When asked during today’s Clean Water Conversation what everyday people can do to help stop the threat of oil drilling in Big Cypress, Miccosukee activist Houston Cypress, had this to say: “I’m a fan of nonviolent direct action, meaning, let’s make a colorful ruckus.”
As an organization that strives every day to live by Marjory Stoneman Douglas’ famous words, “Be a nuisance where it counts,” that’s advice that we can get on board with.
Today’s Clean Water Conversation made a powerful case for the urgent need to take action against Burnett Oil Company’s proposed oil drilling in Big Cypress. We’d like to extend a big thanks to Jacki Lopez, Alison Kelly, and Houston Cypress for sharing their wealth of knowledge and perspective. Together, they emphasized the importance of keeping pressure on the state to uphold stringent federal protection standards for regulation of wetlands, protecting sacred tribal land and interconnected waterways, and fostering stewardship through access and use of these remaining wild places.
As Jacki Lopez put it, “We are on the precipice of vast industrialization in the [Big Cypress National] Preserve. Once that’s done, it can’t be undone.”
If you missed the conversation today, you can find the below. Please share it with your friends and neighbors to help us keep this important topic in the spotlight as it continues to evolve.
To send a pre-formatted letter telling Gov. DeSantis and DEP to reject the permit applications from Burnett Oil Co. seeking authorization to develop infrastructure to facilitate new oil drilling in Big Cypress National Preserve, CLICK HERE.
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