Florida Sportsman has been a household name since its first publication in 1969. The magazine now joins Friends of the Everglades in the effort to Rescue the River of Grass — and breaks down the reasons you should, too, in its latest issue.
🐊The plan is simple: Buy land south of Lake Okeechobee to store and clean water before it’s sent south to the Everglades.
⏰ Why now? Amendment 1 generates over $1 billion a year from real estate sales for public land purchase and will continue to do so for the next 10 years.
💭 It’s not a new idea: We’ve always known that more land south of Lake Okeechobee is key to Everglades restoration. Florida Sportsman championed the concept more than two decades ago.
🔬Science backs it up: At least 100,000 acres for water storage and treatment in the Everglades Agricultural Area would prevent harmful discharges, restore clean-water flow to the southern Everglades and protect South Florida’s drinking water.
🎣 Why should sportsmen and women care? Seagrass loss and declining water quality in the northern estuaries and Florida Bay have had devastating effects on coastal fisheries. More water storage and treatment means healthier estuaries — and more places to fish, hunt and explore.
The future could look like this: Creating 100,000 acres of shallow water storage and manmade marshes could open thousands of acres for public access like fishing, duck hunting and bird watching.
Florida Sportsman is on board. Are you?
