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Editorial: Air Boats and the Golden Rule
February 2nd, 2004

Editorial: A Year of Opportunity
January 24th, 2004

Editorial: Sports on TV
January 15th, 2004

Editorial: Mad Cow Disease in the US
December 26th, 2003

Editorial: Jeb`s Water War
November 25th, 2003

Editorial: Citizen Input Needed
October 27th, 2003

Editorial: Congrats to Our Commission, Now We Must Help
October 17th, 2003

Editorial: Remember Owens Valley
September 29th, 2003

Editorial: Gold Plating Reality, Reconstruction Chic
September 21st, 2003

Editorial: The Responsiblities of a Journalist
August 27th, 2003

Editorial: A Fable: The Great Guano Concord
July 24th, 2003

Editorial: Music for Children
May 26th, 2003

Editorial: Speak Out
May 15th, 2003

Editorial: Parking: Our Biggest Problem?
May 2nd, 2003

Editorial: Vote and Vote Well
April 22nd, 2003

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Bomb Range Inn

Bomb Range Inn

Editorial

The Air Force proposal to develop a bomb testing range in the Big Bend area should be a major concern for every citizen in the region. Although the only negative environmental impact may be a 30-foot hole in the ground and a frightened squirrel, the devastation to our eco-tourism economy may be deadly.

The first time the Air Force decides to test a weapon at the Big Bend Bomb Range, CNN and all the network news stations will run a story. It may have only a minimal impact on the environment, but that first bomb will destroy the perception that our region is the "Nature Coast", many of our would be tourists will quietly change their plans and not visit here. They may e-mail their friends who also enjoy fishing, scuba diving, sailing, bird watching, river tubing, or kayaking and tell them about the bomb range. They will probably look for a more "natural" place to visit on the Louisiana, South Carolina, Georgia, or North Carolina coast. Those vacation choices will become part of their yearly routine and their children will also choose those other places for their natural based recreation.

There is ample room for this testing at Eglin Air Force base where the military has nearly 724 square miles of land on which to conduct these tests. There are many other military bases that would function for this purpose as well. But there is a risk of an accident with these tests and the military does not wish to place their assets at risk, so Levy, Dixie and Taylor Counties get bombed and our eco-tourist economy goes up in smoke.

The Bomb Range Bed and Breakfast does not have the same appeal as the Nature Coast Inn. The Air force did their homework on the environmental concerns, but they failed completely in addressing the economic impact of this proposal on our eco-tourism economy. It is a good time to contact our representative in the congress, Ginny Browne-Waite and Governor Bush to ask them to have the Air Force find a better location for this bomb range.

bombing


To contact Representative Ginny Browne-Waite:

US Representative Ginny Browne-Waite
1516 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515


Toll Free from anywhere in the 5th district:
1-866-GWAITE5


http://www.house.gov/brown-waite/contact.htm


Governor Jeb Bush
jeb.bush@myflorida.com


Write:
PL 05 The Capitol
400 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001


Telephone:
850/488-4441
Fax: 850/487-0801


To contact the Air Force planner in charge of this project:


Ken Bristol
Natural Resource Planner
101 West D Avenue, Suite 222
Eglin AFB, FL 32542
kenneth.bristol@eglin.af.mil

U.S. Senator Bill Nelson
United States Senate
Hart Senate Office Building
Room 716
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202-224-5274
Fax: 202-228-2183

bill@billnelson.senate.gov


U.S. Senator Bob Graham
United States Senate
524 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-3041
Fax: (202) 224-2237

http://graham.senate.gov/staff_contact.html

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Cedar Key News

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