By ED BIERSCHENK ed.bierschenk@scripps.com February 12, 2007
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A 10-mile path along the perimeter of the Vero Beach Municipal Airport for use by pedestrians and bicyclists could be among the first projects designed as part of a Central Indian River County Greenways Plan. The trail could run along 43rd Avenue, 41st Street, the railroad corridor east of the airport, Aviation Boulevard and the Main Relief Canal. A system of trails also could be located in a proposed Mountain Bike Park, in some land northwest of the Airport Industrial Park.
The county is recommending that design work begin on this project, which is one of several included in the greenways plan being done by the county by Alta Planning + Design, of Saratoga Springs, N.Y, and Fort Lauderdale-based Kimley-Horn and Associates.
The loop trail has been discussed in the past and part of it is expected to be built in conjunction with the widening of Aviation Boulevard, west of U.S. 1, in the summer of 2008. Vero Beach Recreation Director Rob Slezak said previously that he will be seeking additional state money to complete the airport loop. The total cost of the loop could exceed $3 million.
The county's Metropolitan Planning Organization will discuss the plan at its Wednesday meeting. Other projects that could be done over the next one to five years include some improvements to a "two bridges loop," which is already a popular route for runners and others.
The loop basically runs from State Road A1A, west along Beachland Boulevard and the Barber Bridge to Indian River Boulevard, south to the 17th Street Causeway, east along 17th Street to S.R. A1A and back to Beachland Boulevard.
Some of the proposed improvements could include adding designated bike lanes to S.R. A1A between the bridges and improving the bike lanes along the 17th Street bridge, which could include using colored asphalt. Longer term, there may be consideration given to shifting the barrier along the Barber Bridge to create a wider pedestrian walkway.
The public will have a chance to comment on the final draft of a Central Indian River County Greenways Plan between 2 and 3 p.m. Tuesday at a meeting in conference room A of the Indian River County Administration building, 1840 25th St.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Friday, February 9, 2007
Top 10 cities: Where to buy now
CNNMoney.com
Top 10 cities: Where to buy nowThe real estate slump could get worse before it gets better. But these 10 markets offer great opportunities for those who have the patience to buy and hold.
2. Vero Beach, FL
64% Projected gain in home prices (5-year)*
Median home price2006: $235,0002011: $386,000
Population2006: 131,0002011: 147,000
Per capita income2006: $44,4002011: $51,200
Balmy weather, low property taxes, and a cost of living 3% lower than that of nearby West Palm Beach make this coastal town an affordable alternative, with sandy shores and the best surfing on the East Coast."Vero Beach is at high risk in the short term but will move up in the long term," Cochrane says.Here's why: A Florida Atlantic University study says Indian River County and its two closest neighbors will need a projected 154,000 new homes during the next 25 years to house the growing population and replace old structures. A Manpower Employment Outlook Survey predicts growth in construction, manufacturing, and retail jobs too. Per capita income growth closely shadowed that of Martin County, Florida's second-wealthiest, and is gaining on that of Palm Beach County, the state's richest.
CAUTION: Projected job growth in the region will revolve mainly around lower-wage work, which can dampen home values.
Top 10 cities: Where to buy nowThe real estate slump could get worse before it gets better. But these 10 markets offer great opportunities for those who have the patience to buy and hold.
2. Vero Beach, FL
64% Projected gain in home prices (5-year)*
Median home price2006: $235,0002011: $386,000
Population2006: 131,0002011: 147,000
Per capita income2006: $44,4002011: $51,200
Balmy weather, low property taxes, and a cost of living 3% lower than that of nearby West Palm Beach make this coastal town an affordable alternative, with sandy shores and the best surfing on the East Coast."Vero Beach is at high risk in the short term but will move up in the long term," Cochrane says.Here's why: A Florida Atlantic University study says Indian River County and its two closest neighbors will need a projected 154,000 new homes during the next 25 years to house the growing population and replace old structures. A Manpower Employment Outlook Survey predicts growth in construction, manufacturing, and retail jobs too. Per capita income growth closely shadowed that of Martin County, Florida's second-wealthiest, and is gaining on that of Palm Beach County, the state's richest.
CAUTION: Projected job growth in the region will revolve mainly around lower-wage work, which can dampen home values.
$2.5 million park for Sebastian next year
$2.5 million park to open in Sebastian next year
By TONY JUDNICH tony.judnich@scripps.com December 10, 2006
SEBASTIAN — Barbara Zingman is eager to show her friends around a massive oasis in the middle of town.
The Sebastian resident joined about 30 other bundled-up volunteers on a blustery Friday morning to finalize construction of the 166-acre Sebastian Stormwater Park. They planted more than 750 stabilizing plants, shrubs and plugs of grass around its ponds and other areas.
"I got my hands dirty and I helped create it," Zingman said of the $2.5 million park. "I'll be bringing my friends here to go walking."
The heavily wooded park, south of Englar Drive and west of Caprona Street, could open officially to the public in a year. Until then, St. Johns River Water Management District officials will monitor the park and make sure its water pumps are working and its ponds and wetlands are removing pollutants as they should.
The ponds and wetlands will filter pollution out of water pumped from the adjacent Collier Creek, which collects storm water from more than 1,000 acres of the Sebastian Highlands and connects to the St. Sebastian River and Indian River Lagoon. The cleaned water then will be returned to the creek.
Late next year, St. Johns will turn over the park's maintenance to Sebastian officials, who also will decide whether to add new recreational features. Currently, the park has more than two miles of hiking trails, and grassy berms around the ponds could serve as picnic spots.
The city's main park task will be keeping the berms mowed, but city officials don't yet know what the annual mowing cost will be. City Manager Al Minner visited the park Friday and said installing benches, and allowing people to walk their dogs on the trails and to canoe or kayak on the ponds are some recreational issues that might be considered.
"I'm sure we'll take a good hard look at making it the best it can be," he said of the park.
St. Johns Project Manager Ralph Brown said while the park won't open officially until late next year, many people — including some with dogs — already have walked along its trails.
Zingman's husband, Bruce, also helped to install plants at the park Friday. He said the volunteer planters included residents of Sebastian, Vero Beach, Roseland and Little Hollywood.
"It's just a gorgeous area in the middle of Sebastian," he said. "I didn't believe it was this big."
The planting work marked the end of the park's construction. The project began five years ago, but most of the time since then has been used to obtain various permits. The actual construction took about a year and a half, St. Johns officials said.
OASIS IN SEBASTIAN
What: Sebastian Stormwater Park.
Size: 166 acres, about the same size as the Sebastian Municipal Golf Course. The park includes three ponds, the largest of which covers 21 acres.
Where: Bounded by Collier Creek to the west and south, Englar Drive to the north and Caprona Street to the east. Entrance is on the south side of Englar Drive, just east of South Easy Street.
Function: The park's ponds and wetlands will filter storm water from Collier Creek, then clean water will be returned to the creek. They'll remove an estimated 80 percent total nitrogen and 56 percent of total phosphorus — both from fertilizers — and 79 percent of sediments and suspended solids from the water.
Recreation: There are more than 2 miles of hiking trails. Berms around the ponds can be used for picnics and bird watching. The city later might add benches and allow people to walk their dogs there.
Preservation: Park includes several stands of live oak, as well as many gopher tortoises and scrub jays.
Opening: About a year from now.
Cost: $2.5 million in state and federal money.
Managers: The park will be overseen by the St. Johns River Water Management District for the next year, then the district will turn over its maintenance to the city.
By TONY JUDNICH tony.judnich@scripps.com December 10, 2006
SEBASTIAN — Barbara Zingman is eager to show her friends around a massive oasis in the middle of town.
The Sebastian resident joined about 30 other bundled-up volunteers on a blustery Friday morning to finalize construction of the 166-acre Sebastian Stormwater Park. They planted more than 750 stabilizing plants, shrubs and plugs of grass around its ponds and other areas.
"I got my hands dirty and I helped create it," Zingman said of the $2.5 million park. "I'll be bringing my friends here to go walking."
The heavily wooded park, south of Englar Drive and west of Caprona Street, could open officially to the public in a year. Until then, St. Johns River Water Management District officials will monitor the park and make sure its water pumps are working and its ponds and wetlands are removing pollutants as they should.
The ponds and wetlands will filter pollution out of water pumped from the adjacent Collier Creek, which collects storm water from more than 1,000 acres of the Sebastian Highlands and connects to the St. Sebastian River and Indian River Lagoon. The cleaned water then will be returned to the creek.
Late next year, St. Johns will turn over the park's maintenance to Sebastian officials, who also will decide whether to add new recreational features. Currently, the park has more than two miles of hiking trails, and grassy berms around the ponds could serve as picnic spots.
The city's main park task will be keeping the berms mowed, but city officials don't yet know what the annual mowing cost will be. City Manager Al Minner visited the park Friday and said installing benches, and allowing people to walk their dogs on the trails and to canoe or kayak on the ponds are some recreational issues that might be considered.
"I'm sure we'll take a good hard look at making it the best it can be," he said of the park.
St. Johns Project Manager Ralph Brown said while the park won't open officially until late next year, many people — including some with dogs — already have walked along its trails.
Zingman's husband, Bruce, also helped to install plants at the park Friday. He said the volunteer planters included residents of Sebastian, Vero Beach, Roseland and Little Hollywood.
"It's just a gorgeous area in the middle of Sebastian," he said. "I didn't believe it was this big."
The planting work marked the end of the park's construction. The project began five years ago, but most of the time since then has been used to obtain various permits. The actual construction took about a year and a half, St. Johns officials said.
OASIS IN SEBASTIAN
What: Sebastian Stormwater Park.
Size: 166 acres, about the same size as the Sebastian Municipal Golf Course. The park includes three ponds, the largest of which covers 21 acres.
Where: Bounded by Collier Creek to the west and south, Englar Drive to the north and Caprona Street to the east. Entrance is on the south side of Englar Drive, just east of South Easy Street.
Function: The park's ponds and wetlands will filter storm water from Collier Creek, then clean water will be returned to the creek. They'll remove an estimated 80 percent total nitrogen and 56 percent of total phosphorus — both from fertilizers — and 79 percent of sediments and suspended solids from the water.
Recreation: There are more than 2 miles of hiking trails. Berms around the ponds can be used for picnics and bird watching. The city later might add benches and allow people to walk their dogs there.
Preservation: Park includes several stands of live oak, as well as many gopher tortoises and scrub jays.
Opening: About a year from now.
Cost: $2.5 million in state and federal money.
Managers: The park will be overseen by the St. Johns River Water Management District for the next year, then the district will turn over its maintenance to the city.
FAU marine center opens
FAU marine center opens
By CHARLIE REED charlie.reed@scripps.com November 13, 2006
NORTH ST. LUCIE COUNTY — Priscilla Winder is trying to find the cure for cancer under water.
The Florida Atlantic University student is doing research for her doctorate in ocean engineering at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, specializing in drug development.
"We're basically looking for pharmacological drugs from marine organisms," said Winder, 28, a native of New Jersey who came to FAU 10 years ago to study marine biology and chemistry. She now works with the same Harbor Branch scientists she first met as an undergraduate.
In 2001, Winder was among the first group of students to attend the Semester by the Sea program, accredited by FAU, but taught at Harbor Branch's sprawling campus along a deep-water channel in the Indian River Lagoon.
"You're completely immersed in everything marine," said Winder. "It inspired me and helped me figure out what I wanted to do."
The program — which takes students into the water with top scientists at the nonprofit for field research — formalized years of partnership between FAU and Harbor Branch.
Today, the affiliation deepens with the opening of an $11 million marine science center, owned by FAU and located just outside the main gates of Harbor Branch.
The taxpayer-funded project brings 40,000 square feet of laboratory and office space for eight faculty members from each institution and up to 48 doctoral students, some pursuing degrees with FAU, others with Harbor Branch.
As it grows, the public-private alliance is expected to score more funds from the state Legislature and prestigious and well-heeled organizations such as the National Science Foundation.
The Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies has plans to temporarily set up shop at the new building next year. The nonprofit biotech committed earlier this year to build a permanent campus in Tradition, a planned community in St. Lucie West, after the state promised the La Jolla, Calif.-based group millions in financial incentives.
FAU won't profit from lending Torrey Pines space. But university officials are counting on the physical connection to spur collaboration, such as the one FAU developed with Scripps Research Institute. Also based in La Jolla, Scripps is building permanent offices and labs at FAU's Jupiter campus.
"We expect to have significant interaction with Torrey Pines just like we're developing with Scripps," said Larry Lemanski, vice president for research at FAU.
But the new marine science building is more than temporary digs for Torrey Pines. It will allow Treasure Coast scientists to continue marine- related drug research that began in 2003 with a $10 million state grant.
The growing public investment at Harbor Branch could help local leaders justify pumping more money into the cash-strapped research outfit to prevent commercial and residential developers from chipping away at the 500 acres of pristine riverfront property. Partnerships are key to Harbor Branch flourishing in the future, said Dennis Hanisak, director of Marine Science.
"The benefactors are the students," he said.
In the case of Winder, the Ph.D. candidate combing the ocean for the cure for cancer, society also benefits if her research leads to a medical breakthrough.
"I'm so happy because I get to do what I love and try and help people at the same time," Winder said.
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By CHARLIE REED charlie.reed@scripps.com November 13, 2006
NORTH ST. LUCIE COUNTY — Priscilla Winder is trying to find the cure for cancer under water.
The Florida Atlantic University student is doing research for her doctorate in ocean engineering at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, specializing in drug development.
"We're basically looking for pharmacological drugs from marine organisms," said Winder, 28, a native of New Jersey who came to FAU 10 years ago to study marine biology and chemistry. She now works with the same Harbor Branch scientists she first met as an undergraduate.
In 2001, Winder was among the first group of students to attend the Semester by the Sea program, accredited by FAU, but taught at Harbor Branch's sprawling campus along a deep-water channel in the Indian River Lagoon.
"You're completely immersed in everything marine," said Winder. "It inspired me and helped me figure out what I wanted to do."
The program — which takes students into the water with top scientists at the nonprofit for field research — formalized years of partnership between FAU and Harbor Branch.
Today, the affiliation deepens with the opening of an $11 million marine science center, owned by FAU and located just outside the main gates of Harbor Branch.
The taxpayer-funded project brings 40,000 square feet of laboratory and office space for eight faculty members from each institution and up to 48 doctoral students, some pursuing degrees with FAU, others with Harbor Branch.
As it grows, the public-private alliance is expected to score more funds from the state Legislature and prestigious and well-heeled organizations such as the National Science Foundation.
The Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies has plans to temporarily set up shop at the new building next year. The nonprofit biotech committed earlier this year to build a permanent campus in Tradition, a planned community in St. Lucie West, after the state promised the La Jolla, Calif.-based group millions in financial incentives.
FAU won't profit from lending Torrey Pines space. But university officials are counting on the physical connection to spur collaboration, such as the one FAU developed with Scripps Research Institute. Also based in La Jolla, Scripps is building permanent offices and labs at FAU's Jupiter campus.
"We expect to have significant interaction with Torrey Pines just like we're developing with Scripps," said Larry Lemanski, vice president for research at FAU.
But the new marine science building is more than temporary digs for Torrey Pines. It will allow Treasure Coast scientists to continue marine- related drug research that began in 2003 with a $10 million state grant.
The growing public investment at Harbor Branch could help local leaders justify pumping more money into the cash-strapped research outfit to prevent commercial and residential developers from chipping away at the 500 acres of pristine riverfront property. Partnerships are key to Harbor Branch flourishing in the future, said Dennis Hanisak, director of Marine Science.
"The benefactors are the students," he said.
In the case of Winder, the Ph.D. candidate combing the ocean for the cure for cancer, society also benefits if her research leads to a medical breakthrough.
"I'm so happy because I get to do what I love and try and help people at the same time," Winder said.
Comments (0) »
IRMC director brings extensive surgery experience to the table
IRMC director brings extensive surgery experience to the table
By JAMES KIRLEY jim.kirley@scripps.com October 13, 2006
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — There should be nothing novel about the first-ever open heart surgery done at Indian River Medical Center, says the doctor who will be performing it in the new $13.5 million facility that is set to open the week of Oct. 23.
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — There should be nothing novel about the first-ever open heart surgery done at Indian River Medical Center, says the doctor who will be performing it in the new $13.5 million facility that is set to open the week of Oct. 23.
That is because Dr. Cary Stowe, IRMC's medical director for cardiovascular surgery, has done thousands of such operations. Moreover, the 54-year-old Stowe has brought several members of his surgical team with him to Vero Beach from Florida Hospital System in Orlando, where most of those surgeries were done.
"There will be a sense of cohesiveness, like a football team," said Stowe, adding he plans to begin IRMC's program with "straight-forward" cases of heart valve replacement and coronary bypass. He expects it will not take long before more complicated heart problems are getting cured locally
"If I had to guess, we will have all that up and running in six months or sooner," Stowe said.
There was a noticeable sense of excitement among hospital staff Thursday, as construction workers put the finishing touches on 28,000 square feet of new and renovated hospital space.
While repairing hearts and major arteries is the project's mission, an infusion of new talent, training and $5 million in new medical equipment is spilling over into other hospital departments.
"The improvement process really started several years ago," said Janet Longenberger, registered nurse and director of The Heart Center. Duke University Health System Inc. formed a partnership with IRMC for the center beginning in fall 2004.
"When Duke came, they did an assessment of the entire organization," Longenberger said.
Partly as a result of that process, IRMC's clinical laboratory was renovated and its blood banking capabilities expanded.
She also noted cardiac nursing experts conducted three dozen sessions to train clinical teams and 35 nurses from IRMC were sent in groups to observe operations at Sarasota Memorial Hospital's heart surgery center.
The radiology department at IRMC got the latest CAT scan machine, which uses computers to generate three-dimensional images from two-dimensional X-rays.
Thursday, Hospital Facilities Director Cliff Schroeder showed workers putting the finishing touches on a new cardiac catheterization laboratory.
It is where Dr. Joel Greenberg, IRMC's new director of interventional cardiology, and another Florida Hospital alumnus will open plaque-blocked arteries and install tiny wire scaffolds called stents to hold them open — typically working through a small incision in a patient's groin
Until now, IRMC used the same basic technique to diagnose heart disease, but could not repair blockages.
In most instances, Longenberger said, these patients will go home after less than one day at the hospital.
The Heart Center at IRMC will be the third heart surgery unit in as many Treasure Coast counties. Martin Memorial Medical Center opened its unit Aug. 1 and Lawnwood Regional Medical Center and Heart Institute opened in 1999 — the same year IRMC leaders decided to begin pursuit of their own heart center.
Critics of the proliferation of heart surgery units at smaller hospitals — they often come from institutions that have existing programs — say it takes several hundred surgeries per year to keep an operating room team proficient in the delicate and complicated procedures.
Stowe said those critics need to consider the starting point.
"Here, we are starting with a very experienced (operating room) team," he said.
It includes a heart-lung machine specialist, scrub nurse and physician's assistant who worked with Stowe in Orlando, plus his office manager and a nurse practitioner to care for patients after surgery.
"I don't think (patient) volume is as critical for a team that has prior experience and a doctor who has done thousands of these procedures," Stowe said. THE HEART CENTER AT IRMC
Officials at The Heart Center at Indian River Medical Center in Vero Beach will be ready for their first open heart surgery patient the week of Oct. 23. The following week of Oct. 30, hospital officials expect to be ready to perform their first non-surgical heart procedure using angioplasty.
HEART CENTER FACTS
• Four new operating rooms, two dedicated to heart surgery, plus one new laboratory for interventional cardiology — often called angioplasty.
• 15,000 square feet of new building, plus 13,000 square feet renovated.
• Cost of about $8.2 million for construction, plus $5 million for new equipment.
• Improvements related to heart surgery benefiting other areas of the hospital include an expanded clinical laboratory and state-of-the-art imaging equipment.
By JAMES KIRLEY jim.kirley@scripps.com October 13, 2006
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — There should be nothing novel about the first-ever open heart surgery done at Indian River Medical Center, says the doctor who will be performing it in the new $13.5 million facility that is set to open the week of Oct. 23.
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — There should be nothing novel about the first-ever open heart surgery done at Indian River Medical Center, says the doctor who will be performing it in the new $13.5 million facility that is set to open the week of Oct. 23.
That is because Dr. Cary Stowe, IRMC's medical director for cardiovascular surgery, has done thousands of such operations. Moreover, the 54-year-old Stowe has brought several members of his surgical team with him to Vero Beach from Florida Hospital System in Orlando, where most of those surgeries were done.
"There will be a sense of cohesiveness, like a football team," said Stowe, adding he plans to begin IRMC's program with "straight-forward" cases of heart valve replacement and coronary bypass. He expects it will not take long before more complicated heart problems are getting cured locally
"If I had to guess, we will have all that up and running in six months or sooner," Stowe said.
There was a noticeable sense of excitement among hospital staff Thursday, as construction workers put the finishing touches on 28,000 square feet of new and renovated hospital space.
While repairing hearts and major arteries is the project's mission, an infusion of new talent, training and $5 million in new medical equipment is spilling over into other hospital departments.
"The improvement process really started several years ago," said Janet Longenberger, registered nurse and director of The Heart Center. Duke University Health System Inc. formed a partnership with IRMC for the center beginning in fall 2004.
"When Duke came, they did an assessment of the entire organization," Longenberger said.
Partly as a result of that process, IRMC's clinical laboratory was renovated and its blood banking capabilities expanded.
She also noted cardiac nursing experts conducted three dozen sessions to train clinical teams and 35 nurses from IRMC were sent in groups to observe operations at Sarasota Memorial Hospital's heart surgery center.
The radiology department at IRMC got the latest CAT scan machine, which uses computers to generate three-dimensional images from two-dimensional X-rays.
Thursday, Hospital Facilities Director Cliff Schroeder showed workers putting the finishing touches on a new cardiac catheterization laboratory.
It is where Dr. Joel Greenberg, IRMC's new director of interventional cardiology, and another Florida Hospital alumnus will open plaque-blocked arteries and install tiny wire scaffolds called stents to hold them open — typically working through a small incision in a patient's groin
Until now, IRMC used the same basic technique to diagnose heart disease, but could not repair blockages.
In most instances, Longenberger said, these patients will go home after less than one day at the hospital.
The Heart Center at IRMC will be the third heart surgery unit in as many Treasure Coast counties. Martin Memorial Medical Center opened its unit Aug. 1 and Lawnwood Regional Medical Center and Heart Institute opened in 1999 — the same year IRMC leaders decided to begin pursuit of their own heart center.
Critics of the proliferation of heart surgery units at smaller hospitals — they often come from institutions that have existing programs — say it takes several hundred surgeries per year to keep an operating room team proficient in the delicate and complicated procedures.
Stowe said those critics need to consider the starting point.
"Here, we are starting with a very experienced (operating room) team," he said.
It includes a heart-lung machine specialist, scrub nurse and physician's assistant who worked with Stowe in Orlando, plus his office manager and a nurse practitioner to care for patients after surgery.
"I don't think (patient) volume is as critical for a team that has prior experience and a doctor who has done thousands of these procedures," Stowe said. THE HEART CENTER AT IRMC
Officials at The Heart Center at Indian River Medical Center in Vero Beach will be ready for their first open heart surgery patient the week of Oct. 23. The following week of Oct. 30, hospital officials expect to be ready to perform their first non-surgical heart procedure using angioplasty.
HEART CENTER FACTS
• Four new operating rooms, two dedicated to heart surgery, plus one new laboratory for interventional cardiology — often called angioplasty.
• 15,000 square feet of new building, plus 13,000 square feet renovated.
• Cost of about $8.2 million for construction, plus $5 million for new equipment.
• Improvements related to heart surgery benefiting other areas of the hospital include an expanded clinical laboratory and state-of-the-art imaging equipment.
Making move to save more gopher tortoises
Making move to save more gopher tortoises
By ELLIOTT JONES elliott.jones@scripps.com October 13, 2006
WABASSO — When Humane Society director Joan Carlson saw a developer clearing some woodlands weeks ago, she feared some state-protected gopher tortoises would be destroyed.
So society officials began checking.
This week that led to a major policy shift by state wildlife officials, allowing local citizens for the first time to step in and save tortoises developers have been permitted to plow under.
"It's been entombment," said local Humane Society official Ilka Daniel, referring to the state's long-standing policy of allowing destruction of gopher tortoise burrows.
Now she and national Humane Society officials hope other groups throughout Florida will follow the local Humane Society's lead in trying to move tortoises that otherwise might have died.
Under state rules, developers can either contribute money or have the tortoises moved, with only permitted people allowed to do the work. Developers have often found it cheaper to contribute to the land-buying program than go through the state-regulated process of relocating the animals.
Through the years, the state's so-called pay-and-plow policy has collected $33 million, used in purchasing 9,700 acres at 11 sites in Florida — all for safeguarding gopher tortoises, said Joy Hill, spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
But because of declining numbers of tortoises and loss of lands on which they live, the commission in June increased the animal's status, making it a threatened species, just one step under being endangered. An estimated 250,000 tortoises live in Florida.
And next summer Florida's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission plans to stop its policy of allowing developers to plow under gopher tortoises, commission officials said.
The new rule, allowing citizens' involvement, is largely a humanitarian gesture, said Hill, who doesn't expect it to do much in safeguarding the overall tortoise population.
Yet, "We don't want turtles to be killed either," she said.
National Humane Society official Jennifer Hobgood sees it differently. She intervened, on the local Humane Society's behalf, this week to get the rules changed. And on Thursday, she visited the construction work site that alarmed Carlson. Hobgood estimated that the state's pay-and-plow policy has been allowing the destruction of 8,000 to 10,000 tortoises a year throughout the state.
Hobgood and Daniel found four tortoises on Thursday, including three living in an undeveloped portion of a subdivision. The fourth is presumed to have dug itself out of a buried burrow, Hobgood said.
Those turtles were moved to the undeveloped area. Also, the workers identified 18 burrows being used by tortoises. Work will continue throughout the weekend.
"Tortoises are a keystone species," said Florida Atlantic University tortoise researcher John Moore, a Vero Beach resident who helped with the work of locating tortoises at the development site.
According to a state survey, the subdivision contained an estimated 15 tortoises. Each tortoise can have anywhere from one to five burrows, wildlife officials said, and half of the estimated 30 burrows at the subdivision were plowed over. The remainder are in protected areas, society officials said.
"The developer has been very, very cooperative" on allowing society officials to get on site and look for turtles, Daniel said. Yet, she said, the developer doesn't want to be identified. A developer's local representative didn't return phone calls.
Relocating turtles on the site is a temporary measure as society officials start apply for the permanent relocation permit allowed under the new change in rules. The Humane Society's board hasn't yet met to discuss whether the tortoises could be moved to vacant property at its headquarters.
The search for land is what developers throughout the state will face, if the commission's rule-makers approve the proposed elimination of the pay-and-plow policy.
"It's a multi-million-dollar question," Hill said. "We'll be working with developers, landowners and others to find suitable sites."
The Humane Society of Vero Beach wants local conservation groups to band together to save gopher tortoises threatened by development. • Florida's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission just started allowing local groups to relocate tortoises the commission is allowing developers to bury during construction.
• Groups have to apply for a permit to move the tortoises.
• To get a permit, groups need permission of the developer and a suitable place for the tortoises to live. Sick tortoises can't be moved to site with healthy tortoises.
• Anyone who wants to help may call the Humane Society at (772) 388-3331, ext. 28.
By ELLIOTT JONES elliott.jones@scripps.com October 13, 2006
WABASSO — When Humane Society director Joan Carlson saw a developer clearing some woodlands weeks ago, she feared some state-protected gopher tortoises would be destroyed.
So society officials began checking.
This week that led to a major policy shift by state wildlife officials, allowing local citizens for the first time to step in and save tortoises developers have been permitted to plow under.
"It's been entombment," said local Humane Society official Ilka Daniel, referring to the state's long-standing policy of allowing destruction of gopher tortoise burrows.
Now she and national Humane Society officials hope other groups throughout Florida will follow the local Humane Society's lead in trying to move tortoises that otherwise might have died.
Under state rules, developers can either contribute money or have the tortoises moved, with only permitted people allowed to do the work. Developers have often found it cheaper to contribute to the land-buying program than go through the state-regulated process of relocating the animals.
Through the years, the state's so-called pay-and-plow policy has collected $33 million, used in purchasing 9,700 acres at 11 sites in Florida — all for safeguarding gopher tortoises, said Joy Hill, spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
But because of declining numbers of tortoises and loss of lands on which they live, the commission in June increased the animal's status, making it a threatened species, just one step under being endangered. An estimated 250,000 tortoises live in Florida.
And next summer Florida's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission plans to stop its policy of allowing developers to plow under gopher tortoises, commission officials said.
The new rule, allowing citizens' involvement, is largely a humanitarian gesture, said Hill, who doesn't expect it to do much in safeguarding the overall tortoise population.
Yet, "We don't want turtles to be killed either," she said.
National Humane Society official Jennifer Hobgood sees it differently. She intervened, on the local Humane Society's behalf, this week to get the rules changed. And on Thursday, she visited the construction work site that alarmed Carlson. Hobgood estimated that the state's pay-and-plow policy has been allowing the destruction of 8,000 to 10,000 tortoises a year throughout the state.
Hobgood and Daniel found four tortoises on Thursday, including three living in an undeveloped portion of a subdivision. The fourth is presumed to have dug itself out of a buried burrow, Hobgood said.
Those turtles were moved to the undeveloped area. Also, the workers identified 18 burrows being used by tortoises. Work will continue throughout the weekend.
"Tortoises are a keystone species," said Florida Atlantic University tortoise researcher John Moore, a Vero Beach resident who helped with the work of locating tortoises at the development site.
According to a state survey, the subdivision contained an estimated 15 tortoises. Each tortoise can have anywhere from one to five burrows, wildlife officials said, and half of the estimated 30 burrows at the subdivision were plowed over. The remainder are in protected areas, society officials said.
"The developer has been very, very cooperative" on allowing society officials to get on site and look for turtles, Daniel said. Yet, she said, the developer doesn't want to be identified. A developer's local representative didn't return phone calls.
Relocating turtles on the site is a temporary measure as society officials start apply for the permanent relocation permit allowed under the new change in rules. The Humane Society's board hasn't yet met to discuss whether the tortoises could be moved to vacant property at its headquarters.
The search for land is what developers throughout the state will face, if the commission's rule-makers approve the proposed elimination of the pay-and-plow policy.
"It's a multi-million-dollar question," Hill said. "We'll be working with developers, landowners and others to find suitable sites."
The Humane Society of Vero Beach wants local conservation groups to band together to save gopher tortoises threatened by development. • Florida's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission just started allowing local groups to relocate tortoises the commission is allowing developers to bury during construction.
• Groups have to apply for a permit to move the tortoises.
• To get a permit, groups need permission of the developer and a suitable place for the tortoises to live. Sick tortoises can't be moved to site with healthy tortoises.
• Anyone who wants to help may call the Humane Society at (772) 388-3331, ext. 28.
Riverview Park offering brownbag programs
Riverview Park offering brownbag programs
By TONY JUDNICH
SEBASTIAN — Starting today, anyone living near the Indian River Lagoon and wanting to learn more about the waterway and other parts of the local natural environment might want to pack a lunch and head to Riverview Park.
That's where members of the nonprofit, Palm Bay-based Marine Resources Council of East Florida will kick off the Sebastian version of their brown bag lunch lecture program, which covers topics such as ecology, fishing, native plants, gardening and natural historyThe first lecture at Riverview Park will be given from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. today. Amber Shawl, a research associate with Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution in Fort Pierce, will discuss the queen conch, the second-most valuable fisheries species in the Caribbean. Despite conservation efforts, queen conch populations have been declining for the past 20 years, according to information from the council.
The first lecture at Riverview Park will be given from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. today. Amber Shawl, a research associate with Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution in Fort Pierce, will discuss the queen conch, the second-most valuable fisheries species in the Caribbean. Despite conservation efforts, queen conch populations have been declining for the past 20 years, according to information from the council.
Shawl also serves as the education and outreach director of the Conch Heritage Network, an organization founded at Harbor Branch in 2001 and dedicated to protecting the queen conch through education and outreach programs.
The Marine Resource Council's subsequent brown bag programs at Riverview Park will run from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the last Friday of the month: Oct. 27, Dec. 29, Jan. 26, Feb. 23 and March 30. A lecture will not be given on the last Friday in November, since that is the day after Thanksgiving.
The Oct. 27 program will feature Heather Stapleton, education coordinator from Wabasso's Environmental Learning Center. Stapleton will discuss stormwater runoff and how it affects lagoon species.
Jessica Carey, the Marine Resource Council's education coordinator, said the council is arranging speakers and lecture topics for the other lectures at the park. For many years, the council has given similar brown bag lectures at several other locations, including at noon each Friday at Fisherman's Landing Park, 5795 U.S. 1 in Grant, in South Brevard County.
Many Sebastian-area residents who regularly attended the lectures in Grant and some of the Tuesday lectures at the council-managed Lagoon House, 3275 U.S. 1, Palm Bay, requested the programs be offered in Sebastian, Carey said Thursday.
"It's a real relaxed atmosphere," she said of the brown bag lunches. "There is a short, 30-45-minute lecture and then a Q and A."
Previous speakers included officials from various universities, St. Johns River Water Management District and the Pelican Island Audubon Society, she said.
What: Brown bag lunch lectures, discussing the Indian River Lagoon and other environmental topics.
When: From 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the last Friday of the month, except November. The first lecture is today and the last will be on March 30.
Where: Riverview Park's gazebo, west of Indian River Drive and south of Sebastian Boulevard.
Who: Lectures will be given by environmental experts selected by the nonprofit, Palm Bay-based Marine Resources Council of East Florida.
Cost: Free to the public. Participants bring their own lunch.
By TONY JUDNICH
SEBASTIAN — Starting today, anyone living near the Indian River Lagoon and wanting to learn more about the waterway and other parts of the local natural environment might want to pack a lunch and head to Riverview Park.
That's where members of the nonprofit, Palm Bay-based Marine Resources Council of East Florida will kick off the Sebastian version of their brown bag lunch lecture program, which covers topics such as ecology, fishing, native plants, gardening and natural historyThe first lecture at Riverview Park will be given from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. today. Amber Shawl, a research associate with Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution in Fort Pierce, will discuss the queen conch, the second-most valuable fisheries species in the Caribbean. Despite conservation efforts, queen conch populations have been declining for the past 20 years, according to information from the council.
The first lecture at Riverview Park will be given from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. today. Amber Shawl, a research associate with Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution in Fort Pierce, will discuss the queen conch, the second-most valuable fisheries species in the Caribbean. Despite conservation efforts, queen conch populations have been declining for the past 20 years, according to information from the council.
Shawl also serves as the education and outreach director of the Conch Heritage Network, an organization founded at Harbor Branch in 2001 and dedicated to protecting the queen conch through education and outreach programs.
The Marine Resource Council's subsequent brown bag programs at Riverview Park will run from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the last Friday of the month: Oct. 27, Dec. 29, Jan. 26, Feb. 23 and March 30. A lecture will not be given on the last Friday in November, since that is the day after Thanksgiving.
The Oct. 27 program will feature Heather Stapleton, education coordinator from Wabasso's Environmental Learning Center. Stapleton will discuss stormwater runoff and how it affects lagoon species.
Jessica Carey, the Marine Resource Council's education coordinator, said the council is arranging speakers and lecture topics for the other lectures at the park. For many years, the council has given similar brown bag lectures at several other locations, including at noon each Friday at Fisherman's Landing Park, 5795 U.S. 1 in Grant, in South Brevard County.
Many Sebastian-area residents who regularly attended the lectures in Grant and some of the Tuesday lectures at the council-managed Lagoon House, 3275 U.S. 1, Palm Bay, requested the programs be offered in Sebastian, Carey said Thursday.
"It's a real relaxed atmosphere," she said of the brown bag lunches. "There is a short, 30-45-minute lecture and then a Q and A."
Previous speakers included officials from various universities, St. Johns River Water Management District and the Pelican Island Audubon Society, she said.
What: Brown bag lunch lectures, discussing the Indian River Lagoon and other environmental topics.
When: From 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the last Friday of the month, except November. The first lecture is today and the last will be on March 30.
Where: Riverview Park's gazebo, west of Indian River Drive and south of Sebastian Boulevard.
Who: Lectures will be given by environmental experts selected by the nonprofit, Palm Bay-based Marine Resources Council of East Florida.
Cost: Free to the public. Participants bring their own lunch.
Disney property sold to developer
Disney property sold to developer
Byline: ROBERT BARBA robert.barba@scripps.comSource:VERO BEACH -- A St. Petersburg developer has snagged one of the most prominent pieces of oceanfront property in Vero Beach. Southeast Companies of Tampa Bay Inc., through its subsidiary Ocean Sands-Vero, has purchased 7.8 acres just south of Disney's Vero Beach Resort.Repeated calls to the developer and its broker, Michael Thorpe, were not returned.
The firm paid Disney $13.6 million in late August for the parcel, according to public records. The deal was financed with a $14.3 million mortgage from SunTrust Bank.The property fronts the ocean for about 1,500 feet and is zoned multi-family residential.Plans call for 60 units in five three-story buildings with covered parking, according to the developer's Web site. Units range from 3,500 to 3,800 square feet. Amenities include cabanas, tennis court, pool and spa.No prices are listed on the site.
Byline: ROBERT BARBA robert.barba@scripps.comSource:VERO BEACH -- A St. Petersburg developer has snagged one of the most prominent pieces of oceanfront property in Vero Beach. Southeast Companies of Tampa Bay Inc., through its subsidiary Ocean Sands-Vero, has purchased 7.8 acres just south of Disney's Vero Beach Resort.Repeated calls to the developer and its broker, Michael Thorpe, were not returned.
The firm paid Disney $13.6 million in late August for the parcel, according to public records. The deal was financed with a $14.3 million mortgage from SunTrust Bank.The property fronts the ocean for about 1,500 feet and is zoned multi-family residential.Plans call for 60 units in five three-story buildings with covered parking, according to the developer's Web site. Units range from 3,500 to 3,800 square feet. Amenities include cabanas, tennis court, pool and spa.No prices are listed on the site.
Torrey Pines to get red carpet
Torrey Pines to get red carpet
By HILLARY COPSEY hillary.copsey@scripps.com September 21, 2006
PORT ST. LUCIE — Developer Core Communities is hosting an invitation-only reception at 4 p.m. Tuesday in Tradition Hall to welcome Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies, while the city is taking the first steps toward building a $40 million facility for the California-based biotech organization.
Gov. Jeb Bush is expected to attend Tuesday's event, which will celebrate Torrey Pines' decision to build in Port St. Lucie. The nonprofit research center is the latest California biotech organization to expand in Florida.
Torrey Pines is expected to bring 189 jobs to a new facility being built for it by Port St. Lucie in Tradition. President and founder Richard Houghten will give more information Tuesday about the research center's Florida plans, event planners said.
A $90 million incentive package collected by the state, Port St. Lucie St. Lucie County, Core Communities and Florida Atlantic University lured Torrey Pines to the Treasure Coast. The state Legislative Budget Commission is set to seal the deal early Tuesday by approving $30 million for Torrey Pines.
Five companies already have submitted proposals to build the $40 million, 100,000-square-foot facility needed for Torrey Pines.
The city hopes to complete the facility in Tradition in about two years paid for with fees charged to developers on every home they build, officials said.
To stick to the fast timeline, City Manager Don Cooper asked builders with experience constructing lab facilities to submit their qualifications by Monday. Three companies working out of West Palm Beach — Centex Construction , Suffolk Construction and The Weitz Co.— met the deadline, along with Catalfumo Construction Ltd. of Palm Beach Gardens and DPR Construction of Phoenix.
The city may choose a construction company early next month.
By HILLARY COPSEY hillary.copsey@scripps.com September 21, 2006
PORT ST. LUCIE — Developer Core Communities is hosting an invitation-only reception at 4 p.m. Tuesday in Tradition Hall to welcome Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies, while the city is taking the first steps toward building a $40 million facility for the California-based biotech organization.
Gov. Jeb Bush is expected to attend Tuesday's event, which will celebrate Torrey Pines' decision to build in Port St. Lucie. The nonprofit research center is the latest California biotech organization to expand in Florida.
Torrey Pines is expected to bring 189 jobs to a new facility being built for it by Port St. Lucie in Tradition. President and founder Richard Houghten will give more information Tuesday about the research center's Florida plans, event planners said.
A $90 million incentive package collected by the state, Port St. Lucie St. Lucie County, Core Communities and Florida Atlantic University lured Torrey Pines to the Treasure Coast. The state Legislative Budget Commission is set to seal the deal early Tuesday by approving $30 million for Torrey Pines.
Five companies already have submitted proposals to build the $40 million, 100,000-square-foot facility needed for Torrey Pines.
The city hopes to complete the facility in Tradition in about two years paid for with fees charged to developers on every home they build, officials said.
To stick to the fast timeline, City Manager Don Cooper asked builders with experience constructing lab facilities to submit their qualifications by Monday. Three companies working out of West Palm Beach — Centex Construction , Suffolk Construction and The Weitz Co.— met the deadline, along with Catalfumo Construction Ltd. of Palm Beach Gardens and DPR Construction of Phoenix.
The city may choose a construction company early next month.
Two rescued arctic seals fighting for survival
Two rescued arctic seals fighting for survival
By SUZANNE WENTLEY September 19, 2006
FORT PIERCE — Lounging near baby pools in an air-conditioned building at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution on Monday, two arctic hooded seals that beached themselves during the weekend were recovering and possibly heading home.
Meanwhile, marine scientists were trying to figure out how the seals, which normally live off the coast of Newfoundland and Greenland, ended up stranding themselves about 3,500 miles away at the St. Lucie Inlet State Park Preserve in Hobe Sound on Saturday and in Palm Beach County on Sunday.
"Why are they in Florida? That's the question," said Greg Bossart, Harbor Branch's director of marine mammal research and conservation. "We've just seen so many bizarre changes in our oceans with cancer in dolphins and antibiotic resistant bacteria and viruses, all disturbing things. Is this another one?"
The seals could have been affected by cold water upwelling, a shift in food patterns or even one of the two hurricanes churning out in the Atlantic Ocean, he said.
On Monday, the seals — named Patches and Sandy — were being given ice, baby formula and antibiotics because they were suffering from severe dehydration and hypothermia "from being on the beach and baking in the Florida sun," Bossart said.
It was unclear Monday whether both of the young, female seals would survive, but Bossart and other marine mammal experts were working to transport the creatures to a better-equipped animal hospital in New Jersey.
Doug Capen, the operations manager of Stuart Jet Center, an aviation service business at Witham Field, said the center's owner was willing to fly the seals in his own Lear jet if the seals' cages can fit through the aircraft's door.
They could be flown north by jet as early as this afternoon, he said.
From there, Bossart said he hoped the animals would be healthy enough to be released back into the wild off the Maine shoreline.
"I need to get them stabilized medically," he said. "They're not feeling well now, and they're only 65 pounds, but even that's a handful."
WANT TO HELP THE SEALS?
In case efforts fall through to transport the two seals from Fort Pierce by jet to New Jersey — where the Marine Mammal Stranding Center is equipped to care for the seals until they can be released — Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution is hoping to raise $6,000 to transport them. Call the institution at (772) 465-2400 to donate.
By SUZANNE WENTLEY September 19, 2006
FORT PIERCE — Lounging near baby pools in an air-conditioned building at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution on Monday, two arctic hooded seals that beached themselves during the weekend were recovering and possibly heading home.
Meanwhile, marine scientists were trying to figure out how the seals, which normally live off the coast of Newfoundland and Greenland, ended up stranding themselves about 3,500 miles away at the St. Lucie Inlet State Park Preserve in Hobe Sound on Saturday and in Palm Beach County on Sunday.
"Why are they in Florida? That's the question," said Greg Bossart, Harbor Branch's director of marine mammal research and conservation. "We've just seen so many bizarre changes in our oceans with cancer in dolphins and antibiotic resistant bacteria and viruses, all disturbing things. Is this another one?"
The seals could have been affected by cold water upwelling, a shift in food patterns or even one of the two hurricanes churning out in the Atlantic Ocean, he said.
On Monday, the seals — named Patches and Sandy — were being given ice, baby formula and antibiotics because they were suffering from severe dehydration and hypothermia "from being on the beach and baking in the Florida sun," Bossart said.
It was unclear Monday whether both of the young, female seals would survive, but Bossart and other marine mammal experts were working to transport the creatures to a better-equipped animal hospital in New Jersey.
Doug Capen, the operations manager of Stuart Jet Center, an aviation service business at Witham Field, said the center's owner was willing to fly the seals in his own Lear jet if the seals' cages can fit through the aircraft's door.
They could be flown north by jet as early as this afternoon, he said.
From there, Bossart said he hoped the animals would be healthy enough to be released back into the wild off the Maine shoreline.
"I need to get them stabilized medically," he said. "They're not feeling well now, and they're only 65 pounds, but even that's a handful."
WANT TO HELP THE SEALS?
In case efforts fall through to transport the two seals from Fort Pierce by jet to New Jersey — where the Marine Mammal Stranding Center is equipped to care for the seals until they can be released — Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution is hoping to raise $6,000 to transport them. Call the institution at (772) 465-2400 to donate.
Q & A: Joanna Taylor, Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge
A: Joanna Taylor, Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge
By TONY JUDNICH tony.judnich@scripps.com September 18, 2006
The Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, covering 20.5 miles from Wabasso Beach in Indian River County to Melbourne Beach in Brevard County, annually hosts the most loggerhead sea turtle nests in the Western Hemisphere and the most green sea turtle nests in the United States.
Refuge Ranger Joanna Taylor explains why loggerheads, greens and some leatherback sea turtles seem to prefer nesting at the refuge.Q: First, what are the nesting seasons?
A: Loggerheads nest April through September, greens nest June through September and leatherbacks nest March to July.
Q: How many nests are in the refuge now?
A: Through Aug. 17, we recorded 8,898 loggerhead nests in the Brevard County section of the refuge; 614 at Sebastian Inlet State Park (in Brevard and Indian River counties); and 1,184 in the Indian River County part of the refuge, south of the park. The refuge and (the Middle Eastern country) Oman have the two largest populations of loggerheads.
For greens, there were 1,079 in Brevard County, 63 in the park and 123 south of the park. For leatherbacks, which are done nesting, there were 12 nests in Brevard, one at Sebastian Inlet and six in Indian River County.
Q: Why is the refuge so popular for turtle nesting?
A: The beaches in the refuge remain rather pristine. Even though we have some private homes on them, it's not like Miami or Palm Beach County. We still have natural dunes. If turtles come up and see a seawall or bright lights, they're going to turn around and find some place else to nest. And the Indian River Lagoon is an extremely important nursery for juvenile greens.
Q: What are the biggest causes of death for the turtles?
A: Only one in 1,000 hatchlings make it to adulthood. There is natural predation by larger sport fish, sharks, birds and beach predators like raccoons and ghost crabs, and sometimes dogs. The biggest problem is human caused, such as from fishing nets and boating.
Q: What can people do to help turtles survive?
A: Do not go on the beach at night with a flashlight looking for turtles. The light is a nesting deterrent. Join a guided turtle program in June and July. Keep your dog off the beach. Dispose of trash properly. If you own a residence or business on the beach, turn off your outdoor lights after 10 p.m. and draw your curtains so interior lights don't shine on the beach. Also, park in designated parking areas, not on dune vegetation.
By TONY JUDNICH tony.judnich@scripps.com September 18, 2006
The Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, covering 20.5 miles from Wabasso Beach in Indian River County to Melbourne Beach in Brevard County, annually hosts the most loggerhead sea turtle nests in the Western Hemisphere and the most green sea turtle nests in the United States.
Refuge Ranger Joanna Taylor explains why loggerheads, greens and some leatherback sea turtles seem to prefer nesting at the refuge.Q: First, what are the nesting seasons?
A: Loggerheads nest April through September, greens nest June through September and leatherbacks nest March to July.
Q: How many nests are in the refuge now?
A: Through Aug. 17, we recorded 8,898 loggerhead nests in the Brevard County section of the refuge; 614 at Sebastian Inlet State Park (in Brevard and Indian River counties); and 1,184 in the Indian River County part of the refuge, south of the park. The refuge and (the Middle Eastern country) Oman have the two largest populations of loggerheads.
For greens, there were 1,079 in Brevard County, 63 in the park and 123 south of the park. For leatherbacks, which are done nesting, there were 12 nests in Brevard, one at Sebastian Inlet and six in Indian River County.
Q: Why is the refuge so popular for turtle nesting?
A: The beaches in the refuge remain rather pristine. Even though we have some private homes on them, it's not like Miami or Palm Beach County. We still have natural dunes. If turtles come up and see a seawall or bright lights, they're going to turn around and find some place else to nest. And the Indian River Lagoon is an extremely important nursery for juvenile greens.
Q: What are the biggest causes of death for the turtles?
A: Only one in 1,000 hatchlings make it to adulthood. There is natural predation by larger sport fish, sharks, birds and beach predators like raccoons and ghost crabs, and sometimes dogs. The biggest problem is human caused, such as from fishing nets and boating.
Q: What can people do to help turtles survive?
A: Do not go on the beach at night with a flashlight looking for turtles. The light is a nesting deterrent. Join a guided turtle program in June and July. Keep your dog off the beach. Dispose of trash properly. If you own a residence or business on the beach, turn off your outdoor lights after 10 p.m. and draw your curtains so interior lights don't shine on the beach. Also, park in designated parking areas, not on dune vegetation.
Environmental Learning Center
Environmental Learning Center
Welcome to our 51-acre campus!
Take a hike and learn a little about this beautiful, diverse, and ecologically authentic place. It's diverse because it ranges from hammock (high ground) through salt marshes (sometimes underwater) to mangrove forest (with its feet in the water).
It's ecologically authentic because before we built our pavilions, we cut down all the exotic invasive trees like the Brazilian peppers and the Australian pines and replaced them with indigenous (native) species such as live oaks, cabbage or sabal palms, coontie, and wax myrtle.
It's beautiful because, well, just look around. But beauty is not just skin deep here. Our surroundings are especially beautiful because they provide a natural habitat for birds, fish, crustaceans, and mammals of many kinds. In fact the Indian River Lagoon, the big body of water that nearly surrounds us, is home to more than 4,000 different species, 36 of which are endangered or rare. It's such a diverse estuary (the most diverse in North America) that the Environmental Protection Agency has named it an Estuary of National Significance.
Try to be quiet during your walk about so that the birds and small animals will show themselves. With luck you'll see an otter. Or down by the canoe dock, a dolphin or manatee. Look up, look down; there's a lot to see. Follow the signs posted near the paths and boardwalk. You can't get lost and you can find out a lot.
Welcome to our 51-acre campus!
Take a hike and learn a little about this beautiful, diverse, and ecologically authentic place. It's diverse because it ranges from hammock (high ground) through salt marshes (sometimes underwater) to mangrove forest (with its feet in the water).
It's ecologically authentic because before we built our pavilions, we cut down all the exotic invasive trees like the Brazilian peppers and the Australian pines and replaced them with indigenous (native) species such as live oaks, cabbage or sabal palms, coontie, and wax myrtle.
It's beautiful because, well, just look around. But beauty is not just skin deep here. Our surroundings are especially beautiful because they provide a natural habitat for birds, fish, crustaceans, and mammals of many kinds. In fact the Indian River Lagoon, the big body of water that nearly surrounds us, is home to more than 4,000 different species, 36 of which are endangered or rare. It's such a diverse estuary (the most diverse in North America) that the Environmental Protection Agency has named it an Estuary of National Significance.
Try to be quiet during your walk about so that the birds and small animals will show themselves. With luck you'll see an otter. Or down by the canoe dock, a dolphin or manatee. Look up, look down; there's a lot to see. Follow the signs posted near the paths and boardwalk. You can't get lost and you can find out a lot.
Indian River County buys $13.7M land
Indian River County buys $13.7M land
By HENRY A. STEPHENS henry.stephens@scripps.com January 24, 2007
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The last 163-acre tract of undeveloped land in Sebastian will stay that way, the County Commission decided Tuesday.
In a 5-0 vote, the commissioners agreed to spend $13.7 million to buy the Sebastian Harbor Preserve, northeast of Englar Drive and South Easy Street, from Lincoln Land Development LLC of Melbourne.
Easy Street resident Dale Simchick, who is running for the Sebastian City Council, recalled a pair of nesting bald eagles return to the property after Hurricane Jeanne knocked their tree down.
"And there are ospreys, great-horned owls, indigo snakes, gopher tortoises, scrub jays — and these are just the protected species," she said. "It's saturated with wildlife."
Another council candidate, Eugene Wolff, however, felt quite the opposite.
He questioned spending almost 30 percent of the county's $50 environmental-cultural bond fund to make Lincoln Land richer.
"This is like a poker game," he said. "The $50 million is the pot and the developer is calling our bluff."
County Environmental Planning Chief Roland DeBlois said the land is zoned residential, about five units per acre, and was appraised in October at $15 million if it were developed as a subdivision.
"If you don't buy that now, it's going to be houses," said Jens Tripson, with the Pelican Island Audubon Society. "Maybe not next year, but the year after or the year after that."
DeBlois said he expects the Florida Communities Trust, an agency of the state government, to approve a $6.6 million matching grant for the project.
The county's net expense would be "a small price to pay," said County Commissioner Joe Flescher, who made the motion.
Commission Vice Chairwoman Sandra Bowden said she hopes the city of Sebastian helps with the project.
She cited the example of Vero Beach and Indian River Shores, which helped the county buy the Lost Tree islands in 2001.
Commissioner Peter O'Bryan, however, said Sebastian has offered to help manage the land after the county's purchase.
SEBASTIAN HARBOR
Location: North of Englar Drive, east of South Easy Street, within Sebastian city limits.
Size: 163 acres, with 132 upland acres and 31 acres of wetlands.
Features: Palmetto prairie, pine flatwoods, freshwater marsh.
Wildlife: Bald eagles, ospreys, scrub jays, sandhill cranes and gopher tortoises among others.
Appraised value: $15 million if developed according to its residential zoning.
Negotiated price: $13.7 million, with about $6.6 million of that expected from the state.
Roland DeBlois, Indian River County environmental planning chief
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By HENRY A. STEPHENS henry.stephens@scripps.com January 24, 2007
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The last 163-acre tract of undeveloped land in Sebastian will stay that way, the County Commission decided Tuesday.
In a 5-0 vote, the commissioners agreed to spend $13.7 million to buy the Sebastian Harbor Preserve, northeast of Englar Drive and South Easy Street, from Lincoln Land Development LLC of Melbourne.
Easy Street resident Dale Simchick, who is running for the Sebastian City Council, recalled a pair of nesting bald eagles return to the property after Hurricane Jeanne knocked their tree down.
"And there are ospreys, great-horned owls, indigo snakes, gopher tortoises, scrub jays — and these are just the protected species," she said. "It's saturated with wildlife."
Another council candidate, Eugene Wolff, however, felt quite the opposite.
He questioned spending almost 30 percent of the county's $50 environmental-cultural bond fund to make Lincoln Land richer.
"This is like a poker game," he said. "The $50 million is the pot and the developer is calling our bluff."
County Environmental Planning Chief Roland DeBlois said the land is zoned residential, about five units per acre, and was appraised in October at $15 million if it were developed as a subdivision.
"If you don't buy that now, it's going to be houses," said Jens Tripson, with the Pelican Island Audubon Society. "Maybe not next year, but the year after or the year after that."
DeBlois said he expects the Florida Communities Trust, an agency of the state government, to approve a $6.6 million matching grant for the project.
The county's net expense would be "a small price to pay," said County Commissioner Joe Flescher, who made the motion.
Commission Vice Chairwoman Sandra Bowden said she hopes the city of Sebastian helps with the project.
She cited the example of Vero Beach and Indian River Shores, which helped the county buy the Lost Tree islands in 2001.
Commissioner Peter O'Bryan, however, said Sebastian has offered to help manage the land after the county's purchase.
SEBASTIAN HARBOR
Location: North of Englar Drive, east of South Easy Street, within Sebastian city limits.
Size: 163 acres, with 132 upland acres and 31 acres of wetlands.
Features: Palmetto prairie, pine flatwoods, freshwater marsh.
Wildlife: Bald eagles, ospreys, scrub jays, sandhill cranes and gopher tortoises among others.
Appraised value: $15 million if developed according to its residential zoning.
Negotiated price: $13.7 million, with about $6.6 million of that expected from the state.
Roland DeBlois, Indian River County environmental planning chief
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