Open Wakulla-letters needed

[ucfdiver]

Thanks for the reminders to send in letters. I was able to drop mine off earlier this week.

Given that the current push is for open access to Wakulla, I do not support this proposal. I do not want to see Wakulla become another Blue Grotto, Troy, Royal, Paradise, Devils Den, etc. Open water divers have wrecked every site they've been given access to in Florida, and even cave divers have done things such as chiseled the Whale Bone in Ginnie Springs out, or carving DIC into multiple caves around Florida. Even sites such as Black Lagoon the community has chosen to make them guided to keep people from stealing the shark tooth and other items-- imagine what's going to happen with a mastodon bone! I've always thought that you should treat others things as you treat your own, so pushing for open access to a cave diving site when the CDS requires 100 post full cave dives or to be guided in THEIR caves, shows either a lack of caring or thought.

Wakulla is not clear enough to dive often, as we've seen from how rarely the boat tours run, and therefore will provide little to zero tourism dollars that wouldn't have been spent in High Springs Luraville and Marianna anyways. The real goal here is in no way to drive tourism dollars, as any realistic restrictions will eliminate the vast majority of out of town divers, leaving only those of us who already dive frequently anyways. If we were really trying to increase visitors to the state, we'd open up m2 blue, rose creek, and other sites that aren't insanely deep. Why lie to the state? Why can't we just say that we want to dive Wakulla and not give them a biased research study full of numbers that don't make any sort of sense? I hope the state doesn't hold it against us.

[SuPrBuGmAn]

I do not want to see Wakulla become another Blue Grotto, Troy, Royal, Paradise, Devils Den, etc. Open water divers have wrecked every site they've been given access to in Florida, and even cave divers have done things such as chiseled the Whale Bone in Ginnie Springs out, or carving DIC into multiple caves around Florida. Even sites such as Black Lagoon the community has chosen to make them guided to keep people from stealing the shark tooth and other items-- imagine what's going to happen with a mastodon bone!

Education would go a long way with any of those sites, and should be implemented at Wakulla. An additional signed paper acknowledging the importance of the artifacts and keeping the area pristine along with the consequences of what happens if one were to ignore the rules, would certainly stop any damage from occuring.

Wakulla is not clear enough to dive often, as we've seen from how rarely the boat tours run...

Wakulla has been clear enough to dive all year. The glass bottom boats require more visibility than divers. Divers in the water might actually give them something extra to look at and enhance their tour.

[scubajim 1]

It is in today's post.

[karstdvr]

Given that the current push is for open access to Wakulla, I do not support this proposal. I do not want to see Wakulla become another Blue Grotto, Troy, Royal, Paradise, Devils Den, etc. Open water divers have wrecked every site they've been given access to in Florida

Last time I was in Troy,it looked pretty darned good. There are quite a few OW sites that look fine,so does that mean we need to vilify all divers.
A couple of irresponsible people,and the whole OW population is generalized. Hmmm....If I drive a motorcycle with black leather vest,then I must be a biker intent on crime

or carving DIC into multiple caves around Florida

Cave divers prosecuted this person under statute 810.13 for cave vandalism. Cave divers expended large amount of their personal time working with DA to pursue this person,as well as generate conservation phamplet. Cave divers set up a $1000 fund to pay toward anybody reporting cave vandalism that leads to prosection. Cave divers repaired this site with person trained in clay art repairing this at their own expense

. Even sites such as Black Lagoon the community has chosen to make them guided to keep people from stealing the shark tooth and other items-

You have wrong information you are reporting here. Actually it was made a guided site WELL BEFORE anybody knew about the shark tooth. The guided dive access was for another reason,which was county related.

- imagine what's going to happen with a mastodon bone!

Nothing will happen. Actually past permit users have placed in diving bells,habitats,tons of gear,and nothing has happened. What is a person with a few pounds of gear going to do. There are real easy ways to mitigate this.
What about the dive site that has indian pottery on the floor just past the cavern zone,and nobody has removed?
What about the dozens of sea urchin spines in JB-been there unchanged for the decades I have dove the place?
What about the steamboat in Troy,nobody has removed hunks of metal for their collection?

I've always thought that you should treat others things as you treat your own, so pushing for open access to a cave diving site when the CDS requires 100 post full cave dives or to be guided in THEIR caves, shows either a lack of caring or thought.

Hmmm....many would say this is caring too much, to require 100 cave dives. Need to check facts here again,the guided access cave isn't theirs,only managed by them

Wakulla is not clear enough to dive often, as we've seen from how rarely the boat tours run, and therefore will provide little to zero tourism

As many people as I get asking me about Lafayette Blue,which has included yourself,sounds like poor visibility isn't stopping people. The bottom line,places like Ginnie,JB etc are the exception,not the rule,as you yourself know,the majority of the caves are low visibility.

. The real goal here is in no way to drive tourism dollars

,
Not the main reason,but a side benefit for sure. But,it\f there are more sites than just a few,then tourism will go up.

and other sites that aren't insanely deep

I think your web site you describe diving Eagles Nest,which frequently has poor viz. That is "insane",we need to close that place down :-)



.
FWIW,when the effort was going into Emerald,there was the same negativity,and reaction. But all parties worked together for a win-win solution that was successful. Can not this occur in this case?

Everybody,if you feel like you are a mature,responsible person,and would like to join in the process of having a new site opened up,then your help is needed. Letters to the address will get you a response back from the state,and appreciation from the people working hard in the background. Please realize,opening places like Peacock and Jackson Blue to name a couple didn't just happen,but was a process that required public response. If you want to see you opportunities increase,you must become involved.

[Hetland]

Please, if you have not sent a letter in the past 3-4 months, please write again.


and, if possible, PLEASE attend the meeting and lend your support. This is as close as we have ever been to opening Wakulla to divers, but we need every seat filled so that we can show the decision-makers that we are serious about supporting the park if we are allowed access.

Public meeting opening Wakulla
Thurs, Jan 19, 2012
7:00pm (Eastern) until 10:00pm
Wakulla County Agriculture Extension Office
The Arena
84 Cedar Avenue
Crawfordville, Florida

[techintime]

So what happened at the meeting?

[lowviz]

So what happened at the meeting?

So what happened at the meeting?

[Thalassamania]

There is a similar thread at: Public meeting on the subject of opening Wakulla to scuba divers Thurs, Jan 19 at 7pm