Dear Editor:
I believe it is time for everyone in Santa Rosa County and the surrounding areas of the Blackwater River
State Forest, annex of 1,100acres just north of NAS Whiting Field, to know that phase I is 640 acres that has been destroyed so a dirt bike club can make money for admission. Phase II is anybody's bet as to what is next.
I have written letters to various officials including our Governor and e-mails so numerous to other officials that it is difficult to keep track of. I am enclosing a recent e-mail sent to the State Forester Director that is just one of many e-mails sent.
There seems to be a well-kept secret about this OHW Park on public land. The first public meeting had
huge numbers of people from allover the surrounding area that was against the destruction of our forest, but our county commissioners only listened to us with one ear. I truly believe that public meetings are just a show and minds are already made up well before the public meetings are scheduled.
We will not give up writing, e-mailing, and now using Facebook to let our public officials to stop this deforestation just because of a dirt bike club needs a place to ride and cause more unwanted noise in our area.
A large number of people are against drilling for oil on state forest land because of the environment impact. People can Google other OHV parks within 80 miles and zoom into barren land and see what dirt bikes do to the land. The destruction has already been done. Our forests are in decline and the Dept. of Forestry is part of the problem. Our public officials, local and state, need to hear from all of us to stop our natural resources from being taken away.
On another note: I watched a very young deer tryto jump the hog wire fence that goes around the Clear
Creek O W Park to be with the doe on the other side. The poor thing kept running into the fence over and over again and then finally gave up and limped off. I hope the doe and fawn were reunited somewhere outside that nasty fence.
I amnot a tree hugger but I do see the need for the trees.
Ronald Dudley
Pine Ridge Subdivision
Milton, FL
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Blackwater State Forest annex 1,100 acres