One southwest Florida zoologist says he’s “ecstatic”… after learning the Ivory-billed woodpecker is still alive. Dr. Jerry Jackson is a professor at Florida Gulf Coast University and author of the recent book, “In Search of the Ivory Billed Woodpecker.” The bird was thought to be extinct—until several experts recently confirmed sightings in the Big Woods region of southern Arkansas.
The large woodpecker depends on expanses of old-growth forest. Dr. Jackson says if there’s one bird, there are very likely others. And he notes the key to their survival is land preservation.

“The biggest thing we can do is to provide them habitat. Right now, protecting the habitat that we have—and allowing that habitat to mature. This is a bird that probably requires six or seven square miles or more of bottom-land forest hardwoods.”

The Ivory billed woodpecker may also be alive in southwest Florida. Dr. Jackson says in the last 5 years, there have been three reported sightings of the bird at the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve in Collier County. He’s says he simply can’t discount those sightings.

An effort to more closely monitor registered sex offenders is underway in Punta Gorda. Police dub the new program “Adopt an Offender”. It links individual officers with sexual offenders and sexual predators… there are currently 4 sex offenders, and 1 sexual predator within Punta Gorda city limits. Police Chief - Chuck Rinehart – says recent, high-profile events got his department talking…

“We reviewed our process after the Jessica Lunsford case and asked ourselves were we doing enough, and could we do it better. And we found out we probably could do more, and we could definitely do it better.”

Under the Adopt an Offender Program – all new sexual offenders or predators who move to the city will be assigned an officer. Police will create an offender profile, which includes specific facts of the crime. The officer will notify the neighbors…and distribute fliers to schools and day cares.

Lastly, assigned officers will personally contact the offender at least once a month. Rinehart says his department has already gotten emails from other agencies – as far away as Texas – that are interested in the program.

Public health officials in Sarasota have issued an advisory for the old railroad corridor north of Little John Trail and east of McIntosh Road—after finding elevated levels of arsenic there. They’ve alerted nearby homeowners and a middle school. Officials found higher than normal arsenic levels in groundwater near the surface and in soil along the old railroad. They suspect it’s the result of pesticide use. The county was testing the area—hoping to use it for preservation and storm water storage. Now it can’t. The Sarasota County Health Department is issuing a precautionary advisory to avoid the area. McIntosh Middle School is restricting access across the property to students and is notifying parents. Health Department engineer Rob Bolesta says homeowners should take care in working outdoors.

“If they are mowing, as a precaution they should wear dust masks because they would be kicking up dust. We’ve also talked to some of the commercial lawn services there and recommended that they wear them as well. In addition after being out there in the back of their properties they would want to wash their hands, make sure their children wash their hands with soap and water before they eat or anything like that just to avoid any type of ingestion.”
Although arsenic is relatively stable and doesn’t typically travel from a contaminated site, crews will test nearby homes over the next few days—to determine the extent of the affected area. Long-term exposure to high levels of arsenic may cause cancer of the skin, lungs, bladder and kidney, as well as skin pigmentation changes and thickening. The homes were built in the area in the mid-1980’s.

Three cabinet members were in southwest Florida Wednesday to discuss Governor Jeb Bush’s growth management plan. The secretaries of Environmental Protection, Community Affairs, and Transportation took part in the forum at WGCU. They also fielded questions from local elected officials, environmentalists, and planners. Ryan Warner reports. (AUDIO)

A group called Floridians United to Protect Social Security rallied on the steps of the Sarasota Courthouse today… then marched single-file to U.S. Representative Katherine Harris’ office. This rally was one of more than 35 such events taking place across the country—in opposition to President George W. Bush’s plan to privatize Social Security. They coincided with the U.S. Senate Finance Committee’s first hearing on Social Security reform. Philip Compton of the Florida Consumer Action Network led 75 people on the march to Representative Katherine Harris’s office… where he spoke with her District Director, Sally Tibbits.

“We need to talk in terms of principles. So this is a pledge that we’re going to give to you to give to Rep Harris. We want her to oppose any ss privatization proposal that would require cuts in guaranteed benefits to pay for private accounts, that would weaken the system by diverting money from the ss trust fund that Pres. Reagan set up to cover us baby boomers to pay for private accounts, anything that would increase the federal deficit to pay for private accounts. Has Rep Harris authorized you to give us a response? Just that she will consider your concerns along with other constituents in the district and continue a dialogue with you as organizations and individuals and other organizations in the district that are communicating with her on the issue of ss.”

Floridians United to Protect Social Security also presented a new report by a Washington based economic research group on how the Bush privatization plan would affect Florida’s economy. It claims $34 billion flow into the state’s economy from social security every year… And about 14 billion would be eliminated through privatization. The group is calling for a private meeting with Representative Harris as well as a town hall meeting with her.

Using data collected after Hurricane Charley, researchers at the University of South Florida are looking at storm surge… or in Charley’s case… why there wasn’t more. Storm surge is an abnormal rise in sea level associated with hurricanes. As Charley approached Charlotte County – emergency managers were concerned that low-lying areas would be in trouble. Even before last hurricane season, oceanographer – Robert Weisberg – had been running computer models to see what affect the size of a storm, its strength and direction have on surges. When Charley, hit Weisberg ran his earlier model… and it turned out to be quite accurate. He says there’s no single factor which determines storm surge…

“It’s not that simple…not only does the surge elevation depend upon the storm category…or how fast the winds are moving…but it also depends where the storm hits…from which direction it approaches…how fast it approaches…and also what the diameter of the eye really is.”

Weisberg says Charley’s fast moving, southerly approach made for a relatively mild storm surge - and that where it made landfall also played a role. He says if Charley had come ashore a bit further north, storm surge would’ve likely been far worse. Weisberg’s model also explains why North Captiva Island was split in two… He says when Charley approached, the sea level was substantially lower on the gulf side than on the inter-coastal side… but then as the storm blew through, that imbalance was suddenly, and forcibly reversed...

“So what happened is you have this very narrow low-lying area in North Captiva Island where this water level difference was the largest…and once the gulf water kinda overtopped the island…and just washed the sand right out.”

Weisberg says he hopes his research will help add more detail to storm surge arnings…although his department doesn’t make official recommendations. That’s up to the National Hurricane Center.

Bills that would provide funding to replant Sanibel Island’s public parks and beaches with native plants and grasses are up for consideration in the State House and Senate appropriations committees. Local officials are counting on the funds to help repair damage from Hurricane Charley. Valerie Alker has more. (AUDIO)

With hurricane season just a few months away, J.N. Ding Darling wildlife refuge on Sanibel Island is still cleaning up debris left from Hurricane Charley. Volunteers spent a Saturday neck deep in water and plant debris. The clean up is part of the refuge’s Mangrove Recovery initiative. Janette Janero visited the refuge and has more in this report. (AUDIO)

U.S. Congressman Mark Foley took a whirlwind tour of Charlotte County Monday. Foley – a Republican whose district stretches from West Palm Beach to Charlotte County – calls it an informational tour. He began the day with a flight on the Air Force’s new hurricane-tracking plane. Congressman Foley later toured Charlotte High Schools’ modular campus… then was onto a sit-down with city & county officials to discuss financial reimbursements from the Federal Emergency Management Agency – or FEMA. Foley says the trip is about focusing regional, state and national attention on the needs that remain from last years’ storms…as well as for the upcoming hurricane season.

“There have been times when members of congress from state’s like South Dakota and all over who don’t experience hurricanes and try to cut funding…so this is an effort to both alert the public, and to prepare them for the upcoming hurricane season…it’s right around the corner, and they have to do the traditional things like buy batteries, have water, transistor radios…it’s an informational tour today here in Charlotte County.”

After visiting with local officials, Foley took part in an announcement at Edison College’s Charlotte campus… concerning a federal grant for its nursing program. After his Edison stop, he met with members of Team Punta Gorda – a private group trying to jumpstart the city’s redevelopment…
And he wrapped up his day by giving a speech at the annual Republican Party of Charlotte County’s Lincoln Dinner.

A bit of a slow start this week in Tallahassee… where many lawmakers are returning from the Passover holiday. They’ve still got some major issues on the table. Time now for our weekly discussion with News-Press political reporter and columnist, Betty Parker. (AUDIO)