Advocacy Resources

 'Ding' on the Wing Advocacy Archives

One of the most important things that all of us can do to improve water quality is to continually educate ourselves on the key issues and proposed solutions. Ongoing education enables us to be accurate and up to date when we talk about water quality to our friends and other interested parties and when we request our political leaders to take action.

This page strives to inform and educate readers on the complex issues surrounding our advocacy mission. The following articles have appeared in our "Ding" on the Wing e-mail bulletins to educate our more than 10,000 subscribers. Click HERE to subscribe to the weekly bulletins. 

A Major Project to Protect the Caloosahatchee Watershed
This article discusses a project with the potential to dramatically reduce the harmful runoff from the Caloosahatchee watershed.
Date published 8/25/22

What Progress Has Been Made Towards Everglades Restoration?
This article presents a cautiously optimistic view of the progress that has recently been made relative to Everglades Restoration.
Date published 6/28/22

What is the Status of Everglades Restoration?
This article summarizes some of the well-meaning actions that were taken, each of which had the unintended consequence of driving deterioration of the Everglades.
Date published 2/10/22

LOSOM’s Overall Framework Might be Finally Decided
The multi-year LOSOM project may finally be finished.
Date published 12/23/21

The Status of Stormwater Design and Operations
This article discusses Florida’s challenges and opportunities relative to rulemaking for the treatment of stormwater.
Date published 10/14/21

What Should We Expect from the Blue Green Algae Task Force?
This article provides an update on Florida’s Blue-Green Algae Task Force.
Date published 9/16/21

The Need to Push Back Against the Army Corps
This article explains why LOSOM may be detrimental to the Refuge.
Date published 6/10/21

Important Updates and a Critical Call to Action
This article provides an update on some threats and opportunities relative to our water resources.
Date published 4/8/21

The Need for Shared Adversity
Date published 3/11/21

Looking Forward to Florida’s Legislative Session
This article provides a preview of some of the key issues that will be discussed in the forthcoming Florida legislative session.
Date published 2/11/21

You Can't Always Get What You Want
The Army Corps of Engineers is attempting to incorporate the risk of harmful algal blooms into the new manual for managing releases out of Lake Okeechobee.
Date published 12/17/20

May You Live in Interesting Times
This article provide an update on some previously discussed water-related legal issues and projects and it identifies some others that we need to watch carefully.
Date published 11/26/20

What’s Happening with the Caloosahatchee River Watershed?
This article discusses the complex process of improving the quantity and quality of the water in the Caloosahatchee River watershed.
Date published 11/05/20

What’s Happening in Congress that Impacts our Water Resources?
This article discusses the status of WRDA 2020.
Date published 8/27/20

An Update on Modifying Lake O’s Release Schedule
This article explains some of the reasons why it is so difficult to change the guidelines for how water is released out of Lake O.
Date published 8/6/20

An Easy Roadmap to a Native Garden
This article describes how Sanibel’s Vegetation Committee and SCCF make it easy for you to design and install a native plant garden.
Date published 7/23/20

Use Native Plants to Improve Our Water Resources
This article describes how the expanded use of native plants helps our water resources.
Date published 7/6/20

Expanding the SWOT Analysis
A look at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of some key water-related activities
Date published 6/11/20

What a SWOT Analysis Says about Water Related Issues
This article gives a current assessment of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to the quantity and quality of our water resources.
Date published 5/21/20

How Coronavirus Threatens Everglades Restoration 
This article discusses how governments may respond to the impact of the coronavirus by cutting funding for critical Everglades restoration projects.
Date published 4/20/20

Update on Water-Related Issues
Date published 4/3/20

An Update on People and Projects that Impact Our Water

Date published 3/19/20

How Florida’s National Wildlife Refuges Impact Everglades Restoration
The article provides a comparison of some of Florida’s national wildlife refuges.
Date published 3/5/20

An Update on Climate Change 
This article describes some of the effects of climate change and suggests an approach to mitigate those effects.
Date published 2/20/20

Why Should You Care about Everglades Restoration?
This article explains the key financial, health and ecological reasons why Everglades Restoration is so critical.
Date published 1/30/20

What Can We Expect from the Red Tide Task Force?

This article provides insight into the activities of the Red Tide Task Force.
Date published 1/9/20

Why Do Some Water-Related Projects Take So Long?
This article explains why some key water-related projects are inherently lengthy. 
Date published 12/26/19

The Alarming Condition of National Wildlife Refuges
The article discusses how the lack of Federal funding is impacting all of the National Wildlife Refuges.
Date published 12/12/19

What You Need To Know about Florida Red Tide
This article answers several fundamental questions about red tide.
Date published 11/28/19

Two VIPs Visit the Refuge
This article describes visits to the Refuge by Florida Representative Ray Rodriguez and Charlette Roman, Governing Board Member of the South Florida Water Management District.
Date published 11/14/19

What has the Blue-Green Algae Task Force Delivered?
This article summarizes the key recommendations of the Blue-Green Algae Task Force.
Date published 10/31/19

A Blueprint for the Upcoming Advocacy Season
This article provides an overview of some of the key advocacy issues that will be the focus of much discussion, and hopefully action, in the forthcoming months.
Date published 10/17/19

The Synergy Between Cattle Ranches and Conservation
This article discusses the value of placing conservation easement on some select cattle ranches.
Date published 10/3/19 

The Impact of Florida Forever on the Refuge
Putting additional land into conservation is an important way to improve water quality.
Date published 9/19/19

Why is Sanibel’s Jordan Marsh Water Quality Treatment Park So Cool?
This article identifies a great example of the type of local projects that can significantly impact water quality.
Date published 8/8/19

The Status of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP)
In June 2019, the SFWMD presented a webinar on the status of CERP. The webinar begins at roughly 13 minutes into the video.
Date published 7/25/19

Two Key Tools in Fight for Water Quality: TMDLs and BMAPs
This article discusses the Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) process for improving an impaired water body such as Lake O.
Date published 7/11/19

It's a Busy Time for Water Issues
This article summarizes the status of key water-quality initiatives.
Date published 6/13/19

At Season’s End: A Status Update on Water Quality Initiatives
This article discusses recent initiatives that have the potential to improve water quality. It also identifies places where additional work still needs to be done.
Date published 5/16/19

What are Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs) and Why You Should Care?
Solving our water quality issues requires cleaning the water that ends up surrounding the Refuge. STAs can help.
Date published 5/2/19

How Can the Changes to Lake O’s Release Schedule Help the Refuge?
This article discusses some of the changes that need to be made to the Lake O release schedule.
Date published 4/18/19

Advocacy Through Education 
This article explains the link between advocacy and education and introduces our new advocacy resources web page. 
Date published: 4/4/19 
Tell the Army Corps What the Refuge Needs from Lake O
Date published: 3/21/19
Would Dispersed Water Management Help the Refuge?
Solving our water quality issues requires creating more water storage. Dispersed water management may be an effective means.
Date published: 3/14/19
Help the Refuge:  Solve the Problem of Septic Systems
Implementing effective sewer systems can significantly improve water quality. We need to encourage our friends who live in cities and towns that rely on septic systems to urge their local officials to make this happen.
Date published:  2/28/19
Why the State of the Caloosahatchee River Matters to the Refuge
This article discusses the historic water flow within Florida, the factors that changed that flow and what that means to the Refuge. 
Date published: 2/14/19
Get out and Tell the Army Corps About the Harm to the Refuge 
The Army Corps of Engineers is revising the Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule (LORS). This revision will have a dramatic impact on the quality of the water that surrounds the Refuge.
Date published: 1/31/19
Gov. DeSantis Off to a Good Start
Florida’s newly elected governor seems to take our environment seriously.
Date published: 1/17/19
Fertilize Wisely to Help Improve Water Quality
Making appropriate use of fertilizer is something that each of us can do to improve water quality. 
Date published: 1/10/19
The Need to Re-examine the Minimum Flow Rule
There are times when the Refuge is negatively impacted by too little water flowing down the Caloosahatchee River. The minimum flow rule is intended to ensure a sufficient flow of water.
Date published: 12/27/18
The Impact of the EAA Reservoir on the Everglades and the Refuge
The completion of the EAA reservoir has the potential to significantly improve the quality of water that surrounds the “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge. 
Date published: 11/22/18
The Relationship between Blue-green Algae and Red Tide
As was dramatically demonstrated in the summer of 2018, both blue-green algae and red tide pose a significant ecological threat to the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge.
Date published: 9/6/18