Presentation Summary
The Urban Development Boundary is perhaps the most important tool in our planning arsenal to preserve the "green belt" of farms, nurseries, wetlands, and large lot homes that separates the Everglades from Miami-Dade County's sprawling urban core. However, the protections offered by this vital planning tool are not set in stone, and as we enter into 2018, a variety of new developments threaten to undermine it, from the current ongoing Evaluation and Appraisal Report process which threatens to expand the boundaries of the UDB into the low-lying and ecologically valuable land of the Urban Expansion Areas to the Miami Dade Expressway Authority (MDX)- SR836 extension project plans to extend the Dolphin expressway beyond the Urban Development Boundary (UDB). At the same time, we are now at a crucial junction for comprehensive change to the county's Development Master Plan to promote smart and sustainable growth well into the future.
Speaker Biography
I strive to make our collective quality of life better in South Florida and I feel putting environmental protection and conservation of our resources at the forefront of everyone's mind is the best way to extend the time we have in paradise. Let's all understand that the health of the environment is inextricably linked to our economy and health."
-- Laura Reynolds
Laura L. Reynolds is the founding and managing member of “Conservation Concepts, LLC”, an environmental consulting and advocacy firm which provides a broad range of services meant to maximize the effectiveness of environmentally focused organizations, including conducting advocacy campaigns, organizing litigation, drafting and managing grant applications and much more. Through the combination of her unique expertise, broad network of connections and her dedicated staff, Laura’s firm Conservation Concepts LLC has helped to amplify the pro-environmental voices of her clients across the region.
Laura received a B.S. in Marine Biology & Environmental Science in 1999 and afterwards completed multiple undergraduate and graduate research projects at the University of Miami and Florida International University. Over the course of her ten-year career in research and education, Laura began to realize the great disconnect between science and environmental policies. She also learned that many residents, business leaders, and government officials were unaware of strategies that could promote economic growth while simultaneously ensuring environmentally resilient communities, leading to the development of a true sustainable basis for wealth and prosperity. Her education led her to become involved in non-profit advocacy, serving as Executive Director of Tropical Audubon Society for 8 years. Prior to her service in this leadership role, she served on Tropical Audubon’s Board of Directors as Chair of Education & Outreach and as Vice-President for 4 years. During her tenure with Tropical Audubon, Laura applied her understanding of the hydrologic interactions and habitats of South Florida to successfully promote positive conservation and development decisions across many levels of governance.
Over the past 20 years, Laura has worked tirelessly to bridge the gap science and policy while simultaneously helping to educate the public and business leaders about critical conservation issues. She has cultivated a deep level of knowledge on the litany of environmental issues which affect South Florida, and strives to share that knowledge as effectively as possible through speaking engagements, public forum debates, article-writing, and activism.
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/conservationconceptsllc/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ConserveConcept
-- Laura Reynolds
Laura L. Reynolds is the founding and managing member of “Conservation Concepts, LLC”, an environmental consulting and advocacy firm which provides a broad range of services meant to maximize the effectiveness of environmentally focused organizations, including conducting advocacy campaigns, organizing litigation, drafting and managing grant applications and much more. Through the combination of her unique expertise, broad network of connections and her dedicated staff, Laura’s firm Conservation Concepts LLC has helped to amplify the pro-environmental voices of her clients across the region.
Laura received a B.S. in Marine Biology & Environmental Science in 1999 and afterwards completed multiple undergraduate and graduate research projects at the University of Miami and Florida International University. Over the course of her ten-year career in research and education, Laura began to realize the great disconnect between science and environmental policies. She also learned that many residents, business leaders, and government officials were unaware of strategies that could promote economic growth while simultaneously ensuring environmentally resilient communities, leading to the development of a true sustainable basis for wealth and prosperity. Her education led her to become involved in non-profit advocacy, serving as Executive Director of Tropical Audubon Society for 8 years. Prior to her service in this leadership role, she served on Tropical Audubon’s Board of Directors as Chair of Education & Outreach and as Vice-President for 4 years. During her tenure with Tropical Audubon, Laura applied her understanding of the hydrologic interactions and habitats of South Florida to successfully promote positive conservation and development decisions across many levels of governance.
Over the past 20 years, Laura has worked tirelessly to bridge the gap science and policy while simultaneously helping to educate the public and business leaders about critical conservation issues. She has cultivated a deep level of knowledge on the litany of environmental issues which affect South Florida, and strives to share that knowledge as effectively as possible through speaking engagements, public forum debates, article-writing, and activism.
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/conservationconceptsllc/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ConserveConcept
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