ear Neighbor,
Tomorrow, members of Team Kat will be in Cedar Key and Horseshoe Beach to assist residents with disaster claims following Hurricane Idalia.
In Cedar Key, visit us at 450 2nd Street from 9am-3pm. In Horseshoe Beach, visit us at the Horseshoe Beach Fire Department at 83 5th Avenue E from 9am-3pm.
We’ll be there in-person to assist residents with filing federal claims with FEMA, the Small Business Administration (SBA), the USDA, and others. If you need help filing a claim or sorting through paperwork, we’re standing by to help. Please continue reading for information about documents needed to expedite the process. Continue reading
FARMS is an agricultural cost-share reimbursement program that reduces groundwater withdrawals from the Upper Floridan aquifer through conservation and alternative water supply best management practices (BMPs). In conjunction with water conservation BMPs, water quality and natural systems improvement BMPs also may be cost-shared in priority areas.
The program is designed to serve as an incentive to the agricultural community to promote water quantity, water quality and natural systems BMPs to conserve groundwater use and promote resource sustainability.
Examples of commonly used BMPs include:
- Weather stations and soil moisture sensors with telemetry
- Riser culverts and water-controlled structures
- Surface water or tailwater irrigation pumps and filters
- Remote irrigation zone controls and soil moisture and climate sensor telemetry
- Fertigation systems
- Cold protection measures
FARMS is a public/private partnership developed by the District and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Program Goals
The FARMS Program focuses on Upper Floridan aquifer withdrawal savings throughout the District as well as water quality and natural systems improvements in targeted Water Use Caution Areas and priority watersheds.
- Improve water quality within the Shell, Prairie and Joshua Creek (SPJC) Watersheds
As of July 2023, the 87 Board-approved projects located within the SPJC watershed are projected to offset approximately 11.9 million gallons per day (mgd) of groundwater through BMP implementation. An additional water resource benefit is reductions in the potential for groundwater mineralization of surface waters while improving water quality in the City of Punta Gorda’s drinking water reservoir. Prairie Creek has been removed from the list of impaired waterbodies by the Department of Environmental Protection, indicating the success of the program. - Improve natural systems in the Upper Myakka River Watershed (UMRW)
As of July 2023, nine projects have been approved and are operational offsetting 2.8 mgd through conservation and the reuse of tailwater. These projects are reducing the contribution of groundwater to this volume-sensitive basin. - Reduce groundwater use by 40 mgd within the Southern Water Use Caution Area (SWUCA)
As of July 2023, 195 projects have been approved with 174 operational projects having offset 22.4 mgd. These projects are reducing the amount of groundwater pumped from the Upper Floridan Aquifer. - Reduce groundwater use within the Most Impacted Area (MIA)
The MIA is an area specifically affected by groundwater withdrawals within the SWUCA. It’s about 700 square miles and located along the southern Hillsborough, Manatee and northwestern Sarasota counties. As of July 2023, 18 projects have been approved with 18 operational projects having offset 3.4 mgd. - Reduce groundwater use within the Central Florida Water Initiative (CFWI) region
Although not fully incorporated within the SWUCA, the CFWI has been identified as a priority area in which the implementation of agricultural BMPs to reduce Upper Floridan groundwater use will help to ensure future water needs are met. As of July 2023, 27 projects have been approved with 24 operational projects having offset 1.5 mgd. - Reduce cold protection groundwater use within the Dover/Plant City Water Use Caution Area (DPCWUCA)
The DPCWUCA was established in 2011 as a result of an extended freeze event in 2010 that resulted in numerous dry well complaints and sinkholes due to agricultural-related groundwater pumping for cold protection. As of March 2023, 24 projects have been approved with 21 operational projects having offset 72.4 million gallons per freeze event. - Implement agricultural BMPs to reduce groundwater use and reduce nutrient loading
As of July 2023, 15 operational projects having offset 0.7 mgd and reducing nutrient loading by approximately 5,182 pounds per year.
The approved projects support the District’s Regional Water Supply Plan, SWUCA Recovery Strategy, Strategic Plan and the Springs Management Plans.
Program Funding Qualifications
To qualify for funding, projects must be located in the District and include one or more of the following BMP strategies:
- Utilize an alternative water supply or technology to reduce groundwater use.
- Improve irrigation water quality and watershed ecology by reducing reliance on poorer quality groundwater.
Project Guidelines
- Growers manage their projects and are reimbursed for approved expenses.
- Reimbursement can amount to as much as 75 percent of total project costs with water quality and groundwater quantity savings / conservation BMPs; and as much as 50 percent with water quality or groundwater quantity savings / conservation BMPs.
- District and grower(s) enter into a signed and executed contractual agreement for the FARMS project with a contract duration generally 5–10 years.
- Growers are responsible for obtaining all project-related permits and must have District authorization prior to incurring approved reimbursable expenses.
- Permitted water use allocations are not reduced. Southwest Florida Water Management
Find out more at https://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/
This week, Floridians endured the wrath of Hurricane Idalia. The storm made landfall as a dangerous Category 3 hurricane Wednesday morning in the Big Bend region.
The wreckage left by Idalia is truly devastating, leaving many communities in ruins that will take months to recover fully. But Floridians are resilient; and while visiting Dixie, Levy and Taylor counties, I heard many inspiring stories of Floridians coming together and rebuilding immediately after the storm.
Unfortunately, we still need to remain alert, as scammers may try to exploit this tragedy to rip off Floridians through contractor fraud, debris removal scams, price gouging or even looting. I have already been in touch with local law enforcement and state attorneys in the hardest hit areas of our state. We will not allow criminals to exploit this crisis to target Floridians trying to rebuild their lives. Continue reading
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| Dear Neighbor,
Hurricane Idalia devastated parts of our district, largely in Levy, Dixie, Lafayette, Hamilton, and Suwannee Counties. Recovery efforts are underway to restore power and other utilities to the hardest-hit areas, and we are in constant contact with local leaders, law enforcement, and utilities companies to keep folks updated on these restoration efforts. This morning I visited Cedar Key with Senator Rick Scott to see the damage and hear from homeowners, business owners, law enforcement, and city leaders about what they need most right now. The entire Florida delegation is working together to make sure all federal resources are available for our communities, including resources from FEMA, the Small Business Administration, the USDA, and more. For those whose homes or business were damaged, please see below or here for information about the necessary steps to file insurance and disaster claims. Our office stands by to help process those claims with the appropriate federal agencies. In the coming days, we’ll share more information on mobile office hours for our staff, along with representatives from the other federal agencies. We anticipate being available in-person at several sites throughout our communities to answer questions and accept claims throughout September. As the recovery process continues, stay updated on our website, and on Twitter, Facebook, Instagra As always, we are with you and will weather this recovery together. If our team can be of assistance, please give us a call or reach out to us at KCammack.Hurricane@mail.house. |
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| For Freedom,
Congresswoman Kat Cammack Proudly Representing Florida’s Third Congressional District |
Jena Sullivan of Edward Jones was recently installed on the Board of Directors for the Lady Lake Area Chamber of Commerce. President, Jeanne Lazo is pictured handing her the lanyard all board members receive. Jena will be filling a seat on the board after a recent vacancy.
Total Quantum Healing celebrated its Grand Opening with a ribbon-cutting celebration. They are located inside Perhealth Chiropractic in Mulberry Plaza The Villages. They offer a holistic approach to traditional medicine. Curious about what’s happening inside your body & mind? Schedule a scan today!
By TomL
Information from the net!
Social Security is financed through a dedicated Payroll Tax.
Employers and employees each pay 6.2 percent of wages up to the taxable maximum of $160,200 (in 2023), while the self-employed pay 12.4 percent. The payroll tax rates are set by law, and for OASI and DI, apply to earnings up to a certain amount.
In listening to the financial news a comment was made about “ China is our largest debtor”. Not true the largest debtor is our own Social Security Fund! Politicians can’t stand the fact the Social Security Fund had money in it. So they have been using the money for things other than the aging. Actually they are budgeting in advance for other things not related to the elderly before they have it in hand. Continue reading
By TomL
There are many well known artist that have attempted to capture the culture, religion histories and day to day atmosphere of the Seminole Indians, but failed to do so. A boy hood friend did. We spent some fun times together. One day while we were going snake and alligator watching I hid my new bike in the bushes and when we came back it was gone. Back in those days we called him Harry. His name is Harry Guy LaBree.
Harry was a very unique person he went every where barefoot, They had a heck of a time getting shoes on him to go to school, when he went to school. He connected with the Seminole Indians that were in our school at an early age and after growing up he actually live with them for a short time. The Seminole Indians went to school in Dania and as population grew they went to a different school, thats when I lost tract of Harry and saw him and spoke to him on several occasions over the years. Last contact was on the phone was just before he passed away, he lived in arcadia Florida near or in what was describe to me was really rural. His is missed and I will always remember him. I was a bless person to experience a small part of his life.
One persons opinion! “MINE”
Starting out with this column is hard to decide what to start with. But here we go “BIDEN LIED?” no matter what is said from this time forward I will not believe anything he says, thats my opinion! They can spin it anyway they want, he is not telling the truth. He and his son both need to be impeached and or prosecuted. They need to be fined for every cent they stole and put it into the United States Treasury fund to repair foreign affairs. I ask you if you were from another country and was promised preferential treatment after paying millions of dollars for it! What would you do? It’s a perfect storm, they can’t admit to paying bribery money.
No wonder these foreign countries are so mad at us. Promises made promises broken! Apparently they paid a lot of money to the Biden’s.
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Conflict of Interest?AOC receives a salary of $174,000 and she still owes $50,000 in student debt!
When Bidens Social spending proposal was a staggering $1.75 trillion she want him to put pressure on Student debt forgiveness. Continue reading
Although the Flat Tax and the FAIRtax share some important similarities they also have many important differences. They are both flat rate taxes that are neutral with respect to savings and investments. However, the flat tax retains the invasive income tax administration apparatus (known as the IRS ) and can easily revert to a graduated, convoluted mess as it has many times in the past. Few people truly understand the flat tax. It’s authors will tell you it is a consumption tax that uses the income tax system for implementation.
Any politician that claims the flat tax will eliminate the IRS is not telling the truth. Only a government bureaucrat could come up with the idea of a consumption tax being regulated by the IRS when you can simply have a retail sales tax (the FAIRtax) that reduces the bureaucracy by 90% or more. In addition, a large part of the tax burden of the flat tax (the business tax) remains hidden in the price of goods and services. The FAIRtax eliminates that hidden cost. Individuals would still need to file income tax returns under the flat tax and, while the form may be simplified, it still requires burdensome record keeping. Under the FAIRtax, individuals never file a tax return. When you pay at the cash register, your tax obligation is over. Under the flat tax, the payroll taxes, which are the most regressive of taxes on the working family, would be retained. Continue reading
