Orlando Tribune

Earth Day is just around the corner.  For those of you who do not know the story behind Earth Day, the national day of observance was the brainchild of United States Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, who called for the first Earth Day to be held on April 22, 1970. Over 20 million people participated in that first event, and it is now observed each year by more than 500 million people and national governments in 175 countries.  Since its inauguration, Earth Day has become the largest secular holiday in the world.

Osceola County commissioners recently approved a measure to place specific sites on a “target list” for the Environmental Lands Conservation Program created by the county.   This week, a new piece of property has been added to the list as a result of a county purchase.

In a move supported by most citizens, the Osceola County commission recently approved a measure to place specific sites on a “target list” for the Environmental Lands Conservation Program created by the county. The effort is a move in part to preserve land from overdevelopment and to instead preserve its use for future parks and greenways.

In a move to put a stop to declining tourism numbers, Osceola County has pledged its support for additional funding to the Visit Florida program.  The Florida association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus (FACVB) has joined with Visit Florida to convince the State Legislature to appropriate an additional $59 million for tourism marketing.   This total does not include the $25million currently appropriated to the funds for tourism marketing.  The FACVB is tasked with seeking out the approval of local communities and counties in support of this increase in spending.