[zthomas]

Apologies if this has already been posted; I didn't see it anywhere.

This was a fascinating watch with lots of historical photos and video and beautiful contemporary stuff too. I was able to stream it free via Roku.

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/swamp/

 

[sjrobin]

Good film explaining how the Everglades were compromised. I did not know that it was FDR that had the passion for saving the Glades and Truman signed the bill creating the ENP. Both of these men loved to spend time in South Florida and the Keys. Would have been better if TR had supported an expanded park before the drainage canals had been built. Bottom line is greed destroyed the Everglades.

 

[East Cape]

Hope they mention/cover "Glen Simmons" as he was for sure part of that era and coolest man I've ever met in the outdoor industry!
Kevin

 

[Scrob]

Damn, Im half way through the book which has taken me awhile due to the extreme detail the author goes into. Wonder if I should just watch the doc now instead haha.
https://www.amazon.com/Swamp-Everglades-Florida-Politics-Paradise/dp/0743251075

 

[Boneheaded]

No mention of the "gladesmen" but some of the photographs...were jaw dropping. there is one photo they show in the beginning of a guy standing on one of the dredging machines and the pristine glades spread ahead of him out as far as the camera can capture.

 

[K3anderson]

Damn, Im half way through the book which has taken me awhile due to the extreme detail the author goes into. Wonder if I should just watch the doc now instead haha.
https://www.amazon.com/Swamp-Everglades-Florida-Politics-Paradise/dp/0743251075

I recommend everyone read this one.

 

[Guest]

I recommend everyone read this one.

I certainly will be! Grandpa was a Gladesman and the stories he told were amazing... even if I could remember them ya’ll wouldn’t believe most of them lol!

 

[jtf]

Since 1974 have no tv, cell phones don't work here, and there is no high speed internet available. What's left? The school teacher widow ladies on the desk at the public library.

Grunwald's "The Swamp" is a laborious read, but a great detailed history of full throttled US expansionist history, except southward, not westward.

He should be encouraged to update a second edition. The waters are still in peril.

 

[Guvner]

It's a great book, but very disheartening, there truly is almost no hope for the Everglades

 

[brianBFD]

Damn, Im half way through the book which has taken me awhile due to the extreme detail the author goes into. Wonder if I should just watch the doc now instead haha.
https://www.amazon.com/Swamp-Everglades-Florida-Politics-Paradise/dp/0743251075

Go ahead and finish the book. Some parts of it are brutal due to detail. I don't possess the ability to read for more than 10 minutes without going to sleep so like all books these days I listened to it on Audible. It was VERY educational.

 

[jtf]

I wish to apologize before the board members flame me for this post content. I don't intend to be political. I was a resource volunteer for many years and know just enough science to get me in deep waters.

Any body of moving water can be restored...stream /river, even the oceans move and work on scientific principals. It's applied fluvial geomorphology.

The river to the north feeding the glades was repaired beginning 1999, Kissimmee River. It's now back to its old self. The problem is will and the almighty dollar.

Had the political mandate by President Truman been exercised, and the Corp of Engineers been muzzled/managed by science, maybe the out of order development could have been slowed.

And not forget, the $01.5/lb excise tax on sugar would have paid for a buyout of the biggest polluters, the same polluters in bed with Florida's and federal legislative blind pigs. See no evil... "boy that money smells fresh!"

Many other problems exist that may not be fixable without public demand.

 

[BassFlats]

The Kissimmee river restoration is a work in progress.Every little bit helps,but It will never be restored back to the original river.

 

[lemaymiami]

Lots and lots to say about the 'glades and all the various things needed to bring it back... Yes, I said bring it back (at least as much as possible). If the Hudson River up in New York can be restored to life - any river or body of water can be... I won't detail any of it here - but everyone should read Grunwald's book (it does end in 2015, so none of the good and/or bad things since then are mentioned). That book will give you some idea of all that needs to be done...

If you remember nothing else, remember that every problem we have - is pretty much self-inflicted... Yep, whenever someone starts ranting about this or that- go look in a mirror before you do anything else... The population growth since the end of WWII absolutely required flood control - and very few were complaining when the Corps of Engineers - responding to our state's request... came up with all those canals and water systems that were only meant to deal with flooding problems... It was only years later we began to understand the costs - that we still bear... and now it seems as though the bill is coming due....

The first step on this long road will be convincing the folks we've elected at the state level how important all of this is - because it won't be cheap to fix - and it will take so long that folks just graduating from college this year - might actually be able to make a lifetime's career fixing these problems - if they have the right skills. Political types will quickly make promises to get elected (or stay in office...). The hard part is standing up and actually making decisions -then following through... afterwards.

I do like most of what I've seen so far from our new governor - but I'm reserving judgment until I see what they actually do to get started on all that needs to be done - from improving water quality -then figuring out a way to send water that meets the federal standard to the south they way the natural Everglades did (all those years ago - before we monkeyed with it...).

I'll get down off of my soapbox now... Anyone reading this -please forward it to anyone you think might be interested...

 

[brianBFD]

With the exception of all those panhandle ********, there are simply too many non-native Floridians. I think culling about half of the "dreamers" would go a long way towards lightening the load on the land.

 

[Edfish]

With the exception of all those panhandle ********, there are simply too many non-native Floridians...

Almost none of us are native. I think using a term like "culling" with respect to humans is disgusting and has no place on this forum or anywhere else. Mods should remove such posting and if it was up to me, you'd be banned.

 

[makin moves]

Almost none of us are native. I think using a term like "culling" with respect to humans is disgusting and has no place on this forum or anywhere else. Mods should remove such posting and if it was up to me, you'd be banned.

Regardless if you agree or not it's freedom of speech. Is that really what you want to ban? I can't speak for him but I read as him being sarcastic.

 

[Edfish]

Sure. I hope they were kidding as well, but I don't think that's a topic to kid about. Happy to disagree with folks too, but again, not about something like that.

Free speech is obviously critical to democracy. Hate speech has often been protected under free speech, and in and of itself is not considered a crime (though it may get someone fired), and I'd like to think that does belong on microskiff either.

Threatening speech that suggests "true threat" and suggests or threatens violence against a persons, or is intended to create fear, is, however, a crime and can be prosecuted.

I don't feel like any of this should need to be said.

 

[BigEasy]

I don't want this to fall in to a political shit show. As I haven't been to Florida since I did a job in Stuart 15 years ago. But....

I'm 20 minutes in to this show and I'm reminded of a T shirt I purchased from a traditional archery vendor from Wyoming years ago the logo was "Help preserve wildlife habitat, shoot a land developer"

 

[Robin Williams]

Lol, I’m not for shooting anybody but Florida’s thirst for land development/tourism has ruined many estuaries. I watched a state park experiment destroy a whole rivers ecosystem so tour boats could run more regularly. That river still has never been the same. I know if I did that, I’d be behind bars.

 

[jtf]

A similar discussion of the same topic incited animosity on another site, stripers online, several months ago. It was removed by the owner/administrator in a couple pages.

Please members, this is an important message brought to attention in the fist few posts of the thread.

It is and has been entirely political for almost a couple hundred years in Florida and from beyond. The natural systems have been compromised and manipulated.

I have an old friend, well educated and a student of Florida history, truly a lifetime Cracker. He doesn't fish but regularly drinks with the captains, (haha too much, that's how he earned his retirement from public works, but that's another unfortunate story). It is always interesting to listen to his opinion of the waters in this area because he studies them every day. There are problems that may never be repaired, and watching the nasty fluid dump at the top of Hobe Sound is depressing. But this can be fixed only if the public's will is expressed. I hear that the new Governor shows positive intent. Pick up your phones and call, please!

Maybe I will find a friend with a nice set that will let me watch the PBS show at her house. Or maybe read the book again so I don't have to share the wine?