|
An open letter to the
Florida Senate
As 30-year residents of
the Florida Keys,
we ask you to please preserve Area of Critical State Concern status for
Monroe
County if/when
SB-2098 comes before your committee.
Sensible people wouldn't
try to cram a grand piano and king size bed into a one-room efficiency
apartment. And only Cinderella's ugly stepsister would try to cram a
size 10 foot into a size 6 shoe.
But here in the Keys,
there IS a self-destructive push (by a well-financed, well-connected
few) to press ahead in defiance of common sense and ACSC mandates, and
over-cram these small islands with so much human impact that they become
unhealthy and unappealing — and even dangerously difficult to evacuate
in hurricane season.
Some factors to consider:
l Potable water is a
vital resource, already in limited supply.
l On a narrow island
chain connected by bridges, increased development increases congestion
and endangers lives in hurricane evacuation situations.
l Wastewater continues to
be a huge unresolved problem in the Keys. Health Department signs
continue to be posted at our beaches, warning that swimming could be
hazardous to our health.
l Millions have been
earmarked for conservation of resources — but it doesn't seem to be
happening, and we're watching parcels fall to the bulldozers ... as
speculators rush in. ...
l ... Important aspects
of the Florida Keys Carrying Capacity Study have not been fully
implemented as required by ACSC directives. Though no one seems to be
paying much attention to it ... the objective federal/state sponsored
CCS did clearly find that the Keys cannot remain healthy under the
pressure of further development. ...
Historically, people have
come to the Keys to escape the congestion and hectic pace of other
places. But, more and more, the Keys are being transformed into a
carbon-copy southernmost version of those other places, with their
congestion and pace and "sameness" and very un-Keysy problems imposed on
us.
Long-time residents and
visitors alike are greatly distressed by the disappearing Keys. ... We
have always had our own culture and rhythm and lifestyle and character,
a sense of place with sights and sounds unique in the world. And the
natural environment and resources are not just our way of life, but the
basis for our economy. Worthy of protection.
In the years since ACSC
was enacted, it is a well-documented fact that Monroe County has not
fulfilled its commitments and promises and requirements, and has not
demonstrated a capacity for self-regulated wise stewardship. There's a
world of difference between "gonna do" and "got it done!" Throwing out
the law is not the solution. The protections and state oversight of
Critical Concern could help save the Florida Keys for generations to
come.
Please oppose this bill,
senators, and support continuation of Critical State Concern for the
Florida Keys.
Carol Smith
Tavernier |
