by Jack Scarola

November 10, 2009

There have been a lot of heated debates surrounding the creation of a state water commission that could route water from North Florida to the overpopulated and overdeveloped South Florida region. Poor developmental planning and a lack of sensitivity to our valuable land and water resources are to blame. We now have to consider routing water to areas that developers have recently built with no concern to the environmental impact it would have on our resources.

In 2003, at the height of the land boom, Florida business leaders came up with a plan to create a state water commission to route water to newly built developments in South Florida. Developers continued to build home and business with no foresight for the repercussions of that growth on our environment and resources. Now it is the taxpayers who are dealing with the implications of their actions.

As a society, we give little thought to where our water resources come from. We turn on the sink, and water comes out. We turn on our sprinklers and water is available. We never give a second thought to where this valuable resource comes from or how it gets there. Now is the time to focus on the conversation of water and planning on how to use less, rather than how we can use more.

The Florida Hometown Democracy Land Use Initiative, or amendment 4, will be brought to the voters on November 2, 2010. This amendment gives voters more say over development, and if passed, any land-use decisions will require voter approval for all changes to local comprehensive land-use plans. In 2008, a lack of signatures kept the initiative off the ballot, but this year it has enough supporters to win a chance to be approved by Florida voters.

Supporter and Florida Hometown Democracy Land Use president Lesley Blackner says “Mismanaged growth destroys communities.” Amendment 4 has gained support from groups such as Clean Water Action Network of Florida, Alliance to Protect Water Resources, the Audubon Society, Save Our Wetlands Coalition, the Sierra Club, and hundreds of other environmental groups throughout Florida.

Those opposing Amendment 4, such as The Florida Chamber of Commerce and other industry groups, say they “strongly oppose” the initiative and argue that the bill would “put us in a permanent recession for Florida’s economy.”

Bottom line is this: we either conserve our natural resources, or we will run out. We can make efforts to pull water from other areas in Florida to accommodate our thirst for water in overdeveloped areas, but ultimately, that will also run out; not to mention the millions of dollars it will take to build the infrastructure for it. Our best bet is to truly make an effort to conserve our natural resources and become forward-thinking in our planning for land and development. We have overindulged for too long and developers have overbuilt and sucked the water dry. Now we must live with the consequences.

Can we afford NOT to do something to try and correct past poor judgment?