USAF wanting to take over public hunting area/s in BLAKWATER, Meeting tonight 6/5/14

[Tridentrider]

I first heard this mentioned on radio this morning on way into work.
Not sure if anyone has paid attention to or cares that EGLIN USAF base is saying they have outgrown their 460,000 acres and are needing to utilize Blackwater public hunting state land to continue training exercises.

There is a public hearing on the matter tonight at 6 pm at the Bagdad Recreation Facility on School Street in Milton.

Meeting to discuss military training on Blackwater River

My point of view is:
I am totally against the thought of the USAF training to take place on Stop Camp road area. I accepted orders and moved into Florida because when I was attending school at NASP I enjoyed the fishing on the peers by NASP port ops and since 9-11 the area has been fenced off due to Security reasons, we as US citizens lost our freedom to fish freely and are put behind fences.
Now the USAF wants to take over the very spot I have hunted on since 2003!
I enjoy the hunting and safety of being in the stop camp area as it has easy access and is SAFE.
I am a disabled vet who cannot venture for long hauls and the USAF is taking away a piece of public land that I value as being sacred. I have taken my grandkids in there for years and we enjoy the memories and time shared together in that very area.
I strongly hope they do not succeed in taking away my FREEDOM to hunt as a retired US Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer!

I stood the watch to hunt freely in the free country which I defended and now my fellow service is punching me in the eye!
This is 100 percent unsatisfactory!

I say our roads and traffic is already over populated we don't need more so take the future influx and send it elsewhere or utilize your land better or inquire from other local bases.

 

[fishingjean]

I agree with you totally Sir!!!

 

[Snow Bird]

Tridentrider, If you could make that meeting and express yourself as well as you did here it might go a long ways in there desision.

Thats what public hearings are all about. To much hunting land is being taken over or you have to have a 1200 a year lease to shoot a couple deer or hogs. I don't hunt Fl but it would sure help if the people that did would show up in droves to let there feelings be known

 

[Champ62]

Well spoken SCPO, I am not a hunter, but am a fellow retired SCPO.

Stand up and be heard at the meeting! That's the American way.

 

[FrankT]

I thought you could get a permit to hunt on Eglin, what is the difference with this?

 

[Tridentrider]

Difference Mr. FrankT

This is a small isolated area.
Deer don't tend to hang around while helo's are doing touch & goes...and I am not really into being in a tree stand with a rifle and having helo’s and Airman scurrying about. Think about it, how do you think they would feel about me or another hunter being there with a riffle? Which tells me there will be restrictions! I do not desire to give up what is in place and provided for hunters!

I use to live in upstate NY and hunted on Fort Drum Army base of which you had to call in and see which areas/grids would not be in use for training exercises the morning of your hunt. Which to a hunter is very frustrating as now you then have no control over where do you pre-scout, determine spots for predicted winds...etc. Stand placement is then done on the fly and not good for being SAFE.
Yes YOU can get a permit to hunt on Eglin and abide by their similar rules and restrictions.
If they have such a great amount of land at Eglin that they can offer such great hunting & they don't have any restrictions then ask yourself why do they need more land elsewhere??? They can sacrifice what they already have!

You can sit back and watch your liberty’s slide away, but I feel this is a designated State Forest wildlife management area provided for HUNTERS and others who wish to enjoy the outdoors.
I see enough NOLF areas in Santa Rosa counties and do not wish to have one next to my tree stand.
Respectfully,
Tridentrider

 

[FrankT]

I just asked, not for or against, I just know there is good hunting on Eglin even with exercises being held off and on.

I would suggest Eglin's presence in the area is more important than hunters rights. Peoples jobs, businesses, a way of life would all go away should Eglin have to shut done or move some units out to other sites. You always hate to see more areas restricted but FL has as much or more public hunting land than most states.

 

[dirtysouth]

Ahhh... They want it , they'll get it.

 

[Chaos]

Public hunting land available per state, interesting statisics

http://www.backcountrychronicles.com/public-hunting-land/

 

[Tridentrider]

USAF taking over Blackwater STATE Forest (GRASI)

Anyone with a pulse and a passion for our great outdoors needs to take a minute and contact;
Governor Rick Scott http://www.flgov.com/contact-gov-scott/email-the-governor/
And YOUR appointed/elected county commissioner;
http://www.santarosa.fl.gov/bocc/index.cfm
and PLEASE let them know they are they work for us (We the People) and if they wish to remain in office then keep the USAF out of the Blackwater Forest!
NOT A SINGLE ELECTED OFFICIAL attended last night’s meeting! Which is posted on cover and page 4 of todays newspaper.
Threaten them with our votes just as the USAF is makig threats if don't get their way. Just because senior USAF leadership has piss poor planning skills and can't draft a schedule to conduct their training exercises on the largest USAF ground installation available to them does not constitute a need for Hunters, Hikers, kayakers and anyone wanting to enjoy the Blackwater Public state land Forest, To give up our liberties.
By the way, the USAF has not provided a schedule or an overload of any sort for the public to view.
Many Floridians LIVE in the immediate areas of the Forest that these so called exercises are to take place, please ask yourself how you would accept this in your backyard???
If you were not at meeting USAF has the entire Forest are broken in grids and you will never know what and when they will be in a particular grid that you might like to visit!

I am telling you all from experience of seeing this it is not of best interest for the Blackwater forest to be jeopardized and a HERRITAGE to be lost!
Please make your voices be heard and tell every other person you know to do same.

spaitsm@eglin.af.mil Is email address to Mike Spaits, 96th Test Wing Public Affairs, 101 W. D. Ave. Room 238, Eglin AFB, FL 32542
lreinlie@nwfdailynews.com News Staff Writer Lauren Sage Reinlie at 850-315-4443