No Man's Land, painting by Everglades artist JoAnn Sanborn

No man's Land, Jo-Ann Sanborn 2010
acrylic on canvas, 20x24

Few people were found living in the Everglades region prior to the turn of the last century. The interior was simply too wet to live comfortably, and those who did set their homes on higher ground near the coastal ridges.

The people who did live here put out a cry for help after devastating hurricanes in the late 1920's and 1940's. They petitioned to control the flood waters that continually threatened the area, and Congress complied. It seemed the right thing to do at the time, but the results have been devastating for the Everglades ecosystem, and now efforts are underway to restore the ancient water flows.

Scores of stakeholders, led by the Army Corps of Engineers and the Southwest Florida Management Agency have developed the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan neither of which have an easy link to the plan or their part in it.

The plan is huge, and of such significance that we all ought to be aware of it. How the water is handled will affect our water and our economy. There are so many parts and so many stakeholders each with their own take that it's not easy to follow. Still, occasionally you might see a request for public comment. When you do, please speak up for the land!