Action Alert: Calling for a Veto!
A message from our friends at the Florida Springs Council:
As bills and budget items are headed to the Governor’s desk, we need your help to continue to defend Florida’s springs, rivers and aquifer. Using the Florida Springs Council’s online advocacy system, you are just one click away from using your voice and asking the Governor to VETO bills and budget items that are harmful to our environment.
Here are three actions you can take today to protect Florida’s springs and wildlife.
As soon as you complete the first action, you’ll be redirected to the next, or you can scroll through this email for a link to each action and more information. If you’ve already taken action, please forward this message to a friend or share one of our social media posts with your network!
Grove Land Reservoir Veto Request
Click here to send an email to Governor DeSantis asking him to veto a $400 million “back of the bill” appropriation to the St. Johns River Water Management District to acquire lands and construct a reservoir and stormwater treatment area near the headwaters of the St. Johns River.
If funded, the Grove Land Reservoir would redirect over one hundred million gallons of polluted water per day from South Florida into the St. Johns River. This could have serious negative impacts on the St. Johns River, the Indian River Lagoon near Sebastian, and Outstanding Florida Springs near Orlando. It continues the disastrous trend of “solving” South Florida’s pollution problems by moving the pollution into Central and North Florida.
Take action here OR call Gov. DeSantis at (850) 717-9337 and urge him to veto the Grove Land Reservoir and Stormwater Treatment Area. You can say something like "As your constituent, I am calling to urge you to veto the enormous, expensive, and unvetted $400 million appropriation to St. Johns River Water Management District to acquire lands within the Grove Land Reservoir and Stormwater Treatment Area project boundary."
Multiple your impact by sharing this action alert with your network on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.
2. Two Harmful Studies Veto Request
Two 2024-25 Budget items relating to water quality and supply are wasteful, unnecessary, harmful to our waters, and contrary to the interests of Florida. Click here to send an email to the Governor asking him to veto these studies:
Line-Item 1756 “$25,000,000 - Provided to the Water School at the Florida Gulf Coast University to conduct a comprehensive water quality study to identify and analyze impaired rivers, including upstream sources, and determine the root cause of such impairments.”
A new study, conducted by an unknown contractor, to determine the (already known) sources of pollution to Florida’s rivers is completely unnecessary, a waste of taxpayer dollars, and will delay important rules and projects necessary to restore Florida’s waters.
Line-Item 1543a - $4,000,000 - University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Fertilizer Rate Study.
Farm fertilizer is the dominant source of nitrogen pollution to Florida’s springs, rivers, lakes, bays, and estuaries. Florida law allows for nearly unlimited farm fertilizer pollution by providing farmers who implement best management practices a presumption of compliance with all water quality rules. It is well-known, and recognized by DEP, that current best management practices are not effective in achieving water quality goals. If this study is allowed to continue without considering the impacts on water quality, and DACS adopts the recommendations as part of updated agricultural best management practices, it could potentially result in a massive increase in pollution entering Florida’s waters.
Multiple your impact by sharing this action alert with your network on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.
3. Protect Florida’s Bears Veto Request
We are calling on Governor DeSantis to veto HB 87: Taking of Bears because this bill allows the killing of bears without proper management or oversight. Florida already has laws in place that allow residents to defend themselves against any imminent wildlife threats. This bill preempts FWC’s constitutional duty and sets a bad precedent. Allowing residents to kill bears without a permit throws open the door for unlimited killing of bears under the guise of “self-defense,” or simply to protect property.
Click here to send an email to the Governor asking him to protect Florida’s black bears OR call Gov. DeSantis at (850) 717-9337 and urge him to veto HB 87: Taking of Bears. You can say something like "As your constituent, I am calling to urge you to veto the dangerous bill HB 87 to protect Florida's bears from senseless killing.”
Thank you for taking action to protect Florida’s springs and wildlife!
Chloe Dougherty
FSC Communications Associate
