"Ocklawahaman" Paul Nosca proclaims VICTORY after 4.5-year campaign
"Battlefield" victories have been few and far between in this 50-year old struggle to FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM and "Ocklawahaman" Paul Nosca is now hereby claiming VICTORY in the "battle" that he has waged since April 2016: To get the non-governmental Ocklawaha River restoration groups to work closely with John Hendrickson, former Supervising Environmental Scientist of the St. Johns River Water Management District. These "not-for-profit" environmental entities -- in my opinion -- seemingly avoided consulting with John Hendrickson of SJRWMD for most of these 4.5 years. And if they did, I found no written evidence of it documented online anywhere.
On February 4, 2021 "Ocklawahaman" finally viewed documentation of an important change to this -- in my opinion -- undesirable situation in the February 2, 2021 "50 Years Later: The History, Big Impact Science, and Collaborative Solutions" video posted to You Tube by the FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER COALITION FOR EVERYONE organization. John Hendrickson, Former Supervising Environmental Scientist, SJRWMD is listed as a member of their Science Committee. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cfy_wcOR3os
And I am very pleased, enough so that I am pretty much going to cease my independent Ocklawaha River restoration advocacy activities because I do trust that John Hendrickson and the other State of Florida scientists will strive towards an actual beginning of the restoration process for the actual land/water owners/managers of the Ocklawaha River and the St. Johns River (the Board of Trustees of Florida's Internal Improvement Trust Fund) along with sincere folks who favor the idea to FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM.
I know that I upset a bunch of people with my tone during this 4.5-year scuffle but I am also fairy certain that many came to an understanding that "Ocklawahaman" was quite willing to attempt to do anything possible to put some businesses out-of-business in order to do right by the Ocklawaha River (the Ocklawaha River itself has been my number one priority, I have no interest whatsoever in raising funds for groups).
What's next for "Ocklawahaman" Paul Nosca? For me it will be back to my preferred posting of history, outdoors, news, and science-related reports documented whenever possible by governmental reports, literature, credible news articles, and photographs. FORCE leadership (in concert with John Hendrickson and the rest of the real scientists) can formulate restoration policy from now on; I've done what I can do.
"Ocklawahaman" Paul Nosca doesn't care to be involved with fund raising for any groups involved in this issue, which is Florida's longest "war." Separating sincere people from their $$$ for very little positive return reminds me too much of the lyrics from the Hank Williams, Jr. "American Dream" 1982 song:
Now there are some preachers on TV
With a suit and a tie and a vest
They want you to send your money to the Lord
But they give you their address
'Cause all of your donations are completely tax free
God Bless you all but most of all send your money
In the meantime "Ocklawahaman" has a house in Pinellas County to clean, empty, reorganize and ready for eventual sale. My inherited homestead contains beaucoup items that my parents accumulated and just couldn't part with since 1944. Quite a job for one person to handle so that I can finally move out of it and move on to where I am going next maybe within a year or so. Where to and what Florida river? I'm not sure yet where my ideal Florida "EL DORADO" river (canoeing-fishing) segment is:
A man with a dream that will never let go
Keeps searching to find El Dorado
So ride, boldly ride, to the end of the rainbow
Ride, boldly ride, till you find El Dorado
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THE TIMELINE OF THE 4.5-YEAR "BATTLE" IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER (MOST RECENT TO OLDEST)
December 19, 2020 - "Ocklawahaman" through an intermediary receives word that Margaret Spontak thanks him for recommending that John Hendrickson needs to be included in the restoration project.
April 4, 2019 – FDE finally acknowledges and identifies by name: Hendrickson, John. 2016. Effects on Lower St. Johns River Nutrient Supply and TMDL Target Compliance from the Restoration of a Free-Flowing Ocklawaha River. Technical Publication SJ2016-1. https://fladefenders.org/.../07/OR-Sign-On-2019-04-04-1.pdf
June 24, 2016 – "Ocklawahaman" Paul Nosca -- frustrated at the inaction of any pro-restoration entity to use this new "ammunition" -- creates the sign-for-free-$$$ "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" online petition at CHANGE.ORG. The basis for this petition is "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. NOTE: There have been no initiatives or goings-on by any entities advocating Ocklawaha River restoration since the Earthjustice, FDE, and FWF September 6, 2013 "dead end" and the SJRK August 2015 "dead end."
June 3, 2016 – After more than a month of waiting for some type of action by others, "Ocklawahaman" Paul Nosca sends an email to the leaders of FDE, FWF, HTOFSI, and SJRK. This email detailed the most important paragraphs of the John Hendrickson SJRWMD report SJ2016-1 that (1) explain the official history of the Ocklawaha River vs. Rodman Reservoir issue and (2) seem to support restoration of a free-flowing lower Ocklawaha River as being beneficial to the lower St. Johns River. Paul Nosca is striving for some group to take the lead on using the Hendrickson paper for Ocklawaha River restoration advocating purposes. NOTE: There have been no initiatives or goings-on by any entities advocating Ocklawaha River restoration since the Earthjustice, FDE, and FWF September 6, 2013 "dead end" and the SJRK August 2015 "dead end." "Ocklawahaman" Paul Nosca is baffled as to why the various pro-Ocklawaha-restoration environmental not-for-profits seem to have no intention of using the Hendrickson report or even of mentioning the Hendrickson paper by name!
June 3, 2016 – Email from John Hendrickson to Paul Nosca, "Best regards, and thanks for the compliments on the report, Paul!"
April 2016 –The SJRWMD at the beginning of April released on their website for dissemination to the public a 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 why the Ocklawaha River hadn't already been restored to free-flowing again (by the breaching of Rodman Dam) after Governor Lawton Chiles and the Cabinet in 1997 mandated that this would happen. And the findings of "Technical Publication SJ2016-1" reported that the potential downstream detrimental nutrient load to the St. Johns River estuary by a free-flowing Ocklawaha River will be much less than previously predicted (by old 1999 science) and at these lower levels can probably be mitigated in other sections of the St. Johns River basin using measures and procedures known to SJRWMD.
"Ocklawahaman" Paul Nosca
ACCURATE DOCUMENTED 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/