Hello Everyone,
We are still waiting for April 14, SRWMD Board Meeting, to put Blue Springs Properties request for a bottling water CUP (consumptive use permit) to rest (hopefully waiting).
In the meantime….OSFR has created an alliance with many other key active environmental groups in the area at large to help get a Springs Protection Bill passed through the Florida House and Senate. Senator Constantine’s place holder Bill 274 is it. On Friday, he did a strike all to this Bill, so we are anticipating a new Bill with more at stake to protect our valuable natural resources, eyes to the Floridan Aquifer, the springs Florida is so famous for (thanks in part to Ponce De Leon).
There has been much written about them in the past few years. Bob Knight has championed their protection in many published editorials recently…one more included here. Authors write about them, artist’s paint them, we recreate in them, plants and animals thrive in them…isn’t it about time, at the tipping point of humanity, that we use our energy to protect them.
In the past week, m e m b e r s (I use the term loosely because we actually have no membership drive, no fees, no board) of Florida Springs Focus Group came together to do the right thing for our sustainable future needs. If you have this same desire, I encourage you to do what we did for bottled water businesses on the Santa Fe River in North Central Florida. Write letters, make calls, talk to your neighbors, co-workers, family. Please see Brack’s letter below. It addresses many bills being proposed in the Florida Senate. Our focus is on one right now and that one is Senate Bill 274. It is in process of being revised completely. I plan on being in Tallahassee Tuesday, March 17th to hear the proceedings in the Committee on Environmental Preservation and Conservation. I went last week and spoke in favor of protecting the springs; listening were the Senators and a large audience. In fact, several environment groups spoke in favor of this bill. One loan dissenter lobbyist representing agriculture and builders, Frank Matthews, spoke against it. I’d like to say the odds are in our favor of getting this thing passed after seeing who actually spoke, BUT for any of you that have lived in Florida for any length of time knows which represented party here gets their way.
Turn the tide by using your democratic process.
You know the subject, if not go check out The River’s Journey DVD at your local library.
It’s a quick look into why this is imperative, or go to our website: www.oursantaferiver.org and view the 4 minute Springs Heartland video linked in on You Tube.
Please write, call or e-mail your elected officials. www.myflorida.com
Thanks for all you did for the “spring fed” Santa Fe River. Let’s keep the momentum flowing.
Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson
President of Our Santa Fe River, Inc.
