Former
Governor Jeb Bush shows award that
he received from the Florida Chapter. With him
is Chapter President Sean Parks.
Chapter gave
former Governor Bush a Green Elephant Award
Two leaders of the Florida
chapter—President Sean Parks and Vice President Doug Taylor—presented
former Governor Jeb Bush
with a Green Elephant award and a gift membership for his efforts to
restore the Everglades and secure funding for land acquisitions. Read
the press release.
Chapter President
met with Congresswoman Brown-Waite
Chapter President Sean
Parks met April 10, 2007 with Congresswoman
Ginny Brown-Waite, who represents the 5th District, at
the Legends Golf Club in Clermont. New REP member Scott
Blankenship also participated in the meeting.
Chapter
recognized Commissioner Thaxton
Sarasota County
Commissioner (and REP member) Jon Thaxton received the
chapter's Green Elephant Award for his conservation achievements from
Florida Chapter President Sean Parks. Dr.
Jim Whitman,
a member of the Florida Chapter Executive Committee, introduced Parks
and Thaxton to the audience at the Sarasota County Republican Party's
Lincoln Day Dinner, April 23.
Dr.
Jim Whitman, Sean Parks,
and award recipient
Sarasota County Commissioner Jon
Thaxton
Chapter President
met with Rev. Joel Hunter
The
Rev. Dr. Joel Hunter
of the Northland Church met Florida Chapter President Sean
Parks
for lunch. Dr. Hunter later spoke at REP's national conference in San
Antonio, Texas, on Oct. 5, 2007, where he donated a case of his book Right
Bird, Wrong Wing for sale at the event.
Chapter Leader Attends
GOP Meeting
Treasurer
Melissa Iglesias appeared at a gathering of GOP activists and elected
officials. See news
story quoting Melissa.
2006
Chapter President
met with gubernatorial candidates
Chapter
President Sean Parks and his wife Ivy
talked about environmental issues with Republican gubernatorial
candidates Charlie Crist (below left) and
Tom Gallagher
(below right) at a Lake County event on March 11, 2006.
Chapter Gave Another Green Elephant
Award
The
chapter gave its latest Green Elephant award to Clermont City Council
member Elaine Renick.
Chapter
President Sean Parks and
Councilwoman Elaine
Renick
ExCom member
published op-ed in the Daytona Beach News-Journal
Dr.
Frank Muller-Karger, a member of the Florida Chapter's
Executive Committee who also served on the U.S. Commission on Ocean
Policy, published Top goal:
Protect ocean ecosystem.
Muller-Karger's credentials are impeccable. He is a professor of
Biological Oceanography in the College of Marine Science at the
University of South Florida, where he also is the director of the
Institute for Marine Remote Sensing (IMaRS). His primary interests are
science education and oceanographic research of coastal zones and
continental margins.
Florida chapter
leader and national president appeared together on Melbourne talk radio
ExCom
V.P. Doug Taylor and national President Martha
Marks
were featured together on an hour-long "drive time" talk radio program.
It was the first time they had met, and they found they made a very
good debating team.
Martha
Marks and Doug Taylor inside
the Melbourne radio station
Remembrance for
Betty Talburt
The
Florida Chapter Executive Committee mourns the loss of Betty
Talburt, a Charlotte County conservation activist and
secretary of the chapter ex com, who passed away on May 23, 2006.
Betty
Talburt, secretary of REP's Florida chapter and Charlotte County
conservation activist, was honored at "Betty Talburt Day," proclaimed
for May 9, 2006, by the Charlotte County Board of Commissioners. Betty
was honored for her work on behalf of the Peace River Estuary,
Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program, Keep Charlotte Beautiful,
and other local conservation causes.
Betty
Talburt
Betty
received REP's Volunteer
of the Year Award in 2006.
2005
Annual meeting a
success
Shown
at the meeting are Frank Peterson, Mary
Henderson,
Dr. Jim Whitman,
Jerry Manning, Dr.
Frank Muller-Karger,
Curtis Kaslewicz,
Fred Wettering, Joan
DeGuire, Fred Hegemeister,
Margy Bielling,
Jerry Full, Debbie
Founce, Doug Taylor, and
Chapter President Sean
Parks.Frank Muller-Karger,
Ph.D.
Dr.
Frank Muller-Karger,
a former member of the Florida Chapter's Executive Committee who also
served on the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, has published frequently
in ocean issues. His op-ed, "Top goal:
Protect ocean ecosystem" was published in the Daytona
Beach News-Journal.
Dr. Muller-Karger's credentials are impeccable. He is a professor of
Biological Oceanography in the College of Marine Science at the
University of South Florida, where he also is the director of the
Institute for Marine Remote Sensing (IMaRS). His primary interests are
science education and oceanographic research of coastal zones and
continental margins.
Here's
another example of Muller-Karger's efforts on behalf of the chapter:
A Letter to
Florida's two United States Senators
June
13, 2005
The
Honorable Senator Bill Nelson
The Honorable Senator Mel Martinez
Dear
Senators Nelson and Martinez:
I
am writing to express my concern regarding the active efforts to expand
offshore oil and gas drilling into the eastern Gulf of Mexico. These
efforts include attempts to weaken basic and very significant
historical rights of states to manage the health of coastal waters to
protect our own health.
As
most Floridians, I am opposed to weakening the power of the states just
because it may be convenient to business. This trend is especially of
concern because it is happening at the same time that the Federal
government is considering additional ways to offload responsibilities
(rightly located at the Federal level) onto the sates.
I
am particularly opposed to efforts to weaken the "consistency" clauses
in the Coastal Zone Management Act, such as that led by Senator Mary
Landrieu (D-Louisiana). Senator Landrieu has proposed legislation that
would allow states to opt out of drilling moratoria, redirect a greater
share of offshore oil royalties to states, and provide for drawing
state boundaries farther offshore. This strategy would impact Florida
in a variety of ways. Not only would Louisiana expect to derive benefit
from additional offshore oil and gas activity, but it would do so in
waters over which Florida now has a right to project its concerns.
Indeed, the House version of the energy bill would make it more
difficult for states to appeal federal drilling permits.
I
would like to encourage you to reduce our exposure to high oil prices
and supply disruptions by finding ways to reduce demand through
improved fuel efficiency. Efficiency is the U.S. weapon that OPEC fears
most. If Congress feels that it has to provide tax incentives, I
suggest that we focus them in this area. I am against further tax
breaks given to oil and gas companies to help them extract in more
difficult regions such as deep waters. Congress should tax fuels as
required to cover all external costs associated with extraction and
combustion of fossil fuels.
Further,
Congress should use these taxes and royalties to establish an Ocean
Policy Trust Fund, as recommended by the U.S. Commission on Ocean
Policy, and dedicate the fund as outlined by that commission. I am
appalled that none of the royalties, taxes and lease proceeds obtained
by industry are reinvested in better science and management of our
troubled coastal waters.
Given
all the issues we have domestically and internationally today, I am not
certain what our Congress is doing. It seems that Congress increasingly
represents a minority of interests (extremist, self-righteous,
religious, industrial) and not the people's interests. You can help
redefine this situation by focusing on a vision in which we lead in
environmental protection to protect our health and prosperity.
I
commend you for all your efforts and leadership to protect the Gulf of
Mexico and resources in coastal waters of all states.
Sincerely,
Frank
Muller-Karger, Ph.D.
Florida Chapter of Republicans for Environmental Protection
2004
National
President Martha Marks
was the guest speaker at the Suncoast Tiger Bay Club in Tampa. The
Club's slogan is "Carving up a politician for lunch"— they invite
distinguished speakers to deliver a 20 minute presentation. TBC members
then compete for the day's coveted "Fang and Claw" award by asking
questions that "slash through pretension and prevarication." Martha
decided that there was no reason why she could not also have some fun
with the concept... which led to her witty "Fang and
Claw" speech.
Other
REP members at the lunch that day were Chapter President Joan
Deguire, Carmen Blakely,
and Fred Hegemeister.
2002
The
photo below was taken at the Chapter's Annual Meeting
Fred
Wettering tables for
REP at Bear Fest.
2001
The
Florida REP group became an official chapter in 2001. Below is a photo
of the group that gathered that day in Stuart with national President Martha
Marks (front row, in blue) and the first chapter
president, John Whitescarver (front row
right, in REP t-shirt).
REP
President Martha Marks published two
op-eds:
REP
member Jim Scarantino published two
op-eds:
