South Florida Anglers For Everglades Restoration

Senator Bob Graham

Committee on Environment and Public Works

Washington, D.C.

Dear Senator Graham,

Please allow us to introduce ourselves. South Florida Anglers For Everglades Restoration (SAFER) is an association of local bass clubs from Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, which have joined together to protect the rights of all recreational fishermen from the encroachment on our fishing grounds by the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). Every week, hundreds of recreational fishermen like us, travel out to the canals located in the Everglades for a day of fishing. Some go for a relaxing day on the water with family and friends; others go to test their angling skills against other fishermen in one of the many tournaments that are scheduled throughout the year. According to studies by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission conducted over the past few years, the Everglades canal system has the highest catch rate of any fishery in the state of Florida. Each year, fishermen pump over $1,120,000 into the local economy. It is our goal to maintain the viability of the Everglades canal system as the great fishery it has been for decades, and to assure accessibility to these waters by all recreational fishermen.

We are not against the goals of the CERP, we are simply concerned that once this 7.8 billion dollar monster gets cranking, it will steamroll right over us. We are very skeptical that the interests of recreational fishermen utilizing the Everglades canals plays much of a role in the planning of the agencies involved in the CERP process. Their creed seems to be “Restoration, not recreation.” There is no doubt in our minds, that this is the thinking of the various environmentalist groups bent on influencing the decision making of the multitude of government agencies involved in the process. We feel it is safe to say that the only official voice being raised on behalf of the recreational fishermen is that of the Fla. Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. It is a lonely voice indeed.

It is becoming quite clear to us that nobody is going to stand up for our rights except ourselves. Quite possibly, we were late in understanding and reacting to the threat to our sport. Rest assured, that is no longer the case. Concerned anglers have started attending the scheduled public meetings. We are becoming well informed, and we have started to organize. It is imperative that our voices be heard and our rights protected from the over zealousness of the environmentalists bent on running over us without even a care as to what we want.

Just what is it we want, you might ask? The L-67A Canal is one of the finest fisheries, located within a short travel time of a major urban area, anywhere in the country. Numerous stories about fishing the L have been featured in some of the country’s most prominent fishing magazines. The current plans under consideration by the Corps of Engineers call for the degradation of the L-67A levee and the backfilling, starting at the boat ramp off the Tamiami Trail, of the lower 7.5 miles of the canal. Accessibility to the canal from the south, from Dade County, would be completely denied. Keeping the L-67A Canal open for recreational fishing throughout its 26 mile length, is a goal which our organization will pursue vigilantly throughout the planning stages of the Everglades restoration.

It is our understanding that there are two phases to what is known as Decompartmentalization and Sheetflow Enhancement Project (Decomp).  Phase I, which has already been authorized, is scheduled to begin construction in 2005, and last until 2010. Phase II, which has not been authorized, is scheduled for construction from 2010 to 2014, and calls for the backfilling of the L-67A. There isn’t a bass fisherman in the tri-county area, who won’t oppose this phase of the restoration. It is our firm belief that “Restoration with recreation” should be included in the guidelines, which will govern Phase II of Decompartmentalization. This belief was made clear to the Project Design Team at the public workshop held at Dania’s Outdoor World on February 6, 2001. “The public,” states the PDT Meeting Summary, dated Feb. 21, 2001, “voiced the desire to maintain recreational access in the project area and have consistently requested maintaining the canal for recreational/fishing access from L-29 to Holiday Park, which would require not removing L-67.”

Phase 2 of Decomp is still very much in the discussion stages among the professionals, with several public hearings yet to be held. The L-67A Canal is one of the finest bass fisheries in the United States, and recreational fishermen from Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties are alarmed at the plans to backfill the bottom 7-1/2 miles of the canal. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, a member of the Restudy group, is beginning to question the need for the removal of these fine recreational waters. Yet we see no evidence that any of the involved agencies is paying anything more than lip service to meeting the needs of recreational fishermen. An evaluation, dated February 2001 of Hydrological Systems Modeling by the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) studies seven scenarios, all of which call for the degradation of the L-67A Levee and the backfilling of the canal. We believe it is time for the system modelers to go back to the drawing board, and develop models, which take into account the continued existence of the L-67 A Canal. It is time for planners to formulate plans, which, as Winnie Park of the SFWMD states, “optimize weir design for natural possible increment to elimination.” 

The issue is no longer whether the Everglades are going to be restored; the issue is how they are going to be restored. Senator, you, of all the members of the Environment and Public Works Committee, should know that fishermen and hunters have been part of the cycle of life of the Everglades for decades. A deep appreciation for the Everglades has been passed down from generation to generation. No group wants to see the Everglades restored to its pristine beauty more than we do. We just don’t want to watch the process from the sidelines, which is where the exclusionist environmental groups will place us if we don’t defend our rights to access the Everglades. To accomplish our goals, we  are going to need your help, and the help of the other members of Florida’s elected legislators. Can we count on your help Senator?

Sincerely

Phone: (786) 325-2934

Email address: alovies@comcast.com