Wetlands board criticized

Activists worry the board is too developer friendly.

By MICHAEL VAN SICKLER, Times Staff Writer
Published September 15, 2007

Wild flowers grow at the edge of a lake formed from a borrow pit created when Race Track Road was built.
	[Mike Pease | Times]

ADVERTISEMENT Special report Vanishing Wetlands [Bill Serne | Times] Cockroach Bay is a protected area of wetlands that include mangrove forests, seagrass beds and marine animals. It is located on the eastern edge of Tampa Bay, southeast of St. Petersburg. The area is a protected area and water craft with internal combustion engines are not allowed outside of the main channel that runs through the sanctuary.

TAMPA - The creation of a volunteer board of advisers helped seal the compromise that salvaged Hillsborough County's wetlands program. But with the board now chosen, some activists worry developers will have outsized influence in relaxing rules protecting the environment.

Of 18 people tapped to sit on the board that will review new wetlands policies and rules for the Environmental Protection Commission, at least nine work for companies that assist developers on projects that could be affected by the changes. Only one person is from a nongovernmental environmental group.

Terry Flott, the president of the United Citizens Action Network, a consortium of neighborhood groups, e-mailed the EPC Thursday: "I would hardly call this committee a small, unbiased, scientific-based group with no conflicts of interest."

The man who made the appointments is Richard Garrity, the EPC's executive director. He defended his choices as a practical way to get information from all sides.

Their disagreement drives at the heart of a compromise Garrity crafted this summer to fend off an effort to disband the $2-million division of his agency that protects wetlands. After initially voting to eliminate the division, commissioners changed their minds last month and approved Garrity's plan to speed reviews, scale down staff and ease some rules.

One caveat of Garrity's plan was that, despite changes made to streamline the review process and satisfy complaints from developers, the quality of wetlands protection wouldn't be sacrificed because expert observers would serve as a check on ill-advised changes.

Garrity sold this concept by pitching the idea of two committees. One committee, the Technical Advisory Group, would consist of experts who would review procedures and rules. A second committee would consist of "stakeholders," be it neighborhood residents or development interests, who would review general policies safeguarding wetlands. County commissioners would listen to both committees, as well as EPC staff, in making decisions on any changes.

To ensure the political neutrality of the two committees, Garrity said he would make the appointments himself. But now Garrity said commissioners will decide how to choose the "stakeholders".

The volunteers

Marty Armstrong, president, Armstrong Inc.

Lee Cook, consultant, Quest Environmental.

Chuck Courtney, consultant, King Engineering.

Tom Crisman, freshwater ecologist with the Patel Center for Global Solutions, at the University of South Florida.

Derek Dougherty, engineer, Brooks & Amaden, Inc.

Scott Emory, president, EHI Inc.

Rhonda Evans, chief scientist, Environmental Protection Agency.

Eric Fehrmann, wetlands specialist with the Pinellas County Dept. of Environmental Management.

Steve Gran, Agriculture Economic Development Committee of Hillsborough County.

Jim Griffin, one of the creators of the Hillsborough Co. Watershed Atlas.

Ann Hogdson, director, Audubon

Pete Hubbell, former exec. director of the Southwest Florida Water Management District, now a private consultant.

Alba Mas, SWFWMD.

Dale Meryman, president, Meryman Environmental Inc.

Jason Mickel, lakes advisory, Hills Co. Public Works/Stormwater

Tim Neldner, vice president, Biological Research Associates.

Tom Ries, vice president, Scheda Ecological Associates, Inc.

Wayne Richardson, consultant, Hill & Associates Inc., civil engineering, commercial and residential development.

[Last modified September 14, 2007, 22:56:08]