitat management, outreach and education, chemical use reduction and safety, water conservation, and water quality management.

‘We are elated with the level of commitment Marriott is showing by mandating Audubon Certification across their portfolio of golf courses,’ said Kevin Fletcher, executive director of Audubon International.

Six Marriott Golf Courses Already Certified Sanctuaries

• Stone Mountain Golf Club in Stone Mountain, Georgia

• Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami, Florida

• The Ritz-Carlton Members Club in Sarasota, Florida

• The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Jupiter, Florida

• Grande Pines Golf Club in Orlando, Florida

• The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Orlando, Grande Lakes in Orlando, Florida

‘This program directly enables golf courses to protect the environment by improving the quality of land, water, and air, along with conserving natural resources and protecting wildlife habitats,’ said Fletcher. ‘These proven environmental management practices will help preserve the natural heritage of the game of golf for many generations to come.’

Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries for golf courses, which are endorsed by the U.S. Golf Association, provide information and guidance to help golf courses preserve and enhance wildlife habitat, and protect natural resources.

Each of these properties has achieved certification through development of water conservation plans; converting formerly managed turf into wildlife habitat; constructing nesting boxes for native birds; the creation of butterfly gardens and other programs.