Wakulla Spring Update

[Benderr]

Stuff is still going on behind the scenes, but the Wakulla News recently agreed to publish pro/con opinion pieces on the subject.

Here is the unedited "Pro" argument:

Wakulla News Edit 5/26/11

Economic Impact Proposal for Wakulla Springs
By Dr. J Hess, PhD
Most of us know the story of King Solomon’s judgment. Two women brought a child before the king, claiming it as their own. Wise Solomon asked for a sword, so that he might divide the child in two, giving each woman one-half of the baby. The child’s true mother cried out, and begged the king not to cut her baby in two. The other woman said, “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two.” King Solomon knew that the child’s true mother would care more for her child’s life than for her pride, and so he gave the child to the first woman.

A parallel to this story is unfolding before us now. Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park is in serious financial trouble. The lodge is on the verge of closing, and the overall outlook is dim. Additional revenues could save this “baby”, but the one group willing to step in, with wallets in hand, is turned away at every attempt. Some folks claiming to care deeply for the park would rather lose the park than share it with scuba divers.

I know that scuba divers are an unruly bunch, rolling into town and taking up hotel space, eating at all the restaurants in the area, gassing up their vehicles and cleaning up after themselves, they’re almost as bad as those outlaw trail hikers and horseback riders. The truth is, that most cave divers in Florida are middle-aged married men with bachelor’s degrees and average salaries of just over $100,000 a year. Cave divers have deep pockets, disposable income, and they want to dive Wakulla Spring. They do so successfully at other state and county parks across Florida, and they are well known among park officials as responsible and safety minded. Wakulla Spring Park can’t afford to turn away cave divers, and Wakulla merchants can only benefit from divers coming into the area and patronizing their businesses.

The excuses for excluding divers from Wakulla Spring are outdated and frankly, uninformed. Divers do not kill manatees or themselves, harass swimmers, or disable tour boats. In fact, the scuba diving community has shared beaches, reefs, rivers and springs for decades with boaters, swimmers, and even manatees all across the state of Florida. The director of Park Services, Donald Forgione, expresses his thanks and admiration for the cave diving community’s contribution at Wes Skiles Peacock Springs Park, amongst others. Without the divers’ efforts, that park would have had to be closed on several occasions. Numerous gazebos, steps and walks are financed and built by divers. It is this diving group that organizes clean-ups inside and around the park and other sites to remove traces left by other, non-diving visitors. It is merely at Wakulla that any efforts of the community to resolve the situation in a civilized manner have been either ignored or undermined, in spite of the local Wakulla County Dive Club’s efforts to improve and preserve the area.

The park's management handbook has us believe that diving at the park is already possible at Emerald sink, which is one of the arguments against opening the main spring. In order to support the park, the dive community invested a significant amount of time and money into building the steps and platform at Emerald at no cost to the State or the Park. At the very last minute, these divers were told that the rules had changed, and that only the most elite of technical divers would be allowed to dive there under great limitations, and only then, after submitting an application to private interests, and receiving permission from those entities.
Allow me to translate the current policy on diving into the hiking world: Let’s say you want to hike the trails of Wakulla Springs. Mind you, there are challenges, like any adventure activity, with hiking trails in Florida, such as tripping hazards, rattlesnakes, alligators etc. How would you feel if you were to be treated like a diver: You were required to submit your hiking credentials months in advance, to be reviewed by individuals who arguably have strong financial interests to limit your access. If you don't have an award for safe hiking, and a medic first aid certificate, you don't need to apply. Should you pass muster, then you still have to ask, in writing, five days in advance to receive the blessing to pay your entrance dues. An application four days in advance is denied. On the day you find out that weather conditions prohibit the visit, but cannot demand your money back. However, should you be lucky enough to overcome all the hurdles, you would only be allowed to visit a tiny area, far away from the main attraction that makes Wakulla unique. You would still not be allowed to use your motorized vehicle in the park, because clearly you are not sufficiently responsible to be trusted with that.
If such a policy sounds ridiculous to you, be advised that this is how it applies to diving. Next time you drive up to the lodge to visit the beautiful spring consider such a treatment instead. Under the rule of equal access, this is what you should be facing. Would you be willing to tolerate such treatment? Neither are international visitors, who understand the message loud and clear: Stay away – but welcome to Wakulla Springs!

Rumor has it that diving at the main spring at Wakulla is considered by its management to have a negative financial impact on the park. A study on a far less attractive site, Jackson Blue in Marianna, demonstrates that this could not be further from the truth. At Jackson Blue, the financial contribution made by divers has generated a bonus income to the park in excess of $100,000, and created over 30 jobs, and revenue for the area in excess of 1.72 Million US Dollars. All this is a plus to the site, while the physical presence of divers is hardly noticeable. Another study performed recently on Wakulla Springs by a leading economist suggests a much higher potential here. As it stands today, we have reason to believe that private individuals pay thousands of dollars merely for their chance to dive Wakulla, today, under the cloak of science. Obviously this money benefits neither the park nor the community.

To give you a view of the bigger picture, Wakulla Springs is situated in the center of what has been termed the “cave trail”, reaching west to north of Panama City, and South to just north of Tampa. There are numerous support facilities available to the diving eco tourist. At the moment, these are individual shops and centers which establish their individual customer base. Opening the main spring in Wakulla to diving will bring the whole trail to the attention of the international diver, with no more than 2 hours drive time between support stations and world-class sites. Wakulla connects the pieces, and makes Florida more attractive than areas like the Yucatan. Of all the international areas available for the diver, Florida has the best and most advanced infrastructure. Without Wakulla, there are merely dots on the map. Emerald, or any of the other small springs will not be able to substitute for the real thing.
If you are a business owner related to the tourist industry, such as restaurants, hotels, life-style businesses, supermarkets and such, and find yourself struggling with the economy: How do you feel about the fact that you face difficulties because public servants decided to run a public resource like a personal kingdom?
My personal view is very simple: The main spring in Wakulla will be opened to the diving public. It is the right thing to do, any other position violates the constitutional principle of equal access, and is economically disastrous to the park, as well as the surrounding community. The question to be answered is merely, how much damage will be sustained until that happens, and under what circumstances will the motion be implemented. We have listened to all kinds of excuses, and made-up reasons to why the park should exclude a large portion of its potential visitors, for the personal benefit of a select few. The good people of Wakulla County should be outraged over being forced to burden the multi-million dollar price tag that comes with this exclusivity and the implemented practices by public servants over a public resource. It is the purpose of the park to preserve, and make available to the public. The diving community has time and again demonstrated that it does not negatively impact the resource but instead works to preserve it. They have safely managed sites more complicated than Wakulla but with similar depths, and therefore have a right to equal access.
We, the cave diving community, are committed to working with the Division of Recreation and Parks to find compromises that allow our members lawful access, without detracting from the experience of others. Those that work against us would apparently prefer that the lodge, and perhaps even the park itself be closed to everyone. Their attitude seems to be: “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two.”

[Benderr]

and here is the "Con"

Should recreational cave diving be allowed at Wakulla Springs State Park? NO
NO: Wakulla Springs should remain closed to recreational diving
by SANDY COOK
Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Wakulla Springs is renowned for its unique boat tours that have been offered since the mid 1800s.
Dining or spending the night in the historic lodge or taking a plunge in the massive spring are other unique opportunities offered. It is a travel destination for both locals and those who come from afar and who contribute significantly to the local economy.
In today’s tough economic times, ideas are often touted as good for the local economy. But in some cases new activities can have a significant impact on existing activities.
It has been suggested by a few that Wakulla Springs be opened to recreational diving. Opportunities to dive are currently provided at Cherokee and Emerald Sink, two areas managed by the park staff. There are numerous good reasons that Wakulla Springs has always been closed to recreational diving.
One primary reason is safety.
Florida Geological Survey (FGS) Bulletin 66 reports that the Wakulla Springs Basin is 185 feet deep. The spring basin in the 10 state parks that allow diving ranges from 18 to 61 feet deep.
The depth of the massive cave system at Wakulla Springs is 300 feet deep and miles long which is significantly greater than other state park cave systems.
The most current diving accident/fatality report indicates depth as the most significant factor in fatalities among certified-trained cave divers. One might contend that it is the diver’s responsibility to dive within his or her limits and is not the responsibility of the Florida Park Service to prevent park visitors from engaging in dangerous activities.
However, there is a responsibility to those who manage public lands to balance the benefit and risk associated with a proposed activity. In this particular case the risks far outweigh the benefit gained.
State parks do not charge a fee to dive so it would not result in increased park revenue. In fact, recreational diving could actually reduce revenues.
Generations of families have grown up riding the tour boats and the park has been voted as “the best place to bring an out of town guest.”
The boat tours generate almost a half million dollars annually and provide educational and entertaining experiences to an average of 80,000 people each year.
All or part of two types of tours (river boat and glassbottom) operate over the spring basin.
Florida law states that a person operating a vessel make a reasonable effort to remain at least 100 feet from a diver. The size of the spring basin would require that the tour route be drastically reduced when divers were in the water.
This would diminish the tour and might keep people from returning. Furthermore, it could possibly be a violation of Florida Statute.



During the peak summer months thousands of people come to Wakulla Springs to take a plunge off the dive tower and swim in the spring water.
During the months on May through August nearly $150,000 is generated on park admission fees with a large number of those folks coming to swim.
When a swimmer is in distress or has to be rescued, the swimming area is cleared until the issue is resolved.
The time period is usually minimal.
When a diver is in distress the period of time to resolve the issue will be greater. During this time period the swimming area would be closed, reducing the recreational opportunity for hundreds of park visitors and resulting in lost revenue for the park.
So think about these scenarios. You have planned a picnic or cookout (birthday party, reunion, company or church party) during the hot summer months at Wakulla Springs. This is an annual tradition for many that goes back generations. It is a safe and family friendly place for your gathering.
You discover the swimming area has been closed due to an unfortunate accident involving a diver. Due to the depth and complexity of the cave it could take multiple days for the recovery effort.
Unfortunately, the reality is that the extreme conditions of the Wakulla Springs cave system will result in someone losing their life in a diving accident should it be open to recreational diving.
Another scenario is that you have company from out of town and you want them to see one of the world’s largest and deepest springs so you bring them to Wakulla Springs. You choose to go on the Riverboat ride or as many call it the Jungle Cruise.
You ooh and ahh over the wildlife observed but the tour boat does not go over the spring basin as you anticipated. There is a group of divers in the basin and the Park Ranger advises that by law he must keep his distance from the divers.
Your friends do not get to experience gliding over the spring basin which looks like a large emerald bowl filled with large fish.
For 16 years I had the pleasure of serving as the park manager for Wakulla Springs. During my tenure our staff made every reasonable attempt to accommodate requests from park visitors, often times resulting in additional workload for the staff. Our staff had a reputation of going above and beyond the “call of duty” to ensure each guest had a memorable visit to the park.
I felt then and continue to feel strongly that recreational cave diving is an incompatible activity within the spring basin of Wakulla Springs.
If you feel as I do please contact DEP Secretary Herschel Vinyard at (850) 245-2011 or by email at herschel.vinyard@dep.state.fl.us.
Let’s keep Wakulla Springs a special place for all to enjoy.

I like the last sentence best, but it should have read: "Let’s keep Wakulla Springs a special place for all to enjoy, except scuba divers."



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