FIRST -- since I have email contact with over 4,000 folks -- I have been urged by others to again offer for your possible consideration the online links to these two recently created and related Ocklawaha River restoration non-governmental initiatives: "FORCE" and "The Great Florida Riverway." Now I would be encouraged to see these 2 new entities work closely with John Hendrickson and his team of environmental scientists at the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) to explore the best path forward to restore a free-flowing Ocklawaha while protecting the health of the more important St. Johns. As a retired State of Florida governmental administrator, I know that because of our "sunshine" laws any communications with SJRWMD by these new private organizations will be public record and as such the transcripts of these negotiations should be posted by the groups themselves so that pro-restoration people can "read all about it."
https://www.freetheocklawaha.com/signup/
https://www.freetheocklawaha.com/advocate/
https://greatfloridariverway.com/
https://secure3.convio.net/smc/site/SPageNavigator/Advocacy/great_florida_riverway.html
SECOND, Jenny Carr and Captain Erika S. Ritter will have access to the final signatures list and comments list of this unofficial SIGN-FOR-FREE-$$$ Change-dot-org "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" online petition. I trust that they will utilize this data in a responsible manner.
Sorry, but I am not enthusiastic about initiatives that (1) don't post their individual membership numbers allowing you or me to view them (the "votes") and that (2) seem to promote data that is not entirely supported by the literature.
NOW BACK TO AN ALMOST "POSTMORTEM" ANAYLSIS OF THIS PETITION:
This unofficial SIGN-FOR-FREE-$$$ Change-dot-org "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" online petition effort has been based upon SCIENTIFICALLY-DOCUMENTED LITERATURE that report the effects on lower St. Johns River nutrient supply and TMDL target compliance from the restoration of a free-flowing Ocklawaha River. An official ballot-placement petition would be guided and subject to Florida election laws including perjury penalties involving signatures of un-registered voters, signing more than once, etc.
MY OPINE: At 49 years since the Cross Florida Barge Canal project was halted, perhaps it is way-past-due time for this Ocklawaha River restoration issue to be placed on a LEGAL official ballot in 2022 or so as a referendum question of some type (non-binding or such) for actual LEGAL Florida voters to make their wishes known about (and politicians to take a stand on)? Supporting peer-reviewed scientific literature and reasons for, projected costs, projected returns, and so on could be explained in a real LEGAL petition that attracts the LEGAL signatures of registered-to-vote Floridians. Maybe 10,000 or so certified names of those who LEGALLY have voting rights in this state would be required to make it happen? COME-ON, ARE WE ACTUALLY SERIOUS ABOUT RESOLVING THIS ISSUE - OR NOT? And would we trust the opinions of voting Floridians regarding this question?
I am a registered Florida voter and -- avoiding any possible perjury issues -- would be agreeable to signing ONCE a real LEGAL official petition to place a real question on a real LEGAL official ballot pertaining to restoration of the Ocklawaha River by the breaching of Rodman (Kirkpatrick) Dam as long as the wording of the petition is true, accurate, and correct with real documentation and scientific literature citations to support its argument.
FOR PERSPECTIVE: As the tabulation of this online petition's supporter names reaches its end, for the sake of perspective here are some data and numbers related to the Ocklawaha River restoration issue and this SIGN-FOR-FREE-$$$ Change-dot-org "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" online petition.
I am a Florida rivers enthusiast. I have canoed, explored, fished, hiked and hunted (at times) along segments (and their corridors) of all of these Florida rivers and streams from the NW to the SW in this state: Chipola, Apalachicola, Ochlockonee, Little (Ochlockonee), St. Marks, Wakulla, Aucilla, Wacissa, Suwannee, Santa Fe, Ichetucknee, St. Marys, St. Johns, Salt Springs Run, Juniper Creek, Alexander Creek, Wekiva, Econlockhatchee, Ocklawaha, Deep Creek, Orange Creek, Eaton Creek, Silver, Withlacoochee, and Hillsborough.
In the Ocklawaha River basin, no doubt my favorite segment is the mostly natural cool-and-swift-flowing middle Ocklawaha between SR-40 and CR-316. I have had many great experiences on the lower Ocklawaha below Rodman Dam too. Rodman Reservoir has provided me some very good memories also BUT I PREFER THE DENSELY FORESTED FLOWING RIVER and that's why I advocate for restoration.
At the very beginning of April 2016, the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) released on their website for dissemination to the public a literary document entitled, "Technical Publication SJ2016-1: Effects on Lower St. Johns River Nutrient Supply and TMDL Target Compliance from the Restoration of a Free-Flowing Ocklawaha River" authored by John Hendrickson, Environmental Scientist VI, SJRWMD. John Hendrickson explained in understandable English the official reasons --mostly projected nutrient load into the more important lower St. Johns River -- as to why the Ocklawaha River hadn't already been restored to free-flowing again (by the breaching of Rodman Dam), even after Governor Lawton Chiles and the Cabinet in 1997 (sitting as the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund) mandated that this would happen.
"Technical Publication SJ2016-1: Effects on Lower St. Johns River Nutrient Supply and TMDL Target Compliance from the Restoration of a Free-Flowing Ocklawaha River" was and still is the most-favorable-to-restoration official governmental literature that I have ever read and studied, and I have looked at many, many scientific reports regarding this issue since 2004.
Very soon after Hendrickson's paper was made available online in April 2016 I alerted the various leaders of the Ocklawaha River restoration community about its existence, fully expecting that some entity would take the lead at utilizing it for benefit and working with SJRWMD to make the science that shows that breaching Rodman Dam wouldn't be detrimental to the environmental health of the lower St. Johns River. I would have wholeheartedly supported whoever "took the ball and ran with it", "it" being "Technical Publication SJ2016-1: Effects on Lower St. Johns River Nutrient Supply and TMDL Target Compliance from the Restoration of a Free-Flowing Ocklawaha River" -- but nobody of the "community" did. I was totally baffled as to why until finally only one reason made any "cents" to me.
So on June 24, 2016 "Ocklawahaman" Paul Nosca -- frustrated at the inaction of any pro-restoration entity to use this new "ammunition" -- created the SIGN-FOR-FREE-$$$ Change-dot-org "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" online petition. The basis for this petition is the findings and recommendations of "Technical Publication SJ2016-1: Effects on Lower St. Johns River Nutrient Supply and TMDL Target Compliance from the Restoration of a Free-Flowing Ocklawaha River" authored by John Hendrickson, Environmental Scientist VI, SJRWMD.
This "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" Change-dot-org online petition in the 4.5 years of its existence has achieved nearly 4,100 supporters WORLDWIDE but only about 2,550 names that I can identify as Floridians. At the beginning I really thought that 10,000 or 15,000 signers would be obtained just from the state of Florida. It seemed that I had read somewhere that 10,000 verified signatures of Florida voters were required to add a referendum question to the official ballot. Disappointingly however, this petition will end up with only about 2,550 Florida names.
For popularity comparison, the "Support a Clothing-Optional Beach for Tampa Bay!" online Change-dot-org petition has received 16,942 signatures!
WHO OWNS THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER AND THE MORE IMPORTANT ST. JOHNS RIVER THAT IT FLOWS INTO?
The mainstream channels of the St. Johns River, Ocklawaha River, and Silver River are owned by the State of Florida through right of sovereignty since statehood. Much of the associated environs of these three rivers' corridors also legally belong to Florida. Over the years, Florida's Governor and Cabinet, sitting as the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund, have greatly influenced the designation and actions of the official governmental agencies that manage and protect this state's natural resources such as the greater St. Johns River basin.
Maybe I understand this better than some because I actually served in state government as an administrator in the Tallahassee Capital Complex where I saw members of the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund on at least an occasional basis.
"The state of Florida acquired title to sovereignty submerged lands on March 3, 1845, by virtue of statehood. Sovereignty submerged lands include all submerged lands, title to which is held by the Board of Trustees (Governor and Cabinet) of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund. "
https://floridadep.gov/lands/bureau-public-land-administration/content/submerged-lands-management
Most all of us seem to agree that breaching Rodman Dam to restore a free-&-swift-flowing-again 56-mile Ocklawaha-Silver River system is important. But are there enough of us to impact the policy decisions of elected officials?
HOW MANY REGISTERED VOTERS ARE THERE IN THE 3 COUNTIES THAT CONTAIN THE MAINSTREAM OCKLAWAHA RIVER CHANNEL?
(1) Lake County has more than 267,000 registered voters;
(2) Marion County has more than 268,000 registered voters;
(3) Putnam County has more than 51,000 registered voters.
WHAT IS THE LATEST AVAILABLE ONLINE NUMBERS (THAT I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO UNCOVER) OF INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS OF THE "NOT-FOR-PROFIT" GROUPS?
Florida Defenders of the Environment: About 2,000 or so.
Florida Wildlife Federation: About 13,000 or so.
St. Johns Riverkeeper: About 1,500 or so.
Save the Manatee Club: About 40,000 or so.
SEASON'S GREETINGS!
Most sincerely, "Ocklawahaman" Paul Nosca, the original creator of the "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" online petition.
NOTE: The "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" Facebook group page will continue into 2021!!!
DATA, ECOLOGY, FACTS, FIREARMS, FISHING, HISTORY, HUMOR, HYDROLOGY, NEWS, OPINION, PADDLING, PHOTOS, SPRINGS, VIEWS, & WILDLIFE of the Ocklawaha River, Florida & SO MUCH MORE -- the "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" Facebook group page -- IT'S EASY TO JOIN & POST & IT'S FOR FREE $$$! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1937718656450177/