The Suwannee St. Johns Chapter (SSJ)

The Suwannee St. Johns Group (SSJ) of the Florida Chapter of the Sierra Club serves 14 north central Florida counties including Alachua, Baker, Bradford, SW Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Marion, Putnam, Suwannee, and Union.

We are an all-volunteer organization. We believe it’s as important to enjoy and share our natural resources, as it is to protect them. Check out our Outings to join an activity or adventure for some good times and friendships.

September 26, 2022

Photo Credit: Genya O'Neall, The Luupe

Hello ,

It is with great pleasure that we announce our return to in-person monthly meetings. To celebrate we are hosting our first in-person General Meeting at Cypress & Grove Brewing Company, located at 1001 NW 4th St, Gainesville on Wednesday September 7th at 6:30 PM.

We will be making a toast to our ICO leader, Maryvonne Devensky, recipient of the National Sierra Club 2022 Madelyn Pyeatt Outdoors for All Award. This award honors Sierra Club volunteers who have worked proactively to make outings more accessible and more inclusive for persons of any age. It is named after Madelyn Pyeatt, who co-founded the Sierra Club’s Inner-City Outings program (now Inspiring Connections Outdoors).

This award includes a $500 prize that will be given to support the Suwannee-St. Johns Group ICO Program.

We also look forward to hearing from our Energy Equity leadership team on some very exciting developments we are preparing for this fall.

Join us for this celebration where you will meet our committee chairs and learn how you can get involved. Many hands make light work and the more the merrier!

Save the Date

Energize Alachua!

Energy Equity and Savings Fair

Saturday November 12, 2022

Santa Fe College Blount Center

401 NW 6th St. Gainesville (#5 busline)

The Sierra Club Florida Chapter and Suwannee-St Johns Group are organizing a premiere one-day event to assist energy-burdened households in Alachua County. We will be sharing energy saving information and demonstration activities that reduce costs and increase efficiency.

Using clean renewable energy to supply our energy needs will save lives as it reduces air pollution and greenhouse gases. It also reduces consumer costs as the price of energy will no longer be tied to a volatile and diminishing fuel source.

Energize Alachua will feature:

· Tips and training on how to reduce your energy costs

· Demonstrations on how to best weatherize your home to save money and energy

· Hands-on, interactive and creative presentations

· Job fair with career opportunities in energy technology

· Electric vehicles and trucks on display

· Catered complimentary lunch

· Drawing for gifts, cost saving SWAG, and door prizes

· Childcare and energy related activities provided for the kids

CALL TO ACTION

What: Stop GRU Gas Rebates

When: September 14th, 2022 5:30pm – 7:30pm

Where: Auditorium, First Floor, City Hall - subject to change so before attending, check City-Meeting-Center/Public-Meeting-Calendar

With the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (YAY!!!!!) which includes large subsidies for electrifying homes including super-efficient heat pump technologies, induction stoves, and upgrades to electrical systems, analysts are already saying: “… gas utilities had better start planning for the end of their business. There is no longer any reason to expand and upgrade gas distribution pipelines, because from here on in their customer base will be shrinking, not growing, resulting in stranded assets.”
Source: https://www.virginiamercury.com/2022/08/09/buckle-up-folks-this-federal-climate-bill-is-going-to-supercharge-virginias-energy-transition/

Proposed Major Development on Hickory Sink EcoSystem

Anyone concerned about rampant sprawl in Alachua County should perk up at news about upcoming development plans for the 4,000 acre Lee preserve just south of Tioga. The undeveloped property may soon turn into two new golf courses and hundreds of homes and residencies.

A previous study gave the property the highest ranking for groundwater recharge and identified the property as exceptionally environmentally sensitive. The property has numerous native plants in need of protection.

The Special Area Study report and related information can be found at the following link (a staff report will be available at this link in early September): https://bit.ly/SAS_AlachuaCounty

Learn more about the project and its impacts on September 20, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. and October 11, 2022 at 5:00 p.m.

We encourage everyone to attend.

The public will have an opportunity to comment at the scheduled meetings. Public access to these meetings can be accomplished as follows:

In person:

Alachua County Administration Building, 12 SE 1st Street, Second Floor, Jack Durrance Auditorium, Gainesville, FL
*Masks for vulnerable citizens are strongly encouraged.

Live Meeting Coverage:

Meetings will be broadcast on the County’s Video on Demand web site: http://alachua.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=8

Phone-in public comment will be taken:

The call-in number is 1-929-205-6099. When prompted, enter meeting ID 873 5974 1977. If you wish to comment, Raise Your Hand by dialing *9. Once you are called on by the last four digits of your phone number, Unmute Your Phone by dialing *6.

Written Public Comment: May be submitted prior to or during either meeting.

By mail to: Alachua County, Department of Growth Management, 10 SW 2nd Avenue, 3rd Floor, Gainesville, FL, 32601-6294
By email to: planning@alachuacounty.us

Photo Credit: City of High Springs website
By Kristin Rubin
High Springs, FL is looking to bring just over 1400 homes in a build-out of up to 10-20 years called Bridlewood. This is one of five planned developments that are in front of the High Springs Plan Board. Another is Hidden Springs Villas with 7 buildings of 8 units each along Railroad Avenue and Fairfield Oaks (Preliminary Plat) with a build-out of 117 homes. And The Lofts (Preliminary Plan) near downtown on Railroad Avenue with 4 apartments above with shops below. Then there’s one last one outside of High Springs along US 27 called High Springs Residential (Preliminary Plat) with 30 homes on 150 acres.

The question is how can the Floridan Aquifer and the Santa Fe River Basin support these communities when all total, if every unit has 4 people, they would be using 230 million gallons of water a year? Seven Springs Water Company for Blue Triton (formerly named Nestle) is pumping almost 1 million gallons a day or almost 365 millions gallons a year.

And the real question is will SRWMD cut back on existing water permits and will Alachua County stop handing out building permits to developers?

At the High Springs City Commission meeting this month, the developments were not on the agenda but as a citizen of High Springs I brought up the 5 infrastructure categories: Education-High Springs Community School is tapped out at 100% capacity with 875 students (pk-8th grade), Utilities (solar would be great, there is little infrastructure as to sewer and water, look for more septic tanks and wells), Digital (Cell Tower- Right place), Transportation (High Springs traffic is difficult currently) and Employment (there are no jobs in High Springs so people must travel 40-60 miles round trip for work).

There is an impact study being done and the fees will be increased to support all of this, we hope. These categories must be addressed,

Interestingly the High Springs Community Redevelopment Agency does have a section on tourism and on Environmental Sustainability, but nowhere in their plans or CRA do they mention water conservation, no-mow or Florida Friendly Landscaping. Stay tuned.

September
is
Hunger Awareness Month

This September, join the fight to end hunger. Your power, voice, actions, and commitment will ensure nobody has to make an impossible choice between food and other necessities like medicine, utilities, or childcare.

If we all come together, we can end hunger.

Please support local food assistance programs like Farm Share, Florida’s homegrown food bank. Founded for and by Floridians, Farm Share has been serving those under food insecurity since 1991 with the simple but innovative idea to recover crops from Florida farmers in order to distribute fresh and nutritious food to Floridians in need. 30 years after inception they have fed millions, saved millions of pounds of food from going to waste and are now Florida's largest independent food bank!

Do you need food assistance or wish to volunteer to help distribute food to the needy?
To find a food pantry in your area click on the "Food Pantry" button below to obtain food today.

Food Pantry