“Gone but not forgotten” say many of the epitaphs
in Antioch Cemetery, stranded in the middle of a center pivot field near Jasper, Hamilton County, Florida.
Who did this? Could it be Bill Gates?
The cemetery is at the end of SW 38 Trail, 30.4606571, -83.1870117, in a tiny 1.97 acre parcel 4736-000 owned by Continue reading
Here’s WWALS video of
the radio interview this morning on WVGA 105.9 FM.
It’s an invitation to tomorrow morning’s events, both at 10AM:
Chris also got me to say a few words about why WWALS formed in the first place, and why you should all join WWALS; it has to do with the 700-year flood in 2009.
Plus some plugs for Valdosta’s wastewater fixes and their recent LiDAR flight.
The one thing I realized on the way out I forgot to mention, the one item that caused me to schedule this interview, was the workshop at VSU February 27th about the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail, featuring the visual beauty of all WWALS’ rivers in an art exhibit and silent auction, the geology on display by Dennis Price, and the remains of past people and cultures still visible along the river by Tom Baird.
Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow morning on the Little River, or other WWALS members look forward to seeing you tomorrow morning on the Suwannee River. If not tomorrow, there’s plenty more to do on our beautiful south Georgia and north Florida blackwater rivers!
Here’s the video:
Continue reading
Everybody listens to the radio in the car on the way to work,
and Friday morning 8:30 AM I’ll be talking about
paddling this Saturday morning 10AM on the Little River from GA 122 between Hahira and Barney to Lawson Millpond Road; it’s a nice brief 2.5 hour paddle along the Brooks-Lowndes County river border: you can do it!
When: 7:30AM Friday January 15th 2016
Where: 105.9 FM WVGA, Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia
What: John S. Quarterman, president of WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc., on Chris Beckham drive-time radio show
How: Continue reading
The
Florida Springs Council (FSC) is concerned about Bill Gates,
Lakeland Sands and others investing in Florida and south Georgia Land
for industrial farming operations, reports
Chris Mericle, WWALS delegate to FSC.
FSC, like WWALS, would like to know more, and is trying to contact Bill Gates
to start a dialog about sustainable farming practices.
For example, Chris reports:
There is a 300 acre parcel of Lakeland Sands property here in Hamilton Co. that has been cleared of the forest that was there except for a small island of trees in the center. Within this island of trees is a true hydrogeological wonder. A beautiful spring boils from the ground, the spring pool is Continue reading
Investment firms owned by Bill Gates have bought thousands of
acress of agricultural land in counties in or near WWALS watersheds
in south Georgia and north Florida, all above the Floridan Aquifer,
near the Alapaha, Alapahoochee, Withlacoochee, and Suwannee Rivers,
as part of a nationwide buying spree of a quarter million acres.
Here’s a summary of what we’ve found thus far. Any more recent posts should be found through this search.
These purchases of hundreds and thousands of contiguous acres are all after Bill Gates announced in 2012 he was going to “fix” agriculture in conjunction with Monsanto and Syngenta.
And it’s not just Bill Gates. Continue reading
Boating on our rivers and water trails for them,
issues and education: 
you can help with the fun and work of WWALS!
Here’s much of what can be done laid out in a list of a dozen WWALS Goals for 2015.
The board has at least one opening right now,
and the committees always could use more members. You can apply through the online form.
See also the monthly newsletter, the news about WWALS, and of course the website with blog, facebook the page and group, and WWALS on twitter, Youtube, and the membership google group. You can become a member or corporate sponsor of WWALS online right now.
The WWALS Executive Committee 11 March 2015 recommended Continue reading
A surprising number of the Board’s nine goals for 2014 have been accomplished, and some new ones have already been added. What goals should WWALS have for 2015?
Goals accomplished include
becoming an
IRS 501(c)(3)
and raising money for and purchasing
insurance.
Some we’ve been doing right along:
cleanups, including Rivers Alive.
Some are so much the core of what WWALS does that we
didn’t even list them as goals, but we’ve been doing them anyway:
monthly outings
and
indoor events.
The later-added goal of the Alapaha River Water Trail is Continue reading
Lakeland Sands LLC has bought 341.26 acres for Bill Gates
in Suwannee County, Florida, about six miles from the Suwannee River.
All seven parcels adjoin, and are located on or near the corner of 44th Street and 167th Road:
Here’s a list from the Suwannee County Property Appraiser. Interestingly, one of those parcels shows Continue reading
Bill Gates isn’t the only west coast investor buying up north Florida farmland.
Grimmway Enterprises, Inc. of Bakersfield, CA
bought 1358.44 acres in Madison County, FL,
all on 18 April 2014,
on both sides of SE Farm Road between Lee and the Withlacoochee River.
Grimmway’s website says they grow carrots.
It doesn’t say whether they have any financial relationship with Continue reading
More than 1,000 acres through September 2014, in parcels already adding up to more than 250 acres, or in contiguous or nearby parcels that can be combined, all bought by Lakeland Sands LLC.
On SE Farm Road and FL 63, between Madison and Lee, 30.423520, -83.353757,
parcels 01-1S-09-0843-000-000 (374 acres),
06-1S-10-1192-000-000 (568.35 acres),
05-1S-10-1187-000-000 (363.161 acres),
07-1S-10-1197-000-000 (316.13 acres),
08-1S-10-1199-000-000 (259 acres)
12-1S-09-0892-001-000 (67.27 acres)
12-1S-09-0893-000-000 (224.68 acres),
and
11-1S-09-0884-000-000 (162.93 acres),
for
2335.52 acres
total in just those eight parcels.
All eight marked as timberland: we’ll see how long that lasts.
Plus 12-1S-09-0892-002-0A2 (39.12 acres) of pastureland in between.
These parcels surround a couple of City of Madison parcels Continue reading