Rock mine update: Why is a former head of FDEP shilling for this project?

The Southland rock mine proposal in Palm Beach County moved ahead last week as the Palm Beach County Zoning Commission voted to approve the plan. Friends of the Everglades Policy Director (and VoteWater Executive Director) Gil Smart was there to testify against the proposal; testifying on behalf of the plan was none other than Noah Valenstein, former Secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

In other words, Big Sugar — which owns the 8,600-acre site where the limestone would be mined — is bringing out the big guns.

For more on what happened at last week's meeting — and what happens next — click the link to our latest blog post below.

VoteWater in action!

It’s been a busy few weeks at VoteWater!

On April 5 Executive Director Gil Smart (above) was at the “State Parks Love Fest” at Jonathan Dickinson State Park; it was one of more than a dozen events around the state dedicated to protecting our parks, and supporting changes to a pair of bills in the Florida Legislature designed to safeguard these special places.

VoteWater joined other groups asking that the language in House Bill 209 and Senate Bill 80 be tightened to fully block inappropriate development in our state parks. Happily, HB 209 sponsor Rep. John Snyder amended his bill to make the changes we requested — so thanks, Rep. Snyder! Now it’s up to Sen. Gayle Harrell to amend her bill, SB 80, to match the changes in the House.

Two days later VoteWater and other conservation groups were in Tallahassee meeting with state lawmakers as part of "Everglades Action Day." VoteWater’s Gil Smart and other members of the Everglades Coalition spoke with south Florida legislators on the importance of the Everglades and the need to fully fund restoration and land acquisition. During our meetings with members of the state House and Senate we also touched on related issues, including the state parks bills.

We literally could not have done any of this without you! Your generosity powers our advocacy — and your continues support will help us do even more for Florida's waters, and all who enjoy and depend upon them.

Florida Sportsman

to the 'Rescue!'

In their April 2025 issue, our friends at Florida Sportsman magazine back the campaign to "Rescue the River of Grass," calling on the state to acquire at least 100,000 acres of land south of Lake Okeechobee to store and clean water before sending it south to the Everglades.

Doing so, the magazine notes, would pay huge dividends — from preventing harmful discharges to the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries, restoring clean-water flow to the southern Everglades, protecting South Florida’s drinking water and providing recreational opportunities galore.

Florida Sportsman gets it — do you? Learn more and sign the petition asking lawmakers to act and preserve the Everglades for generations to come.