Sunday, June 9, 2019

The Real Florida℠ Connection - Make Lasting Summer Memories at a State Park

florida state parks - the real florida CONNECTION

 MESSAGE FROM OUR DIRECTOR

Recently, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Florida Park Service had the privilege of being selected as a finalist for the National Gold Medal. The award is presented by the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association. The Florida Park Service is the only three-time winner of the Gold Medal, and we are working to win a fourth.
Being selected as a finalist recognizes the terrific work of our staff, volunteers and partners. Together, we make sure visitors can have transformative experiences, even as we protect the best of Florida’s natural and cultural resources. With over 800,000 acres, including 100 miles of beaches, the Florida Park Service has a proud legacy of leading conservation and recreation in Florida. This legacy is built on the way the Park Service connects with people, engages with communities and adapts to emerging needs. You can watch our new video to see some of the great things happening in Florida State Parks.
Founded in 1965, the Gold Medal Awards program honors communities in the United States for excellence in parks and recreation through long-range planning, resource management, volunteerism and environmental stewardship. The awards are separated into five classes based on population, one class for armed forces recreation, and one class for state park systems that is awarded on odd numbered years
Nationally, we are happy to congratulate our fellow finalists, Tennessee State Parks, Maryland State Parks and Washington State Parks. In Florida, we congratulate the City of Tampa Parks and Recreation Department and Naval Air Station Whiting Field in Milton. They are competing in the 150,000 to 400,000 population class and the armed forces recreation class, respectively.
We thank our visitors, staff, volunteers and partners for helping to make Florida State Parks one of the best park systems in the country.  
Eric Draper

FEATURED STORIES

10 FLCC members and volunteers pose in front of scrub land at Savannas Preserve State Park.

Taking on Earleaf Acacia

Amid the open pine flatwoods at Savannas Preserve State Park stood a dense thicket of earleaf acacia, an invasive species introduced from the islands of Oceania as a landscape plant.


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A Kemps ridley sea turtle onshore.

Turtle Nesting Season Begins

The Florida Park Service takes an active role in protecting sea turtle nests and nesting habitat. As nesting season gets into full swing, park staff, volunteers and biologists are prepared to monitor nests and keep them safe.


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A before and after image showing forest regrowth after prescribed fire. Courtesy US Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast.

What is Prescribed Fire? 

Prescribed fire is one of the most important tools the Florida Park Service uses to help preserve and restore our natural environment.



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Young woman holds up redfish on a beach.

Great State Parks for Fishing

Florida fishing is heating up! We created this list of top summer fishing spots for saltwater and freshwater anglers.  



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EVENTS

World Oceans Day Celebration

Discover new ways to help protect and preserve one of our most important natural resources. There will be activities, educational programs and a documentary premiere.

Kids' Fishing Workshop

Kids and parents can learn about fish, different ways to catch them, places to fish and how to fish responsibly. The first 200 kids to check in will receive their own mini tackle set.

Nature Walks & Ranger Talks

Have you ever wandered through the park and wondered "was there a fire here?" or "what animal makes that sound?" Join a park ranger for the inside scoop on the most interesting features of the park.

Sea Turtle Walk

Did you know sea turtles have nested on Florida's beaches for millions of years? Walk the beach at night with a park ranger for the chance to see a nesting loggerhead.

Find more Florida State Park events


This email was sent using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Florida Department of Environmental Protection · 3900 Commonwealth Boulevard · Tallahassee, FL 32399-3000 · 850.245.2118GovDelivery logo

Tuesday, June 4, 2019

Making Summer Safer with G.O. Bond Securities

Making Summer Safer with G.O. Bond Securities
Three Public Safety Projects are Officially Underway
As the nation reflects on yet another mass shooting from last week, it is consoling to know that the City of Miami Beach has three separate public safety G.O. Bond projects that are officially in-the-works, including:

  1. License Plate Readers (LPRs)
  2. Public Safety Radio System
  3. Security in Public Spaces


License Plate Readers (LPRs) use advanced software recognition technology to capture license plate tags and run them against nationwide law enforcement databases that register stolen vehicles, wanted persons, missing subjects and other criminal activities. LPRs have proven to be effective criminal-catching tools for law enforcement agencies across the country as more and more municipalities are using both mobile and stationary versions. This past Memorial Day weekend, the City of Miami Beach had three fixed LPR locations activated at major city entrance points and the results were remarkable. Of the 36,793 license plates that were read, 303 criminal tickets were issued, 13 felony and 11 misdemeanor arrests were made; five firearms were impounded, and two stolen vehicles were found. As part of the G.O. Bond program, 26 new strategic LPR locations will be added. Installations start this month on the MacArthur Causeway, with the Julia Tuttle and 71 Street causeways to follow. New LPRs will be up and running by fall 2019.
 
The Miami Beach Public Safety Radio System is already in the process of upgrading its critical communications network as various tests are being conducted. As the city transitions away from the current Motorola analog system, it will be joining a large group of local municipalities — including Miami-Dade County, City of Miami, Coral Gables and Aventura, among others — that are already part of the modern Harris Corporation digital P25 network. With high tech functions such as seamless interoperability, encrypted data technology and unified voice, data and application features, the city's 1,000 plus first responders will have a fully operational, best-in-class public safety radio system by the end of the year.
 
The Security in Public Spaces project involves the purchasing and installation of hundreds of decorative bollards and hostile vehicle barriers that are used to protect pedestrians and bystanders from potential public safety hazards, including vehicle truck attacks, stampedes, fights, road closures, etc. In Miami Beach, this equipment has been used successfully to control crowds during high impact weekends and densely populated events. Since most of the structures are portable and movable, they will be stored in a warehouse and brought out as-needed. The public spaces that are receiving this equipment include heavy traffic areas by the Miami Beach Convention Center, SoundScape Park and South Pointe Park. The new security buffers will be ready and available to use by the end of next month.
 
Overall, the Miami Beach G.O. Bond Program has $72 million dedicated to police, fire and public safety improvement projects specifically. Check back often for more information as two separate security camera projects are expected to break ground by fall.

Xavier Suarez: Once Again in County Budget Season