Big News From Loxahatchee

Some great news for a change.

Strike one for the human beings on the planet for a change. The State of Florida, known more for hanging chads and college football than for environmental sense, has announced that it is buying back 187,000 acres of the Everglades from the United States Sugar Company, a concern that has been, with State aid, polluting and choking off the world’s largest and one of its most important rivers for decades.

Note I said largest, not longest. The Everglades, long considered just a great big swamp, is actually a slow-moving river, 60 miles wide and over 100 miles long, flowing southward from Lake Okeechobee, across a limestone shelf, to Florida Bay at the southern end of the state. 60 miles covers a lot of area and “the Glades” is home to amazing wildlife, unique flora and spectacular natural vistas. Since the first time I visited in 1969 I have been fascinated by the beauty and the significance of the Everglades.

By significance I refer to the fact that this area affects things like migratory patterns of hundreds of species and also global weather patterns. It has been an issue for Florida politicians ever since Governor Napoleon Bonaparte Broward vowed to “drain that abominable pestilence-ridden swamp” to create a “Empire of the Everglades” and the government and business community have been screwing it up ever since.

The announcement from Republican Governor (and rumored potential McCain running mate) Charlie Crist is a welcome change in direction, not just for environmentalists but for anyone concerned with the quality of the air and water in the country. As a resident of this state I can tell you that I am doing cartwheels over this announcement. Finally, someone is doing something right.

I know that there is politics behind this move. I am sure it is not wholly altruistic and I am sure that someone is making out like a bandit somehow on this deal. They say that the state is overpaying United States Sugar and the employees are rightly concerned about what will happen to them when they close the mills. And though their concerns are valid, in the long run what is most important is that this will be the biggest ecological restoration in history. With the problems facing us in this state, namely clean potable water and breathable air starting to make a serious dent on the public’s consciousness, this move makes a wonderful statement to everyone that the big picture can and will be considered before political action.

I often drive back and forth across Route 60, past the Kissimmee River and on my way to and from Anna Maria Island. I love to take the occasional detour or just stop to observe the nature that is all around. I enjoy the trails and the endless miles of sawgrass. If you love the outdoors, the Everglades is a uniquely spiritual place.

There is a long way to go before the restoration begins but this is such a positive step it is amazing to think that it can happen at all. Kudos to Governor Crist. He can now go run for Vice President knowing that, unlike his predecessor, he left Florida in better shape than when he found it.