From the Director

Growth management is a busy battlefront these days, and thanks to many of you, things are moving in a better direction than when we last reported. A Senate bill has been filed that calls for the type of representative committee review process for growth management reform that we have advocated. Out of the preliminary DCA citizen survey results and DCA's ongoing growth management forums, two consistent themes are emerging: the need to maintain a strong oversight role, and better assistance to citizens enforcing local comprehensive plans they helped to adopt. There seems to be a lot of frustration in communities, not about shortcomings with our laws, but rather with how plans are being implemented, especially at the local level. We extend a special thanks to those of you who have taken the time to attend your local hearings. We also thank the Elizabeth Ordway Dunn Foundation for supporting the efforts of 1000 Friends in this endeavor and all of our members who generously responded to our year-end appeal.

We continue to believe that growth management can be made more effective, and that long-view planning must replace shortsighted change that often benefits only special interests. The message seems to be getting through, as both Governor Bush and DCA Secretary Seibert have publicly indicated their support for the more deliberative committee review approach proposed by Senator Lee. We commend the Senate leadership for its good efforts, and direct 1000 Friends members and others to its web site, at growsmartflorida@leg.state.fl.us, where you can share your views on growth management directly.

Speaking of web pages, ours has been substantially updated and revised to make it easier to track growth management issues. We hope these changes will make it more informative and helpful, and we welcome your ideas and suggestions for more improvements. We will continue to use our site to advise you on the latest growth management happenings. We have posted the results of the DCA survey and 1000 Friends' surveys on our web site; please also see the article on page 8. These provide a valuable basis for reviewing proposals that could substantially affect growth management. Stay involved, and let your elected officials know your thoughts. An informed and involved public is our best insurance in protecting our investment in effective growth management.