Introducing our Paddlers--

Rachel and Danielle were Marshall Foundation summer interns in 2008.
Tom S is a science coach for the Palm Beach County School District.
Janet grew up paddling the swamps and bayous of Louisiana.
Dudley is a wildlife photographer, nature enthusiast and author of Black and Brown Faces in America's Wild Places.
Susan has a strong desire to learn how the natural system responds to water management and how to change and improve it.
Erika was born in Germany and is fascinated with the River of Grass. Anything she can do to help awareness would be rewarding.
Go Team!

Year of the Everglades -- follow along with the Paddlers

The paddlers and their support staff meet to discuss the upcoming River of Grass Canoe Expedition! January 2-7, 2010. Follow their progress at http://twitter.com/MarshallFoundat

Top 100 Volunteers

In Celebration of International Volunteer Day (December 5) the Marshall Foundation put together our list of the Top 100 Volunteers of 2009!
We thank all of our volunteers who shared their time and treasures to help spread the message of Everglades Restoration.
http://www.artmarshall.org/100topvolunteers09.php
Click to see who made the list

Hear the Marshall Foundation on the Radio on December 19th!

You can hear John and Nancy Marshall this coming saturday as part of Radio Green Earth's weekly broadcast. Tune to WXEL, 90.7FM--our local NPR affilliate station, from 5-6pm.

Missed the show? No problem. Find a podcast of the show afterwards at Radio Green Earth's website. Find them at http://www.radiogreenearth.org/

Year of the Everglades (it's official)

http://radiogreenearth.org/blog/?p=916

Year of the Everglades Event--the Grand Flotilla

Want to be part of the group that welcomes home our 6-day adventurers? Click the flier for more information!

2010~Year of the Everglades

Did you know that 2010 is the Year of the Everglades? You can follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/MarshallFoundat

Everglades Education workshop

As mentioned in previous posts, we are kicking off the 25th Annual Everglades Coalition Conference with a day-long program to celebrate environmental education in the Everglades. This plenary session held at Pine Jog Environmental Center will feature a tour of Florida's first gold-certified LEED school, keynote address by Glenn Thomas and a presentation of Everglades teaching tools. Lunch will be provided. Space is limited. RSV P's are a MUST!

Here is page one of the flier. See the link in the previous post to download it in its entirety.

Year of the Everglades Event --Education Forum at Pine Jog--January 7

Based on the (very favorable) initial response for the Education Program scheduled for January 7, 2010, America's Everglades: Nature's Classroom the registration deadline has been moved up to Friday, December 18, 2009.
Please email Isabel Botero at boteroic@cdm.com or fax to her at 561-689-9713

To learn more about Everglades: Nature's Classroom, click below to download the flier

DOWNLOAD FILE

Jazz It Up for the Everglades a Huge Success!

Thanks to all of you who made our recent event such a success. We celebrated our Everglades Champions and raised money to help us continue to make Everglades protection and restoration a part of life in South Florida. Enjoy the photos.

This Comes as no Suprise to us!

From the New York times...
Urban Schools Use Field Trips to Boost Test Scores

click the link below to read the article.
http://www.childrenandnature.org/news/detail/urban_schools_use_field_trips_to_boost_test_scores/?utm_source=Children+%26+Nature+Network+Subscriptions&utm_campaign=3f55dfbc64-Oct_News10_26_2009&utm_medium=email

Bringing the Everglades to the Boca Raton Museum of Art

The Museum hosted an exhibit of Clyde Butcher's photographs and invited our Education Director, Eric Gehring, to deliver an Everglades lecture. Kind words from the Museum followed! Great job, Eric! Click the link below to see their Blog.

http://www.bocamuseum.org/index.php?src=blog&srctype=detail&blogid=23#comments_section

Cypress Harvest photos

Much to See and Do at the Refuge

October has been a busy month at the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. Renamed in 1986 after my Uncle Art, the Refuge is the last remnant of the Northern Everglades (or the last northern remnant of the southern Everglades, depending on who you talk to). It is the only National Wildlife Refuge in Palm Beach County and is an important partner in the Foundation's educational efforts.

Recently we celebrated the opening of the educational exhibits at the Visitors Center. Open everyday except Christmas and Thanksgiving, the exhibits detail the amazing assortment of wildlife, plants and habitats found at the Refuge. You can learn about the challenges Refuge managers face, crawl through a simulated gator hole, experience night sounds in the Everglades and take a virtual airboat ride through the 'Glades. I recommend visiting!

Saturday, October 31st is our 9th Annual Cypress Seed Harvest. Volunteers will be collecting cypress seeds to aid in Everglades restoration. See previous posts for more information and check back to see photos from the event.

And to experience the Refuge in a different manner- Loxahatchee Canoeing will soon begin to offer Moonlight Paddles in the Everglades. These guided night-time canoe tours will take place once a month (or so) with the full moon. Reservations are required and there is a $10 fee--so call for information. You can reach Kim at #561-733-0192.

Upcoming dates are November 2, December 2, December 31, January 30 and February 28!

Poll shows strong support for the Everglades

Our friends at the Everglades Foundation just released a poll of registered voters showing widespread support of the US Sugar purchase for Everglades restoration.
82% of respondents said that Everglades restoration is 'personally important' to them.

Click the link to read more about the poll results...

http://www.evergladesfoundation.org/everglades-research-studies.php

Cypress Harvest--October 31st CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS

Public Comment to the Ten County Coalition for Responsible Management of Lake O & Estuaries

ArtMarshall.org Verbal Public Comment to the Ten County Commission Sept 25, 2009

Scenario: Followed Forest Michael, Planner, regarding economic benefits of restoring Lake Hicpochee and Lake “Clewiston”, then a presentation by Temperience Morgan, SFWMD, with a summary of River of Grass Process Phase 1, followed by much discussion on the need to clean up Lake Okeechobee to reduce phosphorous levels. Three minute time limit applies.

Comments paraphrased: I have written comments for the record, so I won’t go into detail over what is in the record; I also sent this ahead to those whom I had an e-mail address in my directory.

There has been a lot mentioned about economic benefits today. Forest gave us a few teaser examples, however much more needs to be done. Until economic benefits are posted in dollars we are not sending the right message. When benefits are mentioned without monetization, everything is left to our imagination; collectively that isn’t worth much either.

Thus we join a few govt and non-govt folks who are calling for monetizing the benefits of Everglades’s restoration for the south Florida Economy.

We appreciate the openness of the River of Grass planning process. We participated with an input called the Marshall Plan. Put simple, this was about restoring flow from the Kississimee Basin to Florida Bay [via Lake O and the Everglades Watershed].

Recall the governor’s plan was to restore the missing link [and revitalize the River of Grass]. By the way, given all the talk about cleaning up Lake O, we need to think of the CERP(+) effort as three regions [north to south]: (1) The Northern Everglades Ecosystem (Kissimmee Basin and Lake O]; (2) The missing link – River of Grass planning; (3) the Rest of the Everglades from WCA-3 south [to Florida Bay]. This does need to be an integrated effort [consistent with the comments on cleaning up Lake O, and the pollution sources to the North [also Sam Poole’s comment on behalf of Florida Crystals]

The Marshall plan (5th configuration) was about maximizing shallow wet storage in the form of a flow-way, because we knew Lake O would always have a pollution problem, and this was a way to maximize conveyance of clean water south. To get to the big numbers for the Marshall Plan configuration, we extrapolated results from the National Research Council study. We guesstimated the cost at $7.6 Billion and calculated the benefit at $69[+] Billion. This gave a Benefit/Cost ratio of about 6. USACE makes (go) decisions on B:C ratios of 1.5.

[More Scenario: Regarding Commissioner Echols call for the consideration of Agriculture in the EAA (everybody has to eat, and the EAA is the winter food basket for USA; USA Ag is in big trouble.)

Looking in Commissioner Echols direction: Commissioner, somewhat in cooperation with Florida Crystals and their approach, we moved our [Marshall} Plan west, on the least productive soils, and left the most productive soils to continue agriculture [at significant economic benefit]

We are also pushing for the restoration of the Pond Apple Forest, that was south of Lake O. Don’t forget CERP(+) is also about restoration of habitat, and there is economic benefit here too. [Rae Ann Wessel gave this honorable mention in follow-on public comment, thanks]

I will close with an informational item: The Marshall Foundation is hosting The 2010 Everglades Coalition Conference. The Conference will consider Valuing Ecosystem Services and the US Sugar Corp purchase in Break-out and Plenary sessions. Save the date Jan 7-10 in Palm Beach County; the PB County Commission is one of the Sponsors. [Ken Todd was representing Commissioner Karen Marcus, at the dais].

Thanks for your consideration.


September 21, 2009

Arthur R. Marshall Foundation and Florida Environmental Institute, Inc. Public Comment
to
The NRC Committee on Independent Scientific Review of Everglades Restoration Progress
on
Valuing Ecosystem Services – Toward Better Environmental Decision- Making

Background - Committee Agenda Scenario: Benefits got honorable mention several times during presentations to the Committee. Eric Bush, USACE, emphasized the need to clearly state benefits as well as costs in the current competition for funds, in summarizing implementation needs after seven topical presentations on Restoration Challenges & Solutions in the WCA’s. Eric noted that the government is risk adverse, when it comes to funding projects with uncertainty, noting that projected Everglades restoration benefits need to be stated with certainty to ensure viable funding levels. Dewey Worth, SFWMD, mentioned the need for quality ecological benefits in a manner understandable by Congress (also the ArtMarshall.org view) in Use of Models for Project Planning: DECOMP. Dewey used the Habitat Unit approach to modeling benefits. He also called for one-number solutions for decision-support, however difficult this might be. All this begged the question of monetizing benefits in an understandable manner. [Most seem to agree that the habit units approach is not the answer, as they do not go in the direction of monetizing benefits, and are confusing to all but the HU users]. Agenda item just before Public Comment: Temperience Morgan, SFWMD: Update on U.S. Sugar Purchase, including a summary of River of Grass Planning Process Phase 1, and prospects for Phase 2, including a look at benefits.

Post facto comment: Fundamental questions arise as an extension of the Eric Bush/Dewey Worth call for a clear statement of benefits: Does this unequivocally establish the government requirement to monetize the economic benefits of Everglades restoration? Is this requirement the means to get to Benefit:Cost Analyses (BCA) to provide single figure decision-support? The ArtMarshall.org holds that these questions and statements do set the requirements for monetizing benefits, and that it is not as difficult as implied in comments to the Committee.

The four minute clock for public comment applied, so written and verbal comment for the record are paraphrased below, with the verbal comments in italics, [and a few after-thoughts]

Opening Public Comment Statements: It is appropriate for me to follow Temperience. And one of these scenarios is the Marshall Plan. Kudos to the openness of the process, as expessed by Nick Auman, NPS. We have recommended that the NRC approach be used as a River of Grass [ROG] decision-support tool. [Using the Book of same title as the presentation as a prop?… hopefully preaching to the choir] It was good that Eric Bush mentioned the benefits word. Another Eric, SFWMD Gov Board Chairman Buermanm, in fielding criticism about River of Grass Costs has also raised the question: What about benefits? Good question!

About a month ago SFWMD Governing Board Chairman Buermann got published in the Palm Beach Post, a Letter to the Editor, regarding the U.S. Sugar Land purchase to revitalize the River of Grass. Relative to costs, the Chairman called the question: What about the Benefits?

We think that that is an excellent question. I am here as a follow-up to the National Research Council (NRC) Study of the same title, to suggest that benefits be monetized same as costs.

NRC recommended methods to do this that have growing acceptance. We have suggested that the approach & methodology be used in the River of Grass Phase for decision-support.

We have also recommended that the NRC approach be incorporated in the Programmatic Regulations update. Written comments for the record amplify. We know that USACE/SFWMD/FDEP/DOI Staffers are working on the Programmatic Regs revision.

We also know the SFWMD River of Grass planners are looking for a way to highlight benefits, as well as costs. The price tag for the various ROG configurations carries some heavy sticker shock, and lots of cost controversy. However in first order estimates, and extrapolations from other Benefit:Cost Analysis (BCA) indicate the long-term benefit approaches an order of magnitude more than the costs. More long-term thinking is needed.

We ask the Committee to give the NRC approach an applications push in whatever manner is appropriate, as it appears that casting benefit in this manner is a way to demonstrate the value of applied science, understandable by Congress, the Office of Management and Budget, and the public. A recent news article, on this double sided written comment, amplifies. See http://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/opinion/content/news/2009/09/19/EditMarshallvoice0920.html
[A significant part of the Art Marshall legacy is to engage the public in the process of democracy]

In verbal public comment: What we have demonstrated [with the published article on Amendment 4] is that results of a case study in the 2005 NRC Report can be extrapolated to an Everglades Restoration application in a manner that demonstrates to the public that the benefits of Everglades restoration are well worth the cost. [What is now needed is more detail, per the recommendations of the NRC Report]

What is the impact of not monetizing benefits: The risk-adverse malcontents will continue to attack the high cost of various projects, without a clue of the long-term benefits, and needed full funding may get lost in the face of political competition.

We have it from reliable sources that Rock Salt is considering the ESV approach for application in USACE processes. That too would be a great help.

All this will also be the subject of a break-out session at the Everglades Coalition Conference; we will invite the top experts to be on the panel. We have used the Title of the NRC Study, for the title of the break-out session. We hope this does not violate any copyrights, and in fact will induce additional purchase and reading of the 2005 NRC Study by the uninformed.

[The 2010 Everglades Coalition Conference will take place 7 – 10 January, 2010, at the PGA Resort, in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Additional conference information can be found at www.EvergladesCoalition.org.]

For BCA for better environmental decision-making, thanks for your consideration:

Respectfully submitted,

John Arthur Marshall (JAMinfo@AOL.com)
Chairman of the Board; www.ArtMarshall.org

From the Palm Beach Daily News--Amendment 4 a much-needed reality check on development

For those of you who missed my editorial from Saturday's edition of the Palm Beach Daily News...
Saturday, September 19, 2009

Until recently many conservationists doubted the efficacy of Amendment 4, owing to its potential to make existing permitting processes even more cumbersome and costly.

What we expected was reasonable compliance with rational comprehensive growth management plans for sustainable development, under the Growth Management Act. What we got was multiple deviations, with the imposition of multiple taxes, great profits for developers and little growth management realized.

That was then. Now is a developer push to severely limit or do away with impact fees, and a legislative threat to eliminate the Florida Department of Community Affairs. Now, with a glut of empty houses and condos, is a lobbying effort to do away with the growth management requirement for justifying growth. For those who understand the hidden costs to society and the resulting increased tax liability, this is the last straw.

The FDCA is the state agency that provides a reality check on developments run amuck, literally. By paving over paradise, there is an impact of uncalculated external costs to society, also known in economics as externalities, hence the need for impact fees. The reality check needed here is the calculation of all externalities' cost to the taxpayer.

Development externalities include all manner of infrastructure and services needed to support the proposed development and increased population: Schools, roads, fire and police, medical emergency services, garbage pick-up and landfills, sewers and waste treatment, and more government to handle this, and especially a viable water supply.

Another externality is the loss of property values across the board, caused by overdevelopment and increase in taxes per the aforementioned infrastructure and services, which the bureaucracy is finding not only hard to give up but in need of more. Hence nickel-and-dime taxes as a result in the news recently.

On the externality of water supply: For the snowbirds, here is a recognizable case study to compare what happened in New York City to what has happened in Florida, as another reality check.

To upgrade its water supply, New York City opted to restore the Catskills watershed at a cost of about $1 billion, as opposed to spending up to $8 billion on water plant construction and operation.

In South Florida, paving over paradise, by dredge and fill destruction of wetlands, has reduced our watersheds. This takes the cost of water supply for Florida residents in the opposite direction taken by New York. As the Everglades watershed has diminished, the effect is a local call for deeper drilling in the Floridan aquifer, reverse osmosis and desalination, all at a very high cost, when the New York remedy is available.

Guess what? The cost of reverse osmosis and desalination is six to eight times the cost of natural water supply. This is the same benefit-to-cost calculus that persuaded New York to opt for the low-tech, low-cost, low-risk attributes of the natural system.

Call our New York remedy the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, to restore a major part of Florida's natural watershed, at six to eight times the benefit, compared to high-tech, high-cost water supply methods, that also require more electricity.

The late Art Marshall provided this reality check in a 1981 news article: In Florida it has always been said that if we can just get a bigger population, we'll get more business and more dollars and it will solve all our problems. That's a bunch of crap. It doesn't work that way. Please observe that things have gotten much worse since 1981, with a lot more crap.

Now guess why the externalities are never mentioned. A salient quote: Success of the Growth Machine in Florida depended on the public not receiving information. Amendment 4 advocates are now the informed, but they are not the radicals. What development has done is to transform a natural asset to societal liability, with significant reduction of quality of life for all Floridians. As a recent editorial noted, "Unchecked growth is an unsustainable extreme."

In the quest for an approach to nearly unconstrained development at great cost to the taxpayers, Amendment 4 is the unintended consequence. Consider another externality: The developers' cost of political contributions to keep this tax debt spiral going.

Now, can anybody not understand why utilities are calling for increased rates to cover the cost of new infrastructure to meet increased demands, and for conservation of water and energy? ... And why the two are related?

For the long-term, big-picture thinkers, there is one more externality that portends significant costs to society: Global climate change and sea-level rise, accelerated by the loss of wetlands and more fossil fuel usage, with carbon emissions. Here the "unsustainable" word is appropriate. Needed reality checks are way past due.

As a final reality check, please have a read of Paving Paradise — Florida's Vanishing Wetlands and the Failure of No Net Loss. This may move rational folks to go beyond just voting for Amendment 4, to campaign for a much-needed reality check. Can we say taxation without representation?

With "4" there is a chance of representation and restoring the process of democracy. Without "4," past history and current events tell us nothing will change for the better.

JOHN ARTHUR MARSHALL

Palm Beach
http://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/search/content/news/2009/09/19/EditMarshallvoice0920.html##

Jazz It Up for the Everglades--update

Our annual Champions of the Everglades award recipients have been announced:
(2008 award)

http://browardnetonline.com/2009/08/champions-of-the-everglades-to-be-recognized/

River of Grass Canoe Expedition --Registration Deadline is October 15

Public Comment to the Governing Board~September 9, 2009

Public Comment Paraphrased on Valuing Ecosystem Services to Agenda Item #18, 9/9/9:

River of Grass Phase 1 Summary/Phase 2 Projections
Introduction, in response to Board Member Mile Collins statement earlier, who said after the Kissimmee Basin presentation: Thirty years ago no one was looking at the total system.

Public comment: John Arthur Marshall, representing the Arthur R. Marshall Foundation; Let me begin by regressing to a remark made by Board Member Collins: Thirty years ago there was a person considering the total system. His name was Art Marshall. He was also throwing verbal hand grenades as the Kissimmee River was being canalized. That is the context from which I speak.
About a month ago [Governing Board] Chairman Buermann got published [in the Palm Beach Post] a Letter to the Editor, regarding the U.S. Sugar Land purchase to revitalize the River of Grass. Relative to costs, the Chairman called the question: What about the Benefits?
We think that is an excellent question. I am here to suggest that benefits be monetized in economic terms, same as costs.
The National Research Council [NRC] has recommended methods to do this that have growing acceptance. We recommend that the approach and methodology be used in the River of Grass Phase for decision-support.
We have also recommended that the NRC approach be incorporated in the Programmatic Regs update. Written comments for the record amplify. Board Member Powers has been provided an advance copy.
We know that [SFWMD] Staffers are working on the Programmatic Regs revision and ROG Phase 2. We ask the Board to give this some consideration.
We have it from reliable sources that Rock Salt is considering the ESV approach for application in USACE processes.
This will also be the subject of a break-out session at the Everglades Coalition Conference; we will invite the top experts to be on the panel.
Thanks for your consideration:

Chairman Buermann response: The Palm Beach Post has indicated they are interested in publishing the benefits. Perhaps we can get you involved.

Followed up with an e-mail: Just point me in the right direction.

Public Lands Day at the Refuge

for anyone who wants to pitch in and protect the Everglades and our public lands...

Jazz It Up for the Everglades

A report on the Economics of the Everglades Watershed

For ArtMarshall.org S&T Committee and interested parties;

It looks like the Everglades Foundation has put some resources to seriously good use, by engaging FAU to do a study on the "Economics of the Everglades Watershed and Estuaries", available on the link listed below.
HERE

There is also a salient report at OVER HERE
AND HERE
Eric Draper has used this reference in a recent paper.

All this confirms that our suggestion today to EvCo that ESV be considered as a breakout panel is a good one, and that the ESV approach does hold the potential of a paradigm shift for establishing the economic value of wetlands and estuaries, in dollars Congress and the public can understand.

Although we made the suggestion for a 2010 EvCo Conference breakout session on the ESV approach, TBD, we did leave open the possibility that this should be covered in a plenary.

Kudos for the Everglades Foundation for going in this direction. Valuing ecosystem services for better environmental decision-making needs wide-based support.

2009 Interns--the final word

We spent this morning reviewing the fine work that our most recent crop of interns produced, and brainstorming how we can improve next year's program. Thanks go out to the supporters of the Summer Intern Program, as well as Board Members who put in so much time to make it such a success.

Let us leave you with a version of the 2009 Summer Intern's graduation presentation from August 6, 2009. Here is part one--be sure to watch all 4 parts!

Best of the Interns--2009

SIP River of Grass presentation

As promised in the previous posting--we are supplying a version the presentation that our Summer Interns delivered to the River of Grass Planning Session on August 4, 2009. The presentation, entitled Valuing Ecosystem Services, attempts to persuade the SFWMD to consider placing a monetary value on the ecosystem goods and services provided by the features of the various ROG plans. When the 'live' version becomes available--we will attempt to bring that to you as well.

Thanks again to our 2009 SIP graduates for their tremendous work!

Celebrating our Summer Interns

This is a busy week for our group of five, industrious interns. On Tuesday (August 4) they made a presentation to the Water Resource Advisory Committee during the River of Grass planning session. The presentation, entitled Valuing Ecosystem Services, was simulcast via the web, and should soon be available to download online. The interns were clear, concise and engaging. The audience of political leaders, senior scientists, government policy makers and NGO Everglades advocates all applauded their work. We are very proud of their performance!

On Thursday, the group will be making their graduation presentation at 33480 Bar and Grill in West Palm Beach. This annual event gives the interns a chance to reflect and review their eleven-week internship and to thank the many mentors who have helped them succeed. The event begins at 5:30pm and the cost is only $35. Tickets are still available--call 561-805-8733 for reservations and more information.

About the photo: Once again, Senator Bob Graham served as a mentor for the 2009 Interns. The Arthur R. Marshall Foundation thanks Senator Graham for his support of the Everglades and of the Summer Intern Program.

UPDATE--when the presentation becomes available online, you will find it here: https://my.sfwmd.gov/portal/page?_pageid=2814,22134068&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL

Reviving the River of Grass

Kudos to the South Florida Water Management District for the level of openess and public service that has been displayed during the River of Grass Planning Charettes. During open meetings with stakeholders, NGO's and local officials the District has helped put together 9 options to turn the Governor's US Sugar purchase into real Everglades restoration. You can see the Marshall Plan map attached. Click HERE to examine the history of the planning sessions, to see the maps and merits of the 9 different plans, and to find the dates for future meetings.

Our Summer Interns will be attending these meetings all summer long. Near the end of their time with us, we hope they will be able to give their thoughts to the planning process as they address the ROG planners in an open forum.

Interns Start with a bang!

The Foundation is proud to welcome our newest group of Interns. For the next 11 weeks, they will be hip-deep in the Everglades (sometimes literally). We look forward to a fun and rewarding summer, as we glimpse the future of Everglades Restoration leaders. Thanks for joining us!

Here they are with Senator Bill Nelson after a meeting held jointly with Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Congressman Kendrick Meek and Congressman Ron Klein.

Everglades Restoration Volunteer Event: April 25th 2009 at the Grassy Waters Preserve; WPB Florida

Everglades Restoration for Earth Month

The Foundation was involved in several restoration projects this month. We donated dozens of cypress and pond apple trees to be planted at Clear Lake in West Palm Beach for Earth Day.

Further up the water supply--the Foundation donated nearly 100 trees and hundreds of volunteer hours for an April 25th Volunteer Project at the Grassy Waters Preserve. The nearly 60 volunteers planted 4,000 native grasses (wire grass and muhly grass) as well as cypress trees in an area of the preserve that will soon be reopened to the public. The Preserve is also the City of West Palm Beach's Water Catchment Area. The native plants installed that day will help preserve and proect the water supply for over 130,000 people in Palm Beach County

And on April 28, students from the Forest Hill High School's Gale Academy of Environmental Sciences and Technology completed their Walk on the Green Side fundraiser by planting more than 100 trees on Torry Island in Belle Glade. Thanks to the students for organizing such a worthwhile event. The location was adjacent to a 2006 planting--so students got to see what their trees would look like in just a few years.

The Governor's River of Grass Revival--benefits by the numbers

April 18 was the Springtime Annual Meeting for the Arthur R. Marshall Foundation and our Board members. The following is a response to questions raised at that event.........

Several of you asked for more background regarding the calculations of the worth of Restoring the River of Grass flow path, per the Governor's initiative to restore the missing link and revitalize the ROG, following the S&T Report and vigorous discussion on the $70 billion dollar benefit.

Per all the newspaper reporting, the present partial purchase of land to make this happen is reduced to $500,000 and change, and even this is in question, pending a Governing Board Vote.

Compare that to the benefit of $70 billion over the 40 year CERP life cycle, which likely is an underestimate.

This is a summary and you are welcome to stop reading here.

Attached below is a letter to the editor which never got printed (Randy?).

Owing to feedback or the lack of it, it is easy to conclude that society in general does not deal well with numbers on complicated subjects outside the S&T Community, however at the very least, ecosystem services benefits of $70 billion, relative to costs 1/10 of that, ought to be easily understandable, and acted upon.

This also reflects the lack of strategic thinking, which ought to lead to strategic calculations, in terms of the benefit:cost ratio long-term. This remains not yet visible, except here, and the other places the attached has been posted.

Getting the govt to go in this direction is a tough job, but somebody has to take it on. And it has to be somebody that likes number crunching, and is trained to do it.

Thanks for your support.

John Arthur Marshall, Chairman of the Board
Arthur R. Marshall Foundation & Florida Environmental Institute, Inc.

To see the Power Point presented as a poster paper at "A Conference on Ecosystem Services" - ACES - in Naples, Dec 8, 2008, and at the Everglades Coalition Conference, January 8, 2009 send your request to plantcypress@aol.com. Attention:Eric.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
From: JamInfoTo: letters@PBPost.comSent: 3/19/2009 3:48:29 P.M. Eastern Daylight TimeSubj: Letter to Editor, Palm Beach Post

Governor’s River of Grass initiative: Big Costs, but much Bigger return to the South Florida Economy

Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) implementers working on the River of Grass project initiated by Governor Charlie Crist, owe Congress and the people of Florida another dollar estimate: How much is the project worth to the economy of south Florida, long-term, relative to cost?

Restoration opponents have suggested that ecological benefits gained by purchasing US Sugar land are too far off to justify delaying current restoration. They have not done the return on investment calculations, are not into long-term strategic thinking, and are short-sighted not to recognize we are in a different paradigm requiring a new vision.

The National Research Council and most federal agencies having CERP oversight (e.g., US Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Interior) advocate such an economic valuation approach and benefit to cost analysis per a study published in 2005: Valuing Ecosystem Services - Toward better environmental decision making.

The vision here is that applying the NRC, et al, approach to the River of Grass project is a great idea whose time has come.

Calculations traceable to references in the literature indicate that the worth of restoring the river of grass down a flow path previous proposed by the US Army Corps of Engineers is worth $69.159 billion. Cost is estimated as $7.6 billion, about half way between $5 billion and $9 billion appearing in the news. (Palm Beach post, 3/18)

This yields a Benefit:Cost ratio of 9.1 (benefit divided by cost). The Corps of engineers uses Benefit:Cost ratio = 1.5 as the threshold for go-no-go decisions. The River of Grass project is a go!

The above calculations are a first order estimate, based on a “back-of-the-envelope” approach. The results were given at a conference on ecosystem services, Naples, FL, Dec 8, 2008, attended by many of the CERP implementers.

A primary recommendation was that CERP implementers should move out on using this approach for decision support, as demonstrated. A primary conclusion was that no matter how calculations are formulated, benefits of restoring the river of grass will always be significantly greater than the cost; further the decision support calculations would eliminate much debate, law suits, unnecessary expense and delay. This is likely true for most other restoration projects as well.

The benefits are not that far off, if the body politic could just get past non-science arguments, and focus on the Three R’s of Restoration: Restore sheet-flow; Re-vegetate; and Restore peat, to revitalize the river of grass. Senior scientists are also pushing these three R’s, as a means to mitigate sea level rise and salt water intrusion into our drinking water. There is no time to lose here in protecting our life support system.

Many need to be connecting the dots here, if nothing else as an exercise of the precautionary principle. Running the project benefit numbers, relative to cost, and return on investment, would result in a call to action understandable by Congress and the public. Restoration results remain the primary objective.

Respectfully submitted,

John Arthur Marshall, Chairman of the Board; Co-Chair, Science Committee: JAMinfo@aol.com
Arthur R. Marshall Foundation & Florida Environmental Institute, Inc.; www.ArtMarshall.org
2806 South Dixie Highway, WPB, FL 33405; 805-8733

Volunteer Event--April 25th 2009

Fashionably Green Luncheon-March 2009

Fashionably Green Luncheon

Thanks to everyone who made our Spring Luncheon and Eco-friendly Fashion Show a success. Photos will follow, soon.

Let the Marshall Foundation Change Your Life

At least that's what they tell us. The deadline is approaching for our annual Summer Intern Program. Here is the information posted on our website:

The Arthur R. Marshall Foundation & FL Environmental Institute, Inc., West Palm Beach, is now accepting applications for a paid, career-enhancing 2009 summer internship. This program is for undergraduates, graduate students and teachers seeking professional development. The intensive, 11-week internship focuses on the Florida Everglades and the multi-billion dollar plan to restore it. Interns have gone on to earn advanced degrees in the environmental sciences and build careers in related fields. Here is increased probability of job preference selection owing to a first job opportunity that is increasingly recognized, with 29 intern graduates making significant contributions.

Dates: MAY 22 – AUGUST 7, 2009

• Learn about the history and ecology of the Florida Everglades ecosystem
• Focus on the unprecedented, multi-billion effort to save this one-of-a-kind ecosystem
• Meet and dialogue with high-ranking professionals who are engaged in various aspects of Everglades Restoration
• GET PAID ($2,000 stipend in $400 increments)

Application deadline: March 31, 2009
Successful applicants notified by April 15, 2009
For more information, please call 561-805-8733 or email PlantCypress@aol.com

Click here to download an applicationfor the 2009 Marshall Foundation Internship

Annual Luncheon

Please consider joining us at our Annual Luncheon. This year we are holding an environmentally friendly fashion show.

Animal Antics at the West Palm Beach Library

For the past two years, Eric Gehring--the Marshall Foundation's Education Director--has been offering a series of natural history programs at the Library. The 4-part series entitled Animal Antics allows school-age children to explore the natural world through games, stories and hands-on activities.
The program was mentioned on the Library's kids blog: http://wpbkids.wordpress.com/

Click over to learn more and enjoy the photos as well.

Student Photo Project

The Everglades Photographic Society made mention of our student photography project: Everglades Through the Eyes of Children, on their blog.

See it here: http://evergladesphoto.blogspot.com/2008/10/eps-assists-arthur-r-marshall.html

photos taken at the Refuge by our Photo Project students

My recent editorial

This was published by the Palm Beach Daily News on February 7, 2009...

Restoring Everglades ecosystem best way to quench thirst

By JOHN ARTHUR MARSHALL, Special to the Daily News
Saturday, February 07, 2009
At the Town of Palm Beach political debates Jan. 26, a major topic was the need to address economic matters. What was demonstrated was the need for more environmental awareness and identification with the oft-cited fact that in Florida the environment is the economy.
Regarding improving the town water supply, it is very clear that restoring the Everglades ecosystem, and its historic cleansing marshes and swamps, is the most cost-effective approach to good, cheap drinking water. This also refreshes the aquifer from which much water is pumped, and will get clean fresh water to the West Palm Beach water plant, hence to the town, when done properly.
Anyone from New York where the Hudson River watershed was restored, an option chosen over high-tech approaches such as reverse osmosis to provide a big city drinking water, ought to recognize the natural systems approach as the citizen's choice. There are many spin-off benefits here as well.
Reverse osmosis, desalination plants and big pumps generate big energy requirements and big costs. They ought to be last resorts, when more economical approaches are available, and energy use and carbon emissions can be reduced by natural means, which also provides carbon sequestration.
Senior scientists have also concluded that restoration of the Everglades and its primary characteristic — sheet flow — is also a potential antidote to sea level rise and salt water intrusion. Both hold significant threats to the island, long-term. Here one needs to exercise the precautionary principle.
Beach renourishment by shoveling sand against the tide is geologically futile. The next storm washes the sand away before the cost is paid for. What is needed is a more aggressive approach using groins and breakwaters perpendicular to the shore. Such approaches would be much less intrusive on the reefs and turtle nesting, and have a much better effect on preventing beach erosion.
The Arthur R. Marshall Foundation has attempted to educate the candidates and incumbents. Two got a good perspective on a bus trip to the Everglades. Others would do well to make time to do the same. Clearly more big-picture understanding is needed about how the present approach may be an economic and ecologic disaster waiting to happen, and a great liability on future generations.
Gov. Charlie Crist has taken the natural approach as he noted in (a recent) speech to the Forum Club: Restore the missing link to revitalize the River of Grass and get multiple benefits far exceeding costs. Former Mayor Lesly Smith understands the implications here as well as anyone on the council, past or present. Both have exercised leadership by doing what's best for all.
Can the candidates and incumbents please give due consideration to a sustainable restoration and conservation approach by supporting Everglades restoration in a manner that will benefit all?
Mr. Marshall is chairman of the board for the Arthur R. Marshall Foundation & Florida Environmental Institute

photo courtesy of Cindy Bartosek

Trail Spruce Up at the Refuge

The Foundation held its annual Trail Spruce-Up at the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, in Boynton Beach on January 31. Our job is to help prepare the Refuge for the upcoming Everglades Day Festival. Volunteers removed non-native plants, picked up litter, added meleleuca mulch to a few spots and cleaned up several public spaces. The weather was wonderful and our volunteers were enthusiastic! Special thanks to our roving naturalist--Dr. Tom Poulson and to Chris Lockhart of Habitat Specialists, Inc for providing team leadership and a boardwalk-talk!. Thanks to all of you who joined us--we will see you on Everglades Day--February 7, 2009!

One of our young volunteers made a video about the Spruce-Up. Click here to view:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRuoM07BcBM

photos soon!

Foundation Photos

You can view photos of Foundation tree-plantings, fundraisers and events at our Photobucket page.

Just click on http://s212.photobucket.com/albums/cc83/ARMF_photos/ to choose!

From the 2008 Cypress Harvest

Notes from the Hydrological Targets Scientific Symposium

With the South Florida Water Management District preparing for the River of Grass Project Planning Phase 1, I submitted my notes from the recent Hydrological Targets Scientific Symposium held from January 14-16 at the District:

The substantive issue was getting to consensus on flows and levels targets in terms of volume of water in acre feet are needed going south to match the hydraulics of the natural system as close as possible, given the modern constraints of an altered system.

A significant part of the discussion called for targets for the estuaries as well, so as not to trash them.

Bob Johnson did a good job of summarizing and amplifying the DOI (Dept of Interior) Vision and Plan, with supporting comments from Rock Salt and a few others.

The general consensus was that the historic everglades, paleo to 40's was a lot wetter, and the more water going south, the better, i.e., there is a need to capture and clean much of the water going to tide, and get it past Tamiami Trail, and into FL Bay.

REQUEST: There was a website given as a location for copy of the several presentations, but I must have written it down wrong. Maybe Rick Smith can provide same.

The Moderator was Dick Pettigrew, giving this a dejavu-all-over-again breath of the Governor's Commission for a Sustainable South Florida, which he chaired; this was a brilliant suggestion, as I understand it, by one of our favorite Governing Board members. Greg Knect was at the head of the table also, representing DEP (The Governor?), for more Gov Commission feel. Ken Ammon was the technical moderator, pushing the group to stay on the objective of getting to consensus on MFL targets for the Everglades from Lake O to FL Bay.

Kudo's to those who pushed for more natural system flow, than static storage, especially Ronnie Best, Nick Auman, Cris McVoy, Bob Johnson, Rock Salt, and a few others, not to exclude anybody. Much of this may reflect involvement in the DOI Vision and Plan "peer review".

A few references to the McVoy, et al, book on the 1880's satellite view of the historic everglades, which is due to hit the street just in time, as in better late than never.

The balance between reservoirs and restoration of dynamic storage and sheet flow remains a puzzle yet to be solved, with the catch 22 conundrum that reservoir acreage takes away treatment acreage, and reservoir water requires more treatment acreage. Made comments to this effect, and left a copy of the EvCo Conference Panel power point presentation on same on the lobby table. Was happy to see that the 2 million + acre-feet back-of-the-envelope calculations were close to "average" calculations presented in the NSM et al models.

What came out of the several models presented was a middle of the road graphic called a synthetic model, which was useful in getting to a consensus hydro-target, with flow south variability ranging from about 500,000 acre-ft in dry years to 3,500,000 acre feet in wet years, best I can recall from looking at graphs for at least 10 hours over three days.

The main purpose of the reservoir storage need cited was to provide more water to the Everglades during dry years of, especially when the drought extents more than a year. Surge needs was not raised as a major problem, as it has in past discussions, citing the need for swift water to sustain the ridge and slough landscape.

There were about 30 scientists, most of whom were around in '98 when CERP was formulated, around the discussion table, all of them knowledgeable govt scientists, or former govt employees (e.g. Tom Van Lent, Tom McVicar, John Ogdon), also a technical consultant, Frank Marshall (no relationship). Some modeling work by Frank, and also Fennama was touted as noteworthy contributions.

The audience dwindled from about 10 the first day to 3 at closing. YT (Yours Truly) was the only one to take in all three days, and make public comment daily, three times on the last day, and handouts on the lobby table. Exception was a "cameo" appearance by Drew Martin, who made public comment calling for flow on behalf of Sierra.

Pushed the essence of the Marshall Plan, also called for Ecosystems Services Values in Economic Terms, same as Art Marshall called for qualitatively, and what's in the DOI Vision & Plan = the Art Marshall Plan - revisited. I will be prepared to summarize at the Clewiston event, including a few copies of the DOI Vision and Plan, and copies of what was left on the lobby table as public comment, same as what went to the Everglades Coalition Conference+.

In response to John Ogden's ongoing question about what should the repaired system look like, I pushed for 10,000 acres of restored pond apple forest as the first element of the flow path, TBD in future planning.

[Trees 'R Us! At 500 trees per acre planted, this is 5,000,000 million trees, about a 50 million dollar job for Ag/nursery folks in the Glades, and a lot of nutrient uptake.]

The Symposium was webcast; The District announced that they had about 500 folks watching during the course of the symposium, or something like that.

Unfortunately there was no press on any of the days to report on the proceedings, substantiating my observation that the body politic (general public) does not much care for data and number crunching, also that Data is apolitical, Politics is data antithetical, such that there is more interest in politics than data.

All agreed it was a well worth-while science symposium, AKA Hydrologic Restoration Targets Workshop, including me, which was my last public comment statement and the last word, at the closing bell. Maybe the best we have seen since the 1981-1994 time frame.

OK, carried away a bit, and this is from the perspective of the only public commentor for all three days, and is certainly not all inclusive. However, this is the report most of which ought to be a lead-in to the Jan 22 event, also the report that is unlikely to hit the newspapers.

YT, JAM

A 'Vision' for the Everglades --The Marshall Foundation responds

For the Future of Florida, Repair the Everglades -

1981 – The Marshall Plan Revisited!
Arthur R. Marshall Foundation Science & Technology Team Must Have Agency Action Report
January 8, 2008

Subject: Dept. of Interior Vision and Plan for Successful Everglades Restoration as an outline for an Everglades Agricultural Area Plan

ABSTRACT: This report addresses two urgencies: (1) Major disconnects between the Dept. of Interior Vision & Plan/National Research Council (NRC) recommendations, and terms of the US Sugar Corporation (USSC) land buy; (2) actions needed to overcome the major disconnects, given DOI/NRC stated urgency.

BACKGROUND. DOI has issued Version 2, of the DOI Vision and Plan, i.e. The Plan (Scarlett, Duke, et al, 2008). The Plan is being used as briefing document for the Obama transition team. The Plan is based on National Academy of Sciences (NAS) National Research Council (NRC) Recommendations. (National Research Council, 2008) Briefings at the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) have indicated it will take at least two years to develop a plan for restoration efforts in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA), after the USSC land purchase is complete, and land swaps can begin. Land swaps may be delayed owing to US Sugar having a seven year lease on the land, and other circumstances not yet foreseen.

THE MARSHALL PLAN, 1981, postulated that: (1) Sheet flow be restored to the greatest possible extent [feasible under current conditions] from the Kissimmee Lakes to Florida Bay; (2) the purpose was to recover an array of vital natural resources now disappearing from the region, of extreme importance to present and future Floridians and to the nation at large. (3) The status quo…continues to diminish or degrade: - water supplies – soils - freshwater fisheries - marine fisheries & estuaries – wetlands – Everglades National Park. This remains our call to restore the Everglades and its historic river of grass, per the Governor’s mandate.

IMPACT OF NOT TAKING ACTIONS SUGGESTED: Less than full action will preclude timely restor-ation with potentially unrecoverable ecosystem services and severe economic impacts (Marshall, 1981, 2008)

THREE MAJOR DISCONNECTS
· The seven year lease terms of the USSC land undermine the urgency of taking near term action to prevent further, possibly non-restorable degradation of the Everglades ecosystem, as reported by NRC (2008) and outlined in the DOI Plan.
· The seven year lease terms of the USSC insufficiently address the urgency of taking near term action on Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan - CERP implementation as a carbon sequestration mecha-nism to mitigate sea level rise and climate change as reported by NRC (2008)/outlined in the DOI Plan.
· Both the DOI Plan and the USSC land purchase are not financially executable under the current federal – state financial structure; there is an immediate urgent need of financial restructuring, to provide the means for urgent actions aforementioned.

THE MARSHALL PLAN BENEFICIAL SUGGESTIONS FOR MUST HAVE AGENCY ACTION – 2009:

FEDERAL BENEFICIAL SUGGESTIONS:
· Presidential allocation of funds to CERP to make up for CERP 50/50 nine year federal deficit
· Presidential allocation of funds as a jobs/conservation corps/carbon reduction mechanism to support CERP implementation
· Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) or expanded federal legislation for back payment, and continue federal share of CERP 50/50 cost share.
· Federal establishment of cap and trade system with potential for ecosystem services economic value to partially fund CERP.
· DOI/Task Force facilitation of DOI Vision & Plan per WRDA 96, section 528, under an all-stakeholder Commission/Council Co-Chaired by Secretary, FDEP (Per DOI Vision and Plan recommendation)
o Continue science coordination team work to support stakeholder Commission
· Re-designation of the Everglades as an endangered ecosystem

STATE BENEFICIAL SUGGESTIONS:
· Provide funding to supplement the US Sugar Corporation (USSC) land purchase by SFWMD
· Appoint a Glades representative to the vacant SFWMD Governing Board position ASAP.
· Press USSC and other land owners for minimal land acreage immediately to implement full DECOMP and restoration of sheet flow per DOI Vision and Plan.
· Ensure the minimal amount of acreage (150,000 acres?) to make the USSC plant at Clewiston productive (cost-effective) for seven years.
· Take actions that provide non-ag economic transition under State Regional Economic Development Initiatives (REDI) before the Clewiston sugar mill becomes less than cost effective (next generation?).
· Note that failure to provide a modicum of land to restore the missing link results in equivalent adverse economic consequences to those who depend on the estuaries or near-shore fisheries for livelihood.
o Recognize that the ~43,000 acres needed to restore the missing link flow path will provide ecosystem service benefits of great economic value to all (Marshall, 1981; Marshall, 2008)
· Press for a lower total price, a higher lease price, and support, for financial sustainability of SFWMD mission, or out, per SFWMD counter-offer; the status quo amounts to an unfunded mandate.
· Use DOI Vision and Plan as integrated strategic guidance for an EAA plan
· Use Florida Dept of Community Affairs (DCA)/Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)/SFWMD oversight to ensure county plans do not interfere with CERP implementation.
· Provide a Co-Chair for facilitation of the DOI Plan per WRDA 96, section 528, under a standing stakeholder Commission; Include county govt and Florida stakeholder representation.

LOCAL BENEFICIAL SUGGESTIONS (Counties):
· Ensure land use provisions that do not inhibit CERP implementation
· Participate in implementing DOI Vision and Plan.
· Take Action in the 10 County Coalition

US SUGAR CORP: Cure the Mine Problem; Keep the corporate word that the sale is for the greater good.

AG COMMUNITY: Negotiate Land Trades; Help the local economy: Donate a Nature Center!

EVERGLADES COALITION: (DISCLAIMER: This Report does not constitute endorsement by EvCo)
· Exercise leadership in advocating for beneficial suggestions herein; Base advocacy on science
· Note that the DOI Vision and Plan is the closest thing to the 1981 Marshall Plan
· Note that the DOI Plan is the closest thing to the Everglades Coalition May, 2006, resolution taken to the Task Force asking for a strategic plan for the EAA; Same for the 10 County Coalition resolution in 2006.
· Note that all this is an extension of the homework given to EvCo by Senator Bob Graham (2008)

GENERAL BENEFICIAL SUGGESTIONS:
· Base all the above on full cost consideration of ecosystem services economic benefits as well as costs;
· Make CERP implementation a case study on getting to a proper Benefit:Cost ratio for decision support; (NRC 2000; Marshall, 2008); See NRC Summary at: http://dels.nas.edu/dels/rpt_briefs/valuing_services_final.pdf
· Be optimistic; Optimism is a force multiplier; Colin Powell.

REFERENCES / BIBLIOGRAPHY (Some familiarity of the references are a prerequisite for full understanding of this report, and the basis for action per beneficial suggestions noted:
1. Almeida, Danielle, et al; Top 10 Science Needs and Gaps; A poster paper; Greater Everglades Ecosystem Restoration (GEER) Conference; July 21 – August 1, 2008; Naples, FL.
2. Marshall, Arthur R. Jr: For the Future of Florida, Repair the Everglades; Friends of the Everglades newsletter and Petition; Spring 1981; Also known as the Marshall Plan
3. Marshall, John Arthur; Value of Ecosystem Services Provided by Restoring Gravity-Driven Flow to the Everglades; A Conference on Ecosystem Services (ACES); Dec 8 – 11; Naples, FL
4. National Research Council; Valuing Ecosystem Services; National Academy Press; 2000
5. National Research Council; Progress Toward Restoring the Everglades: The Second Biennial Review, 2008; National Academies Press Advance Copy; September 29, 2008
6. Scarlett, Lynn; Duke, Dennis, et al; Department of Interior Vision and Plan for Successful Everglades Restoration; Dec 4, 2008 Version (ARMF S&T Supporting comments to SFWMD Governing Board, WRAC et al, Jan 6, 2008)