The Everglades-adjacent islands will remain under close watch by state government at least until 2009.
"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."
FULL STORY: Developers dealt a setback

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing
The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents
The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.
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