Many environmental issues come and go.
But sprawl never stops. Area environmentalists and officials say growth management will again dominate local environmental issues this year. Alachua County, with a population of 210,000 people, is struggling to find a way to avoid the mistakes that Miami, Jacksonville and other major Florida metros made when their populations began to boom. Both the Alachua County Commission and Gainesville City Commission have what are widely considered to be pro-environmental majorities that favor stronger regulations to manage growth. After last fall's elections, the county commission may arguably be the greenest in the state.