NEAR OCALA, FLA. (WSVN) – A central Florida congressman has put forward a proposal to change a state park into a new national park in the United States.
U.S. Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) put forth a proposal to join the Ocala National Forest with area springs to create the nation’s 64th national park, the Florida Springs National Park.
“These, too, are worthy of designation,” said Fine.
Volusia County Chairman Jeff Brower said statewide growth has effects on the more than 1,000 springs across central and north Florida, which are all connected to the aquifer.
“Our springs are telling us that they’re struggling,” said Brower. “Silver Springs, one of the largest springs in the world, has reduced its flow by 30%, and most of the seagrass, like you see out here in this spring, healthy seagrass, most of it is gone. The nutrient load is so high.”
Officials believe merging the Ocala National Forest with surrounding springs would boost tourism and provide more environmental protections for the region.
“By merging the borders of more than 40 existing state parks, forests and refuges into a single national park, we protect not just the surface land, but everything underground,” said Jonathan Rubin, the executive director for Clean Earth Initiative.
Rep. Fine filed his bill asking the National Park Service to evaluate merging the forest and springs.
“There are many springs, many parks. There is this patchwork quilt of development in this part of Florida. To have the national parks figure out which springs, which land, which designation, national park, national recreation, national monument, what combination of the few,” said Fine.
The push for establishing a new national park faces a long road ahead.
“Yellowstone is preserved because they have the greatest concentration of geysers in the world. We have the greatest concentration of springs, and for that reason, we thought they should be protected,” said Fine.