BONITA NEWS.com
February 10, 2007
LEE THIRSTS FOR LOCAL VOICE ON WATER BOARD
By Julio Ochoa
http://www.bonitanews.com/news/2007/feb/10/lee_thirsts_local_voice_water_board/
With the Caloosahatchee River, the western drain of Lake Okeechobee, flowing straight through Lee County, some argue the area has the most to lose from lack of representation.
Gov. Charlie Crist next month will have three appointments to make on
the South Florida Water Management District board. Lee County commissioners sent him a letter earlier this this week arguing for a local representative on the board.
The area’s representation couldn’t get any lower.
Of the nine board members,
none is from Lee County. The only west coast member, Alice Carlson, is from Collier County. The other member who technically represents the west
coast is Malcom “Bubba” Wade Jr., a senior vice
president for U.S. Sugar in Clewiston.
With the Caloosahatchee River, the western drain of Lake Okeechobee, flowing straight through Lee County and emptying into its bays and the Gulf of Mexico, some argue the area has the most to lose from lack
of representation.
“This whole issue with
regards to Lake Okeechobee really comes down to stewardship of our natural
resources,” Lee County Commissioner Ray Judah said. “That has not been taking
place on the current governing board.”
Judah asked his board to forward two names of local candidates to the
governor Tuesday. Instead of suggesting names, the board voted to ask the
governor to appoint a qualified representative from Lee County.
“All I can hope for is that
the governor recognizes the need to have someone with a background in resource
management so we can have a well-balanced decision-making authority,” Judah said.
Both of Judah’s suggestions, Greg Rawl
and Wayne Daltry, fit that description.
Rawl, a hydrogeologist and environmental
consultant, has more than 25 years of experience in water resources, geology
and hydrology. He’s worked as a consultant for both Lee County and the city of Bonita Springs.
Rawl grew up on the banks of the Caloosahatchee River and worked for the water management district from
1989 to 1991.
“We need some technical
expertise on that board,” Rawl said. “It’s a critical
period in the scheme of things, and there are some tough decisions that need to
be made.”
Daltry is director of Smart Growth for Lee County. He’s been appointed to gubernatorial committees
under former governors Reubin Askew, Bob Graham, Bob
Martinez, Lawton Chiles and Jeb Bush. He has served
as chair of the governor’s Coastal Citizens Advisory Committee and is currently
the governor’s representative on the working group for Everglades restoration.
Three positions on the
water management district’s governing board will expire in March. Those who
could be replaced are Chairman Kevin McCarty, Vice Chairwoman Irela Bagué and Carlson. In addition,
Crist withdrew the name of Miya
Burt-Stewart, a Bush appointment who had yet to be confirmed by the state
Senate.
Whoever the governor
chooses will need to produce results for Lee County, Daltry said.
“What we can’t accept any
more is a low success rate in our area on behalf of a high success rate in
another area,” Daltry said. “Either we all suffer
together or we all gain together, but some don’t suffer and others gain,
because that is not a regional system.”