Action Alerts: (Please see contact information for federal, state and local elected officials below)
Ask your senators to sponsor S 696, the Appalachia Restoration Act, to stop Big Coal from using Appalachian streams as dumping grounds for mining waste. Headwater streams are where rivers are born, so impacts go beyond the coalfields where mountainto...p removal is happening. To our great shame, 2,000 miles of stream have already been buried by mountaintop removal. This affects everything downstream of where this is being done so that as the streams north of us are filled, we begin to slowly feel the effects here in Florida waters. http://www.ilovemountains.org/write-your-senators/
Fight the plan to pump millions of gallons of water per day from the St. Johns
Seminole County recently won a court battle allowing it to move forward with plans to pump millions of gallons of water per day from the St. Johns, a move that will have enormous negative impacts on the river and our local economy. The final step before the county can proceed is a decision by the SJRWMD Board of Governors scheduled for April 13 at 1 p.m. It is critical that we have a large number of people attend this meeting as it is likely the last opportunity we will have to be heard.Please contact me if you would like to participate in our carpool from Seminole County to the meeting. Steve@SJRmag.com.
Please take a few moments to write to or e-mail the nine members of this board and ask them to vote NO. Feel free to use the sample letter below or to write your own. Be sure to include your name and address in your letter and avoid being disrespectful. Contact information can be found below the sample letter.
Dear ----------,
As a resident of Seminole County, I am alarmed by the county’s plan to pump millions of gallons of water per day from the St. Johns River.
Following the decision of Administrative Judge J. Lawrence Johnston, which cleared the way for the St. Johns River Water Management District's Board Governors to vote on the withdrawal, Seminole County announced plans to move ahead quickly with the Yankee Lake project.
I urge you to vote NO when that issue comes before the Board of Governors on March 10.
The challenge of providing water for future development in Central Florida should be addressed through reasonable – and enforced – conservation measures, rather than taking water from the river. This is especially important given that scientific studies into the effects of the plan have yet to be completed.
The St. Johns River is not only a wondrous natural beauty; it is also an important economic engine for our community. Potential consequences of over-pumping include increased salinity, loss of wetland habitat and more toxic blue-green algae blooms, all of which will negatively impact industries related to fishing, boating and ecotourism. Furthermore, cities like Sanford, which rely on a healthy waterfront to attract visitors, would suffer enormous economic difficulties if water quality deteriorates significantly.
Please vote against the permit to withdraw water from the St. Johns River at Yankee Lake, at least until we have all of the facts. In the meantime, please make new conservation initiatives a priority and work to ensure that conservation programs already in place are enforced.
Thank you,
State agencies:
St. Johns River Water Management District Board of Governors:
