Friday, June 12, 2015

President's Message


99% of Florida’s Pine Rocklands outside of Everglades National Park have been developed and fragmented according to the U-S Fish & Wildlife Service.
And the biggest habitat outside of the park, the Richmond Pine Rocklands, are now Ground Zero for more than $1 Billion Dollars worth of proposed developments. 
At the former University of Miami South Campus, plans include a 900 unit Residential Rental Complex, Walmart and a mix of Retail/Public /Commercial projects under the name "Coral Reef Commons".
In the same habitat further east, “Miami Wilds” developers want to build a Theme Park, Hotel and Tourist Destination as part of their proposed expansion for “Zoo Miami”. 
Developers say it’ll bring a badly-needed economic shot in the arm to the area and provided dozens of new job opportunities. 
Standing in the way?  
The Richmond Pine Rocklands are considered globally imperiled habitat and much of it is protected under the U-S Endangered Species Act as home to dozens of rare and endangered plants and animals.
In fact, one Pine Rockland resident, the Miami Tiger Beetle, is found nowhere else in the world except for the Richmond Pine Rocklands. 
It’s also home to the most critically-endangered mammal in the country, the Florida Bonneted Bat.
The Richmond Rocklands remain a critical “Lifeboat Habitat” for the largest remaining native Pine Rocklands in South Miami-Dade County for many of the Miami’s animals and plants.  
Wipe out their habitat, bulldoze and pave over their trees and plants, and sentence them as a species to extinction.
It’s that’s simple.  
The Miami Pine Rocklands Coalition is working to prevent that from happening and has already held a series of Rallies and Protests to let the public know what's at stake here.
We believe this lifeboat needs to be preserved, and the Richmond Pine Rocklands need to be protected for future generations to enjoy.
Or we can turn our back on them, bulldoze and pave it over and wonder why Global warming is accelerating as more “Green Space” is paved over.
We can also wonder why there are fewer birds in the skies over South Florida and why there are no longer any butterflies fluttering around our yards.
This cannot be allowed.
Al Sunshine 
President, Miami Pine Rocklands Coalition

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