The fight to keep the state of Florida from following through with a land buy agreement with U.S. Sugar Corporation- a deal that is said to help restore the Everglades- continues to waged over social media by groups supporting sugar farmers and those supporting Everglades restoration.
The sugar farmer-friendly group Florida Citizens Against Waste (FCAW) has been trying to squash the 46,000 acres, and approximate $500 million land buy, stating that the deal is simply unnecessary. Florida Citizens Against Waste believes the restoration agreement is being executed within budget, and on schedule.The group contends that because the ongoing restoration agreement between sugar farmers, state and federal agencies continues to successfully clean up the Everglades, the “water in the Everglades is cleaner than Evian.”
But while FCAW calls the groups backing the land buy deal “radical environmental groups,” these groups are also pushing the clean drinking water angle.
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Everglades restoration groups argue that this contractually bound land buy is necessary because Florida’s drinking water is threatened due to the sugar farm run-off that makes its way into the environment. These groups are also pointing at this past election results where the majority of voters in Florida approved to amend the Florida Constitution to allocate monies to fund the land buy, in what they believe to be a important step in protecting the drinking water, as well as improving the environment.
Because this issue is highly political, restoration-friendly groups are also targeting voters by trying to make the case that, if Florida’s waters are polluted to levels that would force the state to close beaches and restrict the consumption of fish, that the state’s extremely important tourism industry would be affected.
But again, FCAW continues to question if this land buy is necessary to restore the Everglades considering that the current deal in place to clean up the “River of Grass” seems to be working?FWAC is not letting up with its “Stop the land grab” campaign, and with the help of local Tea Party organizations, the group will be protesting the South Florida Water Management District on April 2 in West Palm Beach.
Stay tuned…