Over the past year, CUES has served as staff to the Committee for a Sustainable Treasure Coast, an organization charged increasing cooperation and coordination between St. Lucie, Martin, and Indian River counties to bring together the full range of public, private, and non-profit interests, concerns and communities in the Treasure Coast subregion. The Committee issued it’s first report in December in response to impacts from Hurricanes Francis and Jean to communicate concerns about local government recovery costs and mobile home safety standards. Earlier this month, the Committee issued its interim report which introduces regional characteristics, the mission and vision of the organization, and key performance measures to achieve the vision. See www.sustainabletc.org to learn more about the Committee or to review the interim report.

Frank Schnidman with Governor Jeb Bush at the press conference announcing “Florida Days” at the 2005 World’s Fair.

More than 120 countries are participating in the World’s Fair, which runs from March 25 until September 25, 2005, and at the U.S. Pavilion a Japanese-speaking Benjamin Franklin will be the computer-generated host. Each pavilion follows the Expo’s theme of “Nature’s Wisdom,” and the U.S. Pavilion’s “The Franklin Spirit” celebrates Benjamin Franklin’s 300th birthday.

Manatee Protection and Boat Facility Siting
CUES and its consultants continue to develop Manatee Protection Plans (MPPs) for two South Florida counties. Broward County’s third public workshop on the Interim Boat Facility Siting Plan of the MPP will be held on Tuesday, April 12th from 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at the Anne Kolb Nature Center, 751 Sheridan Street, Hollywood, FL. [More about Broward MPP]

For Palm Beach County (PBC), CUES recently submitted the first draft of that county’s MPP. After the initial public workshop in December, CUES’ Assistant Director Dr. Lenore Alpert participated in several meetings of the PBC League of Cities to keep municipalities apprised of progress on the plan. Additional public meetings will be held this spring. CUES will also be assisting Palm Beach County implement the 2004 Waterfront Access and Preservation Bond Issue passed by voters last November. [More about the Palm Beach County MPP]

Marine Management Plan for Palm Beach County
CUES is working on the development of a strategic plan to address waterfront redevelopment issues in Monroe County, FL, in collaboration with the South Florida Regional Planning Council. The plan will include goals, policies, future marine-related land-use maps, action recommendations, and an implementation strategy aimed at preserving and enhancing both public water access and the working waterfront throughout Palm Beach County.

Florida Oceans Day
The Annual Florida Oceans Day in Tallahassee is being organized by the Florida Ocean Alliance (FOA). The theme in 2005 is “Supporting Florida’s Ocean Resources: Science, Management, Commerce.” FOA events include a Legislative Reception at the Capitol on April 19th, sponsored by Mote Marine Laboratory, and Exhibits at the Capitol Rotunda and Courtyard on April 20th, sponsored by the Florida Institute of Oceanography. CUES serves as secretariat to FOA, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to bringing together government, academic, and private sectors in Florida to protect and enhance the state’s coastal and ocean resources for continued social and economic benefits. [More]

Beach Restoration
On February 3rd, Dr. Lenore Alpert spoke on the panel, “The Economic Impact of Beach Tourism: The Florida Case,” at the 2005 National Conference on Beach Preservation Technology in Destin, FL. Other panelists included Dr. William B. Stronge of FAU’s Department of Economics and Paden Woodruff of the Bureau of Beaches and Coastal Systems, Florida Department of Environmental Protection. [More]

South Floridians are all familiar with the term “snowbirds” and experience the impact this seasonal population on their daily lives. Learn more about Florida’s snowbirds in a study completed by the University of Florida’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research. Also, South Florida is not known for its pedestrian-friendly streets. We’ve compiled information from the Surface Transportation Policy Project showing the latest data on pedestrian fatalities. Finally, get the latest information on median housing prices throughout the South Florida region. See www.soflo.org for more information.

View our complete online calendar!

Annual ULI Redevelopment Seminar
On Wednesday, March 2nd, CUES is co-sponsoring an important Urban Land Institute event. Evolving Issues of 21st Century Redevelopment: NIMBYism and Mixed Use is the third in a series on redevelopment. It will focus on two major challenges in current redevelopment efforts—gaining support from neighbors who protest redevelopment efforts and the complexities of responding to market demands for mixed use in redevelopment projects. The event will feature national expert Dwight H. Merriam. [More]

MetroBusinessNet Annual Convening: Old Dogs, New Tricks: Business-Civic Organizations and the New Regionalism
This convening, taking place February 17-18, 2005 in Miami, provides an opportunity for participatory learning, information exchange, and agenda building for CEOs of regional, business-based leadership organizations and their key civic partners in major metropolitan areas of North America. This meeting will focus on the big opportunities and challenges of regional growth and development strategies that both contribute to business competitiveness and build a healthy region. [More].

Regional Collaboration: Learning to Think and Act Like a Region
This professional development course offered by Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and the University of Montana will be held in Fort Lauderdale February 28-March 1, 2005. Using a combination of case studies, lectures, and hands-on exercises, this two day course provides a conceptual framework and practical skills to initiate, design, coordinate, and sustain regional initiatives. Register for course.

A Conference on America’s Beaches: Current Issues in Beach Management, Tourism, and the Coastal Environment
This summit sponsored by Florida International University's Laboratory for Coastal Research will take place in Miami on March 1-5, 2005. It will focus on the overlapping leading edge social and scientific issues facing beach managers and seeks to illuminate innovative ways to develop the mandatory support systems for these prized, but fragile, environments. This conference will focus on researched issues and solutions to problems facing beach communities and tourist environments around the country. This program takes a multifaceted approach to beach management, integrating nourishment, revegetation, and structural technologies working in tandem. As such, applications and preparedness for having a healthy beach (a beach visitors like to come to), as well as how to be prepared for and respond to coastal disasters will be considered.

In light of this year's hurricane damage several places have little choice but to "send in the sand." But the greater challenge to beach managers and tourism officials is to see the bigger problem-solving picture, to strengthen coastal environments for what may lie in the future. Click here for more information on this important conference.