GEOLOGISTS' ROLE IN DEFINING PUBLIC POLICY—THE FLORIDA SPRINGS INITIATIVE

In September 1999, the Secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Florida Geological Survey’s parent agency, mandated the initiation of the Florida Springs Task Force in response to the declining health of the state’s springs. The task force was composed of geologists, biologists, planners and others. The task force met monthly for a year and compiled a series of recommendations which were presented to the Governor and Legislature. Geologists guided the task force in learning about the subsurface environment, the interaction between the surface and subsurface environments and in developing portions of the final report.

The mounting challenges of accommodating Florida’s rapid population growth demanded effective tactics to protect the state’s world-renowned springs. The need for hydrogeological research, the development of best management practices and careful land use planning was recognized. The 2001 Florida legislature provided $2.5 million for the first year of the Florida Springs Initiative. A large portion of the allocation was used to fund a number of geological projects including: 1) Water sampling and analyses, description of Florida’s largest springs and publication of the results; 2) Delineation of springsheds for selected first magnitude springs; and 3) Investigations of the nitrate sources affecting the spring waters. Geologists are tasked with determining the problems, the sources of the problems, and educating not only the Governor, Legislature, and other governmental officials but also the public. Only through understanding the problems and enlisting the informed assistance of others can the State’s valuable resource of springs be saved from further degradation.