Wakulla Springs

[a64pilot]

I was at the meeting and the only thing I heard about open water classes was from a young female, I believe she may have been a member of a dive club at the college? That may be silly and I'm not for that activity, but even if it were allowed, how would that hurt artifacts in the cave?
I did hear that most of the objections were around somehow or another us harming or disturbing the Manatees, which is just as silly. I've never seen a Manatee in a cave, have you?

If for example, I was a member of a hunting club that exclusive hunting rights on 100,000 acres of Government land, and this land was recognized by most of the world as being among the best hunting in the world, you know I think I might be against it being opened up for every Tom, Dick and Harry who could buy a hunting license, I think I would want to keep it exclusive to my club, and if they wanted to hunt this land, well, they should join the club, learn the secret handshake and do whatever else I had to do to become a member, work themselves up the ranks and once they paid their dues like I had, then one day they could actually shoot the rifle and not just carry it. I wouldn't think it right that they could enjoy what I have enjoyed without having paid their dues.
Do you think maybe there could be some of that going on here?

[LiteHedded]

there have been more meetings since then...

[jj1987]

Do you think maybe there could be some of that going on here?

Your situation describes one hunt club having recreational access to gov land. In the case of Wakulla, no one has recreational access, so I'm not sure how to make an analogy or interpret yours.

Most everyone on this forum is for restricting access from what I've seen and heard, it's just a disagreement on how restrictive.

[Greenwood_60]

If for example, I was a member of a hunting club that exclusive hunting rights on 100,000 acres of Government land, and this land was recognized by most of the world as being among the best hunting in the world, you know I think I might be against it being opened up for every Tom, Dick and Harry who could buy a hunting license, I think I would want to keep it exclusive to my club, and if they wanted to hunt this land, well, they should join the club, learn the secret handshake and do whatever else I had to do to become a member, work themselves up the ranks and once they paid their dues like I had, then one day they could actually shoot the rifle and not just carry it. I wouldn't think it right that they could enjoy what I have enjoyed without having paid their dues.
Do you think maybe there could be some of that going on here?

Absolutely. But neither are an appropriate use of government owned land. If it can't be opened up to everyone, it should be sold at auction. Let a private owner decide how the resource is best used, rather than letting the government pick favorites.

[TobinGeorge]

Absolutely. But neither are an appropriate use of government owned land. If it can't be opened up to everyone, it should be sold at auction. Let a private owner decide how the resource is best used, rather than letting the government pick favorites.

Exactly. In a free land reasonable, equitable access to public assets should be available to all. Just compare the often over the top requirements placed on private business to provide "equal access" to the disabled, and then ask how clearly unequal access can be justified here.

Before the hysterical responses start suggesting that I am advocating for a destructive "free for all", I'm not. Limits on annual numbers of divers, some means of pre-qualification, and even a monetary bond can all act to keep damage to a minimum. Is such a system easy to implement? Probably not. That doesn't justify the current state of affairs.

Tobin

[a64pilot]

I think there won't be that many full tri-mix, full cave certified divers showing up to dive. The dive itself will restrict the divers to not very many. I think this is like a Doria dive, I'd like to dive that too one day, but doubt either is the kind of dive you make as a weekend type dive. This dive would take considerable planning, money and support.
I would like to think anyone with the training and experience required to make this dive would not be of the idiot type that would deface or destroy, those are Idiots, and I'm afraid they are out there, but hopefully by the time they get to this level of diving, they have been weeded out.

[Sludge]

In the case of Wakulla, no one has recreational access, so I'm not sure how to make an analogy or interpret yours.

That's right, I forgot. They're all scientists.

[jxh2297]

That's right, I forgot. They're all scientists.

Lmao

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using Tapatalk 2

[jspivey]

That's right, I forgot. They're all scientists.

Thats just funny.

[PfcAJ]

snip

John, thank you for setting the record straight on here. I really appreciate it. Do you recall who all attended the meeting? Agency representatives?