Environment

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Volunteers needed for invasive plant removal Nov. 11

Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance (CBA) is seeking volunteers to assist with invasive plant removal. The Longleaf Alliance is partnering with CBA to cut down invasive Chinese tallow and mimosa trees and you will be helping haul the tree debris (limbs and cut up trunks) from participating properties to a collection point. Wear clothes and close-toed shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty. Bring sunscreen, snacks, a water bottle and a hat. Water, snacks, and gloves will be provided. Meet at the...

Red tide status currently high in Walton County

Oct 28, 2015 You may want to reconsider talking a walk along the beaches in South Walton for a few days. Red tide is present in high concentrations, and is present in Western Lake, which has had an inflow from the Gulf due to the recent rain events. Dead fish as a result of the red tide have washed ashore on the beach and lake. Blooms of the Florida red tide organism, Karenia brevis, are present in, along, and offshore...

Hazmat collection day in north and south Walton Nov. 7

The Walton Board of County Commissioners is sponsoring a project to collect, recycle, treat and properly dispose of these and other household hazardous wastes: Pesticides – Used Oil – Stale Gasoline – Solvents – Fertilizers – Paint – Paint Thinners – Paint Strippers – Batteries – Furniture Polish – Brake Fluid – Engine Degreasers – Anti-Freeze – Pool Chemicals – Insecticides – Spot Removers Waste tire amnesty will also be held on the same date, during the same hours and...

Consider the Bear

Editorial River current slipped my kayak around cypress knees and beneath the arms of tupelo gum, but my mind was wrapped around black bears: the state wildlife commissioners had just voted to open a hunting season on them, beginning October 24. As we left the woods, a black bear cub galloped across the dirt road in front of our car. Could hunters legally shoot such a small bear, we wondered? Would they? Really? And how would a cub survive if...

Department of Health in Walton County issues rabies alert

Walton County – The Florida Department of Health in Walton County issued a rabies alert for the central part of Walton County, specifically the Freeport and Woodlawn areas. This is in response to a second fox that tested positive on Oct. 2, 2015. All residents and visitors in Walton County should be aware that rabies is present in the wild animal population and domestic animals are at risk if not vaccinated. The public is asked to maintain a heightened awareness...

Volunteers needed for invasive plant removal

Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance (CBA) is seeking volunteers to assist with invasive plant removal. The Longleaf Alliance is partnering with CBA to cut down invasive Chinese tallow and mimosa trees and you will be helping haul the tree debris (limbs and cut up trunks) from participating properties to a collection point. Wear clothes and close-toed shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty. Bring sunscreen, snacks, a water bottle and a hat. Water, snacks, and gloves will be provided. Meet at the...

Two water quality advisories issued for south Walton beach locations

The Florida Department of Health in Walton County (DOH-Walton) conducts regularly scheduled saltwater beach water quality monitoring at seven sites through the Healthy Beaches Monitoring Program. Samples are collected from March through the end of October. The water samples are analyzed for enteric bacteria (enterococci) that normally inhabit the intestinal tract of humans and animals, which may cause human disease, infections, or rashes. The presence of enteric bacteria is an indication of fecal pollution, which may come from storm water...