Thank you Corp of Engineers...who would have thought that digging a canal
(oops... several canals) across FLA would screw up the
environment...billion dollar boondoggle...but look at all that cool black
muck we can farm.  Except now its too dry...oops.

Tom

----------
> From: Mark Steingart <stngardn@gt*.ne*>
> To: Tom Mercier <merciert@ti*.co*>
> Cc: Anthony Martinez <Anthony.Martinez@no*.go*>;
freeattic@co*.ci*.uf*.ed*; cavers@cavers.com
> Subject: Re: Re[2]: Say "no" to NOAA??
> Date: Friday, February 19, 1999 6:41 PM
> 
> I can't resist adding to this...
> 
> A recent federal study, (sorry can't remember which agency) has 
> definitively linked the decline of the Key's reef system to the 
> management and redirection of freshwater from the Everglades along with 
> the elevations of nitrates caused by the GIANT sugar industry of South 
> Florida. There is to date, no real evidence linking the reef's decline 
> to usage by the public (although I'm sure that divers do cause damage).
> 
> What we are talking about here as an analogy, is if your house is 
> burning down, NOAA wants to hang a sign that says "NO SMOKING".
> 
> Sorry to say, the real solution to correct the inevitable loss of North 
> America's only living coral reef system is not possible and is not going 
> to happen; that solution would entail restoring the Everglades to it's 
> pre-twentieth century condition, (Billions of Dollars) severely 
> regulating and forcing the Sugar industry to clean up the mess,(hundreds 
> of millions of Dollars) and forcing South Florida to find a new water 
> source other than the Biscayne Aquifer (hudreds of millions of Dollars).
> 
> It is obvious to those who are even remotely connected with this 
> situation, that the Reef system is ultimately doomed in the long run and 
> all NOAA can hope to do is stave off it's demise for a couple of dozen 
> years, if that. 
> 
> Mr. Martinez, you know this is all true and yet your agency's hands are 
> tied except for restricting usage by the little guy. What is the reason? 
> Plain and simple; MONEY
> 
> Mark Steingart   
> 
> Tom Mercier wrote:
> > 
> > Mr. Martinez, I am absolutely in favor of preserving all underwater
> > environments.  I am absolutely in favor of preserving free access for
all
> > divers and others who wish to enjoy those habitats.  I am opposed to
any
> > who seek to allow only their favored few, especially consessionaires,
to
> > control that access.  It eliminates free trade and thus begins to cost
> > individual divers and others exorbant amounts of dollars to enjoy their
> > environment.  The parks and open waters are not only for the
rich....you
> > have only to look to the National Parks to see how the consessionaires
have
> > screwed up the park system.  It is all for the people not the
privileged
> > few.  Having had lived in Florida and dove, and fished, extensively in
the
> > Keys...I have seen damage that has been done in the 28 years that I
have
> > been diving in the Keys....cut the flow of crap that is being pumped
into
> > the water...cut off the fertlizer and pesticide runoff from the golf
> > courses and the green lawns that everyone seems to plant....process the
> > runoff from the roads before it is allowed to flow into the Bay...and
leave
> > the recreational divers and fishermen alone.  NOAA use your resources
to
> > deal with the real problems. I remain opposed to the establishment of a
> > NOAA Sanctuary in the Keys. I am ,like yourself, a concerned citizen
but
> > not a paid NOAA employee...I pay the cost now...I use my own time and
> > resources to preserve the underwater environment...how about you?
> > 
> > Captain Tom Mercier BSc
> > Vice President of Michigans Thumb Area Bottomlands Preserve
> > Board Member of Michigan Underwater Preserve Council
> > 
> > 
> > ----------
> > > From: Anthony Martinez <Anthony.Martinez@no*.go*>
> > > To: merciert@ti*.co*; freeattic@co*.ci*.uf*.ed*
> > > Subject: Re[2]: Say "no" to NOAA??
> > > Date: Friday, February 19, 1999 8:52 AM
> > >
> > >
> > > If you would have personally witnessed the massive decline in
resource
> > quality
> > > in and around the Keys, you might not be so adamant in your objection
to
> > > preserving one of this countries most amazing eco-systems. Even if it
> > comes at a
> > > cost. I say this as a concerned citizen and not an employee of NOAA.
-
> > Tony
> > >
> > > ____________________Reply Separator____________________
> > > Subject:    Re: Say "no" to NOAA??
> > > Author: merciert@ti*.co*
> > > Date:       2/16/99 8:42 PM
> > >
> > > Apparently NOAA wants to make a preserve of a large portion of the
> > >  keys.
> > > Where this was done in other places and their Attempt in Michigans
> > Thunder
> > > Bay... NOAA grants consessions to business and kicks out anyone who
is
> > not
> > > a consessionaire.  The costs to divers then just goes up and up as
the
> > > prices are then controlled by a very few businesses who have no
> > competition
> > > thanks to the US of A.
> > >
> > > Captain Tom Mercier
> > >
> > > ----------
> > > From: Bill Lais <billlais@mp*.ne*>
> > > To: Cost effective home improvement <freeattic@co*.ci*.uf*.ed*>
> > > Subject: Say "no" to NOAA??
> > > Date: Tuesday, February 16, 1999 2:12 AM
> > >
> > > As I was driving through Marathon Key Monday, I noticed a small
submarine
> > > with "Just say no to NOAA" painted on the side of it in front of a
dive
> > > shop.  Anyone know why??
> > >
> > > -  Bill

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