From:  Zdrsn@aol.com [mailto:Zdrsn@aol.com]
Sent: Monday, June 01, 2009 9:38  PM
To: Dist1,  Janes
Subject: How about a  Willow Lake update?

Good  Morning  Bob,                                                         
                                       6/2/09

It has  been a long time since Russell Weintraub destroyed Willow Lake and
was  reprimanded by Lee County government, SWFWM, and other government
agencies and  I recall at least one agency fined him and demanded the restoration
of Willow  Lake. When I pass-by the property I see no evidence that he will
comply with  restoration. Was a fine levied and collected? Has a "time
limit" been  established for the restoration to begin? What are Mr. Weintraub's 
intentions?



Would  you be so kind to provide a press release to update Pine Islanders
on the  future of Willow Lake Redux?



Thanking you in  advance,

Barry  Paul Thrasher

Lee  County Native/Pine Island resident

From: Zdrsn@aol.com
To: gpicamembership@gmail.com,  coolcherokee@comcast.net,
pineisland@breezenewspapers.com, MCLDYHAWK@aol.com,  davelukasek@gmail.com
Sent: Thursday, June 4, 2009 5:06:56 PM GMT -05:00  US/Canada Eastern
Subject: Fwd: How about a Willow Lake update?

Mr.  Thrasher,
We are currently in  the final negotiations with Mr. Weintraub with regards
to the Consent Order  for the Alcorn Tract.  We have received, and
approved, the Restoration  Plan for the parcel.  We have also received a proposed
cross section for  the Lee County ditch, which was re-aligned without
authorization.  Minor  comments on the ditch cross section were sent to the Engineer
for the Alcorn  Tract parcel (via e-mail on June 1, 2009).  We are
currently waiting on  the revised ditch cross section.  District Counsel, hopes to
be  forwarding a final draft of the Consent Agreement by the end of the 
week.  Once I have the final draft of the Consent Agreement and the  revised
ditch cross section we will be sending out the Consent Agreement for 
signature.  We are optimistic that we will have the signed Consent  Agreement back
from Mr. Weintraub in time to have it on the July Governing  Board Agenda.   
The timeline that has  been established in the Consent Agreement to
complete all of the restoration  work is within 90 days of the effective date of
the Consent Agreement (the  effective date of the Consent Agreement will be
the date it goes before the  Governing Board).
In addition to the  restoration work, Mr. Weintraub will be paying the
District Twenty Thousand  Six Hundred Dollars ($20,600.00) for settlement of the
case.  Fifteen  Thousand Six Hundred Dollars ($15,600.00) in civil
penalties which will be due  within 180 days of the effective date of the Consent
Agreement and Five  Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) in staff costs which will be
due within 30 days  of the effective date of the Consent Agreement.
If you need any  additional information or have any questions, please
contact our enforcement  coordinator Ms. Melissa Roberts, P.E. at 338-2929 ext.
7795.

Phil  Flood
Director Lower West  Coast
South Florida Water  Management District
_www.sfwmd.gov/conserve_ (http://www.sfwmd.gov/conserve)   
239-338-2929, ext  7768

From:  "Phil Buchanan" <coolcherokee@comcast.net>
To: Zdrsn@aol.com
Sent:  Thursday, June 4, 2009 7:02:03 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern
Subject: Re:  How about a Willow Lake update?



Barry,
Thank you for sending me the response from SFWMD (copy  above).
The restoration plan, which generally calls only for the  removal of
exotics from the previous Willow Lake site, is a sick joke. As you  know, there
are no exotics there--nothing but white perfectly level sand and a  few weeds
that have grown since Willow Lake was dredged and filled in  2008. The fine
is also a joke--it amounts to only a small fraction of the  commercial value
the landowner has enjoyed by the removal of Willow Lake.
Note also that nothing in the consent order or other files  even admits the
former existence of Willow Lake (the SFWMD will not even  use the name).
Anyone reading the files would think that both the SFWMD and  the landowner
have done a great job addressing a minor unimportant  incident. The reader
would have no way of knowing about the fresh water  swamp or the thousands of
pages of photographs, environmental surveys,  newspaper articles, dozens
(maybe hundreds) of emails etc documenting not only  the former existence of the
swamp but also the tragic consequences of its  destruction (none of them
are in the file).
I'm sure you are also aware that the landowner continues his  efforts to
build an apartment complex at the location of the former Willow  Lake
(previously the only natural fresh water ecosytem on Pine Island). Note  that
nothing in the proposed consent order precludes that.   
If all this does not shake to the core your faith in state  government, I
don't know what would.


Phil Buchanan
3861 Galt  Island Avenue
St James City, FL 33956
Phone/fax: 239-283-4067
cell:  239-789-6114
email: coolcherokee@comcast.net