May 1, 2011 Letter to Gov. Rick Scott & Mr Kirby Green, Exec. Dir. SJRWMD

Dear Governor Scott and Mr. Green:

Attached are petitions and signatures from approximately 711 individuals who are seriously concerned about the health of the lakes in the Keystone Heights and Melrose area.  The lakes have been critically low in this region for many years and this has adversely affected aquatic plants, reptiles, fish, birds and other wildlife that depend on them for survival.  A vibrant economy based on people coming to our clear, beautiful lakes for recreation has collapsed.  Restaurants, mortgage brokers, real estate firms, and other business have had to close their doors.  People’s retirement dreams, lifetime investments of a home on a lake and property values have also dried up along with the lakes.

We implore you to protect our region’s threatened lakes and endangered water resources as you are charged to do by the very position that you hold.  We ask that you implement studies necessary for the rehabilitation and recovery of our lakes and to reject any proposed rules or legislative changes or allow any huge consumptive use permits or other pumpage from the Floridan Aquifer that would further harm the lakes.  We very much appreciate the SJRWMD’s effort to encourage water conservation at all levels of use and strongly support policies which require water pumped from the Aquifer to be recycled and reused as much as possible.

Whereas, it is well known that the State of Florida is facing a water shortage and the lakes in the area of Keystone Heights and Melrose region are a high recharge source for the Floridan Aquifer, we feel it would greatly benefit our state to restore these lakes which would in turn recharge the Aquifer.

Sincerely,

Jackie Host, President,                      &                  Vivien Katz, President

Garden Club of the Lakes                                      Save Our Lakes Organization

On Behalf of Citizens Concerned About the Declining Lakes in the Region of Keystone Heights & Melrose Who Have Signed the Attached Petitions and Letters of Objection.

Cc:   David Fisk, Asst. Executive Director

SJRWMD Board Members-

W. Leonard Wood, Chairman

Hans G. Tanzler III, Vice Chairman
 Maryam H. Ghyabi, Treasurer
John A. Miklos, Secretary
Douglas C. Bournique
Richard G. Hamann
Arlen N. Jumper
Lad Daniels
Chuck Drake

Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Herschel T. Vinyard Jr., Secretary
Melissa L. Meeker, Deputy Secretary