The governmental organizations that directly impact the 15 counties of the Suwannee St Johns (SSJ) Group of the Sierra Club are the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and the Alachua County of Environmental Protection. The EPA is directly involved with the Cabot-Koppers-Beazer Superfund site in Alachua County. The source of the pollution on this site dates back almost 100 years, when lumber (e.g. telephone poles) was treated with copper sulphate, arsenic, and other toxic compounds to keep wood boring insects from drilling into the wood.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection overseas and manages Florida’s state parks and trail systems. Through the Florida Forever Program the FDEP acquires and preserves natural lands for hundreds of rare and endangered plants and animals, significant archaeological and historical sites, watersheds and water recharge areas, multiple recreational opportunities, and urban open space. The Department’s regulatory priorities include administering Florida’s air pollution control programs to best prhotect human health; protecting and restoring water quality; managing hazardous waste and cleanups; overseeing beach restorations; and reviewing applications for power plants, transmission lines and natural gas pipelines. The Everglades Restoration Project is one of their large conservation projects. They are also involved with the monitoring of off shore oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
Unlike most counties, Alachua County has its own Environmental Protection Department (EPD). The different responsibilities within EPD are Pollution Prevention, Natural Resources, Hazardous Waste, Water Resources, and Land Conservation. While a number of candidates have tried to assert in recent elections that the EPD duplicates the efforts of the FDEP and is wasteful and inefficient, the report of the Environmental Protection Advisory Committee (EPAC) indicates that little of substance was foundin these allegations.
Government Organizations
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP)
- Alachua County Environmental Protection Department (Alachua County EPD)
- Environmental Protection Advisory Committee (EPAC)
Environmental Organizations
- National Sierra Club
- Florida Chapter of Sierra
- H. T. Odum Florida Springs Institute
- Silver Springs Alliance
- Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT)
- Conservation Trust of Florida
- Florida Conservation Coalition (FCC)
- Putnam County Environmental Council (PCEC)
- Southern Legal Counsel, INC.
- Alachua Audubon
- Santa Fe Audubon
- SouthWings
- Florida’s Nature Coast Conservancy
- Our Santa Fe River
- Community and Environmental Defense Services
- Chassahowitzka River Restoration Committee
- Homosassa River Alliance
- Withlacoochee area Residents, Inc.
- Quiet lakes of Alachua County
- Rainbow River Conservation, Inc.
- Save Our Suwannee
- Our Santa Fe River
- Santa Fe College Saints for Sustainability
- I.D.E.A.S. for UF
- 1000 Friends of Florida
- The Smart Growth Coalition of North Central Florida, Inc.
- Nature Coast Coalition
- Florida Native Plant Society
- Putnam Conservation Trust
- Blue Path
- Florida’s Eden
- Gainesville Green Drinks
- Cultural Arts Coalition
- Cinema Verde
- St Johns Riverkeeper
- Florida Defenders of the Environment
- Florida Wildlife Federation
- United Waterfowlers of Florida
- Florida Climate Institute
- Smart Legal Strategies
- Florida’s Land and Water Legacy
- Lewis Environmental Services, Inc.
- MangroveRestoration.com
- Roy R. Lewis, III
- Seagrass Restoration Now
- Coastal Resources Group
- Fruit Farm Creek
- Clean Nation
- UF Water Institute
- Mangrove Restoration