Land 'bank' tests Florida's scaled-back environmental oversight

[Baitball Blogger]

An attempt by investors to start an environmental-land "bank" in Florida, a business initially valued at more than $100 million that would profit by replacing wetlands destroyed by developers, has left in its wake three state officials forced to resign or suspended after they objected to the project.

Most recently, wetlands expert Connie Bersok at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection was suspended after writing a memo that stated her "refusal to recommend" the project because it could result in a net loss of wetlands statewide and set a harmful precedent.

A DEP spokeswoman denied that Bersok was suspended because of the memo, saying the highly rated veteran was investigated for failing to report for work one day and for leaking information about the project to outsiders. Described in her most-recent job evaluation as "a model representative of the Department," Bersok was cleared of the allegations and returned to her post last week, though the spokeswoman refused to allow her to be interviewed.

Akili Moncrief, a former DEP lawyer who is now director of the Environment Florida Research & Policy Center in Tallahassee, said the suspension, which began two days after Bersok sent her memo, was based on "trumped-up" charges meant to punish her for protecting the environment against the actions of top officials appointed by Gov. Rick Scott.

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-06-09/business/os-lucrative-land-deal-controversy-20120609_1_connie-bersok-wetlands-mitigation-credits