I just sent money to the NFSA today and have just finished a letter that will be mailed when Linda from Cave Excursions emails me the address.
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I just sent money to the NFSA today and have just finished a letter that will be mailed when Linda from Cave Excursions emails me the address.
Florida DEP Proposes to Close 53 State ParksQuote:
Originally Posted by metaldector
We appreciate your support and help. Today we will meet,and have more information. Since you joined,you can expect a newsletter that will give you the details. Welcome aboard!Quote:
Originally Posted by darkdiver211
http://audubonoffloridanews.org/Quote:
Originally Posted by metaldector
Thanks for the link. It is sad to see our cave diving springs (State Parks) on the list. I think however, a concerted effort on the part of all cave divers to keep these open may result in saving our diving parks. Many of those Parks on the lists probably should be on the list only to be opened again in the future if and when the State has the money to operate them properly. We are a small but vocal group, in closing our springs it leaves us without caves to dive. In closing a picnic area there are many other picnic areas still open to the public. We need to be vocal at all levels and stress to our representatives that diving parks are few and don't require a lot of assets. An alternative to closing some of the parks is to open them to camping (a fee generating idea). I'd camp at Peacock, or Madison if given the opportunity.
Read the article again. The state is considering selling some of the parks, or turning over management to local entities. Either action will likely lose the parks from state control for a long time and could likely end cave diving at those parks. And as nice as it would be to have camp sites at Peacock, Madison, etc, that costs money and the focus is to cut back expenditures. They're not looking at the future. If they were, they would see that closing many of these parks, even the non-cave diving parks, will likely result in a decrease in revenue from annual passes.
Please on behalf of all of us Yankee cave divers let us know where to send donations or letters that would do the greatest good.
It is disturbing to be this far away and feel powerless to be a part of the fight to save these treasures.
I wish that they would just go back to the season pass for the parks that dive and let those funds maintain them.
The last thing we need is closers of dive locations, everyone looses even the springs themselves.
Cave divers are the stewards of the springs those who lead the charge for conservation and if we must rally to support these locations.
JCG
Don't forget the commerical pass its $214.00 a year to teach at the springs.
According to the state park website, they are revising the commercial fee. It will be in the $250-500 range. AA lot of instructors have it just for Peacock. That will be a significant decrease in revenue.
And they think we will be renewing?? After they close all the parks we teach in they what to go up on the pass.Quote:
Originally Posted by RN