A True Conservative Vision for Florida: Stewardship Over Exploitation

EVERGLADES. THE UNINTERRUPTED FLOW OF CLEAN WATER IS VITAL TO US.

"There are no other Everglades in the world. They are, they have always been, one of the unique regions of the earth... a river of grass."

— *Marjory Stoneman Douglas, River of Grass

By [Frank J. Bell]

In recent weeks, Florida has witnessed a revealing battle over the fate of its most precious resource — its land and water. The controversy surrounding a proposed "Rock Mine" near Lake Okeechobee has pitted well-financed corporate interests, particularly a major sugar conglomerate, against grassroots conservation groups like Captains for Clean Water, who are striving to protect Florida’s fragile ecosystems and drinking water.

Adding insult to injury, we’ve now learned that powerful sugar interests allegedly influenced the Sheriff of Hendry County to issue defamatory public statements against the Captains group — an apparent attempt to chill citizen opposition. This episode is a microcosm of a deeper struggle underway in our state: one between those who view Florida as a cash register to be rung dry and those of us who believe in careful stewardship of our natural heritage.

"You don’t protect something you don’t love. I hope my photographs can help people fall in love with the Everglades — because once it’s gone, it’s gone forever."

Clyde Butcher, Photographer

I count myself proudly in the latter camp. And I would argue that this is the true conservative position — rooted in responsibility, prudence, and long-term thinking.

Florida’s Natural Wealth: A Gift, Not a Commodity

Long before the gleam of development lit the eyes of out-of-state speculators, Florida was blessed with a tapestry of ancient waterways. The Everglades, often called the "River of Grass," is not a stagnant swamp but a vast, slow-moving sheet of life-giving water that nourishes both the land and the creatures who inhabit it. Beneath us lies the Floridan Aquifer, one of the world’s most productive groundwater systems, which supplies drinking water to tens of millions of Floridians.

Tourists have flocked here since the early 20th century not because we promised yet another strip mall or rock quarry, but because Florida offered something rare and irreplaceable: clear springs, wild rivers, emerald marshes, sun-drenched beaches, and the magic of bioluminescent waters in places like the Indian River Lagoon.

It is this natural wealth — not just sugar and cement — that has made Florida the third most-visited state in the nation.

"If we lose the Everglades, we lose the very essence of Florida itself — its soul, its lifeblood, its most ancient story."

Nathaniel P. Reed, Conservationist

The False Promise of Short-Term Exploitation

Projects like the Lake Okeechobee Rock Mine jeopardize this legacy. Studies show that such mining operations can:

• Lower water tables and degrade aquifer quality

• Disrupt flow patterns vital to the Everglades' survival

• Release contaminants into surrounding ecosystems

• Increase flood risk by altering natural land contours

Once such damage is done, it is often irreversible. Look no further than the scars left by phosphate mining in Central Florida, where abandoned pits now sit like festering wounds on the landscape, some leaking radioactive waste into local waterways.

And then there is the corruption. When a corporate entity that already controls vast tracts of Florida’s land leverages its influence to silence dissent — even through local law enforcement — we have crossed a dangerous line. No conservative should tolerate this distortion of public power for private gain.

"Defenders of the short-sighted men who in their greed and selfishness will, if permitted, rob our country of half its charm by their reckless extermination of all useful and beautiful wild things, sometimes seek to champion them by saying that 'the game belongs to the people.' So it does; and not merely to the people now alive, but to the unborn people."

Theodore Roosevelt, President/Environmentalist

Stewardship: A Deeply Conservative Duty

Contrary to the caricature painted by some, conservation is not the exclusive province of the political Left. Edmund Burke, the father of modern conservatism, taught that society is a partnership between the living, the dead, and the yet unborn. We are trustees, not tyrants, over the land we inhabit.

Biblical teachings echo this mandate. In Genesis, humanity is charged to "tend and keep" the Garden — not to exhaust it for momentary profit. True conservatives honor this responsibility.

Moreover, unchecked corporate overreach — especially when it colludes with public officials — runs counter to another conservative principle: limited, accountable government.

A Better Path: Florida as an Eco-Tourism Powerhouse

Rather than gouge out another quarry or pave over more wetlands, Florida should embrace a smarter path — one modeled on the success of nations like Costa Rica. There, a thriving eco-tourism sector built around rainforest preservation generates billions in revenue annually while preserving the country’s natural beauty.

Florida has every asset needed to replicate this success:

• The Everglades could be marketed worldwide as one of the planet’s great remaining wildernesses.

• Our springs — the largest concentration of freshwater springs on Earth — could draw eco-tourists in search of kayaking, snorkeling, and diving adventures.

• Birding could become a major economic driver, as Florida lies on key migratory flyways.

• Heritage tourism tied to Florida’s Native American, Spanish, and early American history offers further potential.

These industries would create thousands of stable, local jobs — not the transient, low-skill labor associated with extractive industries or the overbuild of shoddy housing developments that strain infrastructure and diminish quality of life.

Policy Proposals

To move toward this vision, I propose the following steps:

1. Revive and reconnect Florida’s ancient waterways through expanded Everglades restoration efforts.

2. Establish a statewide Eco-Tourism Investment Fund to modernize trails, campsites, and interpretive centers.

3. Impose full transparency requirements on corporate land-use projects affecting water resources, with independent scientific review.

4. Strengthen protections for civic groups so that no citizen faces intimidation for advocating environmental stewardship.

Conclusion: A Choice for Florida’s Future

Florida now stands at a crossroads. We can choose a future where our children inherit a state degraded by short-sighted extraction and corporate exploitation. Or we can choose a future where Florida’s natural wonders are protected, restored, and celebrated — where clean water, vibrant ecosystems, and a thriving eco-tourism economy enrich both our communities and our coffers.

This is not a radical vision. It is, in fact, deeply conservative. It honors our duty to future generations and respects the natural order that has made Florida the envy of the world.

As for me, I stand with the Captains. And I call on every principled conservative to do the same.

"Saving the Everglades is not an environmental option. It is an economic, cultural, and moral imperative for Florida."

Governor Bob Graham

If you are interested in learning more about the Rock Mine issue or donating to Captains For Clearwater, you can find them at this link: https://captainsforcleanwater.org