LARGO - Pinellas County's Environmental Science Forum (ESF), an informal group recently formed to act as a think tank for environmental management, met for the second time on Thursday, Aug. 10, at Heritage Village.
The newly formed group has been in the process of setting up operating procedures and laying down their framework. The group held their first meeting in June. Holly Greening, chief scientist of the Tampa Bay Estuary Program and Darden Rice, Sierra Club were selected as chairs. Co-chair Greening said, "We are set up to do hard work and hard thinking and we are anxious to get started."
County projects and sometimes policy will be brought before the group for study and discussion. Their discussions and research will be made public as the group is dedicated to transparency.
The forum members were selected by the Department of Environmental Management (DEM) and consist of individuals with environmental science backgrounds. Some are members of environmental advocacy groups such as the Audubon Society and Sierra Club.
Members are:
Holly Greening - Co-ChairSenior Scientist, Tampa Bay Estuary Program;
Darden Rice - Co-Chair Pinellas County Park & Recreation Advisory Board (also regional representative with the National with Sierra Club);
Dr. Melissa M. Grigione Assistant Professor, University of South Florida, Department of Environmental Science & Policy;
Bruce Hasbrouck Tampa Bay Association of Environmental Professionals;
Dr. Brandt Henningsen SWFWMD, SWIM; Barbara HoffmanFriends of Brooker Creek Preserve, Inc.;
Dave Kandz St. Petersburg Audubon Society;
Joseph T. Maier League of Women Voters, Retired biology and science teacher, member of Audubon;
John Merrill, College Student at USF, B.S., Environmental Sciences; B.A., Philosophy;
Pursuing M.S. Environmental Science & Policy, University of South Florida, Tampa;
Tom Muntz Friends of Weedon Island, Inc.;
Dr. Alison Ormsby Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies, Eckerd College, Department of Environmental Studies;
Ann Paul, Audubon of Florida, FL Coastal Island Sanctuaries, Tampa Bay Area Regional Coordinator;
Doug Robison Environmental Consultant PBS&J; Howard Rutherford, Friends of Weedon Island, Inc.;
Dr. Jerry Smith PCEF; retired St. Petersburg College Professor;
Bill Stokes Sierra Club; Jake StowersEnvironmental Professional;
Dave Sumpter Environmental Consultant; Bruce Turley Florida Native Plant Society;
Dr. Gabriel A. Vargo Professor, College of Marine Science University of South Florida;
Ray Wunderlich Florida Native Plant Society
County administrators from DEM, Brooker Creek Preserve and the Parks and Utilities department will support the group. They are:
Elizabeth Warren, Assistant County Administrator;
Paul Cozzie Bureau Director, Culture, Education & Leisure Department;
William Davis Bureau Director, Department of Environmental Mgmt.;
Andrew Squires Assistant Director, Department of Environmental Mgmt.;
Dr. Bruce Rinker Division Director, Environmental Lands Division, Department of Environmental Mgmt;
Pick Talley Bureau Director, Utilities
Action taken at the August meeting included a motion for ESF to operate out of the Sunshine Law, a decision the majority agreed upon after much discussion.
The group decided that if they are unable to meet their goals out of sunshine, they'll reconsider their position.
Out of the sunshine will require that ESF make no recommendations to the county. Instead, the group will report their findings. Says Greening, EFS co-chair, "We will be restricted to findings and not recommendations. Our reports will have to be a list of pros and cons."
A second action taken by the group was to provide time certain for public input. The group decided to provide meeting time at the tail end of their meetings to provide for public commentary on any topic concerning ESF. "We've also allocated 20 minutes for public input on any issue they want relevant to ESF's charge. We decided that for people working to be heard, we needed to set the time at the end of the meeting," said Greening.
ESF plans to meet every first Thursday of the month from 3-6. Locations for meetings will vary but will be announced well in advance on the ESF website.
Steve Spratt, county administrator, conceived the idea of forming the ESF after hearing the outcry from county residents over initiatives that would adversely affect parks and preserves. A proposal to reactivate irrigation wells at Brooker Creek Preserve in order to irrigate a private golf course and a plan to increase the concessions in Ft De Soto Park drew so much opposition from the public that it got Spratt's attention.
"It is my desire to ensure that the concerns of the community are met with full constructive dialog, debate and good scientific knowledge," wrote Spratt in an invitation letter to forum participants.
According to Spratt, the group will be an, "independent, transparent entity that will offer scientific assessments of the issues." Spratt will relay the group's findings to the Pinellas County Commission.
For information about the group, its members and activities, visit www.pinellascounty.org/scienceforum/default.htm.