Former Florida Gov. and U.S. Sen. Bob Graham led a gathering of activists Wednesday calling for Gov. Rick Scott and legislative leaders to preserve the state’s water resources, while renewing its longstanding commitment to the environment.

“We need strong gubernatorial leadership to reverse the damage that’s been done,” Graham told a rally at the state Capitol.

Graham debuted Wednesday as leader of the Florida Conservation Coalition, which includes Audubon of Florida, 1000 Friends of Florida, the Nature Conservancy, Sierra Club, Trust for Public Land and League of Women Voters. The coalition plans to lobby Scott and the Republican-led Legislature to restore funding to water quality programs, the Florida Forever land-buying program, and Everglades restoration, which supporters say have been staggered by budget cuts since 2007.

Graham was joined by state Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland, Nathaniel Reed of 1000 Friends of Florida and representatives of environmental groups, which generally praised Scott’s environmental stance, but blasting legislative moves which reduced oversight and dollars for green programs.

Advocates derided the Legislature for approving a $210 million cut in water management district property taxes, which has led to wholescale staff layoffs and program reductions, the most profound occuring at the South Florida Water Management District. Graham said taxes were “reduced by the amount of two pizzas a year,” but that the cuts did wide-ranging harm to existing programs and services.

Environmentalists, though, withheld direct criticism of Scott, who campaigned for the reduction and embraced the  cuts. Instead, Graham, apparently buoyed by recent Scott comments which underscored the need for effective environmental policy and Everglades restoration, urged conservationists to “join Scott’s army.”

Graham also warned the coalition planned to hold lawmakers accountable for actions which hurt Florida’s environment.

“We want to alert the voters in 2012 who was responsible for what happened in 2011,” Graham said.

A state appeals court has ordered environmental groups to pay attorneys fees of Martin County, the Florida Department of Community Affairs and developers for appealing a land-use case, the Florida Tribune is reporting.

The website reports that the 1st District Court of Appeals in Tallahassee ruled against the environmentalists yesterday in a 2007 Martin County case.

Three years ago, the county reduced to two acres from 20 acres the minimum lot size required in a nearly 200,000-acre swath of designated agricultural land in western Martin County.

1000 Friends of Florida and the Martin County Conservation Alliance challenged the land-use change, saying it failed to establish predictable standards to protect environmentally sensitive lands.

The appellate court ruled that the environmentalists lack legal standing because they were not affected since there was no increase in development since the new standards went into effect.

Looking North between Military Trail and Alt. A-1-A in Palm Beach County in this 2005 photo. (Lannis Waters/The Palm Beach Post)

Joyce Tarnow, president of Floridians for a Sustainable Population, thinks so.

Tarnow called a press conference this afternoon to ask Gov. Charlie Crist and the Florida Cabinet to postpone their decisions on any comprehensive plan changes until voters decide on the so-called Hometown Democracy constitutional amendment in November 2010. The amendment would require comp plan changes to be approved by votes.

Tarnow said the amendment was essentially to save what’s left of Central and North Florida.

“Some people of South Florida say, ‘It’s too late. Everything is already gone,’” she said. “But the Treasure Coast, north-central Florida, northeast Florida – there are a lot of places that still have a lot to lose.”

Asked about that sentiment, 1000 Friends of Florida President Charles Pattison said, “We don’t agree with that.”

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