Water Win
Conservancy Water Efforts Advanced by Florida Senator Joe Negron
By Conservancy President and CEO Rob Moher
Tuesday, August 9, in Stuart, Florida, incoming Senate President Joe Negron announced his intention to secure up to $2.4 billion to purchase 60,000 acres of lands south of Lake Okeechobee to help stop the ripple effect of polluted waters being discharged east into the St. Lucie and west into the Caloosahatchee. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida applauds the tenacity, vision and political courage of Senator Negron in advancing one of the remaining missing pieces of the puzzle to address our water quality challenges in South Florida.
Your support and advocacy efforts as a supporter of the Conservancy have been vital in communicating our message about the negative impact of these discharges on Southwest Florida to Senator Negron and others in Tallahassee and Washington. As you know, we have dedicated a significant amount of time and resources to ensure that the ripple effect of polluted waters into our estuaries is addressed in a comprehensive and meaningful way.
The support of our Conservancy members, the public, the media and our environmental partners has been vital in communicating our message about the negative impact of these discharges on Southwest Florida to Senator Negron and others in Tallahassee and Washington, D.C. The Conservancy continues to dedicate time and resources to ensure that the ripple effect of polluted waters into our estuaries is addressed in a comprehensive and meaningful way.
The acknowledgment by this important political leader that additional storage, treatment and conveyance south of the Lake is needed to stop the discharges to the east and west is a huge step forward for science-based policy.
To make this proposal a reality, however, will take sustained public pressure and attention as there are many hurdles yet to clear. What is clear, is that acquiring adequate land south of the Lake, in addition to the existing Everglades restoration projects already in the works, is not only a smart environmental policy, it is smart economic policy.
More than 1.2 million jobs in Florida depend on our tourism economy and — according to recent research produced in part by the University of Florida — more than half of possible visitors to Florida are concerned enough by the spread of harmful algae blooms to delay or alter their travel plans. In fact, Southwest Florida was the second highest area of concern of potential tourists in the study.
The Conservancy of Southwest Florida will continue to work with State House and Senate leadership, partner environmental organizations and coalitions, interested civic organizations and citizens as well as our local delegation at the State and Federal levels to ensure the momentum from this recent announcement is sustained. Our economy, natural resources and quality of life depend upon planning and executing a comprehensive strategy that addresses all of the pieces of the water quality puzzle. Senator Negron has just helped Florida take a vital step forward to advance one of the most vital pieces. Let’s all ensure we support him in making this plan a reality.
Here are a few things you can do:
- Attend our upcoming Evenings at the Conservancy lecture, The Ripple Effect of Polluted Water Releases. Click here to register.
- Read more about our water-related work. Click here.
- Donate to our water work. Click here.
Thank you again for your continued support!
Sincerely,
Rob Moher
President and CEO
Conservancy of Southwest Florida
