The Florida Keys have been designated as an Area of Critical State Concern since 1974, providing state oversight of the region's policies affecting water quality, habitat conservation, affordable housing and reasonable hurricane evacuation. Little progress has been made by Monroe County towards meeting the conditions for removal of this designation, and now the state legislature is proposing an end run around the standards set by the designation.  

Regardless of whether you are a Florida resident, join our petition telling the Florida Legislature that the Florida Keys ecology, economy, and way of life all depend on the Keys remaining and Area of Critical State Concern!

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

SAVE OUR FLORIDA KEYS

We, the undersigned residents of and visitors to the Florida Keys, support the continued protection of the Florida Keys as an Area of Critical State Concern, which upholds state oversight of marine protection and development decisions.

The Florida Keys are an international treasure, harboring a world-class ecosystem, the world's third largest coral reef and a vibrant economy. These riches have long been threatened by growth and pollution. Accordingly, the Keys were designated as an Area of Critical State Concern to help safeguard water quality, habitat protection, affordable housing and reasonable hurricane evacuation for residents and visitors.

Unfortunately, to date, local governments have not done enough to clean up their sewage and protect natural areas in the Florida Keys. Proposals before the Florida Legislature (HB 1299 and SB 2098) would remove important legal protection from the Florida Keys and allow pollution and development in the Keys to continue without adequate oversight.

We, the undersigned, ask the Governor of the State of Florida and leaders of the Florida Legislature to leave the Critical Areas designation in place. We urge you to maintain the Keys' ecosystem, way of life, and economy by rejecting HB 1299 and SB 2098 and keeping the standards of environmental protection to which the Florida Keys are currently held.

Signed by:

Campaign Launched:
March 28, 2006

March 27, 2006

The Florida Senate
Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100

Dear Members of the Florida Senate,

      We, the environmental community of Florida and citizen groups of the Florida Keys, are requesting that you oppose proposals to remove the Florida Keys' designation as an Area of Critical State Concern.

     The Florida Keys were designated an Area of Critical State Concern (ACSC) in 1974. The designation gave the State oversight of Monroe County's management of population and development pressure in this world-class ecosystem. In exchange, the county is provided with special financial resources to effect these improvements. In the thirty years since designation, little significant progress has been made on these issues. Water quality, loss of habitat and lack of affordable housing are more serious than ever. Now the famously blue waters around the Keys grow murky green with algae, threatening the very lifestyle and economy upon which the Keys have been built.

   Current law, amended in 1999, details clear conditions for removal of the designation based on a decision by the Governor and Cabinet sitting as the Administration Commission and places a burden on Monroe County to meet those conditions. SB 2098 and HB 1299 by Sen. Mike Bennett and Rep. Ken Sorensen would remove this designation prematurely.

The Florida Keys are a unique place visited by millions of people from around the world and meriting special state oversight.  They include:
      ∙  The Keys' economic engine: three national parks, four national wildlife refuges,
         and several of Florida's award-winning state parks 
      ∙  The world's third largest coral reef, home to a vibrant diving industry
      ∙  The last remaining fragments of tropical hardwood hammock in Florida, crucial 
         to migratory songbirds and the Keys' signature striped tree snails
      ∙  Incomparable Keys sportfishing, a pillar in Florida's status as Fishing Capital of
         the World
      ∙  Mangrove bays and nearshore waters, nurseries to Florida's famous populations
         of wading birds and the commercial fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico.

    Only three of Monroe County's five commissioners support this proposed legislation in recent action, while two municipalities have refused to take action supporting it. Additionally, 82% of respondents indicated they oppose removing the Keys' ACSC designation in a recent survey of Keys residents by nationally recognized Lake Research Partners. The Keys, a nationally-significant resource with a small population base, deserve additional state protection for water quality, terrestrial habitat, affordable housing and hurricane safety. It is premature to remove the oversight that has been the only legal incentive thus far for local efforts to deal with near-shore pollution and development pressure.

    Recognizing the significance of the marine environment to the residents and visitors of the state of Florida, the legislature passed Public Law 99-395, requiring all wastewater systems to be connected to advanced wastewater treatment by July 1, 2010.  Monroe County has achieved less than 10% of the wastewater compliance required in state law with only four years remaining in the schedule. Until this challenging task has been completed, it is premature to consider de-designation of the Area of Critical State Concern status for the Florida Keys.

   Thank you for your consideration of this important issue. We hope you will agree that defending the health of the Florida Keys would be a proud legacy for your tenure in the Legislature.

Respectfully yours,

Charles Pattison, Executive Director                        Capt. Ed Davidson, President
1000 Friends of Florida                                            Florida Keys Citizens Coalition

David Anderson, Executive Director                         Manley Fuller, President
Audubon of Florida                                                  Florida Wildlife Federation

Kathy Aterno, Program Director                               Dennis Henize, President
Clean Water Action                                                 Last Stand

Alan Keller, Conservation Chair                               David J. White, Esq., Regional Director
Collier County Audubon Society                              The Ocean Conservancy

Andrew McElwaine, President                                  Susan Caplowe
Conservancy of Southwest Florida                            Sierra Club

Richard Grosso, Executive Director                           Cynthia Guerra, Executive Director
Environmental and Land Use Law Center                 Tropical Audubon Society

Sen. Bob Smith, President                                       Debra S. Harrison, Director, South Florida Program
Everglades Foundation                                             World Wildlife Fund

Thom Rumberger, Esq., Chairman                           Juanita Greene, Conservation Chair
Everglades Trust                                                       Friends of the Everglades

DeeVon Quirolo, Executive Director                         John Murphy, President
Reef Relief                                                               Big Pine Key Civic Association

Jill Patterson, BOD                                                  Joan Barrow, BOD
Upper Keys Citizens Association                              Florida Keys Chapter of the Izaak Walton League

Sylvia Murphy, President                                         Mark Ferrulo, Director
Tavernier Community Association                           Florida PIRG

Rich Grathwohl, Director
Marathon Fishing Guides Association