The Peace River Heartland, a name for the area of central Florida which includes Hardee, DeSoto, Manatee and Charlotte Counties, has a unique, much varied, and valuable character. If this area is to be discovered by future generations, it must be preserved.
The safety and well-being of the citizens of our area is more important than the profits of the phosphate industry.
The preservation of native and agricultural lands is of great importance for our well-being, but even more, for the well-being of those who would live here in the future.
Permanent alteration of our land is not corrected by reclamation or mitigation, as the soils and aquifers are so extremely rearranged.
What goes into the ground here in the Peace and Myakka River watersheds can potentially end up in our wells or in Charlotte Harbor at the end of the stream.
Industrial chemicals have no place in our soils with our near surface aquifers.
We have a responsibility to all future generations to leave our natural environment as intact, rich and varied as we found it, if not better.
Someone must care. This means that a value beyond money must prevail.
That profit and preservation can coexist. This is Florida, a land of tourism, and we are part of it.
The Peace River Heartland, known to the phosphate industry as “Bone Valley“, has a unique natural and agricultural character which has many superior alternatives to phosphate strip mining.
