The Emerald COASTKEEPER has continued efforts to improve and enhance the City of Pensacola’s land development code and in particular that portion which addresses the tree ordinance and the buffer zone regulations.  The COASTKEEPER met with the city staff, developers, members of the Planning Board and Environmental Advisory Board in a stakeholders meeting on February 29^th, in an effort to resolve and narrow the issues before the Planning Board meets again on March 11, 2008.

The areas in which we are most interested are as follows:

• City will start using DBH (Diameter Breast Height) to be measured from 4 ½ feet up. 

• The City will have a definition for heritage trees.  An acceptable definition for heritage trees will be determined for specific species and that definition will include a protective dbh. For instance the definition of the great oaks we have in this city will be no less than 24 inches in diameter or greater (DBH)

• COASTKEEPER suggests vehicle use areas such as parking lots have at least a 25% shaded area.  Other communities such as Gainesville have 50% and Tallahassee has 30%.

• COASTKEEPER suggests a buffer zone of 75 feet between improvements and any wetlands or surface water be implemented.

• COASTKEEPER suggests language that would encourage and protect every reasonable effort to locate and protect existing heritage trees.  

What can you do to help? 

Write letters to the editors of the newspapers of Northwest Florida area in support of these improvements that the COASTKEEPER has suggested.  The addresses are - Pensacola News Journal: PO BOX 12710, Pensacola, FL 32591 and The Independent: PO BOX 12082, Pensacola, FL 32591  

  We are more than grateful to Taylor “Chips” Kirschenfeld for his tireless efforts to serve as the COASTKEEPER and for his leadership in protecting the environment across Northwest Florida.

     Wetlands Update

In response to many calls from our members and to a citizen uproar surrounding the permanent destruction of nearly 20 acres of wetlands at a property development on the corner of highway 98 and Blue Angel Parkway , in Pensacola, COASTKEEPER voiced concern to Escambia county officials over the enforcement of its wetlands ordinance. COASTKEEPER work brought to light that this Single development had been allowed to destroy more than four times the area of wetlands that is typically allowed county wide in a single year. Surely not a step in the right direction!

On February 7^th 2008, in response to the public concern, representatives from the Coast Keepers were invited to participate in a meeting with the Escambia County Citizens Environmental Committee.

 The COASTKEEPER was invited to make a presentation to the committee regarding the counties current wetland ordinance and to provide comments/suggestions on areas that are in need of improvement.
 
All interested parties were well represented with members of the local development community, environmental professionals , citizen groups, local professional and business associations, all weighing in with their own unique perspective. COASTKEEPER presentation focused on the vagueness, ambiguity and the overall lack of clarity in the existing ordinance that all too often allows for the permitted destruction of wetlands, despite a clear desire on the part of the county to preserve the area’s remaining wetlands.

COASTKEEPER was pleased with the outcome of the meeting which resulted in an agreement among the parties to hold stakeholder meeting wherein all interested parties could offer specific revisions and ultimately provide the county with suggested changes. COASTKEEPER was also very encouraged to hear that the county is pro actively evaluating ways to strengthen its existing tree ordinance.

                   What can you do to help? 

Send donations to the COASTKEEPER for a Public Awareness Campaign regarding Wetland protection. Attend Meetings where decisions are being made regarding the tree and Wetland protection. Make your voice heard. Be an informed and active citizen.