St. Augustine Forever (TM)-- Time to Enact St. Augustine National Historical Park, National Seashore and National Scenic Coastal Parkway Act of 2009

I attended the presentation on the Master Plan for tourism last night.

A story by St. Augustine Record reporter Peter Guinta suggested that the Master Plan could not be written overnight. Au contraire, Mein Herr.

You could actually write it on the back of an envelope (or in federal legislation we've been kicking around for 2 1/2 years. See the links at right to the proposed St. Augustine National Historical Park, National Seashore and National Scenic Coastal Parkway and StAugustGreen.com.

The St. Augustine National Historical Park, National Seashore and National Scenic Coastal Parkway proposal was first made to the St. Augustine Commission on November 13, 2006. Yawn. Nobody then serving on the St. Augustine City Commission even bothered to make a motion to ask a board to study it. No one asked a single question. That was 29 months ago.

This Earth Day, I am gratified at the growing outpouring of support for the St. Augustine National Historical Park, National Seashore and National Scenic Parkway Act of 2009.

It's an idea whose time has come.

All Earthlings of goodwill on this 2009 Earth Day should agree that it's time to do what's best for our county (and our country). As Ken Burns' forthcoming documentary puts it, our National Parks were "the best idea ever." We DO need to reinvent the image and brand of St. Augustine -- the draft at the adjoining links shows what we can do when we are creative and work together to protect our cultural and environmental heritage.

Now more than ever, it's time to discuss and enact a St. Augustine National Historical Park, National Seashore and National Scenic Coastal Parkway Act.

Let's preserve and protect St. Augustine Forever TM.