Call to action: Tell Gov. DeSantis we need this clean-water advocate back

__________________________________

As we detailed last week, Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch had been a member of the South Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board since 2019, and was reappointed to another term by Gov. Ron DeSantis last year.

But the Florida Senate declined to hold a confirmation hearing. Her last day was June 19, and her at-large seat is now open, just as we stare down another huge algae bloom on Lake Okeechobee and the prospect of another “lost summer” along the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries.

Yet there’s still a way to right this wrong. Gov. DeSantis can still appoint Thurlow-Lippisch to the slot. You can urge him to do so by calling (850) 717-9337 or emailing [email protected].

For more information on why this is happening — and what could happen if Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch DOESN'T get reappointed — check our the latest on VoteWater.org.

That huge toxic algae bloom on Lake Okeechobee right now? Get used to it every year from here on in. Our recent Deep Dive details what happened to cause this, and what we can do to avert an even more toxic future.

Along with other conservation groups around Florida, we asked Gov. DeSantis to veto the sneaky ban on new and improved fertilizer ordinances in the state budget, but he didn't. That generated a reaction on Facebook — and maybe you'd like to weigh in yourself!

P.S. Signatures Needed! The "Right to Clean and Healthy Waters" petition needs 900,000 signature by November 30 to get on the 2024 ballot. The petition can be printed out and signed here: http://www.floridarighttocleanwater.org/