I think this was not official, just some yahoos.
Deer Lake State Park [update - not closing]
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I think this was not official, just some yahoos.
I want to make a distinction between opening a coastal dune lake and keeping it open permanently.
As to opening a lake, while it is true that the CDLAB can recommend opening a lake at any time, the actual permit to do so is issued by the DEP. Lake Powell was the first lake to receive a permit of this type from the DEP. The water level must reach a predetermined level before the permit kicks in and the lake can be legally opened. That level takes a lot of data into consideration, such as septic tanks, structure foundations, historical levels of the lake, etc., and is based on surveys. The county applied for similar permits for some of the other lakes, which are called "no notice" permits, because no notice is required. Once the designated level is reached, the county can go ahead and open the lake with no notice. I am not sure of the status of those permit applications at this time - they were, last I heard, dragging on slowly, and I don't recall exactly which lakes are involved. It is a lengthy process to do all the required surveying and determine the appropriate level for opening.
From time to time, the county opens one or another lake on an emergency permit basis. This emergency permit needs to come from the DEP. The county requests permission from the DEP, with or without advice from the CDLAB.
As to keeping a CDL open on a permanent basis, that would require some sort of armoring. Armoring a CDL would require a change to the county comp plan as it is currently not allowed. And the state would have something to say about it. Seems not very likely to be permitted at this time, but you never know.
So far as influence goes, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. One reason Eastern Lake gets a lot of attention is because there are active, vocal people living there who contact the county when the lake level rises.
There was a time a few years ago when JOE tried to claim the Camp Creek outlet beach. A JOE security guard ran off kayakers, and as a result a lot of people started kayaking down to the outlet and waving at JOE security. It was in the papers and JOE backed off. Probably the adjacent owners at the lake outlets are the biggest threat to the lakes. Many of them don't understand theh hydraulics or the ecology of the lakes and keep screwing around with the outlets.
As to selling off ANY of the state lands for development I am adamently opposed.
As to opening a lake, while it is true that the CDLAB can recommend opening a lake at any time, the actual permit to do so is issued by the DEP. Lake Powell was the first lake to receive a permit of this type from the DEP. The water level must reach a predetermined level before the permit kicks in and the lake can be legally opened. That level takes a lot of data into consideration, such as septic tanks, structure foundations, historical levels of the lake, etc., and is based on surveys. The county applied for similar permits for some of the other lakes, which are called "no notice" permits, because no notice is required. Once the designated level is reached, the county can go ahead and open the lake with no notice. I am not sure of the status of those permit applications at this time - they were, last I heard, dragging on slowly, and I don't recall exactly which lakes are involved. It is a lengthy process to do all the required surveying and determine the appropriate level for opening.
From time to time, the county opens one or another lake on an emergency permit basis. This emergency permit needs to come from the DEP. The county requests permission from the DEP, with or without advice from the CDLAB.
As to keeping a CDL open on a permanent basis, that would require some sort of armoring. Armoring a CDL would require a change to the county comp plan as it is currently not allowed. And the state would have something to say about it. Seems not very likely to be permitted at this time, but you never know.
So far as influence goes, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. One reason Eastern Lake gets a lot of attention is because there are active, vocal people living there who contact the county when the lake level rises.
There was a time a few years ago when JOE tried to claim the Camp Creek outlet beach. A JOE security guard ran off kayakers, and as a result a lot of people started kayaking down to the outlet and waving at JOE security. It was in the papers and JOE backed off. Probably the adjacent owners at the lake outlets are the biggest threat to the lakes. Many of them don't understand theh hydraulics or the ecology of the lakes and keep screwing around with the outlets.
As to selling off ANY of the state lands for development I am adamently opposed.
I wouldn't call it conspiracy either. I think I heard someone on the message board recently call it good planning. I say more power to them.
There are plenty of docks on Lake Powell including the one recently installed on another of JOE's Executives property just inside the Walton County line. No need to break confidence, but suffice it to say he is high ranking.
Something substantial has got to be done immediately with government spending. Our country has never had a government budget as large a percentage of the GDP as it has now and it's going higher and higher. Yes, it's going to hurt in some way, but there is no way around it. There really isn't. To think there is is an afront of clear macro-economic history. The Government has no place or business in the majority of areas it's involved in.
I agree that we need to take a good hard look at our bloated budgets and out of control spending, but selling off our parks should be a last resort, not a first.
The amount realized by the sale of these community assets is comparable to the amount we outright waste in a year. Waste and perks need to go buh-bye, not our natural gems.
I am certainly no avid environmentalist and whiles I agree the government has no business in a lot of the areas in which it is involved, the parks should remain in the control of government. One of the best programs by the National Park Service for senior citizens is the "Golden Passport" program. If we turn our local parks over to developers and other business interests, it will be no time at all until they become gated communities available only to an elite few. Keep the parks under government control and operation, fund them properly and give all citizens the right to enjoy them at a reasonable price. There are plenty of other programs that are more suitable to being taken from government and turned over to the private sector than parks.
I follow you and agree that they do have clout; however, they would also be going against a variety of other gorillas if they pursued a permanent opening that would negatively impact the adjacent landowners. One which is EBSCO in Inlet Beach and then Rosemary Beach.
As for Mary's involvement, St. Joe has been involved from the beginning with the original CDL task force before it became an advisory board. The task force included a number of technical experts, local environmentalists, property owners, developers, and county staff. I am not too good on this but if my memory from 7+ years ago is correct, the first group included (and I am sorry if I included you and you weren't involved or if I left you off):
Tommy Ervin, Topsail Hill State Preserve
Scott Jackson, FL Sea Grant
Brad Pickel, TDC
Julie Terrell, Florida Lakewatch (now with CBA)
Earl Day, Eastern Lake Resident
Van Ness Butler, County Commissioner
Britt Greene, Watercolor
Celeste Cobena, Beach to Bay
Mike D'Autilla
Billy McKee (or someone else from the County's planning dept.)
Another resident on Eastern Lake that had a fisheries background.
And at least one or two more that I am forgetting.
Once it went to an Advisory Board, other changes were made like the addition of Phillip Ellis from Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance, and a couple of more residents (maybe Judi Rutland and Susan Burgess?) I don't know who all is involved now.
The point I am trying to make is that unless the makeup of the CDLAB is substantially different, I cannot ever see the CDLAB advocating a permanent opening, especially not one with the structures it would require to keep it open.
I remember yahoos at Western Lake, but I'm pretty sure that Draper was a back-hoe.
I agree with everything you said and wouldn't rule out liquidating the parks if the relief was not realized through the immediate closings and cutting.
Sorry we didn't get the proverbial honeymoon before our first quarrel. I disagree with quite a bit of your assertions.
Neither EBSCO or The Village at Inlet Beach AKA Rosemary Beach Land Company are adjacent landowners. Jason's (EBSCO) got a piece close, but not close enough to effectively oppose.
Next, either of the aforementioned are corporate peers of JOE who may very well acquire JOE in the next year if the table is set properly. That said, those gorilla's are as cozy as SWGB with a pretty boy from the Keys. If so, there's no man nor beast for 600 miles whose gonna effectively oppose in a Court of Equity or Common.
The lakefront property owners in favor of developing a permanantly navigable pass for passenger boats outnumber the lakefront property owners who don't by 50 to 1. The businesses that would benefit feel the same way. The pass is already being used by passenger vessels intermitantly now.
It's time for those who don't have an eminent cause to have their vote counted properly 1/50th. Are you advocating raising taxes across the State to combat the will of the majority and a bunch of corporate gorilla's if they choose to exercise their collective might?