Development of land that requires “Demuck and fill” (developers’ terminology) provides countless examples of causing problematic issues in subdivisions.
Land owners and developers, as temporary stewards of this low-country property, need to realize that its true value to our Bay and our Sound can’t be measured in a fat bottom line.
When you ask too much of a resource, it completely vanishes. Everything that happens around the shores of our bay and our sound has a profound impact on the system.
These consequences are enormous. Wildlife habitats cannot be their own spokesperson. The monetary value of these shoreline wetlands cannot be measured.
Theodore Roosevelt was also a dedicated conservationist, setting aside some 200 million acres for national forests, reserves and wildlife refuges during his presidency – more than all the other previous presidents combined. He stopped the dam on the Colorado River that would have backed water up into the Grand Canyon. Developers were planning the future of the proposed shores, but he had visions.
Developers purchasing and building homes and businesses in these low-lying areas are not improving South Santa Rosa County. In fact, they are causing huge infrastructure problems which will be a drain on our county’s coffers and additional LOST taxes are now being studied.
Enough is enough! We are systematically losing what brings people here in the first place – the beauty and the diversity. We are the taxpayers and we are not going to silently take it anymore.
Jim Patrick
Gulf Breeze
