Forest and Silver Springs

[ATVXtreme]

Dear Friends of Natural  Florida,

 

   Thanks for your recent help in spreading the word about Avatar and its potential threat to animal habitat and Silver Springs. The battle is far, far from over, however. Making matters worse is President Bush's recent proposal to sell off nearly 1,000 acres of the Ocala National Forest. Please see below the details about what's at stake and then please also write hard copy letters to Gov. Bush and Gerald Kelfer of Avatar to get this deal done before bulldozers start to clear land next year.  Also, please send this email far and wide---outside of Florida is even better to show that Floridians and Americans everywhere don't want this cherished landmark desecrated.

 
Dear Friend of Florida:
 
Fabled Silver Springs near Ocala--Florida¹s majestic number one First Magnitude Springs and the state¹s first attraction and home to the old Tarzan movies‹is sick.
 
Consider:
·       Scientists from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the U.S. Geological Survey, The Florida Geological Survey, Florida Governor Bush¹s Springs Task Force, and an array of scientists have concluded that Silver Springs is now in a degraded condition, due to nitrates, pesticides, storm water and other pollutants.
·       Preliminary studies show that Silver Springs has experienced a 90% decline in fish population, according to Dr. Bob Knight, a Florida wetlands ecologist.
·       Former senior state biologist and springs expert, Jim Stevenson, has shown that a rise in the pollution level of Florida springs directly parallels population growth.
·       A study prepared by a 16-member Florida Springs Task Force for the state¹s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) stated that Silver Springs now suffers from a ³decline in water quality² thanks to nutrients such as nitrates.
 
Will things become worse? The Avatar Corporation is preparing to build homes for 22,000 residents, professional offices, retail space, ³big box² stores and golf courses on one of the most important water recharge areas vital to the health of Silver Springs. This recharge area is made up of karst, or extremely porous limestone, that allows water and pollutants to quickly move down to underground water sources for the Springs.
 
If developed, Avatar¹s 4,600 acres would drastically change the landscape and destroy habitat for species currently protected under state law such as the Florida Black Bear and the gopher tortoise. (Much of this property is Sandhill Community, made up of Longleaf Pine and Turkey Oak.) An estimated 90% of these trees have disappeared from Florida because of development. In addition, biologists say that hundreds of species of plants and animals live in the Sandhill Community and nowhere else. Costly new roads, schools, sewer lines, and other infrastructure spawned by the development could possibly trigger even more development on adjacent lands and forever change this area.
 
Floridians everywhere want this land preserved.
·       The Silver Springs Basin Working Group‹a coalition of state agencies, businesses, and private organizations--say that state acquisition of the Avatar land is the single most important purchase that could be made to protect the spring. Florida¹s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has the Avatar properties as number one on its "A" acquisition list.
·       Governor Jeb Bush wants this land purchased and preserved.
·       The Marion County Board of Commissioners recently passed a springs protection resolution, and publicly urged the Governor and DEP to purchase Avatar properties.
·       Long time state residents along with visitors from around the world who have experienced this Florida treasure want it to be set aside for future generations.
 
What Can Be Done? To its credit, Avatar has stated publicly that it is willing to spend millions of dollars on its development with new methods to mitigate any new influx of nitrate pollution. Sadly, however, Silver Springs can¹t take any more. A normal amount of nitrate is .02 milligrams per liter of water. Once a Florida spring reaches a level of 1.0, it experiences ecological decline. Silver Springs already has reached that danger point!
 
Avatar has not ruled out negotiating selling its holdings to the state. That means there¹s still hope. So, please---today:
 
·       Write to Governor Jeb Bush, The Capitol 400 S. Monroe St. Tallahassee, Fl 32399-1300 and ask him to continue negotiations with Avatar‹and to use Eminent Domain if necessary.
    €      Also write to Mr. Gerald Kelfer CEO, Avatar Holdings Inc. 201 Alhambra Circle Coral Gables, GL 33134. Thank him for negotiating with the state and urge him to sell its Avatar holdings near Silver Springs for the common good.




 
The SMART GROWTH COALITION
Of North Central Florida
P.O. Box 279
Ft. McCoy, FL  32134
(352) 685-2434

 

Karen Ahlers, President
Putnam County Environmental Council, Inc.
124 Vause Lake Road
Hawthorne, FL 32640
352-546-3560

[Ida_Mann]

What, if anything, does the selling of ONF land have to do with the Avatar corporation developing this land next to Silver Springs?

Sorry but this entire letter sounds like a bunch of tree-hugging hippie crap that is only written to make environmentalists mad.

If they are so worried about this particular land, why don't the "SMART GROWTH COALITION" raise the funds to buy the land from the Avatar corporation instead of "publicly urging" Jeb Bush to use taxpayer's money to buy the land?

If everything in the letter is true, then I see the point, and the need to preserve a truly beautiful piece of nature that I personally have enjoyed a few times, but I question the motives behind the author of this letter.

call me a cynic, I know.

Id@

[Chillinthemost]

Thats what I was thinking, Ida.