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I was preparing the outline of a “feel good” Chair column when
the events of September 11th, changed all of our lives.
Suddenly, discussion of cooperation with other Sections and
working together for our own Section seemed like bromides. Our deepest condolences go out to those who lost friends or
family in the tragedies. Nonetheless,
we must continue leading our daily lives, as President Bush
requested of all of us. It
is a good time to remember how much this Section accomplishes by
working together.
Our
Section has nearly 2,000 members and affiliates of many divergent
backgrounds and interests, yet we constantly cooperate for the
common good. Such
Section stalwarts as Suzi Ruhl, who has long fought for public
access to justice, and Maribel Nicholson-Choice, who has focused on
bringing persons of color into our Section, demonstrate the benefits
of such a diverse group. We
consist of public interest representatives, private property rights
advocates, and persons of all stripes in between. The members of
this Section work together, generally collegially, occasionally
arguing, but trying to
reach consensus based on what is right.
Among the Section’s key projects is our work with Eric
Smith at the Florida Coastal School of Law.
Michelle Diffenderfer, our CLE Chair, and Suzi Ruhl, are
beginning Section programs assisting that school’s international
environmental summit and public access television show.
We hope that these projects will help protect the environment
and private rights here and elsewhere, while aiding the poor and
dispossessed locally.
The
Florida Coastal association is typical of our relations with law
schools throughout Florida and elsewhere.
Bob Riggio coordinates our efforts with the state’s law
schools. This includes
such other projects as the annual Dean Maloney writing contest, as
well as ongoing support of the University of Florida’s public
interest conference every March and the Florida State University
Journal of Land Use and Environmental Law.
Susan Trevarthen recently broadened our base, when she arranged
our co-sponsorship of a regulatory takings conference that Georgetown
University is conducting at the University of Miami on October 18-19,
2001.
George
Gramling is our new liaison with The Florida Bar’s Real Property,
Probate and Trust Law Section. George
hopes to coordinate with that Section on various CLE programs. Additionally, we have invited that Section to provide authors
for the more real property related aspects of our own three volume
treatise. Our
treatise’s predecessor CLE manual was a joint product of the two
Sections, so we are happy and proud to renew that close relationship.
We
also try to reach out to experienced practitioners. Among those persons who have been long active in
environmental and land use law, and who recently took leadership
positions in our Section are Carol Forthman and David Jordan.
Ms. Forthman is a new editor of our Section Reporter, and Mr.
Jordan is a new member of our Executive Council.
We are particularly pleased with Mr. Jordan’s ascension,
since he is the first representative of the Department of Community
Affairs on the Executive Council since former DCA Secretary Tom Pelham
was our chair a decade ago.
Mr.
Jordan and Allen Watts chair an ad hoc committee we created to work
with The Florida Bar Rules of Judicial Administration Committee and
Legislative staff regarding due process implications of findings of
fact in local government planning and zoning decisions.
This responds to comments and enquiries the Florida Supreme
Court made about findings of fact in Broward County v. GDV. The Court’s members debated the recommendations of a
Florida Bar Journal column on the topic that T. R. Hainline and Steve
Diebenow wrote for our Section. The
ad hoc committee contains three subcommittees representing property
owners, public interest groups and local government, respectively.
Our goal is not unanimity.
Rather, we want the Courts and the Legislature to hear all of
the pertinent points of view.
Our
world has changed - - dramatically and irreversibly. We can, however, indeed, we must, continue to do the best we
can, individually and professionally, for the common good. The persons discussed above, and many others, have expended
incredible time and effort in using their gifts for others.
We welcome others who are similarly inclined to join us.
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