Ixia Chapter -- Florida Native Plant Society

The Ixia Chapter Conservation Newsletter is written by Chadd Scott, an art, culture & travel writer, talk radio personality, and podcast producer and coach as well as the Ixia Chapter Conservation Chair. To receive his weekly Conservation Newsletter directly to your email, complete the Subscribe form at the bottom of this page. Past issues are listed below the latest newsletter

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Here’s a major developing story to watch. Nevada, including Las Vegas, is considering a ban on using Colorado River water – where most of its water comes from – for being used to irrigate ornamental turf not used for single-family homes after 2026. The removal of an estimated 3,900 acres of municipal decorative turf could save roughly 9.3 billion gallons of water annually — about 10 percent of the state’s entire Colorado River allotment. With the Colorado River and Lake Mead at critically low levels and another drought wracking the West, could turf grass removal gain momentum and become a movement across the West? Could it move east?

Turf grass is ecologically ruinous. It sucks up huge amounts of groundwater, is often laden with pesticides and fertilizers which run off into water sources, and is a wasteland for biodiversity.

Speaking of threatened water supply, here’s an idea to help support parched Ichetucknee Springs that is cockamamie even by Florida standards.

Nevada Link: https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/with-new-law-las-vegas-water-agency-bets-on-aggressive-municipal-water-conservation-measure-to-remove-decorative-turf-conserve-colorado-river-supply?utm_id=30846&sfmc_id=1642332

Florida Link: https://www.floridaphoenix.com/2021/06/17/proliferation-of-pumping-permits-produces-preposterous-pipeline-proposal/

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Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association CEO Ben Bolusky reports in his weekly newsletter about four newly filed state constitutional amendments. Hundreds of thousands of signatures must still be collected for any of these to appear on the ballot in the next election.

FLORIDA ICONIC SPECIES PROTECTION – Require enhanced protections to avoid harm to any animal deemed to be iconic to Florida. Provides a private right of action for anyone to bring a lawsuit on behalf of the animal.

FLORIDA RIGHT TO CLEAN WATER – Florida waters have a right to clean water and this includes the rights of those waters to exist, flow, be free from pollution, and maintain a healthy ecosystem. Anyone has legal standing to enforce and defend these rights and local governments will be able to impose additional protections, standards and requirements more stringent than the state government.

FLORIDA WETLANDS PROTECTION AMENDMENT – Enhances protections for natural and man-made wetlands and prohibits all dredging, filling, draining or “other degradation.”

FLORIDA TOLL ROAD EXPANSION BAN – Construction or expansion of any toll roads on conservation and rural lands is prohibited because this amendment says any such construction “degrades agricultural and natural lands and are ultimately detrimental to Florida’s economy.”

Link to FNGLA: https://www.fngla.org/

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Florida State Senator from District 6, which covers much of Duval County, Audrey Gibson, will be hosting a virtual town hall with Riverfront Parks Now, on Wednesday June 23rd, at 6:00 pm to talk about what the community would like to see on the riverfront – parks, trees and green spaces or development?

You can register here.

LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwkcuygpzkoH9wa5qxixqhNIMRBsJcQaYvD

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Red Tide has again begun impacting the Gulf Coast. What is it? Where does it come from? All of your Red Tide questions are answered in the latest episode of my “Welcome to Florida” podcast.

Link: https://www.stitcher.com/show/welcome-to-florida/episode/episode-52-red-tide-84737344

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The mission of the Florida Native Plant Society is to promote the preservation, conservation, and restoration of the native plants and native plant communities of Florida.