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Tt:e permanent imaoundiii,, o -i ,.;ator n a salt il;arsh change.i
<br />character of the marsh co;,u:unity, , ho over it dict not reduce ;-—.1
<br />}productivity, and birds, fis:l an.. ach,2r wildlife continucci
<br />in these marsh impounc -rents. In the 1960s with i1.icreasin,;
<br />awareness of the high vale_ eti of rite marscl ec(alovical s�•s ve n:,,
<br />dredging and filling of wetlands �.Iaille to a halt. Lvidencc tai
<br />losses attributable to the destruction of wetlands are most t i
<br />i igly seen in the SJR a ecuction .;L commercial fish harvest 1*'r
<br />Indian River betweer 11950 ail,t 1;70, and the decline in iiacii 1},
<br />iiopulations in south Florida from over a million birds in
<br />to about 150,000 girds today.
<br />The public rt'ali. ed that it was in it:a best interests to er- ; 1 .
<br />rampant destruction of our dwindling coastal marches, and to o;. 1,
<br />additional destruction only when it was shown to be in teas pub!
<br />gest interest. Unfortunatei v, a number of marshland owners
<br />the Indian River have never loarned this .V1L3 o;,1 - their :•4):'t a'. "c.. ;_;
<br />greed for wealth, which they conA use ,.it1h property rights, ;1�t,.
<br />blinded them. In :iii effort c1sa_1`;e the history of their
<br />thev ordered the mosquito control lbojr<l to clowater t: eir wetlal:',:
<br />so it would leeok like high ur-y land. L ey have successfully -Ln-
<br />timitiated tyle Mosquito Control Eo it arra local r;overnments by
<br />tareirinint; law suits if effort- rc rr.acie to ret -,tire natural tidal
<br />Uow onto t}"' ?ir lands. In -Afec_, t} c.: are now using tlik(e!; built
<br />;?t public exnense .:as privy -.P' : trut_'.:uros to _!ewate.t their
<br />For those who might t11inkt t}iut r_hiese dr fined iEipoundments are
<br />now worthless as biological i:abit.acs, I remind yott that all they
<br />require is a year or two of .,�at.er ;rinr" r_idal flora to restore thert to
<br />natural marsh]. ands. A large bo(ly of scientific evidence documents
<br />-lot Only t:he historic exist=e>ice o•f these salt marshes, but also
<br />their value and contribution to ;;i rine )roc'_tictivity, sports and
<br />owaierc:ial fishing, bird pc-piiiatia-ls, storm and hurricane flood
<br />irotect'-ion, aad human recreaticn a: esthetics. With pussibly
<br />one or two exceptions, most of yell realize the need today to pro
<br />tett our remaining alaarshl.and.:; in 111....an River County.
<br />Whan this road project wa:� ina.t_J.; i:ed, rest of the cot.i:,.ty co,n-
<br />inissioners at the time with hor I. a_'.reed t1iat ti11' L:J_`L, it
<br />it had to be built in the marsh, •.,ou d be c es i fined ane cc,1l:, t ru"" L
<br />in an enviroillnontally responsible ;:ianner, even li thiS
<br />;7roject costs. Several o you ::-ret' that if this; r; -,id it%a l to 'LO
<br />i)uilt in the inarsh that ever'; e.'ifo 4oui-d also havo to ;'lack
<br />to discourage any subsequent ;ieveli_::Ont of the
<br />Early in the }Manning sta ;CIS £it ".!11.:3 vca I'r 3117.eJ ttlat
<br />Lo encourage the state and fee e_ :1 to issue ;i for
<br />:ontruction in `he wetlands yo -i ;ous.d died t,l 1)uild iilto the
<br />iC:SihTt of ftc.' project mit1.);a*,Jn m �Ures to OffsOL v.etian.: losses.
<br />Today you hav ! a permit a--pl; ca: - i1i1 pending, beforO Llo. U.E.R.
<br />and Corps of Engineers. A `first :tep in the proeessini,, of this
<br />.lerit is acceptance of the �I:Rti s Molt) ical and Water t;:.;lity t,s-
<br />Zssraent, and after several deLer:linations of fact as outlined in
<br />Ir. Houlihan's lneiro of Septer,i;er 8, approval of the proji�et.
<br />Before I go into some envi.ri_. Men _ai aspects of the project, i
<br />gust r.:ake a few remarks about the justification £or building this
<br />C( -ad in tho wetlands. Initially we we're told that the roast was
<br />vitally necessary in order to save, Lives by enabling emer,;ettcy
<br />',ehicles to move quickly over a shorier distance between the beds;;
<br />end the new hospital. The Hospi L.31 Board, many doctors, a11d mem-
<br />oers of the Ambulance Squad have all cmpliasized the need. Oil
<br />the surface it seems so logical - if it is a matter of life or
<br />eath who Glares to question it? `io, we all agreed that this road
<br />,.gas badly needed by the public, l:t. :t:y i� it is in the public's in-
<br />Lorest, then we were justified in building it in the marshland.
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<br />nex 47 PAPE 448
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