The Environment
Your Voice:
What steps should the State take, if any, to protect Florida’s ecosystems, water resources, and coastal communities?
Our Reply:
Senate Bill 712 entitled “Clean Waterways Act” at its inception (32 pages) was a good step in the direction of protecting Florida’s ecosystem, water resources, and coastal communities. But the final Bill of 111 pages is full of marking time, taking steps while standing in the same place. The difference is evident in the first line of the two documents. The 32-page version starts “An act relating to water quality improvements,” and the 111-page final version states, “An act relating to environmental resource management.”
As the Natural resources belong to the people of the State of Florida, our campaign supports the selection of the members of Florida’s five water management districts by the electoral method. Allowing the members to represent the will of the residents of Florida who will hold them accountable.
Provide adequate funding to support Florida’s lands acquisition programs for conservation and recreation known as “Florida Forever.” Four areas of Lake County are on the program list. The Green Swamp which includes a project area of 266,478 acres (105,258 acquired, and 161,220 acres remaining). The second is the Wekiva-Ocala Greenway, with 80,779 Acres (58,623 acquired and 22,156 acres remaining). The third is the Bugg Spring as part of Florida’s First Magnitude Springs project. All springs total 16,583 Acres (10,610 acquired and 5,972 acres remaining). Lastly, the Lake Wales Ridge Ecosystem with 58,651 Acres (36,685 acquired and 21,967 acres remaining), which includes the Lake County sites of Castle Hill, Flat Lake, and Sugarloaf.
Support, as stated in Florida’s Executive Order 19-12, Section 3 and summarized on Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection’s website, “protecting Florida coastal communities and natural resources by opposing offshore oil and gas activities off the coast in Florida, as well as hydraulic fracturing.” Provide funding and technical assistance to coastal communities for the preparation of rising sea levels.
Your Voice:
Many companies have bottled and sold Florida spring water for decades, making millions of dollars from a public resource for which they pay little or nothing. State water managers have determined the flow from springs has declined, and action must be taken to help the aquifer recover. How would you protect this endangered natural resource?
Our Reply:
Many water bottlers operate under the radar of the Florida agencies charged with protecting the state's supply -- the state simply doesn't track firms that bottle less than about 50,000 gallons a day[1]
Support recommendations based on a study performed by the Poor People's Campaign stating 31% of the census tracts in Florida may not be able to afford bottle water. Our campaign supports implementing a national water affordability program that is funded in part by past and future profits from water bottling companies.[2]
We support the recommend of the 2020 Florida Forever Five-Year Plan published by the Division of State Land of the Department of Environmental Protection Agency for infrastructure development that will be appropriate to allow public access, and to provide facilities, security, and property management.[3]
Bottled Water Companies via Goggle Search
[1] https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2002-01-20-0201200274-story.html
[2] https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/June-20-_-Exec-Sum_PPC-Policy-Platform_.pdf page 10
[3] http://publicfiles.dep.state.fl.us/DSL/FFWeb/Current%20Florida%20Forever%20Five-Year%20Plan.pdf pg353