Law could damage Crist's environmental reputation

Gov. Charlie Crist's long-standing reputation as an environmentalist could take a hit because of his signing last week of a controversial bill on growth management.

Supporters say the bill will help stimulate the real estate development and construction industry.

Critics, including local governments and environmental organizations, say it won't help the economy but will undercut attempts to limit sprawl and traffic congestion.

It was a top priority for business and industry groups that likely will be a major source of political contributions in next year's elections, when Crist will leave the governor's office to run for the U.S. Senate.

"We were disappointed, particularly the economic reason for it," said Eric Draper, longtime official of the Florida Audubon Society, about Crist's approval of the bill. "Florida "grew like crazy under the existing rules - to weaken them to help the economy doesn't make sense."

Draper, who's running for agriculture commissioner, said Crist has been "in the lineage of Reubin Askew, Bob Graham and Bob Martinez, of having made the environment a hallmark of his public service."

Crist told reporters before signing the bill that he was aware of criticism of it and hopes it won't make sprawl and congestion worse.

"I'm trying to be balanced on it and I know that it's probably one of those bills where nobody's going to be overly happy on either side of the argument. So hopefully it's right down the middle," he said.

Asked whether the signing would harm his environmental reputation, he said, "I think that's for others to decide."

That reputation for being environmentally conscious, particularly as a Republican, began early in Crist's political career.

An avid fisherman, he ran for the state Senate in 1992 advocating a ban on commercial net fishing in near-shore waters, and later supported a constitutional net-ban amendment.

He hasn't always been consistent on environmental issues. In 1996, the League of Conservation Voters ranked him 30th out of 40 state senators.

But when he ran for governor in 2006, he claimed there was little difference between himself and his Democratic opponent, environmental champion Jim Davis. Some environmentalists agreed - the Sierra Club endorsed Davis, but praised Crist as nearly his equal.

As governor, he has proposed a climate-change initiative and tougher state auto-emissions standards.

"In general, Gov. Crist had a very good record as attorney general," said Janet Bowman of the Nature Conservancy.

"The environmental community is disappointed" by the bill signing, "but I wouldn't write off the governor," she said.

But Linda Young, director of the Florida Clean Water Network, took a tougher view, contending that Crist's environmental advocacy has always been more posturing than action.

"He certainly talks big about it, and has somewhat distinguished himself among Republicans - that wasn't hard to do," she said. "But it's difficult to see much tangible that you can take to the bank."

She said Crist's approval of the growth-management bill was "his true agenda coming out, which is all about what's good for Charlie Crist - when he thinks it's good to be pro-development, he'll do that. It looks to me like he just follows the money."

Other environmentalists said Crist has backed off other stands when it was politically expedient, including switching his position last year to favor more oil drilling off Florida.

In recent weeks, Crist has toured the state holding bill-signing ceremonies for popular pieces of legislation, including an expansion of the KidCare program for health care for poor children.

But he signed the growth-management bill privately last Monday, issuing a statement on it after 5 p.m.

Eight counties, including Hillsborough, Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach, opposed the bill, along with the Florida Association of Counties, League of Cities and numerous environmental groups.

The bill, those opponents say, began as a good idea - limiting sprawl by encouraging development in dense urban areas. But the definition of urban areas was loosened to negate the beneficial effects and make the bill harmful, the critics say.

It eliminates requirements for a special "development of regional impact" review of large developments, as well as requirements that developers pay at the time of construction for road improvements to serve their developments.

Tom Pelham, Crist's appointee as secretary of the Department of Community Affairs, opposed early versions of the bill, a department spokesman said, and was still unhappy about parts of the final bill that Crist signed.

Pelham briefed Crist on the pros and cons, but didn't take a stance for or against it.