Wetlands Issue May Ripple At Polls

By ANTHONY McCARTNEY The Tampa Tribune

Published: Aug 20, 2007

TAMPA - Thursday's decision to preserve some local monitoring of wetlands could affect more than just the ponds, mangroves and marshes that the vote seems to have saved.

With three commissioners up for re-election next year, activists and some political watchers say the wetlands issue - and the hundreds of people who turned out in protest - could influence those races.

In June, four commissioners voted to do away with the county Environmental Protection Commission's oversight of wetlands, saying it duplicated similar monitoring programs by state and regional agencies.

Since then, letters, e-mail messages and calls have poured into commissioners' offices, with many of those blasting the vote and urging commissioners to retain some or all of the EPC's wetlands responsibilities.

"I think they have kicked a sleeping bear," said Bob Buckhorn, a former Tampa city councilman who keeps a close eye on Tampa Bay area politics.

Four months ago, while debating another issue, Commissioner Brian Blair labeled some of those who later would spar with him over the wetlands issue, "diehards."

Thursday, the diehards claimed partial victory after commissioners voted unanimously to retain some local wetlands oversight.

They did so, in part, by marshaling a wide group of residents of varying political stripes, including several who said they had never become involved in political issues.

Wetlands supporters used a variety of tactics, including blogs, e-mail chains and YouTube-disseminated satires of commissioners, to help build a groundswell for their position.

"Occasionally in politics there are issues that lay on the surface, almost dormant, and then suddenly their time comes," said Darryl Paulson, a political science professor at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg.

Environmental issues have always ranked as a top concern among Florida residents. But that hasn't necessarily translated at the polls, Paulson said.

The advocacy surrounding Thursday's wetlands vote has the potential to change that, he said.

Campaign Has Set An Example

Residents in other communities could try to duplicate the campaign to save wetlands protection.

"Success breeds copycats," Paulson said.

The challenge will be to keep the momentum of the wetlands fight going for other issues and, ultimately, next year's elections, Paulson said.

"I definitely feel like this is going to be all building toward the elections," said Mariella Smith, an activist who began posting to the Sticks of Fire blog about the wetlands issue.

She said that for years she has communicated with like-minded people through an e-mail chain. But there were many people she never met before the wetlands issue.

The wetlands campaign has increased the ranks of other advocacy groups, such as the United Citizens Action Network, said George Niemann, one of U-CAN's directors.

"So many people, because of the wetlands issue, signed up on the Web site," Niemann said.

U-CAN already is looking to next year's county elections. It is planning on report cards on the three commissioners facing re-election in 2008: Blair, Ken Hagan and Al Higginbotham.

The wetlands fight won't be forgotten, he said.

"That issue was so heated - got such notoriety - that's going to follow them to the elections," Niemann said.

Blair said he doesn't think the wetlands issue will be a liability for him next year.

He has the endorsements of several major groups, including police, firefighters and the Realtors' Association, he said.

"The people you never see are the people that elect you," he said, noting that 350,000 or more votes should be cast in a countywide commission race.

Blair Versus 'Diehards'

It was April when a group of activists stood toward the back of the Hillsborough County Commission chambers, scoffing at the moniker they'd just had bestowed upon them.

"Diehards."

The mock title had been given by Blair to the group, which included activists Niemann, Terry Flott and Vivian Bacca. The group had criticized commissioners for killing an element of the comprehensive plan without taking public comment.

More than 3,000 comments had been received from residents, developers and government officials. Blair questioned whether the comments really reflected a broad view.

"You tend to get the most [comments] from those that are the real advocates in the community and are diehards, the people that come in here continuously, which doesn't necessarily reflect the views of the entire populace," Blair said during the April meeting.

Smith said the spirited battles between commissioners and some residents over the comprehensive plan and the EPC are symptoms of "a county commission that is not at all listening to our constituency."

"I'm picking up dissatisfaction just in the way [commissioners] are so cavalier with the public, the way they treat us in hearings," she said.

Buckhorn, who lost to Blair in 2004, said the groups that showed up in force shouldn't be underestimated. But neither should developers and other groups that can funnel large amounts of money into campaign accounts.

Paulson, the political scientist, agreed.

"Just because you've been successful on one effort doesn't mean that success will last."

Reporter Anthony McCartney can be reached at (813) 259-7616 or amccartney@tampatrib.com.