There is only one Everglades... tomorrow we resolve to protect it...
Tomorrow we present our resolution to the Islamorada Village Council calling for Florida to “immediately suspend the operation” of the detention center in the heart of the Everglades.
Further it asks Tallahassee to "identify and select an alternative more suitable location and environment for the construction and operation” of this prison.
So far the response to our resolution has been overwhelmingly favorable, and for that, we thank you.
But our work is not complete. We need to show up in force tomorrow and fight to protect the Everglades!
The Village Council meets tomorrow: Tuesday, July 22nd, 5:30pm, Founders Park Community Center, 87000 Overseas Highway, Islamorada.
If you cannot attend, you can still email your support to be read during the public comment section of the meeting (please include "public comment" in the subject line): public.comment@islamorada.fl.us
And while 95% of the feedback we’ve received supports this resolution, we are facing some pushback, mainly from developers.
To be clear, when faced with the certainty of environmental damage to the fragile ecosystem in the Everglades, which feeds fresh water into Florida Bay, thus creating the vibrant tourism our entire economy depends upon, the Village of Islamorada has every right — and a responsibility — to speak up.
Back in 2016, the Village Council voted 5-0 to urge Florida and the federal government to expedite funding for Everglades restoration, to stop “damaging discharges to the coastal estuaries” and restore “clean freshwater” flowing to Florida Bay. That resolution declared “the coastal waters of the Village are connected to and dependent on the health of the Everglades ecosystem as the primary source of fresh water that serves as the foundation of the nearshore estuarine environment and Florida Bay…” [1]
This resolution builds on Islamorada’s past efforts to restore and protect the Everglades while also echoing the concerns of our neighbor, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, who has called for oversight:
“Given the critical environmental significance of this area and the deep-rooted commitment Miami-Dade has made to properly protecting and preserving our treasured Everglades, it is imperative that local authorities maintain clear transparency in all stages of their handling.” [2]
Our resolution states the "construction and operation of the Alligator Alcatraz Facility has been undertaken without meaningful environmental impact studies and has the potential to cause damage and disruption to the critical wetlands and wildlife habitat, with the potential for causing harm to the Everglades and Florida Bay, upon which the economy of the Village of Islamorada is so dependent..."
There is only one Everglades on earth and it’s in our backyard. Therefore, it is our duty to speak out against this hastily constructed, environmentally harmful 5,000-person tent encampment in the heart of the “River of Grass.”
Our vow has been to protect our waters and guard against overdevelopment. This resolution acts upon that vow!
Many thanks,
Capt. Steve Friedman
Village of Islamorada councilman
#NowOrNeverglades
PS — You can watch tomorrow night's Village Council meeting on YouTube or directly participate via Zoom (scroll to bottom of meeting agenda for Zoom instructions).
Capt. Steve Friedman, an Islamorada Village Council member, is sponsoring a resolution opposing the construction & operation of a prison in the Everglades, asking the village itself to go on the record against it. Imagine if every town, village, city and county in Florida did the same. — VoteWater
Resolution 16‑06‑35, Everglades restoration, 6/30/16
Miami-Dade County mayor seeks oversight of Everglades immigrant detention center, Florida Phoenix, 7/8/25