Friends of Wakulla Org circulating E-mail

Check your inbox if you've ever been a "friends of Wakulla" member. I just received it today as a mass mail-out. There's an anti-diving wakulla e-mail going around that's asking for supporters of this one-sided position. I'd repost it here, but i'm sure there's some 11th commandment not to do so.

In the e-mail it said "There are numerous reasons for not allowing diving and no legitimate ones to support it." I was so tempted to reply to all saying, "I can give you 20 good reasons to allow it right now, but I don't think you're open to anything other than feedback for your own position." Of course, I know I'd be breaking the 12th commandment also. So I didn't.

I'm sure I've already violated the 13th commandment by mentioning where the e-mail came from. So, moderators, do what you must. But if we're going to make the right moves, we also need to know what the opponents are doing.

Yes, this has been happening for a few weeks. check out the facebook page divers for wakulla.

There is a form letter to Sec. Vinyard and the Wakulla County Commission on the facebook page: "Divers For Wakulla Springs"

More discussion here as well: http://www.cavediver.net/forum/showt...ngs-State-Park

If I had thought through this post more before I posted, I should have just added a comment onto the last discussion of this matter, rather than starting another thread. Mainly just wanted to point out a new development that a different letter has now gone out to Friends of Wakulla as of this morning.

would you be willing to share the text of the new letter?

Dear Panhandle Archaeological Society at Tallahassee List Recipients:

At our last meeting, on February 1, 2011, the Board of Directors was alerted to the possibility of
Wakulla Springs State Park being opened to scuba diving by the general public. Given the
tremendous research potential for this area, which has remained relatively protected since the
early 1930s, the Board opposes such a move to open this area to recreational diving. The
potential short-term, financial gain of an influx of divers does not come close to the loss of
irreplaceable resources, and therefore knowledge, that may well occur. The Wakulla Springs
State Park was purchased by the people of the State of Florida, for all of the people of the State
of Florida, in order to preserve these unique resources. The Board asks that you write a letter to
the new Director of the Department of Environmental Protection, asking that the Springs NOT
be opened to recreational diving. The following information has been compiled concerning this
issue:

The oldest human occupation level of the Wakulla Springs Lodge site (WA329) has recently
been radiometrically dated to a minimum of 13,500 calendar years old. This was a time during
the late Pleistocene when several now extinct animals, such as the American Mastodon, still
roamed the land. It and two other North Florida sites are the oldest, well dated sites in Florida
with evidence of human activity. Additionally, they are some of the oldest sites in the Americas.
Wakulla Springs has been the location of at least four, and possibly five, mastodon skeleton
recoveries, the last being recovered in 1930 by the Florida Geological Survey. The occurrence of
bone preservation in late Pleistocene sites is infrequent east of the Mississippi River, yet Wakulla
Springs and the headsprings area around the spring vent have yielded abundant late Pleistocene
and Holocene animal remains. Recently the remains of another mastodon have been identified in
the spring basin and potentially have great scientific significance should they prove to be part of
a Paleoindian kill-butcher site.

Since the 1950s, when the first SCUBA divers accessed Wakulla Springs cave, its “Bone Room”
has been recognized as a major site of Late Pleistocene animal remains and prehistoric artifacts.
In the 1950s SCUBA divers explored the Bone Room with little documentation other than dive
logs indicating they collected artifacts and bones. In the late 1990s, one of the first divers, the
late Mr. Wally Jenkins, displayed the artifacts he collected from the Bone Room in the late 1950.
The collection consisted of several hundred artifacts. Several of the artifacts were diagnostic and
are related to prehistoric human occupations 10,000 calendar years old or older. After Mr.
Jenkins death his collection and its value as a voucher of prehistoric evidence was lost. Artifacts
from the Bone Room are often exposed on the cave floor. It is too easy for anyone who finds
them to collect them.

There has never been a thorough investigation of the submerged area in the Wakulla Springs
basin or cave yet it is the area with the greatest scientific potential. It offers bone and other
organic preservation not commonly found in eastern North America. One geologist who dove in
Wakulla Springs cave noted the occurrence of water eroded benches in the limestone walls of the
cave. He speculated they were formed in the Pleistocene during a time of dramatically lower
inland water tables. Was Wakulla Springs once a Pleistocene oasis, a watering hole and hunting
grounds? Research questions with no answers.

To open Wakulla Springs to unrestricted SCUBA diving would not only counter the 2007 park
management plan, it would seriously expose the archaeological, geological, and paleontological
resources to unnecessary adverse effects. As non-renewable resources, their damage or loss
would be permanent.

Please mail your letters to the attention of:

Mr. Herschel Vinyard
Secretary-FDEP
3900 Commonwealth Blvd.
MS 10
Tallahassee, FL 32399-3000

The PAST Board of Directors thanks you for your support in this matter!

Rob
And others who are interested in this not being kept to only a select few divers, how would you counter the way this letter is written to allow diving to occur? It seems most of the good fossil have already been removed and its using the past to prevent the future diving in this area. Not that I am probably ever going to be able to dive it but I would like it to be where qualified divers could dive it.
Tom

It will also be difficult since there have been divers in the spring for years and apparently he/she is stating that no scientific investigation has come from them regarding her subject matter. Has the WKPP attempted to manage or assist in scientific research in the basin and cavern part of the cave or have they been to focused on the "back" of the cave and where that goes...?

It will be a lot more helpful to counter the points in the letter above with evidence to the contrary.

The way I understand it, the WKPP does help with the archeology projects in the basin and cavern. However, I heard, second hand that the WKPP has told the archeological groups they would no longer help them if Wakulla Springs is open to recreational diving. Honestly, it seems the WKPP loses interest very fast in any site as soon as they no longer have any sort of special treatment and exclusive access...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SuPrBuGmAn

The way I understand it, the WKPP does help with the archeology projects in the basin and cavern. However, I heard, second hand that the WKPP has told the archeological groups they would no longer help them if Wakulla Springs is open to recreational diving. Honestly, it seems the WKPP loses interest very fast in any site as soon as they no longer have any sort of special treatment and exclusive access...

---

If the above statement is true, "WKPP has told the archeological groups they would no longer help them if Wakulla Springs is open to recreational diving", then it seems that the WKPP is not a pro-divers group and obviously does not care about anyone other then themselves. Can anyone verify this statement?

Give me the contacts to the groups and I will be glad to investigate that issue.

I think maybe those groups should be informed of the list of accomplished archaeological divers that are NOT WKPP members and as such they could get much more evidence and better research data from a wider selection of divers.

Yeurg(however the heck you spell it) Hess was at the Friends of Wakulla meeting and commented on that stuff. His report is on the Divers for Wakulla Facebook page and may even contain the names of the archeology dude he spoke with(can't remember off the top of my head).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tomhauburn

Rob
And others who are interested in this not being kept to only a select few divers, how would you counter the way this letter is written to allow diving to occur? It seems most of the good fossil have already been removed and its using the past to prevent the future diving in this area. Not that I am probably ever going to be able to dive it but I would like it to be where qualified divers could dive it.
Tom

---

The letter highlights events that occurred in the 1950s. I'd focus on the education and training now in place, our creed of leave only bubbles, take only pictures, and the good we've done for caves in the past 2-3 decades. I would also suggest a guided dive system similar to what's in place at Indian and Diepolder. Better to open it up with limitations than not open it at all.

I'd personally rather see prerequisites than guides, but agree that I'd rather see it open with limitations than not at all.

No other state park requires a guide.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tegg

it seems that the WKPP is not a pro-divers group and obviously does not care about anyone other then themselves.

---

Ya think?

Instead of a guide system, why not suggest a system in which there is a diving committee. In order to dive the site, you must meet the qualifications set forth by the committee, and be "guided" three times for evaluation of necessary skills, and system familiarization. After the three dives, you would be on the list of approved divers.

I think this should be in place at all guided sites (like Alachua and Black Lagoon).

Marc

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Marc Bryan

Instead of a guide system, why not suggest a system in which there is a diving committee. In order to dive the site, you must meet the qualifications set forth by the committee, and be "guided" three times for evaluation of necessary skills, and system familiarization. After the three dives, you would be on the list of approved divers.

I think this should be in place at all guided sites (like Alachua and Black Lagoon).

Marc

---

Personally, I don't want to dive any of these tally sites (even the shallow sections) with just anyone. I've heard of guides mislabeling tanks (stating they're 18/45 when it's 21/00), and I don't want any part of an instabuddy at a site like this. Just my $0.02, but if I had to dive it with an unknown guide it would be considered closed in my book. The hassle of setting up a guide is why I've never dove Black Lagoon.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MK7

Ya think?

---

I'd really be careful posting anything that could upset the heads of the WKPP in a public forum. Fact is they've gone above and beyond every expectation given by the state and continue to do so, I'd bet if they got really motivated they could stop this single handedly. While I'm sure Casey doesn't like the idea of sharing Wakulla (I wouldn't if I were him), it's human nature to fight harder against something when it becomes personal. Let's not forget also, several WKPP members were present for building the steps at a NSS-CDS owned site and actively participate in other agency social events, no use to alienate a segment of our diving community over a disagreement with leadership.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jj1987

I'd really be careful posting anything that could upset the heads of the WKPP in a public forum. Fact is they've gone above and beyond every expectation given by the state and continue to do so, I'd bet if they got really motivated they could stop this single handedly. While I'm sure Casey doesn't like the idea of sharing Wakulla (I wouldn't if I were him), it's human nature to fight harder against something when it becomes personal. Let's not forget also, several WKPP members were present for building the steps at a NSS-CDS owned site and actively participate in other agency social events, no use to alienate a segment of our diving community over a disagreement with leadership.

---

If they have their way, they will stop any recreational diving at Wakulla. I think thats a forgone conclusion.

I don't think keeping public sites closed to everyone but themselves is offset by a few members donating time at other sites and other agency social events. Infact, I bet alot could get done if the WKPP put the kind of teamwork they put into diving, into volunteering on projects that are universaly helpfull to divers... but thats not happening. There certainly are WKPP members out there helping out with diving in general, but its not the groups effort... just the work of individuals who are looking outside of the WKPP.

I can only hope that the WKPP and its current leadership would see that working with other cave divers and recreational divers might give them the opportunity to educate and possibly lead by example with their willingness to work as a "Team" rather then work "against" fellow divers with respect to access of tax payer owned resources.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jj1987

The hassle of setting up a guide is why I've never dove Black Lagoon.

---

Let me know when you want to go.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DeepSea

Let me know when you want to go.

---

When are we going? Count me in....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I could guide you guys on Sunday if you are interested.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Marc Bryan

Instead of a guide system, why not suggest a system in which there is a diving committee. In order to dive the site, you must meet the qualifications set forth by the committee, and be "guided" three times for evaluation of necessary skills, and system familiarization. After the three dives, you would be on the list of approved divers.

I think this should be in place at all guided sites (like Alachua and Black Lagoon).

Marc

---

Emerald currently has a committee system in place. Emerald falls under the same jurisdiction as Wakulla within the state. If they were willing to do that with Wakulla, it would probably already be done. While I also prefer to be able to dive without a guide, sometimes it takes baby steps to get where we want to go, especially when it comes to a location like this where there is such strong opposition. Let's ask for a little and prove ourselves before we ask for more.

Wakulla has always been a completely different can of worms than Emerald since the park is centered around it... Emerald was barely a swimming hole.

Wish I could...Teaching an OW Class.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SuPrBuGmAn

Wakulla has always been a completely different can of worms than Emerald since the park is centered around it... Emerald was barely a swimming hole.

---

True, so that much more difficult to get access to than Emerald.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RN

Emerald currently has a committee system in place.

---

Yes. You must get permission to access a public resource from private people who own dive training agencies and private people who own scuba equipment companies. Putting such a system in place at Wakulla Spring will result in the same de facto ban on diving that is in place at Emerald.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RN

True, so that much more difficult to get access to than Emerald.

---

I just don't think we should look at Emerald as an example of what the state parks should be doing with public lands. I don't want that precidence when there's many other state parks with practices already in place that work fine... and far less outside intrusion. Guides, to me, would be a worse burden on diving than the silly prereques at Emerald.

Let's just nuke it shut.