Save our Mighty Oaks within Florida State Parks

Dear Governor Crist:

Reference: "Habitat Restoration" at River Rise WEST

We believe the attached letter to Mr. Michael Sole specifies many questions regarding the so-called "habitat restoration" program that has been going on in Florida Parks and Preserves since the Outdoor Recreation and Conservation Act of 1963 (44 years). We assume it was at that time that the decision was made to "turn back time" to the 1500's.

Forty-four years ago, we did not have the global warming, carbon offsets, and dwindling water supplies as we are experiencing today. It is time to re-evaluate the management of our naturally-evolved Oak forests. It is time to stop cutting and girdling our biggest and healthiest Oak trees, Cherry laurels, and others that feed all species of wildlife, cool the air, provide shade and shelter for wildlife; filter carbon pollution from the air, add moisture to the air, prevent erosion, etc. It is time for better, more sensitive, and more competent management of our Oak forests. What is more important: to leave the naturally-evolved Oak forests that are beneficial to solving our escalating global warming and water problems, and to manage them better; or destroy what Nature has given us to plant pine trees and wildflowers to bring the land back to what DEP thinks it was in the 1500's? That is a process that will take more than 70-80 years to complete. You can be sure the global problems will be worse at that time.

Global Warming Scientists say that "saving the trees" is the most important thing to do. How can DEP/Parks & Recreation justify the wanton destruction of our most productive trees? Better management would be to remove the undergrowth and "stick" trees, let the sunshine in, plant the wildflowers, and widely-spaced longleaf pine trees that Florida Biologists are so fond of and leave the mature, shady and productive trees to do their job.

How can DEP possibly justify the unspecified and unknown "cost to benefit ratio" of the $60 million dollar experimental Sandhill/Pine "restoration" program of destroying already mature productive Oak trees, Cherry laurels, and others to plant widely-spaced Longleaf pines that will take decades to mature? Has this been calculated and evaluated by "unbiased" Global Warming Scientists, taking into consideration today's changing environmental and atmospheric needs? Is DEP aware that there is a new Federal mandate for agencies to focus on our now-warming world and the effects that are coming?

What are the answers to these questions? (1) Cost to environment to turn a cool, shady rainforest into a hot, sunny desert where moisture evaporates rapidly? (2) Loss of shade for cooling the air? (3) Loss of moisture? (4) Loss of carbon filtering? (5) Loss of habitat for diversified wildlife? (6) Loss of food source for diversified wildlife? (7) Tragic loss of aesthetic value? (8) Loss of benefit to our dwindling water supply. These are all valid questions and we need answers.

We are asking you to order DEP/Parks & Recreation to halt any further destruction of our naturally evolved Oak forests until "unbiased" (out of the system) Global Warming Scientific studies can be made. You can't "undo the damage" that contract workers have done in River Rise WEST; but, DEP can order Parks and Recreation to "do no more harm".