Just as the press believes that the Audubon Society is the spokesperson for all of Florida’s environmental woes, many people think the Everglades are the only threatened waters in Florida.
We have said many times here that Florida waters in crisis should include North Florida’s iconic Springs Heartland, because they are just as unique in the world as are the Everglades.
But we hear mostly about the Everglades.
But our springs are just as threatened and are slowly dying because our governor and legislature protect the industries that are polluting them and drawing off the water they need to survive.
And yes, Mr. Brooker, these offices certainly do “need” to address the challenges, but they will not do so. Any expectation that they will is wasted time and effort. Yes, they will spend money and brag about it but they will not fix the springs. That is not in the plan.
If we study the history of our springs’ purity and flow we will see that the decline is constant and approved by our DEP and useless water managers.
That is why we need the right to clean water in our State Constitution.
Read the original article here at FloridaToday.
Comments by OSFR historian Jim Tatum.
jim.tatum@oursantaferiver.org
– A river is like a life: once taken,
it cannot be brought back © Jim Tatum
Governor and legislature need to address Florida’s water-quality challenges |Opinion
As Florida continues to wisely invest in high-profile environmental initiatives such as the restoration of The Everglades and the Indian River Lagoon, the governor and the Legislature should remember Tampa Bay and other bodies of water also desperately need more attention.
To their credit, Gov. Ron DeSantis and state lawmakers have made The Everglades and Indian River Lagoon top priorities. The governor recently announced plans for $100 million a year in water quality projects for the Indian River Lagoon to help collect and treat stormwater runoff. The Everglades’ restoration efforts are expected to get additional billions in the coming years.
While those restoration projects are essential, other bodies of water around the state should not be ignored. State legislators could take a significant step this spring toward making sure key waterways all around Florida get the appropriate attention by requiring the state to develop Basin Management Action Plans for each of them. We need those basin plans for Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay and so many more water bodies ― from Pensacola Bay and Apalachicola Bay in the Panhandle to Biscayne Bay in South Florida.
Why is it so important to create these plans and see them through?
Another effective way to protect the health of our beaches and waterways would be for the Legislature to again allow local governments to ban single-use plastics – or approve a statewide ban. This is an enormous economic issue because the health of our beaches and our waterways is directly tied to the health of our economy.
It’s important for the governor and the Legislature to make restoration of The Everglades and the Indian River Lagoon a priority. But we need to do more this spring to create the paths to improving water quality and protecting beaches throughout Florida – and we can start by banning balloon releases and single-use plastics.
