July 25, 2003

Folks, no matter where you live, this is important to you. This is an increment of the roadless, depopulated Wildlands Project. It can happen where you live -- when it does, I'll be asking folks to write letters for you. Please, join me in writing a brief note to the Collier County Commissioners (and maybe to the FL papers, too?). They are hearing from the other side -- we need to make our presence heard, loud and clear! Thanks so much for rallying to aid your neighbors -- we are in this thing together, all of us! Julie / www.PropertyRightsResearch.org

SGGE Roads Must Remain Open!

Sample Letter:

Dear Collier County Commissioners / or Dear Editor:

Closing roads in the South Golden Gates Estates would toss FLPMA in the wastebasket. The Federal Land Policy Management Act of 1976 indemnified RS2477 roads.

People purchased land and built homes in SGGE. 'Environmentalists' seeking to rewild and flood this part of Collier County would remove the last 'holdouts.' This should not be accepted lightly, if at all.

SGGE resident Jesse Hardy is not a 'habitat degrader.' His choice of a place to live should be honored.

Another threat comes from the 'Closed' sign vision for south Florida. The SGGE roads -- so vital for hurricane evacuation routes from Marco Island -- must not be closed!

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The email addresses are:

jimcoletta@colliergov.net,  tomhenning@colliergov.net,  fredcoyle@colliergov.net,  donnafiala@colliergov.net,  frankhalas@colliergov.net

escmc@aol.com  (Malabar), feedback@tbo.com (Tampa), HeraldEd@herald.com (Miami), insight@orlandosentinel.com  (Orlando), letters@naplesnews.com  (Naples), letters@SPTimes.com  (St. Petersburg), letters@tallahassee.com  (Tallahassee), mailbag@news-press.com (Ft. Myers), swfnews1@flguide.com  (Cape Coral), tribletters@tampatrib.com  (Tampa), ttuell@keysnews.com,  voice@gvillesun.com  (Gainesville)

The human costs of Everglades restoration: SGGE Roads - help support property rights

(It's best to send your letter to the editor to one paper at a time. Note from SGGE resident Cindy Kemp of Naples, Florida: kgwestside@yahoo.com  http://www.pracfl.org/  888-274-4122 or 239-352-9033: Folks, this situation with the roads in SGGE -- South Golden Gates Estates -- is critical. Dave Russell has done a fantastic job -- see below. I just hope it works -- and it WILL WORK, with Your Help! We MUST outdo the environmentalists and make our educated and lucid voices louder, our letters much more numerous. Please! Get your families and friends writing letters to the commissioners. If you live in our part of Florida and can attend the meeting -- and get others to join you, this would be wonderful! Thanks so much, in advance, for your help! Cindy, Property Rights Action Committee)

July 23, 2003

By Dave Russell

Next Tuesday the County Commissioners of Collier County will meet and make a decision on an important issue.

The county roads in an area called the Southern Golden Gates Estates, an area encompassing some 40,000 acres, is part of the Everglades Recovery program.

Most all of the owners in this area have been forced to sell to the state or to environmental organizations, at a fraction of what their property was really worth.

Now the environmentalists from the Florida Audubon Society, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida and the Florida Wildlife Federation are putting enormous pressure on the Commission to turn ALL the roads over to the state, which could well be used to freeze out the remaining owners and force them to give up their property.

There is also the matter of compensation, what and who will be paid for these roads.

There are miles and miles of roads in question.

Naturally, the environmentalists want the roads turned over to the state.

That would make it easier for them to get the roads closed.

Just as the environmentalist have close friends in federal government agencies, these groups have their own cronies in the state agencies that would facilitate the final closing.

For more than 15 years our organization has been helping the hundreds of property owners in the Golden Gates Estates fight to retain their property.

Back in the 1950s and 60s, the Governor of Florida was touting the Golden Gates as one of South Florida's best buys. The future of the area was here.

Miles upon miles of canals (one estimate was more than 600 miles) were dug and small parcels were laid out in the area.

Hundreds of people bought with the intent of making this their dream home.

Unfortunately, along came the environmental zealots, and having tons of money, they were able to prevail on both the state and federal government to take this area as part of the Everglades Restoration.

Now they are after the roads that provide access to the few remaining owners.

I have no doubt that -- if the County turns the roads over to the State -- the environmentalists will immediately begin a campaign to close them to ALL TRAFFIC, including property owners.

They have already begun to deny locals the right to enter the area to fish in ponds within the area.

In a conversation with one of the Commissioners today, we were informed that they are getting anywhere from 13 to 15 emails a day (from environmentalists) urging them (the county) to give up the roads. I hope we can do as well or better to offset the pressure. Some of the Commissioners seem to be leaning against the transfer. What we need to do is stiffen their backbone.

I would appreciate any of you who can to send email letters to the Commission whose addresses are below. Please be polite, ask them to delay the turnover until further study has been done, and that a reservation be included in any transfer documents that would allow citizens of the county to retain use of these roads for access to the remaining parcels owned and for recreational purposes.

There is no urgency in the transfer, except in the eyes of the environmentalists.

Urge the commissioners to do their duty and represent ALL THE PEOPLE OF Collier County, not just the special interests that have big bucks behind them.

So far, the Commissioners and the planners have heard only from those wanting to take over the entire area.

I feel certain that eventually this will happen, Congress and the State have appropriated $8 BILLION for this project.

That is a lot of pork, and the organizations that stand to receive a bunch of this are working hard to get the people off the land -- another RURAL CLEANSING job.

The biologists and others who will work on this project are also pushing it -- for it would mean lifetime employment for them.

Even if you are not in Florida, but have experienced a similar situation where the people were promised they could use lands but were then denied after the state or federal government got control of them, you might site this as evidence that you cannot believe the promises of the environmentalists, or their cronies in government agencies. Their agenda is to get control of as much land as they can, and they are not above lying to achieve that objective. And even if you are not in Florida, the fact that the eyes of Americans everywhere are watching this land grab may cause the commissioners to pause and move more slowly, which is what we want.

Furthermore, if you are one of those who keep saying government can't take my property without due process, get real! The government can, and is doing just that all over America.

Again, the message we want to get out is: Why the big hurry? Delay the transfer until further study can be done, with more input from the citizens, not just the environmentalists.

Another question that needs to be answered: Is there a possibility in the future that the county might need these roads? After all, at one time this was destined to be a large city. Might not the winds change again after we get over the environmental hype and someday it become desirable to repopulate this area? It happened once -- it could very likely happen again.

Thank you for any help you can give.

SGGE Roads Must Remain Open!