Beckton Springs, Florida, is a popular spot for fishing, canoeing, and swimming. A local landowner, seeing potential profits, applied for permission to dam the creek that flows into the spring and figuratively rope it off for a private scuba-diving resort.
Earthjustice, and its lead Florida lawyer David Guest, has a long history of working to keep the state's public waters public. Guest went to court and won an order that the developer must secure permission from the governor and his cabinet before any permit for the scuba operation could be granted. The public by this time had come down foursquare against the resort, the politicians were feeling considerable heat, and the developer withdrew his permit application.
"A great victory for all Floridians," Guest said.