 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
'Green' groups dot landscape
By CARRIE JOHNSON, Times Staff Writer
ST. PETERSBURG -- When Frank Jackalone was scouting for a Florida location for the Sierra Club's Florida headquarters in 1996, he reviewed a few natural choices. Miami, with its proximity to the Everglades, was a leading candidate. So was Tallahassee and its access to state legislators and the governor's office. But Jackalone, senior regional representative for the Sierra Club, opted for St. Petersburg. He liked the city's clean air and environmentally aware residents. "I've found the people in the Tampa Bay area appreciate the natural environment more than they do in Miami," he said. Now, seven years later, other environmental groups have followed the Sierra Club's lead. With at least five state or regional headquarters within its boundaries, St. Petersburg is gaining a reputation as a hub for green organizations. The Defenders of Wildlife recently opened its Florida headquarters in downtown St. Petersburg. The city is also home to the Endangered Species Coalition, the Ocean Conservancy and the Tampa Bay Estuary Program. "This is a wonderful town for environmentalists," said Laurie MacDonald, Florida director of the Defenders of Wildlife. "There are a number of important environmental agencies in the area and a lot of good resources." But why would a midsize city like St. Petersburg lure the state or regional headquarters of so many environmentalist groups? Local organizers cite a variety of reasons, among them the city's location, its proximity to academic resources and the quality of life. One of St. Petersburg's most attractive features is its location in the middle of the state, MacDonald said. Groups based in Miami have a long trek to Tallahassee and vice versa, she noted. Orlando may be centrally located, but it's far from the water and clogged by traffic, said MacDonald, a longtime St. Petersburg resident. "St. Pete is a nice place to be and it has a lot more Old Florida character than a lot of other cities around the state," she said. That the city is on the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay is also a major draw for many groups. David White, regional director of the Ocean Conservancy, said it was important for his organization to be near major bodies of water. "There's only so much you can do from Washington," he said. "The focus there is mainly on national policy." The Ocean Conservancy was one of the first environmentalist agencies to move here. The organization, dedicated to protecting the world's oceans, has four U.S. offices: in Portland, Maine; Anchorage, Alaska; San Francisco -- and at 449 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. White said proximity to several important oceanographic resources is also a key factor. The National Marine Fisheries Service office is in St. Petersburg, as are the Florida Marine Research Institute and the Florida Institute for Oceanography. In addition, Eckerd College and the University of South Florida St. Petersburg provide the nonprofit organizations with both members and resources, White said. But why St. Petersburg and not Tampa? Economics, said Jackalone of the Sierra Club. He found rent nearly 50 percent lower in St. Petersburg than Tampa. He said the air quality and traffic are also better on the west side of Tampa Bay. "We have gulf breezes that clear out the pollution that Tampa just doesn't have," he said. -- Carrie Johnson can be reached at 892-2273 or cjohnson@sptimes.com
.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 
|
From the Times South Pinellas desks | ||||||||||||||||||||||
