The Conservancy of Southwest Florida is working locally, regionally and nationally to address the current water crisis.
“We have a full team of scientists and policy analysts advancing short and long term efforts to address the root cause of the issues, said Robert Moher, Conservancy President and CEO. “ We are communicating and advocating for common sense conservation solutions.”
Today, Jennifer Hecker, Conservancy director of natural resource policy joined U.S. Senator Bill Nelson, Fort Myers Mayor Randy Henderson and others to survey impacted areas in Cape Coral. The group met along the Caloosahatchee River in Fort Myers to discuss the proposed solutions.
On Thursday, July 14, Hecker joined other environmental activists in Washington, D.C. to speak to congressional leaders about polluted waters here in Southwest Florida.
The Bipartisan Lagoon/Gulf Action Day, created by Congressman Patrick Murphy with support from Rep. Curt Clawson, brought together environmental advocacy groups, concerned citizens and federal representatives from the Interagency Working Group on the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act, which includes representatives from the following groups: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Center for Disease Control (CDC), United States Geological Survey (USGS), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
In addition to addressing the current status of Florida’s polluted waters and potential solutions, attendees, including Hecker, delivered bottles of polluted water to members of congress.
“The takeaway message is that some of the Everglades Agricultural Lands south of Lake Okeechobee need to be purchased, and the state of Florida would need to be willing to do so,” said Hecker. “These events allowed members of the congress to see physical evidence of the polluted waters, to hear an explanation of what is to be anticipated if this problems is not addressed, and to discuss what the federal governments can do to improve conditions.”
In the past two weeks the Conservancy of Southwest Florida has been working around the clock to communicate the polluted water’s impacts to Southwest Florida.
The Conservancy of Southwest Florida is a not-for-profit environmental protection organization with a 50 year history focused on the issues impacting the water, land wildlife and future of Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties.
To help the Conservancy’s efforts to stop polluted water’s ripple effect, visit https://www.conservancy.org/ripple-effect.
About the Conservancy of Southwest Florida:
The Conservancy of Southwest Florida is a not-for-profit environmental protection organization with a 50 year history focused on the issues impacting the water, land wildlife and future of Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties. The Conservancy accomplishes this mission through the combined efforts of its experts in the areas of environmental science, policy, education and wildlife rehabilitation. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida, world-class Nature Center and von Arx Wildlife Hospital are headquartered in Naples, Florida, 1495 Smith Preserve Way, south of the Naples Zoo off Goodlette-Frank Road. Learn more about the Conservancy’s work and how to support the quality of life in Southwest Florida www.conservancy.org.
