Daily Archives: September 29, 2025

Rena Ann Peck, Michelle Malone & Jim Woodcox, Atlanta, GA, with an American Folk Revival Song, Okefenokee

Rena Ann Peck’s band apparently had other gigs and did not accompany her from Atlanta. Fortunately she was helped out by Saylor Dollar, another Finalist in the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest. Rena had never had a fiddle on her song before.

Rena is an ecologist & Executive Director of Georgia Rivers.

[Rena Ann Peck, Atlanta, GA, 2025-09-06, with Saylor Dollar, Tallahassee, FL, American Folk Revival song, Okefenokee, Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest]
Rena Ann Peck, Atlanta, GA, 2025-09-06, with Saylor Dollar, Tallahassee, FL, American Folk Revival song, Okefenokee, Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest

She says her song is a “Rally cry for the fight to save the Okefenokee’s from mining.”

As you know, the coal miners from Alabama were bought out from their property southeast of the Okefenokee Swamp. But there is much more to do to protect the rest of the Swamp.
https://wwals.net/?p=67829

Here is Rena Ann Peck of Atlanta, Georgia, singing her song, backed by Saylor Dollar of Tallahassee, Florida:
https://youtu.be/AN1H1usl_s4 Continue reading

Authorize selected staff to sign permit applications and inspection reports for FDOT, FDEP, and SWFWMD –Citrus BOCC 2025-09-23

Maybe it’s a coincidence that this move by the Citrus BOCC comes a month after Southworth sold Citrus County sand mine site to state of Florida 2025-08-06.
https://wwals.net/?p=68529

The Citrus County Commissioners approved authorizing seven named staff members to sign permit applications and inspection reports on behalf of the county, with no mention of any further approval by the Commissioners. This authorization is for each of FDOT, FDEP, and SWFWMD, which are exactly the three Florida state agencies that are involved in permitting the huge borrow pit next to the Suncoast Parkway Phase 3A Extension in Citrus County.

I’ve never seen this before, and I go to many county commission meetings in Florida and Georgia, and I watch more counties online. It’s common for counties to put specific items on their agenda to authorize a specific staff member to sign a specific document, but I’ve never seen a blanket authorization like this, especially not for seven different staff for three different agencies.

Further, the listing in the Consent Agenda does not match the actual authorizations later in the board packet, and those authorizations seem to extend the authorization to the actual permits, not just applications.

[Authorize selected staff to sign permit applications, etc., for FDOT, FDEP, and SWFWMD --Citrus BOCC 2025-09-23]
Authorize selected staff to sign permit applications, etc., for FDOT, FDEP, and SWFWMD –Citrus BOCC 2025-09-23

Much background on this proposed sand mine is here:
https://stopthesandminecc.wixsite.com/stopthesandmine

See also the Stop the Sand Mine change.org petition:
https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-sand-mine

This is upstream from Crystal River, south of the Withlacoochee (South) River that flows into the Gulf of Mexico. Local opponents are rightly concerned about local issues.

WWALS is also concerned that this would be another step towards running the Suncoast Parkway north across the Suwannee River.

On its Consent Agenda for September 23, 2025, the Citrus Board of County Commissioners approved item C.12: Continue reading

Pictures: Suwannee River Camps on-land tour 2025-09-27

Many thanks to Edwin McCook, formerly of SRWMD, who invented the Suwannee River Camps, and Nic Brown, who is in charge of them at Florida Parks, as well as Shell Simmons for assisting.

Even more thanks to Lowndes County, Georgia, Chairman Bill Slaughter and Paul Batts of Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority (VLPRA) and his wife Melanie for attending.

[Suwannee River Camps, on-land tour 2025-09-27, Dowling Park River Camp, Adams Tract River Camp]
Suwannee River Camps, on-land tour 2025-09-27, Dowling Park River Camp, Adams Tract River Camp

The visitors got to hear from the experts how Florida does it. Many topics were discussed, from access to finances. Continue reading