Citizen voices made a difference in securing state funding for Wakulla County

The recently approved 2024 state budget includes $3.7 million for Conservation Florida to buy 225 acres at U.S. 319 and State Road 267, 14 miles south of the Capitol, in Wakulla County. While Gov. Ron DeSantis still needs to sign off on the expenditure, the allocation allows for a land swap that prevents the construction of a 16-pump gas station directly above The Chips Hole Cave that links directly to Wakulla Springs.

Spearheaded in the legislature by Rep. Jason Shoaf and Sen. Corey Simon, this allocation was the direct result of a citizen action last summer. In sweltering 110-degree heat, 400+ concerned citizens showed up to voice their disapproval of the planned gas station to the Wakulla County Board of County Commissioners. Prior to this meeting, the board members had said their hands were tied and they had no choice but to approve the application by Southwest Georgia Oil Co.

Wakulla Springs Alliance, Friends of Wakulla Springs, and the Down River Project, in coordination with other local environmental groups, collaborated and organized this action to demonstrate the overwhelming public opposition to this dangerous and disastrous plan. People of all political affiliations and ages showed up. Money was raised for a public relations campaign with organizations utilizing social media and email lists to promote coming together to have their voices heard.

The commissioners, upon seeing the overwhelming opposition to the gas station plan, pulled it from the agenda, started negotiations with the legislators, and later agreed, by 5-0 votes, to two other resolutions to prevent future fiascos like this.

Public workshops were promised to craft an update of the Wakulla County Springs Protection Ordinance, plus the county agreed to add special consideration language for the permitting of gas stations in the environmentally sensitive Karst topography of the county. Although promised, neither one of these ideas have yet to be put into motion.

The inclusion of this funding in the budget is a demonstration of what an informed public can do to influence public policy by banding together for a common goal and showing up. This is an example of what it looks like when everyday people come together and the government is responsive to their constituency.

Anthony Gaudio is chair of the Wakulla Springs Alliance.

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Citizen voices were heard in securing state money for Wakulla County