This morning the Tampa Bay Times reported that duck hunters are killing birds at the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive and are claiming they should be allowed to do so because they pay duck stamps. The Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive exists because of the restoration efforts of the St. Johns River Water Management District in concert with the State of Florida's conservation lands funding programs.
It is a tremendously successful project that transformed thousands of acres of previously diked and drained wetlands back to naturally performing wetlands. The project took years and millions of dollars and is a major reason that the 30,000-acre Lake Apopka is now being returned to a healthy condition after once suffering from major careless discharges of pollution from public waste water plants and agricultural chemicals and fertilizers.
The cost and effort of the project was never intended to create an opportunity for hunters to use this great example of restored natural Florida to now come and kill the wildlife that is attracted there in an almost unbelievable and wonderful abundance.
Again, hunters should not be allowed to take advantage of the cost and effort it has taken to restore a part of natural Florida that was so carelessly destroyed.
The notion that duck stamps made it possible is ridiculous nonsense.
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