by Joe Wilhelm Jr.
Staff Writer
Those hoping to see the St. Johns River receive the same level of attention as the Florida Everglades were encouraged when State Sen. John Thrasher convened the St. Johns River Caucus Tuesday.
The Jacksonville Waterways Commission, which met Wednesday, is ready to help at the local level.
“It’s a great step for the St. Johns River,” said John Crescimbeni, chair of the commission. “I commend Senator Thrasher for latching onto the St. Johns River and making it an issue.”
The commission was formed in 1984 to study and make recommendations to the City Council with respect to the improvement, development and protection of the St. Johns River and all tidal waters in Duval County.
Thrasher pledged to gather politicians who represented areas along the St. Johns River for a St. Johns River Caucus to discuss ways to find funding for research and cleanup and also develop a vision for the preservation of one of 14 American Heritage Rivers in the United States.
Mark Middlebrook, executive director of the St. Johns River Alliance, reported to the commission that the first meeting of the caucus was organizational, but significant for the St. Johns River.
“Senator Thrasher has stepped up in an effort to put the St. Johns River on the same plane as the Everglades,” said Middlebrook.
“About 52 potential members, who were a mixture of senators and representatives, from areas along the main stem of the river attended the meeting. (Tuesday) was a significant day for the St. Johns River,” he said.
St. Johns Riverkeeper Neil Armingeon was pleased with what he witnessed in Tallahassee.
“Any time you get a group of people talking about the river, it’s a good thing,” said Armingeon. “He (Thrasher) is interested and wants to set up a forum to talk about solutions for the problems facing the river.”
The progress report was well received, but the commission wanted to know how it could contribute to the effort.
The simple answer was to look for opportunities to support the members of the caucus.
“Senator (Evelyn) Lynn mentioned that she has a bill pending in the Senate that would put a surcharge on a bottle of water and one of the things she suggested was that the surcharge could be put into a fund to do something for the St. Johns River,” said Middlebrook.
“I would encourage the waterways commission, if that bill goes forward, to encourage her and that piece of legislation,” he said.
SB 78 is titled “Environmental Surcharge on Bottled Water” and it proposes to establish “a surcharge on bottled water sold at retail in this state. Requires that moneys collected from the surcharge be deposited into the Ecosystem Management and Restoration Trust Fund.”
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