Environmentalists, Republicans Stave Off Florida Keys Development

"Aided by a group of powerful Republicans, environmentalists won a major fight Monday to keep a lid on development in the fragile habitat of the Florida Keys -- at least for now.

A coalition of environmental groups won enough votes from a state Senate committee to keep the Keys under close state scrutiny until 2009 to ensure that the water is cleaned up, the environment protected, more affordable housing built and building proceeds slow enough to keep roads clear for safe hurricane evacuations."

Longer protection is "exactly what 1,000 Friends of Florida, Audubon of Florida and the World Wildlife Fund wanted when they picked up enough votes on the Senate Environmental Preservation Committee to either kill the bill or shape it to their liking. Joining them were a few Republican big guns: former Everglades czar Allison DeFoor, power lawyer Thom Rumberger of the Everglades Trust and Keys fishing guide Mike Collins, a South Florida Water Management District appointee of Gov. Jeb Bush.

They predicted a 'stampede of development' were the state to undo designation of the Keys next year -- before the County Commission had a chance to clearly demonstrate that it would continue building affordable housing as well as a central sewer system to stop leaky cesspits from fouling the water."