Nature Coast News

Citizens of the Nature Coast will return to Crystal River on November 13 for an update on key issues.

Click here to REGISTER NOW
for this FREE Conference

Click HERE to download directions.

This conference is designed to offer the public an update of relevant projects that may impact the Nature Coast region and provide meaningful ways to get involved in preserving our natural heritage.

Come hear a contextual history of the Nature Coast from Gainesville professors Steven Noll and David Tegeder, co-authors of “Ditch of Dreams: The Cross Florida Barge Canal and Struggle for Florida's Future.”

Get the inside scoop from Lobbyist Sue Mullins who joins us to recap the decisions and events of 2010 that affect the Nature Coast.

Local experts will also address the current status of the Tarmac limestone mining project and explore potential impacts for the Nature Coast, both economically and environmentally.

After lunch, the second half of the meeting is a planning session reserved for Nature Coast Coalition partners and decision makers who will set goals and conduct general planning for the rest of the year. You may opt for the morning session with lunch, or for the whole day to stay for planning session. Following the planning session, all are welcome to join us for a nature hike.

The event is offered free of charge and open to the public, but space is limited, so register early. Lunch will be provided compliments of the steering committee for the Nature Coast Coalition.

Steve Noll

Steve Noll is a senior lecturer in the Department of History at the University of Florida. He received his PhD in history from UF in 1991. He teaches Florida history, environmental history, & the history of disability. He is the author of 3 books, including the recently published award winning Ditch of Dreams: The Cross Florida Barge Canal and the Struggle for Florida’s Future, which was co-authored by Dave Tegeder.

Sue Mullins

Sue Mullins is a public policy and campaign professional based in Tallahassee,Florida where she has served for 16 years as a government affairs and political campaign director. She has led several state and local policy initiatives, including drafting majorcomponents of both the $3 billion Florida Forever state land conservation acts and the Rural and Family Lands Protection Act. Other major policy initiatives Sue has advanced include laws to improve Florida’s water resources and wildlife protection, renewable energy use, public land management, government finance, taxation and incentives for private land conservation.

Sue established Vanguard Partnership, an independent lobby and campaign consulting firm, in May 2007, after serving as Government Relations Manager for The Nature Conservancy since 1997.

The Nature Coast Coalition was conceptualized and founded in 2008 by dedicated partners including Joe Murphy of the Gulf Restoration Network (GRN). The GRN now welcomes Darden Rice as the new Florida Staff Person.

You may know Darden from her years of conservation and political work in Florida, and from her extensive and excellent work organizing and leading conservation campaigns to protect our coastlines and ensure a better energy future. 

Now, as she steps into Joe's shoes, she shares his vision for the Nature Coast Coalition, believing that together organizations can share information that will increase the effectiveness of all. Darden has very strong communication and media skills, is an incredible campaign planner, is a very talented advocate and organizer, and has built and grown numerous successful political and conservation coalitions. 

We also send best wishes and a large thank you to Joe Murphy, who has done so much to build the Florida GRN program and the Nature Coast Coalition.

Organizations working to preserve the natural heritage of the Nature Coast came together for a day of shared community, activism, and planning on Feb 27 at Crystal River. As the 2010 legislative session looms, these citizens are ready to unite and win on behalf of natural Florida.

The informal Nature Coast Coalition is made up of organizations and activists who are currently working on projects to protect the Nature Coast. The Nature Coast, stretching from just north of Tampa (Pasco County) to the Big Bend Region (Wakulla County) is one of Florida's last wild frontiers.

We are committed to protecting the coastlines, rivers, uplands, wetlands, cypress forests, watersheds, critical habitats, seagrass beds, public lands, and wild places that are essential to Florida's natural heritage and conservation future.

South Wings takes Flight

In addition to seeing old and new friends, the amazing folks at SouthWings offered free flights to organizations doing project work along the Nature Coast. Such flights acquaint a range of stakeholders with both the pristine expanses of undisturbed landscape, and the impacts of resource extraction and development visible from the air.

For more information please visit www.southwings.org and contact Caroline Douglas, Conservation Program Director of SouthWings, at 828-225-5949 or caroline@southwings.org