EVERGLADES RESTORATION In October, a gated spillway structure was completed about 35 miles west of Miami. It will double the amount of water that can be moved south out of the Central Everglades and into Everglades National Park which will decrease harmful estuary discharges and deliver a greater flow of water.
CITRUS TAX The Florida Citrus Commission voted 6-3 to increase the “box tax” that growers pay per 90-pound box of oranges sold from 7 to 12 cents per box. Grapefruit and specialty fruits will remain at 7 cents a box. The tax will help fund a $9.8 million global marketing campaign intended to promote the health benefits of orange juice and increase consumer consumption.
HISTORIC HOME ADDED TO NATIONAL REGISTRY The Canaveral National Seashore home of the late Doris Leeper, a nationally recognized artist and environmentalist, was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Leeper helped found the Atlantic Center for the Arts and the Doris Leeper Spruce Creek Preserve. She was inducted to the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 1999.
LIONFISH CHALLENGE More than 21,500 lionfish were removed from state waters in just over five months through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s fifth-annual “Lionfish Challenge.” The Commission uses the challenge to target the invasive species. Palm Beach County resident David Connerth won in the recreational field by removing 1,141 lionfish and Duval County resident Isidoro Bedoya caught 1,196.5 pounds, winning in the commercial category.