Event Roundup – Speak Up For Florida’s Water

Here are some updates to include a new article, a petition to Governor Rick Scott to speak up for Silver Springs, and a few more photo albums:

Update: Article – Protecting The Idea of Florida by Ocala Star-Banner Editorial Page Editor Brad Rogers

Update: Petition – Governor Rick Scott: Speak Up For Silver Springs!

Update: Photo Gallery – From the Ocala Star-Banner

Update: Facebook Photo Gallery – From Travels On The Blue Path

Update: Facebook Photo Gallery – From I Love Springs

The Florida Conservation Coalition event “Speak Up: Silver Springs” at Silver River State Park was a success. According to Jim Ross, staff writer for  Ocala.com, the event drew “hundreds” of concerned Floridians to speak up for Florida’s water.

Bob Graham has a childhood memory of Silver Springs, where abundant fish and the sandy river bottom were visible from glass-bottomed boats. Florida’s former governor and U.S. senator wants his grandchildren, and their grandchildren, to have similar memories.

Graham told the hundreds of people in the audience that they are the “front line of the protectors” for Florida’s water resources. He encouraged them to apply common sense — and to encourage their elected leaders to do the same.

Why do people move themselves and their businesses to Florida? “It’s not because of our beautiful strip malls,” Graham said. To neglect our waterways is to harm not just our environmental future, but also our economic present. “If we screw this up, we have killed the goose that laid the golden eggs,” Graham said.

Twelve and 20. The numbers that resonated most on Saturday at Silver River State Park were 12 and 20.

Silver Springs’ flow will stop in 12 years, by conservative accounting, and within 20 months if the worst models prove true, according to Charles Lee, of Audubon of Florida.

The word “memory,” these numbers and those speakers met receptive ears at “Speak Up: Silver Springs,” a daylong forum that attracted several hundred people. The goal was to educate people about Florida’s natural resources and encourage them to influence public policy makers so that Silver Springs, and all Florida’s springs, can enjoy a brighter future.

Below are some photos from the event taken by Tech Brigade. After that, Tech Brigade’s video of Jay Jourden performing “Save Our Suwannee”. He will have more video from the event to post soon so keep checking back. Thanks, Tech Brigade, for the contribution. Follow Tech Brigade on Twitter @techbrigade

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Photos courtesy of Tech Brigade

Jay Jourden performing “Save Our Suwannee”.

Video courtesy of Tech Brigade

If you doubted the seriousness of this issue, here’s what’s left of White Springs.

Excerpts from “Water forum draws hundreds” used with permission by Jim Ross [ jim.ross@starbanner.com ], staff writer for Ocala.com. Thanks, Jim!