The Decisions We Make Today Shape Southwest Florida's Tomorrow
Every day, decisions are made that affect the future of Southwest Florida. Some happen in Washington, D.C. Others are made in county commission chambers, city halls, or planning meetings right here at home. Together, those decisions determine the quality of our water, the health of our wildlife, and the resilience of our communities.
This month's newsletter examines several issues that, at first glance, may seem unrelated. You'll read about proposed changes to the Clean Water Act, a wastewater spill that reminds us why infrastructure matters, and renewed efforts to build an evacuation road through Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. Each story raises important questions about how we grow, how we protect our natural resources, and how we prepare for the future.
The common thread is simple: good decisions begin with good information. That's why the Sierra Club Calusa Group is proud to partner with the League of Women Voters of Lee County to present Our Waters, Our Vote: SWFL Water Summit 2026. The summit will bring together nationally recognized experts and local leaders to explain the policies, science, and challenges shaping our region—and what each of us can do to help protect Southwest Florida's waters. As you read this issue, we hope you’ll see the connections between these stories and join us on September 19. Whether you attend, share the event with friends, or help connect us with organizations interested in sponsoring the summit, your involvement strengthens our collective voice for clean water and responsible stewardship.
The Clean Water Act is Changing: Why it Matters to Southwest Florida
Wetlands do far more than provide wildlife habitat – they help prevent flooding, improve water quality, and support the economy of Southwest Florida. Proposed changes to the Clean Water Act could affect how many of these waters receive federal protection.
Since the Supreme Court’s 2023 Sackett decision, federal protections for wetlands and streams have changed quickly. The Trump administration has proposed additional Clean Water Act changes and withdrawn or rescinded several proposed environmental regulations before they could be finalized. Together, these actions could sharply reduce federal protections for wetlands and other waters across our watershed.
Why should you care if one small wetland loses federal protection?
Imagine a summer thunderstorm dropping six inches of rain across Lee and Charlotte Counties. Hundreds of small wetlands, marshes, and seasonal ponds act like natural sponges, temporarily holding that water so it can slowly soak into the ground or flow into rivers and estuaries.
Along the way, they help filter pollutants before those pollutants they reach our rivers, bays, and drinking water supplies. These wetlands may not look important on their own, but together they help protect our homes, our water, and our way of life.
If many of those wetlands are no longer protected and are filled or altered for development, more stormwaters can rush into canals, neighborhoods, rivers, and bays.
The result could be increased flooding, poorer water quality, and greater stress on the Caloosahatchee River, Estero Bay, Pine Island Sound, and Charlotte Harbor and less habitat for fish and wildlife.
What do these proposed changes really mean for our community? Who decides which waters are protected and what can citizens do to help protect Southwest Florida’s future?
Join us at the Our Waters, our Vote: Southwest Florida Water Summit 2026 on September 19 and lean how these changes could affect our water, wildlife, economy, and quality of life – and what you can do to make your voice heard.
On July 22, 2026, the City of LaBelle reported that more than 450,000 gallons of untreated wastewater had accidentally spilled a creek that eventually flows into the Caloosahatchee River. It’s difficult to picture that amount of water. Four hundred fifty thousand gallons is enough to fill nearly 700 backyard hot tubs – or more than half an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
The spill was reportedly caused when maintenance equipment damaged an underground pipe. Unfortunately, the leak continued for 3 days before it was discovered and repaired. While accidents can happen, the more important question is: What does a spill like this mean for the health of our watershed?
Untreated wastewater contains bacteria, viruses, nutrients, and other contaminants that can degrade water quality. Southwest Florida’s waterways already face significant challenges from nutrient pollution, harmful algal blooms, and stormwater runoff. Every additional source of contamination adds stress to a system that is already under pressure. Wastewater treatment plants are one of our most important pieces of environmental infrastructure. They quietly protect public health and our rivers every day.
Naturally, many people have questions: How much bacteria entered the watershed? How quickly will water quality recover? Is it safe to boat, fish, or swim? Should people be concerned about eating fish caught nearby? These are reasonable questions that deserve timely, transparent answers supported by water quality monitoring.
The spill also raises a broader issue. Southwest Florida continues to experience rapid population growth, and with that growth comes increased demand on wastewater treatment plants, water lines, pump stations, and other essential infrastructure. Many of these systems were built decades ago and were never designed to served today’s population – let alone tomorrows.
Responsible growth is more than approving new homes and businesses. It means ensuring that the infrastructure needed to protect public health and the environment is expanded, maintained and modernized before it reaches its limits. Growth should pay for the infrastructure it requires, not leave existing systems struggling to keep up. When infrastructure fails to keep pace with development, the consequences can un up in our rivers, estuaries, and coastal waters. Clean water should not become an afterthought of development. It should be one of the foundations of responsible planning.
The LaBelle spill reminds us that protecting Southwest Florida’s waters isn’t only about preserving wetlands or preventing harmful development. It also means maintaining the infrastructure that keeps untreated wastewater out of our rivers. Every community along the Caloosahatchee depends on clean water, and every community shares responsibility for protecting it.
Investing in reliable wastewater systems, planning for future growth responsibly, promptly notifying the public when problems occur, and committing to transparent water quality monitoring are all essential steps toward safeguarding the river we all share. Responding quickly when problems occur and committing to transparent water quality monitoring are essential steps toward safeguarding the river we all share.
When Does Destroying a Home Stop Counting as Harm?
On July 10, 2026, the Trump administration finalized sweeping changes to how the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is implemented. While much of the attention has focused on faster permitting and streamlined project reviews, one change could have the greatest long-term impact on wildlife: narrowing the legal definition of “harm”.
For conservationists, the concern is that the answer has shifted from "when habitat destruction predictably kills wildlife" to "only after wildlife can be shown to have been directly injured."
The Endangered Species Act has never been just about protecting endangered animals. It has also been about protecting the habitats they need to survive. After all, a species cannot survive if its food source disappears, its nesting grounds are destroyed, or its breeding habitat is lost.
For decades, the ESA recognized that destroying the habitat an endangered species depends on could be considered unlawful "harm" if it resulted in injury or death. That common-sense principle reflected a simple reality: animals cannot survive without the places where they feed, breed, and raise their young.
The new rule removes habitat modification from the regulatory definition of "harm." As a result, agencies and permit applicants are likely to argue that only direct injury to an individual animal—not destruction of the habitat it depends on—should be considered when determining whether a project violates the ESA.
The change also comes as the federal government has rescinded the ESA's longstanding "Blanket 4(d) Rule." Under that rule, newly listed threatened species automatically received many of the same protections as endangered species.
Going forward, those protections will only apply if the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service adopts a species-specific 4(d) rule. Together, these changes would mean that both habitat protections and safeguards for newly listed threatened species may be weaker, marking one of the most significant shifts in ESA implementation in decades.
The recent Bear Warriors United case illustrates why this matters. In that case, the court found that wastewater permits allowed excessive nutrient pollution, which destroyed seagrass in the Indian River Lagoon. Because seagrass is the manatees primary food source, the habitat loss led to widespread starvation and death. The court concluded that this chain of events constituted an unlawful "take" under the ESA because habitat destruction caused actual injury and death to an endangered species.
That reasoning was consistent with decades of ESA interpretation and prior Supreme Court precedent.
Under the new rule, cases like Bear Warriors become much more difficult. Instead of focusing on whether a permit destroys essential habitat that predictably leads to injury or death, opponents of a project may now have to prove direct injury or mortality to protected animals. In many cases, that means the damage may already have occurred before legal protections can be enforced.
Here in Southwest Florida, the implications are immediate and significant.
Our region is home to some of the nation's most iconic endangered species. Smalltooth sawfish rely on critical nursery habitat in Charlotte Harbor, Glover Bight, Iona Cove, and nearby estuaries. Florida panthers depend on large, connected landscapes for survival. Sea turtles require healthy nesting beaches, wood storks need functioning wetlands to forage, and Florida scrub-jays depend on intact scrub habitat found nowhere else in the world.
If permits are approved that degrade or eliminate these habitats, citizens, conservation organization, and local governments may face a much higher legal hurdle in demonstrating that the projects violate the ESA—even when the loss of habitat predictably threatens the species' survival.
Supporters of the rule argue it provides greater regulatory certainty and streamlines permitting. Conservation organizations counter that it weakens one of the nation's most effective wildlife protection laws by separating endangered species from the habitats they need to survive. The rule is expected to face significant legal challenges, and courts will ultimately determine whether this new interpretation is consistent with the Endangered Species Act.
Why Every Southwest Floridian Should Care: Whether you care about clean water, fishing, boating, tourism, property values, wildlife watching, or simply preserving the quality of life that drew so many of us to Southwest Florida, the habitats that support endangered species are the same habitats that sustain our economy and our communities. Protecting seagrass, wetlands, estuaries, and natural corridors isn't simply about saving wildlife—it's about protecting the natural systems that make our economy, our quality of life, and the Southwest Florida we want to leave to future generations.
In the meantime, however, one question remains for all of us: If we wait until an endangered animal is injured or dead before recognizing harm, have we waited too long to protect the species and the habitat is depends on?
The Road Through Corkscrew is Back on the Table
Just when it appeared that Kingston developer Joe Cameratta had abandoned plans to build an emergency evacuation road through Audubon's Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, the issue has resurfaced.
As you may recall, the proposed Kingston development lacks adequate emergency access. To address that problem, the developer sought to rely on an old cattle-run easement—not an established roadway—to create an evacuation route through the Sanctuary. The easement, which has not been used for decades, would require filling multiple acres of wetlands to make it passable for vehicles.
Following strong public opposition and concerns raised by Audubon and the community, the developer reportedly agreed not to pursue construction of the road and to vacate the easement. Many believed the issue had finally been resolved.
Now, however, Cameratta says he is reconsidering that decision, reportedly because he believes media coverage and statements from Audubon harmed discussions surrounding the easement.
At its core, this controversy highlights a larger question: Should this development be built in a location where safe emergency access is so difficult to provide? If a community cannot be safely evacuated without constructing a road through one of Southwest Florida's most treasured wetlands, perhaps the location itself deserves closer scrutiny.
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary protects thousands of acres of irreplaceable wetlands that provide wildlife habitat, store floodwaters, improve water quality, and support the health of the greater watershed. Converting an abandoned cattle-run easement into a roadway would have consequences far beyond the boundaries of the proposed development.
The future of the easement—and the Kingston project itself—remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: this issue is far from over.
As Southwest Florida continues to grow, the Kingston proposal is another reminder that growth comes with responsibility. Whether we're investing in wastewater infrastructure or choosing where new communities are built, thoughtful planning today helps prevent costly environmental and public safety problems tomorrow. Protecting Southwest Florida's natural resources and planning for smart growth aren't competing goals—they're two sides of the same coin.
Public Meeting: Lee County Waste-to-Energy Plant Air Permit Renewal
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is inviting the public to comment on the renewal of the Title V air operating permit for the Lee County Solid Waste Resource Recovery Facility (the Buckingham waste-to-energy plant).
The meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 19, from 5:00–8:00 p.m. at the Fort Myers Regional Library, 2450 First Street, Fort Myers.
The facility burns up to 1,980 tons of municipal solid waste each day while generating electricity for the community. Because it is a major source of air emissions, it must operate under a federal Title V air permit that establishes emission limits, monitoring requirements, testing schedules, and reporting obligations. The permit renewal process gives the public an opportunity to review the facility's record and provide comments before DEP makes its decision.
This renewal is not occurring in a vacuum. In 2023, the Buckingham facility exceeded allowable dioxin/furan emission limits during required compliance testing. After later passing a retest, the operator reached a settlement with the Florida DEP that included a civil penalty.
Environmental advocate Marsha Ellis questioned whether the response provided sufficient accountability and criticized the lack of public awareness surrounding the violation. She noted that many East Lee residents did not learn about the enforcement action until it appeared on a County Commission consent agenda months later.
Ellis also urged residents to become involved in decisions affecting waste management and air quality, warning that complacency about emissions from waste incinerators-including dioxins and mercury can have lasting environmental and public health consequences. She encouraged citizens to participate in public rulemaking and permitting processes because these decisions affect the communities living closest to the facility.
Why Should You Attend? Air permits are much more than routine paperwork. They determine how a facility is monitored, how often emissions are tested, what information must be reported to the public, and how regulators respond when violations occur. Once renewed, these permits may remain in effect for years.
This public meeting is one of the few opportunities’ residents have to ask questions, review the facility's compliance history, and urge DEP to ensure the permit provides strong oversight and protects public health. Whether your concern is clean air, environmental justice, or government accountability, your participation matters.
If citizens don't participate in the permitting process, regulators will hear primarily from the permit applicant. Showing up, asking questions, and submitting comments helps ensure that the community's concerns become part of the official record before DEP makes its decision.
Florida State Parks - Impact of New Law
The public meeting recommended by the Sierra Club Calusa Group at Koreshan State Park on July 15th was very informative.
A senior biologist with FDEP and the State Parks explained that our voices for conservation were heard at the State level.
In the Fall of 2024, when Floridians across the state shouted a resounding “No!” to the Governor's plan to convert Park land to hotels, golf courses and pickle ball courts, we made policy change happen.
Less than a year later, the Florida legislature passed the State Parks Preservation Act, This law requires transparency and public comment for changes to State Parks. There is also a 10-year planning process that minimizes political influence.
Parks are to be “Managed in a manner that will provide the greatest combination of benefits to the public and to the land’s natural resources; and managed for conservation-based public outdoor recreational uses; public access and related amenities”
The public events held in Lee and Collier Counties fulfilled one of the requirements of the new law. The events showcased planned improvements to seven State Parks in the two counties. You can read more or comment about the plans in links provided here Lee - Collier Park Plans. Public comment is open until August 14.
This new process is a BIG win for Conservationists in Florida!
Join Our Team
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Become an Outings Leader
Here’s your chance to take the free leader training and become an Outings Leader for the Sierra Club.
Sierra Club Florida Outings Leader Training Saturday, September 12 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Oscar Scherer State Park / Sierra Club Osprey Office Osprey, FL
Join us August 8, 2026 from 12:30 to 2:30pm at the Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Fort Myers. Seating is limited. REGISTER NOW.
For other League of Women Voters news and events, start here.
Share Your Upcoming Events
One of the best ways we can strengthen Southwest Florida's conservation community is by sharing opportunities to get involved. If your organization has an upcoming meeting, volunteer project, cleanup, nature walk, educational program, or other environmental event, please send us the details. We'll consider it for inclusion in the next Sierra Club Calusa Group newsletter and help connect more people with the important work you're doing.
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