A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer said she observed an active gopher tortoise burrow with bulldozer tread marks near it near the Sebring Wal-Mart as the property was being developed. A sign of a felony, she alleged late July, even though they're normally only filed as misdemeanors. ...more

August 7, 2008

SEBRING — Land values have increased significantly since 1993 in Highlands County. But the fee assessed on building permits to fund acquisition of conservation lands has remained the same since it was adopted 14 years ago. As a result, in December, the Highlands County commissioners are expected to consider a request from the county's Natural Resources Advisory Commission to raise the "environmental clearance waiver fee." That fee, assessed on building permits on two acres or less, has never been changed from its original levels of $100 for residential and $250 for commercial. "The resources that that fee were intended to purchase have become vastly more expensive" over the past 14 years, said Reed Bowman, chairman of NRAC's Environmental Fees Committee. ...more

November 13, 2007