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FORCE - FRIENDS OF THE RIVERS COALITION eNEWSLETTER June 2011 2010 PO Box 2627 Stuart, Fl 34995 772-225-6849 www.RiversCoalition.org
June 22, 2011

NEW DISTRICT DIRECTOR TO UPDATE RIVERS COALITION AND FIELD QUESTIONS ABOUT ST. LUCIE RIVER'S FUTURE
Rivers Coalition members and the general public will have an opportunity June 30 to hear first hand from the new director of the South Florida Water Management District as the agency undergoes major changes that will affect the Everglades and what happens to our beleaguered estuary.
 
The new director, Melissa Meeker, is scheduled to summarize district planning and take questions from river advocates at the meeting at 11 a.m. June 30 at Stuart City Hall. Admission and parking are free and coffee and donuts will be provided.
 
A prime subject will be the status of the state's option to purchase sugarcane fields for conversion to a storage-flowway south from Lake Okeechobee, which could curtail massive discharges to the coasts in wet years.
 
The District has posted the following information about Ms. Meeker:
 
As head of the state's largest regional water management agency, she is accountable for ensuring that the District carries out its missions for flood protection, water supply and ecosystem restoration efficiently and effectively.
 
Previously, Ms. Meeker served as Deputy Secretary for Water Policy and Ecosystem Projects for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), charting a new course for the implementation of statewide water policy for Governor Rick Scott.
 
Her record of public service with DEP also includes appointment to the Environmental Regulation Commission and leading DEP’s Southeast Regulatory District.
 
Familiar with the region's water management issues and challenges, Ms. Meeker was appointed in 2007 to the South Florida Water Management District Governing Board, serving from 2007 to 2009. Additionally, she served in 2004 as Chair of the Governor's Commission for a Sustainable South Florida, leading a 37-member committee to address critical issues facing the Treasure Coast region.
Click here for more information.
What's Happening at the June Meeting?
Thursday June 30, 2011
11am to 12:30pm at:
City of Stuart Commission Chambers
121 SW Flagler Ave, Stuart, Fl 34994
 
Business Matters
• Chairman’s Comments - Leon Abood
• Committee Review - Leon Abood
• Guest Speaker - Melissa Meeker
• Legal Update - Karl Wickstrom
• WRAC “Water Resources Advisory Commission” - Mark Perry/George Jones
• Speakers Bureau - Todd Weissing
• ROGER “River of Grass Estuary/Everglades Restoration” - Ted Guy
 
Coalition Committee Reports
• Water Quality - Mark Perry
• Local Issues - Mark Perry/George Jones
• State / Federal Issues - Kevin Henderson / Paul Gray
• IRL / CERP - Kevin Henderson / Paul Gray
• Martin County Updates - Paul Millar
• ROG “River of Grass” Update - George Jones/John Marshall
 
Progress Reports
• South Florida Water Mgmt Jayne Bergstrom
• DEP Jerilyn Krug
Speakers Bureau Update!
If any of our newsletter recipients belong to or know of an organization that would benefit from having the Rivers Coalition speak at one of their meetings, we would love the opportunity. Please email the Rivers Coalition or contact Todd Weissing directly at 772-223-6743 or ctodd_weissing@ml.com.
Click here to email us.
Rivers Coalition is now a supporter of Eco-Voice!
 
What is Eco-voice?
 
The Environmental Voice of Southwest Florida also known as Eco-voice, combines the power of a web-site with the simplicity of a Yahoo messaging list.
 
What does Eco-Voice do?
 
Their objective is to provide a practical method of communication between environmentalists in SW Florida. Any member of Eco-Voice can send a single e-mail and the information in that e-mail will be delivered to over 3,800 other environmentalists in SW Florida and displayed on the web-site for everyone else to read. Eco-Voice’s members have a common cause; saving the local environment. However they belong to many different organizations, each with its own rules, objectives and methods of communication.
 
Eco-voice clears away these obstacles and allows the exchange of information between members, freely and without restriction. That is what Eco-Voice does and does so well.
 
Eco-voice allows us to speak with a very strong voice.
 
A decision maker can ignore one voice or even the voice of one organization, but the more voices they hear the harder it is to ignore them, and when every organization speaks together with one voice, it is almost impossible to ignore that voice.
 
Used properly, Eco-voice gives us that power, and in the fight to save the environment of SW Florida, it can become a powerful communication tool.
 
However a simple Yahoo list such as Eco-voice has limitations. To overcome these and make it more useful, several local organizations, including the Rivers Coalition have joined with Eco-Voice to provide a web-site designed to operate in conjunction with the e-mail list, www.eco-voice.org. The web-site has an urgent action facility which allows members to sign-on to letters to policy makers and also communicate with them on an individual basis. An interactive event calendar and map display enables one to easily track environmental events in the neighborhood, and around SW Florida.
 
In the Picture library there are several hundred pictures, all available copyright free for other environmentalists to use to spice up meetings and newsletters, while the literature section give one a chance to browse local writers literary efforts.
 
Last year Eco-voice was presented with the Kabler Award for Environmental communication by the members of the Everglades Coalition.
 
How to Become a Member?
 
Membership is free! If you are interested in helping save the environment of SW Florida, you may join Eco-voice by going to www.eco-voice.org and selecting subscribe.
 
 
T-Shirts Are Still Available Get Yours Now! HELP SAVE OUR RIVER!
"Save My River" T-shirts featuring an attractive painting of the St. Lucie River wildlife available for purchase.

Read about the T-shirts here:
http://www.riverscoalition.org/t-shirts.php
Don't forget to get your name on the Donor Honor Roll!
Click here to see if your name is on the list.
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Thank you for all your support.
Editor: Jessica Briske
Learn how to help, click here.

Rivers Coalition • PO Box 2627 • Stuart • FL • 34995

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