Political Quotes

“Historically, we have tried to tame the Everglades by focusing on small parts of the ecosystem without regard to how the whole system works. This has proved to be a mistake. As we have tried to develop or manage parts of the ecosystem separately, the result has been to wreak havoc on the entire ecosystem, thus putting the entire ecosystem in jeopardy. The Everglades is not a set of discreet parts like the limbs of a body but instead is a blood line that circulates throughout the entire ecosystem. The long term viability and sustainability of the ecosystem--whether it is wildlife, urban water supply, agriculture, tourism, recreation activities, or fishing--are all dependent upon the same lifeblood, the Everglades, the River of Grass. Decades of diking, damming and using the Everglades for singular purposes has so endangered the health of the Everglades that in the future the ecosystem may not be available to be used for any purpose.”