Wakulla Springs

I understand the comments. The letter from http://www.thewakullanews.com/conten...iving-misleads does have some misinformation,and so does the letter written by Todd Kincaid written February 18th. I honestly don't think either person intended misinformation,but not everyone has 100% of the information,nor able to see both perspecitives.

I recall several years ago when an effort was undertaken to get Emerald open,and a lot of the same posturing occurred. Ultimately the site was chosen to be open,the posturing deflated,and even people who were opposed to having it open became partners in making it safe. These partnerships make the cave diving community look good,but right now we have returned to the 90s.

There exists a win-win situation for everyone. The WKPP can continue to do their research and exploration,because honestly nobody is set up for the deep pushes that they have a history of doing successfully. Recreational cave diving with a limited carrying capacity which will allow diving,but doesn't look like the Ginnie parking lot can occur. Guidelines can be established which keep divers away from boats,manatees,and swimmers.

I will give a lot of credit to the DEP officials. They are doing a thorough investigation,and consulting with a lot of sources. Whatever is decided,I say kudos to them,because they are doing a tremendous job.

Agree...Well said.

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Originally Posted by Kelly Jessop

There exists a win-win situation for everyone. The WKPP can continue to do their research and exploration,because honestly nobody is set up for the deep pushes that they have a history of doing successfully. Recreational cave diving with a limited carrying capacity which will allow diving,but doesn't look like the Ginnie parking lot can occur. Guidelines can be established which keep divers away from boats,manatees,and swimmers..

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Thats the bottom line. Very very few have the rescources be them either skills or finances to actually dive the cave. I'd like to see the cavern though.

Not to stir the pot, but does anyone even think about the amount of business it would bring to the surround areas if they opened Wakulla? Anyone been to the Wakulla area recently? It's pretty sad, the local business sure could use the extra income of more divers. This isn't just something that affects Edward Ball State Park, but restaurants and hotels, plus a myriad of other small businesses.

Just my 2 cents after a weekend there.

I don't think it will make a hill of bean of difference. Wakulla vis is pretty bad 90% of the time. I'm surprised more folks don't dive a emerald and clearcut. They're clear and awesome lately.

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Originally Posted by jcook

Not to stir the pot, but does anyone even think about the amount of business it would bring to the surround areas if they opened Wakulla? Anyone been to the Wakulla area recently? It's pretty sad, the local business sure could use the extra income of more divers. This isn't just something that affects Edward Ball State Park, but restaurants and hotels, plus a myriad of other small businesses.

Just my 2 cents after a weekend there.

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You are correct,and as I remember some business leaders within Wakulla county agree,and it has been brought up that it will add to the local economy. Ironically the people opposed to it don't even live in Wakulla County,or are on a fixed income, so bringing jobs to a community means nothing to them. The one thing that has been forgotten is the state parks themselves. There is a scenario out there to cut 15% of their budget,and this resulted in placing of 51 parks on the chopping block-people screamed murder over this,and we should because that included Peacock and Madison. The state parks need to look outside the box to raise revenue,and there are many considerations,but many of these considerations are being stopped by communities opposed to change. The bottom line is if the park you support doesn't change,then it will change but not for the good.

I used the site Rob generated to grab the email addresses, but decided the form letter needed more. In the end I just wrote this. Here it is, feel free to beat me up over it... -KF/DHD (Distant zipcode diver 36526)

Ken Fleming 12:37 PM (41 minutes ago)
to herschel.vinya., donald.forgione, Brian.Fugate
bcc: wakullasprings., bcc: me


To those considering opening Wakulla Springs to diving,

Please consider the impact this site has on divers, and what impact if any divers have on the park, cave, and site. As a beginning cavern diver, I was brought to Wakulla by other highly experienced divers in the area and others from outside of the area. I drove to Wakulla from Mobile Bay, Alabama on a monthly basis (and often twice a month) for the opportunity to dive in other sites in the area that are open, and the hopes that one day I woud be allowed to dive Wakulla Spring when my training level and skillset reached the level I needed to dive there.

I joined local dive clubs, and participated directly through sweat equity and hard labor to improve local sites. I followed a policy of always cleaning up each site, both in and out of the water, leaving all sites cleaner than when I arrived. I met local land owners and business owners and fostered long standing relationships. I trained, and only accessed dive sites at my training level, yet I continued to surface support, clean, maintain, and improve sites in the area, even though I couldn’t yet dive them….

And that is the point, it was specifically because I could not yet dive these sites (due to lower training levels) that I INVESTED time in these sites in your County. I brought others to the area as my training grew, mentored them in diving, and increased my training levels. I taught other out of area and out of state divers about the beauty and natural wonders of the area’s springs, rivers, and trails. I respectfully followed all rules, and taught these to the others I brought to the area. I have brought family to Wakulla Springs, and supported the park, and dove Cherokee Sink through the same entrance as the park, again leaving the site cleaner than when I arrived. I do not harass wildlife, and I often participate in documenting the wildlife and photographing it for others.

The impact I have had on Wakulla Spring and the surrounding area has been POSITIVE. I do not damage dive sites, I do not drop trash. I clean up after others, and I educate the public on how important it is to preserve what lies below their feet. It is, after all, their water source, their nature, their animals, their history. I maintain trails and relocate fallen trees so others can safely walk the trails. I share with the public my photos and videos of the cave systems and sinks in Wakulla, and they see me remove trash from the sites. I tell them what is down there, how it crosses surface borders, and how important it is to protect. I surface from the water of local sinks carrying old tires, appliances, bottles, cans, and other trash. The public sees this care, sees me haul my heavy steel tanks and equipment, and return to haul out the trash, and in that moment the public acts to not leave trash of their own on those times when they see the divers that care. I have seen adults teaching children as a direct result of my cleaning up a site telling kids, "Lets pick up ALL the trash, just like the divers."

I have also made a financial impact in the areas restaurants, grocery stores, small local hotels, gas stations, hardware stores, and other economic impacts above and beyond the local dive shops. A Wakulla Area dive trip for me costs approximately $420 - $600 because of the distance traveled, rooms booked, equipment bought, fuel purchased, etc. Most of that money has an impact directly in the Wakulla area. I spend about $9000 or more each year diving, about $3000+ of that diving economically benefitted directly in the Wakulla area in 2009, and again in 2010 when I visited the area most often.

I have now reached a level of training that I am approaching the level of skill wherein I could dive Wakulla Spring after another year or so of training. During that training, in each class I attended, conservation, preservation, and land owner relations have been a focus. I have learned the scientific names of types of cave fauna and geologic formations, and I share that knowledge with the public. They love it, and children gather around us and listen to tales of troglobites, karst terrain, and other things that dwell underneath that need thier conservation. As Cave Divers, we learn to protect the resource we love so much. And as we progress, we mentor and pass that love of caves and respect for their fragility on to others. There is one site in particular in this area that I personally waited a year and a half to dive, simply because I didn’t feel my skillset was “perfect” enough to protect the site, even though I was fully qualified to dive there. I waited, and I honed my skills in higher traffic areas, and protected the site by waiting to be worthy enough to dive it without leaving a mark. We all have this desire to perfect our skills.

Now that I am slowly approaching a level that would reflect the skillset required to dive Wakulla Spring while protecting its environment and its fauna, I am hopeful that the State and County agencies will consider the POSITIVE impact divers like me can have on such a site. Together, we can allow recreational access to Wakulla Springs while protecting it.

There is some heated discussion amongst cave divers as to whom should be allowed access to the site. My opinion is that the determination should not specifically include nor specifically exclude any one group or other. Any diver who is willing to follow a set of park established rules, and train for years to have the privilege of diving Wakulla, should be afforded this equal and open access in a manner modeled so successfully at other state parks such as Wes Skiles Peacock Springs State Park. That said; sites such as Peacock and Wakulla have site-specific concerns, and these concerns can be met through requiring specific training levels. No cave diver certified to a level of training required to dive Wakulla Spring would intentionally damage any research equipment, harass a manatee, or damage the environment we treasure so much.

When I first dove at Peacock Springs State Park, I dove as a basic Open Water diver. I was instructed on how to stick to my levels of training by the local ranger. I was told where I could and couldn’t go under the water and the consequences if violated. While on that dive trip and in the open water of the sink basin, I was able to view a glimpse of the beautiful cavern entrance. Upon surfacing, I decided that I wanted to learn how to dive into that beautiful world, and I have spent 7 years learning how to do it properly while mentoring under divers from Wakulla County and sharing that by mentoring divers myself. My journey into Cave Diving has been slow and deliberate, spending great amounts of time at each level and earning experience while learning. Now I have returned to Wes Skiles Peacock Springs State Park, and I am able to safely dive the depths of Lower Orange Grove sink and see its wonders. And even during my Trimix certification dives, I removed trash and cleaned up the environment by recovering trash from the park’s surface patrons that had fallen to the depths. This model of access can work successfully in Wakulla Springs.

I urge the controlling parties to consider the POSITIVE impact of divers to Wakulla County businesses and to Wakulla Springs State Park. Consider that ALL divers can follow procedures established by Park Management, and that diving this area is a privilege that can be earned through training, and should not be restricted to exclusive groups or agencies that feel they are the only ones capable of reaching such standards. As divers, we all seek to achieve a level of perfection in our skill set worthy of diving Wakulla Springs, and that desire to perfect one’s skills set is not limited to divers of a specific group, equipment brand, or social status in a diving community. It is a skill set that can be earned by becoming a great diver, an opportunity equal and open to us all.

Please consider the opportunity for Wakulla Springs to be equal access and open to us all that are willing to train hard enough to dive there. We will become stewards of this resource, and protect it as we protect other sites. The Peacock Springs State Park model, or a modified version thereof, can work for Wakulla Springs and bring great benefit to the site and the community.

Thank you for your consideration. Respectfully, Ken Fleming

Ken Fleming
28030 Turkey Branch Drive
Daphne, AL 36526
DataCenterMgmt@gmail.com

I like it Ken, great job bud.

Dang, just saw how long that thought is, so much for being concise. Ouch.

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Originally Posted by sskasser

I do agree that the specifically incorrect parts of the letter, such as where it says only Halcyon equipment is allowed, should be removed. I think it behooves us all to be as clear and factual as possible in all dealings. We will never all agree on all points, but sticking to the facts as much as possible has to help some.

Just because one chicken with purple hair has fleas, doesn't mean all chickens with purple hair have fleas.

And now planning to remain at Level 2: http://www.cavediver.net/forum/showt...825#post183825,
Shirley

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What non-Halcyon rebreathers are allowed?