The Tarmac Mine

The Tarmac mine is well named because the entire purpose of the mine is to literally pave the way for the development of Florida`s last remaining coastline. Unfortunately that means the Nature Coast will have to change its name.

You have probably heard all the arguments including how unnecessary the mine is and how it will impact our roadways and groundwater, but there is an even bigger issue at stake, that of habitat connectivity along the entire coast.

The proximity of the proposed nuke plant and the fences and infrastructure that will come with it means that the mine will be a choke point for any and all wildlife attempting to pass north and south along the last remaining habitat corridor in north Florida.

Gulf Hammock has long been badly abused by industrial timber interests, but even with spindly pine trees in rows and hordes of hunters it is still our best hope for the restoration of our native wildlife populations. The same is true for all the lands north of Cedar Key all the way past Apalachicola.

It wasn`t so very long ago that the Nature Coast was truly wild with resident populations of bears and panthers. It could be wild again, and doing so would make Cedar Key a Mecca for sustainable ecotourism, but that will never happen if we allow the Tarmac mine to sever this last and most important wildlife corridor.

Bruce Morgan
Archer, FL

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