11-08-2025
Governor, please stop the Everglades Rock Mine before it's too late
I'm not a politician. I'm not an activist. I'm someone who's built a life on clean water.
Like many people in Southwest Florida, I recall the years when red tide and blue-green algae choked our rivers, devastated our economy and threatened our way of life. We were desperate for help, and Gov. Ron DeSantis delivered.
He stood with us, not the special interests. He made clean water a top priority. And he got it done, securing funding, accelerating Everglades restoration and launching the Everglades Agriculture Area Reservoir project, one of the most important water efforts in Florida's history.
That's why I'm writing this. Because everything we've worked for is now at risk.
Right next to the EAA Reservoir — a $4 billion investment to save the Everglades and protect our waters — developers are trying to push through a rock mine. They're calling it a 'water resource project.' It's not. It's a cover story. No vetted plans. No treatment areas. Just rock blasting.
Decades of explosions. In the heart of the Everglades. And behind it all? Big Sugar.
The same industry that's stood in the way of restoration for decades is now backing a plan to profit off the land we've spent years trying to protect. They'll try to hide their motives, hoping we don't notice. But we see what's happening. And we know where this leads.
This isn't just about science or permits anymore. It's about trust.
Governor DeSantis, I'm asking you directly: don't let this mine move forward. Don't let everything you've done to protect our water be undermined by a few companies trying to make a quick buck.
This mine is a threat. The Army Corps of Engineers has raised concerns over the project. Members of the Florida congressional delegation have raised concerns. And thousands of Floridians have raised concerns.
You've been a champion for clean water. This is your legacy.
If this mine goes through, it will undo everything we've fought for — and everything you've accomplished.
Please stand with us once again. Help us stop the Everglades rock mine before it's too late.
Ozzie Lessinger is a longtime fishing guide and conservationist in Florida.
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