Dottie Carlson
"After a very short and unexpected fight with
lung cancer,
Dottie Carlson made the transistion from life Monday Oct. 6th.
She was an environmental warrior, a political activist, stage
actress,
wildlife
rehabilitator,
and was on the
boards of
directors for
numerous environmental organizations, including the
Sierra Club,
The National
Wildlife Federation,
The Volusia-Flagler Environmental Council, and founder and
president of her own
political action
group
ECARD Inc. "
We knew Dottie
as a friend to all creatures little or large who came her way.
How many people would stand in the way of a bulldozer poised to
bury a nest of live gopher tortoises? Dottie did, which landed
her picture on the front page of many Florida newspapers.
Dottie also
rescued and rehabilitated injured squirrels -- more than 1,500
of them -- and cared for a variety of animals. including a cat
named OC and a dog named Miss Scarlett.
Her legacy will go on and her
spirit will linger to protect the land and wildlife she loved.
It should be noted that her
organization ECARD Inc., a grass-roots political action
committee for responsible development in Florida, will continue
and will grow more powerful than ever before. It will be
through Dottie's efforts and work and that of her organization
members, that her legacy will be carried into the future. For
all those who fight the same issues please know that Dottie
will be there with you in spirit. Her passion was and will
always be protecting all of nature.
Dottie Carlson
was 59. She was married to her husband, writer
Charlie Carlson. They would have celebrated their 41st
wedding anniversary this week..
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Natural Spaces, Public Places
On November 4, YOU
decide the future of the Environmentally sensitive Lands (ESL) program
Did You Know?
S ince it started 20 years ago,
the ESL has converted over 4,200 acres of private into public ownership.
What
is the ESL program?
NOW IS THE TIME TO
SAVE FLORIDA'S FUTURE
We know that people care about the place
where they live and trust the people to make decisions that will protect their
community's future. The Florida Hometown Democracy Amendment seeks to take this
faith in the people and make the current land use system more accountable by
giving the power over certain land use changes (comprehensive plan amendments)
to the voters.
Property owners in Florida have the right to use their property in accord with
the comprehensive plan designation. For example, if a property is designated
agricultural, the property owner has the right to use it for any and all
agricultural purposes. Agricultural land owners do not have the right to use
their land for high-density residential and commercial purposes.
Citizens in a community have rights, too. We have the right to demand that our
"quality of life" not be harmed by endless construction.
Comprehensive plan amendments, which typically allow for more density or
intensity of development on a particular parcel of land, are political
decisions. These changes should not be granted unless our elected commissioners
make a determination that the community's well-being will not be harmed. Our
elected officials take an oath to protect the public interest. But too many
county and city commissioners just can not say no to comprehensive plan
amendments that are destructive to a community's well being.
The Florida Hometown Democracy Amendment will mandate referenda for
comprehensive plan amendments approved by city and county commissions. Because
these plan changes are just about the most important decisions that local
governments make, the voters should have the final word about decisions that can
make or break their community's future.
Sign The
Petition
Please take a few minutes and
explore our website
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Massive plow may bring Lake Apopka back to life
