Letter from James Milton Thomas to Gary I. Sharp (November 10, 1975)

Letter from James Milton Thomas to Gary I. Sharp (November 10, 1975)

Letter from Thomas to Sharp (Nov. 10, 1975)

Lake Apopka (Fla.)

Environmental protection--Florida

Parks--Florida

Springs--Florida

A letter from James Milton Thomas to Gary I. Sharp, dated November 10, 1975. In this letter, Thomas, an environmental consultant, writes to in support of Sharp's proposal that the State of Florida acquire the Gourd Neck Springs area for use as a public park. Thomas briefly describes various plant species that he has identified in his surveys of the area, including rare species like the Tulip Tree and the Needle Palm. Thomas also states that the area has both environmental and recreational value, and a park in the area may help alleviate overcrowding at other parks like Wekiwa Springs State Park. Thomas later served as the first president of the Friends of Lake Apopka (FOLA) after its formation in 1991, working as an advocate for restoration of the lake.

Gourd Neck Springs is a small spring located in the southwest portion of Lake Apopka, in a small cove called “Gourd Neck” due to its distinctive shape. This area of the lake was considered in the 1960s as a potential nursery for fish. The Lake Apopka Technical Committee explored damming the Gourd Neck, separating it from the lake and preventing polluted lake water from entering, but these plans did not materialize. Efforts were also made in the 1960s to have the Gourd Neck area purchased by the State of Florida for use as a public park. The Gourd Neck Springs Park Association was formed in 1961 to study the site’s potential for a park and lobby for support from legislators. The land bordering the area was privately-owned by various individuals. One of these, Gary I. Sharp, continued seeking support for a park into the 1970s. While the project received support from Florida legislators and environmentalists, the land was never purchased by the state.

Thomas, James Milton

Photocopy of original 1-page typewritten letter from James Milton Thomas to Gary I. Sharp, November 10, 1975: binder 1975, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.

1975-11-10

Digital reproduction of photocopied 1-page typewritten letter from James Milton Thomas to Gary I. Sharp, November 10, 1975.

Binder 1975, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.

Friends of Lake Apopka Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.

image/jpg

200 KB

1-page typewritten letter

eng

Text

Gourd Neck Springs, Florida

Lake Apopka, Florida

Donation

History Teacher

Originally created by James Milton Thomas.

Copyright to this resource is held by the Friends of Lake Apopka and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.

King, Joshua

"Apopka Spring." Lake County Water Atlas. Accessed June 08, 2016. http://www.lake.wateratlas.usf.edu/resource.aspx?wbodyid=8500.

Campbell, Ramsey. "Source of Surprise: Crystal Clear Water from Lake Apopka." The Orlando Sentinel, April 23, 1995. Accessed June 8, 2016. http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1995-04-23/news/9504220188_1_lake-apopka-spring-water-bottled-water.

"Letter from Arthur W. Sinclair to C. W. Sheffield (December 22, 1967)." RICHES of Central Florida. https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/items/show/6858.