Sixteen Florida Cities, One Message: We Want Clean Water!
On Jan. 22 concerned Floridians from more than 100 different organizations in 16 communities at risk from water pollution and the unrestrained over-consumption of water resources gathered to make a stand for clean water in Florida.
"Commit to Clean Water" events were held in Boynton Beach, Bradenton, Ft. Myers, Ft. Pierce, Gainesville, Interlachen, Jacksonville, Key West, Palm Bay, Orlando, Naples, Ocala, Stuart, Tallahassee, Tampa, and Vero Beach.
The public was joined by local and state level elected officials who want to join the fight to save Florida from the threat of lost jobs, lost quality of life and lost natural environments that we now face due to the degradation of our state's waters; they were State Senator David Simmons and State Representative Linda Stewart (in Orlando), State Representative Michelle Rehwinkle-Vasilinda, and State Representative Alan Williams (in Tallahassee), State Representative Mark Danish, Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin Beckner and Tampa City Councilwoman Mary Mulhern (in Tampa), State Representative Lori Berman (in Boynton Beach), State Representative Heather Fitzenhagen (in Ft. Myers), Manatee County Commissioners Michael Gallen and Robin DiSabatino (in Bradenton), Indian River County Commissioner Peter D. O'Bryan and Indian River County School Board Member Dale Simchick (in Vero Beach), St. Lucie County Commissioners Tod Mowery and Chris Dzadovsky (in Ft. Pierce), Jacksonville City Councilman Jim Love , Palm Bay City Councilwoman Michelle Paccione, Interlachen Mayor Ken Larsen and Alachua County Commissioners Mike Byerly and Robert "Hutch" Hutchinson.
Civic, water and environmental groups from every corner of the state have come together to launch a historic endeavor – a collaborative campaign to harness the resources and energy of organizations and individuals from throughout our state to demand and win the protection of Florida's springs, rivers, lakes, and estuaries.
The cornerstone of the campaign is the Floridians' Clean Water Declaration which was developed with the input and support of dozens of environmental organizations. The Declaration lists six rights that should be guaranteed to the people of Florida and four responsibilities of the state government, water managers, and natural resource users.
The goal of the campaign is to build a movement; to demonstrate Floridians' overwhelming support for protecting state waters and to create a framework for achieving meaningful policy changes in the future.
The campaign's genesis was only two months ago on November 16 when water quality activists from across the state gathered at a Citizens' Summit to begin to explore ways to collaborate at a higher level.
For additional photos of the events go to the FCWD Campaign Facebook page.
Sign the declaration and learn more.
Our next big event will be on Feb. 18 when we rally on the Old Capitol steps in Tallahassee.
