Florida League Of Cities

This coming week I will be heading down as an elected official to the annual Florida League of Cities in Orlando Florida.

One of the great parts of this event is the vendor room, where hundreds of vendors show off their talents and products. One of the big items that will draw a lot of attention this year will have to do with the green initiative. Florida went green a couple years ago when Governor Charlie Crist took office. With all of the green initiatives and green resolutions that were signed in the last couple of years, I am sure the vendors will be pushing their products having to do with conservation, solar, and the environment.

At last year Florida league of cities convention we saw the several vendors having great displays with energy saving products. I am sure with all the talk about green this past year we will probably see even greater displays of green products.

One of the big organizations in Florida for the green movement is the Florida Green Building Coalition. The FGBC Green Home Standards indicate the criteria by which a Florida home, new or existing, can be designated green. Certifying Agents can guide designers, builders or homebuyers through the process of qualifying and documenting green homes.

The FGBC Green Local Government Standard designates Green Cities and Green Counties for outstanding environmental stewardship. It is expected that certified green city and county governments will not only gain recognition and publicity, but also function in a more efficient manner through better internal communication, cost reductions, and effective risk and asset management. FGBC is actively working towards the availability of incentives that are based on compliance with this standard.

Hopefully I will be able to come back from this conference with valuable information that I can share on this blog and also my other blog; www.livinggreenonearth.com

Florida Bay - Florida Keys

A great area in Florida on the southern tip of the state is called Florida Bay. Florida Bay is the shallow bay located between the southern end of the Florida mainland (the Florida Everglades) and the Florida Keys. The bay, which covers about 850 square miles, is partially sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean on the south and east by the Florida Keys. The average depth is about 4 to 5 feet, and the area is scattered with small islands. Mangroves and sea grasses provide habitat for animals such as manatees and sea turtles.

Historically, the Florida Bay has served as a very productive estuary. It provides habitat for many plant and animal species including sea grasses, sponges, wading birds, fish, and many invertebrates. The bay serves as a home or nursery to 22 commercially or recreationally harvested species. While many of these species are harvested elsewhere, the bay serves as a nursery for many juvenile fish and larval invertebrates. Then as they develop, these organisms move out into the ocean to complete their life cycle. Economically important fish species including snook, tarpon, sea trout and mangrove snapper use the bay as a nursery. As adults, these fish are part of a huge guide boat fishing industry. Spiny lobsters use the bay as a nursery and it is the primary habitat for pink shrimp. Both are harvested commercially and the pink shrimp are also an important base in the bay’s food chain. The Ecology of Florida Bay- Final

Click on link below for a great article and map for the Florida Bay;
Click Here

The majority of the Florida Bay is located within the confines of the Everglades National Park and the Florida Bay, as well as the Florida Keys. The Florida Bay is called the “waterspout capital of the world” and offers nearly 1,000 square miles of exploration: the basins, grass lined mud banks, mangroves, and mangrove islands serve as a habitat for some fantastic marine and wild life. The mangrove regions of the Florida Bay contain a variety of tropical trees and shrubs, and some of the mangrove regions are covered with overhanging red mangroves or poisonwood. The natural and almost mystical habitats of the Florida Bay are breath taking.

If you are into bird watching, ecology, fishing, exploring, or just want to find some pristine beauty of nature, you need to check out the Florida Bay.
Here is a list of links to some of the outfitters in the area that can help you plan a adventure:

Florida Bay Outfitters

FLORIDA BAY OUTFITTERS ON-LINE TRADER

Florida bay kayakers

Good News For Florida

Good news just came out from NOAA - National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration.

According to NOAA they expect to have a near or below active Atlantic hurricane season for 2009. With the effects of El Nino continue to delvelop.

“While this hurricane season has gotten off to quiet start, it’s critical that the American people are prepared in case a hurricane strikes,” said Commerce Secretary Gary Locke.

To read the full story

Buy a Florida Foreclosed Home

Here is an interesting article that just hit the wires on CNN.

Buy foreclosures now - before it's too late!
By Les Christie, CNNMoney.com staff writer
Last Updated: August 6, 2009: 9:40 AM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- You've heard of speed dating? It's got nothin' on foreclosure buying these days. In many places, anyone who wants to buy a foreclosure better act fast, or they're going to come away with bupkus.

REOs, the industry term for homes repossessed by lenders and put back on the market, are often selling in a day -- sometimes in less.

"We're seeing REOs go very quickly. Offers come in immediately after the listing comes on the market, within 24 hours," said Brad Geisen, founder of Foreclosure.com. Some homes have been put into contract in less than 90 minutes.

In Stockton, Calif., foreclosure ground zero, the market has changed radically. Last summer, Cesar Dias became famous for founding the "foreclosure tour," in which he packed potential buyers on a bus and ferried them around to some of the thousands of distressed properties.
Today, the foreclosure tour in Stockton is history. There are too few REOs.


READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE