THANK YOU TO THE HERNANDO AUDUBON SOCIETY FOR THEIR SUPPORT ON THIS CRITICAL ISSUE INVOLVING OUR LOCAL ENVIRONMENT.
Subject:Concerns about dredge disposal site at Eagles Nest Drive – Hern. Beach Dredging
Friday, May 30, 2008
Commissioners,
I am writing to you today to express the concerns of the Hernando Audubon Society regarding the dredge disposal site at Eagles Nest Drive as part of the upcoming dredging in Hernando Beach.
The Hernando Audubon Society (HAS) is a countywide organization with hundreds of members across Hernando County. Our members are voters, taxpayers, and citizens who have joined together in the common and countywide purpose of working to protect Hernando County‘s natural resources, promoting good planning and good growth management, and ensuring a sustainable future for our natural and human communities.
While we support the dredging in Hernando Beach for safety and navigation purposes, we want to strongly urge the County to reconsider the use of the dredge disposal site at Eagles Nest Drive. Community members and organizations have presented the County with other disposal sites that would have less environmental impact. Avoidance, not minimization or mitigation should be the policy when dealing with fragile coastal resources.
We feel that the the dredge disposal site at Eagles Nest Drive is not a suitable place for the dredge spoil and the County is making a decision that is not in the public interest or good for our coastal resources if you continue with the the dredge disposal site at Eagles Nest Drive. Again, we want to strongly urge you to choose one of the other locations that have been considered, and put the natural resources of our coast first in your decision making process.
Thank you for considering our concerns and we look forward to a timely reply to our concerns and position.I will be unable to access email until June 8th, but look forward to receiving a response and replying and responding accordingly.
Sincerely, Joe Murphy
Conservation Chair Hernando Audubon Society
Wow, it is wonderful to have the support of such a great organization.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!
Great to have the support of the Audubon Society. I would hope they would have some affect on the lack of sound judgement at the county level.
After reading this blog, I’m not sure if I can use the words Hernando County and sound judgement in the same sentence.
I hope that our Commissioners and County Administrator take notice. The Hernando Audobon Society would not be sending out such a direct letter and wasting their time if they didn’t think this was important matter dealing with the Nature Coast of Florida.
I hope that individuals reading this will make a contribution to the Audobon Society.
Thank you, Mr. Murphy
We are the American Bald Eagles that frequent this property. I fight over the use of the tallest tree on the property. I let the Osprey and many other bird use them when I don’t. This project will eliminate the last remaining tall trees that I need to scope out the coastline for breakfast and dinner. I also use them to land on to eat my catch.
I hear the last remaining trees will be cut down to stock pile sand. I am not really good at hunting from a sand pile.
In the past, government agencies have had and influence in protecting a few trees for me. On ocassion even developers worked their projects around me. If actually increased the value of their land.
It appears that this is not the case anymore. I will be moving on but just wanted to send out a thank you to the local residences that protected me in the past. I will miss you.
The American Bald Eagle
I wonder where the Democrats are in the county commission. Are they Democrats in name only? Where is their concern for our environment!
I don’t think I have heard one of them ask a question pertaining to the spoil site. To sit back and believe what you are told, and to not ask tough questions, reflects the derelict attitude that the struggling taxpayers of this county have to tolerate.
The county has perused the spoils site scheme for two years and wasted hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars. How many times have we heard “we should have the NOI in a week”? No questions, just accolades from Commissioner Rocco.
THANKS to the HAS for standing up for our environmental future.
Thanks to all the good people at the Hernando Audubon Society for this important statement. I especially liked the sentence..”we want to strongly urge the County to reconsider the use of the dredge disposal site at Eagles Nest Drive.” This tells me that its going to be more than the 25 people who have written to DEP who might oppose this permit. When will the County get their head out of the sand and do the right thing by rejecting the Eagles Nest disposal site? How many more wasted days and dollars will it take before logic and reason sink in. It has been obvious for some time that the Eagles Nest site is unsuitable for the spoil disposal.
At least there are still some people who care about our environment. I was beginning to wonder if the County had anyone left with integrity. Thanks to all who are still watching and are finally starting to pay attention. Maybe we will make a difference after all. We can still HOPE! Please continue to voice your opinions.
The private family should be sued over this situation. Just because they have money problems the taxpayers should not pay. Russell needs thrown out of office over this issue. His friends.
I agree with Jean !!! Clean house at the next election. Russell is lucky he is not up for reelection this time. But maybe an investigation in the corruption that is going on will move him and the others out quicker.
Mark my words, Hernando County government and its “good ol boy” networks, true colors will be showing up shortly.
Clean house at the next election and send a message that the voters do have a voice and don’t buy off on these money making side deals as the spoils site funding.