Weekly Roundup: Negron tries to find sweet spot with land plan

By JIM SAUNDERS
THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, August 12, 2016.......... In Joe Negron's proverbial backyard, green slime is a big issue.

And as the incoming Florida Senate president, Negron might have the power to do something about it.

Negron, R-Stuart, rolled out an ambitious proposal this week to buy 60,000 acres of land south of Lake Okeechobee to try to help tackle the problem of toxic algae blooms in waterways east and west of the lake. But it also became quickly apparent that the idea of buying land used for sugar farming could spark a political battle.

Meanwhile, a little further south, Miami continued to draw heavy attention because mosquitoes have infected more than two-dozen people with the Zika virus. Gov. Rick Scott's administration maintained that local transmissions of the disease were only occurring in one area of Miami. But the number of travel-related cases --- involving people who were infected elsewhere and brought the virus into Florida --- has steadily increased throughout the state.

SWINGING FOR THE FENCES

Negron won't take over as Senate president until after the November elections, but he has already made clear he has some big ideas. First came a bus tour to drum up support for higher-education changes. And now, the potential land buy.

The senator's Treasure Coast district has been plagued by algae blooms caused, at least in part, by nutrient-laden water being released from Lake Okeechobee. The general idea of Negron's plan is to buy land south of the lake that could be used to store and clean water, reducing discharges from the lake into the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries.

But the plan has a hefty price tag --- $2.4 billion, which Negron said would be shared by the state and federal governments. The state would bond $100 million annually from documentary-stamp tax revenue in the Land Acquisition Trust Fund. Voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2014 to set aside money in the trust fund for 20 years to finance the purchase and preservation of state lands.

"For too long, our community has been plagued by tremendous environmental and economic impacts as hundreds of millions of gallons of water are released from Lake Okeechobee each year," Negron said in a prepared statement. "Permanent storage south of Lake Okeechobee is unquestionably needed as part of the overall plan to solve this catastrophic problem, particularly given the very devastating effects the current toxic algal blooms are causing in both our estuaries and the Everglades."

Negron outlined two potential parcels within what is known as the Everglades Agricultural Area. The sugar giant Florida Crystals is the largest landowner in the targeted parcels, though U.S. Sugar Corp and Kings Ranch also own land in those areas.

The proposal has the support of groups such as the Everglades Foundation and Audubon, but it quickly drew objections from some people whose communities rely on sugar farms.

Hendry County Commissioner Janet Taylor, a Democrat, said the proposal could hurt the economy in her agricultural community, which has one of the state's highest unemployment rates.

"Taking 60,000 additional acres would shut down another sugar mill," Taylor said in a prepared statement. "Not only would it threaten our economy, but it also isn't supported by science. It's disappointing that Sen. Negron has allowed the priorities of radical activists to become part of his plans as Senate president."

Also, the plan drew objections from two lawmakers and a county commissioner in Northwest Florida --- hundreds of miles away. State Sen. Greg Evers, R-Baker, state Rep. Mike Hill, R-Pensacola Beach, and Santa Rosa County Commissioner Bob Cole announced plans to build a coalition against what they see as a potential shift of money away from protecting waters in North Florida.

"Water issues are critical to Florida's future," Evers said in a prepared statement. "We need plans that address our entire state's water issue and not just one area. Sen. Negron's proposal is shortsighted; it will cost billions of dollars, take decades, and still not fix South Florida's problem. It will, however, put the rest of the state's conservation dollars at risk."

Negron acknowledged in releasing his proposal that getting approval for the money won't be easy.

"There are problems in Biscayne Bay. There are problems in Apalachicola Bay," Negron said. "There are problems in Tampa. The springs in the central part of our state. And I care about those things too."

"We are in a competition. Money that is spent to build this reservoir can't be spent twice," Negron added. "So the money that it's going to cost to do this, it's going to come from the limited funds that we have."

NO SWATTING AWAY THIS PROBLEM

Each afternoon, the Florida Department of Health posts online updated information about the Zika virus. And day after day, the number of infections continues to grow.

As of Friday afternoon, the state had 28 homegrown cases of Zika, with health officials saying they believe people contracted the virus through mosquito bites in Miami. But the department also reported 413 travel-related infections and 58 infections involving pregnant women.

Travel-related cases have been found literally from one end of the state to the other end --- from Monroe County to Escambia County. And they are increasing by double digits: 10 new cases Friday, 21 new cases Thursday, 14 new cases Wednesday.

The virus is particularly dangerous for pregnant women because it can cause severe birth defects. Scott has authorized state health departments across Florida to provide assessments and testing for pregnant women who request it. Also, the state has set aside $5 million for testing pregnant women.

But a large part of the state's effort to combat the disease has focused on trying to prevent mosquito bites that can spread it.

With school starting this week in many districts, Scott and Education Commissioner Pam Stewart on Thursday briefed school superintendents on the state's efforts. Stewart said as part of a "spill the water campaign," classroom materials were being distributed to teachers and administrators across the state so that they can encourage students "to take simple steps in order to help prevent Zika," including removing standing water, using insect repellent and wearing protective clothing.

Stewart also said public schools, state colleges and universities in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin and Monroe counties were informed that the state would provide each campus with mosquito repellent. She said the South Florida region was targeted because it remains at "the greatest risk" for the local transmission of the mosquito-borne disease.

Meanwhile, Republican and Democratic politicians expressed continued frustration that Congress has not passed a broad funding package to help address Zika in Florida and other states.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell on Thursday said she has authorized shifting some $81 million in her agency to keep research moving forward on a Zika vaccine. Of that total, $34 million will go to the National Institutes of Health, while another $47 million will go to the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, which works with private companies on vaccine development.

"The failure to pass a Zika emergency supplemental (appropriation) has forced the administration to choose between delaying critical vaccine development work and raiding other worthy government programs to avoid these delays," Burwell said in a letter to Congress.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said in a statement that the Zika funding impasse "never should have gotten to this point."

"As soon as Congress reconvenes, we should resolve this issue once and for all," Rubio said. "This public health crisis is no place for politics."

STORY OF THE WEEK: Zika cases continue to steadily increase in Florida.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "At this stage of the campaign, Republican U.S. Senate candidates may be running against their own presidential nominee, Donald Trump, as much as they are against their Democratic opponents." --- Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac Poll, as a new survey showed a tight Senate race in Florida.