The effort to preserve Cone Ranch has become a muddled debate about bond covenants, fair-market value and the transfer of assets from one county agency to another. ...more

December 28, 2009

If we had our way, Hillsborough County would restore Cone Ranch, transforming ditches and pastures into creeks and wetlands, and open it to the public as a wilderness park. ...more

November 2, 2009

Conserve energy and save money this Earth Day by switching off electronics and using less energy. But truly turning off the power isn't as easy as flipping a switch. Many household electronics, known as "vampire appliances," use standby power when turned off, and the average home has about 20 such devices. A Cornell University study found the average household will spend $200 a year for standby power. Conservationists recommend unplugging electronics or using a power strip where the power can be cut off at the source. But critics say the cost is minimal for most items and that constant unplugging can shorten the life span of some products. ...more

April 20, 2009

Budget woes are forcing state wildlife officials to cut a program that tracks endangered Florida panthers with GPS-equipped collars. ...more

April 6, 2009

in 2008. Today, a nearly 40-mile stretch of the tidal, freshwater James - from the Dutch Gap area near Chester to eastern Charles City County - harbors one of the country's top concentrations of eagles, herons and other fish-eating birds. The National Audubon Society has designated the region an Important Bird Area, a high compliment among conservationists. ...more

March 22, 2009

KEY WEST, Fla. - Key West marine officials are campaigning against the possible invasion of a venomous marine fish popular with fish collectors. ...more

March 2, 2009

Oblivious to the "oohs" and "ahhs" echoing from the overhead gallery of spectators, two 7-week-old white tiger cubs emerged from their den this morning, their official debut to an adoring public. ...more

November 25, 2008

NATION Justices Will Hear Cursing In Hallowed High Court ...more

October 5, 2008

A frenzy overtakes the teeming harbor here as a wooden-hulled riverboat chugs into port. ...more

October 5, 2008

Hillsborough County commissioners stirred a hornet's nest last year by proposing to eliminate local protections for wetlands. Public outcry made them back off, though they ordered a review of developers' complaints that county rules were arbitrary and extreme. ...more

July 17, 2008