Editing Florida (section)

=== TALLAHASSEE, WILDERNESS’ REFUGE ===
Tallahassee, Florida. A city chosen as capital just because it was halfway between the two largest cities of Florida at the time, a good ways inland, it was historically one of the most boring places in the state.  
Ironically, sea level rise would actually improve its straits. In 2063, Hurricane Desiree tore into the coast with a then-unprecedented level of storm surge, aggravating already-rising seas. The Wakulla, Wacissa, and Ochlockonee Rivers all had their mouths widened tremendously as their coasts were destroyed, and much of the low-lying land on the Gulf Coast was quickly swallowed as the decades went on. With its previous proximity to Florida’s rarer natural features, like sinkhole trails and clear freshwater springs, now supplemented by the Gulf access as of the 2130s? Tallahassee now found itself as a one-stop shop for the natural beauty of the state, host to a series of nature preserves.  
At first, these preserves were desperate attempts to protect the delicate Florida ecosystem from destruction, born of true conservation spirit. But in time, the growing demand for nature made them opportunity big business couldn’t resist, and one by one many of them were sold off to corporate interests.  
A different kind of ‘theme park’ arose – one focused around supposedly natural encounters with ‘Old Florida’, at places like the deep, permanently-cool waters of former state park Wakulla Springs. If these encounters required manually stocking the waters with alligators and manatees, well, the vast majority of visitors would never know the difference. Kayaking, snorkeling, scuba-diving… people pay great sums to enjoy the curated experience of the wild.  
And they do so in the company of guides recruited from the long-time locals, paid to strengthen their accents and act up the part of the ignorant hick as much as possible. After all, the point is authenticity, isn’t it? The tourism industry is still alive and well in Florida.

==== Notable Landmarks ====
* Tate’s Hell Estuary – The flooding of the Ochlockonee River created a massive estuary flowing all the way to Lake Talquin, which became a brackish inland sea after Hurricane Desiree breached it in 2063. Initially a total ecological devastation, it eventually became a surprisingly flourishing new ecosystem. The entire area was renamed the Tate’s Hell Estuary (after the Tate’s Hell State Forest), as that was deemed to possess the right kind of piquant charm to attract the eco-tourists. The entire area was bought up from the Park Service and seeded with flood refugees paid to live in ‘charming’ little shacks near the water for local flavor.  
* The St. Marks’ Islands – St. Marks was once a beautiful Gulf Coast preserve south of Tallahassee, but was rendered impassable in the wake of Hurricane Desiree. However, the sparsely-settled stretch of land between it and the city had a fair bit of elevation change, and what has been left untouched by the Gulf is a string of countless islands, spared by chance. Some are little oases of the old coastal forest, hung with Spanish moss and windblown oaks. Some are historical ruins from the few older settlements in the area. And… some are rusted-out laundromats. Exploration of these shallow seas is a common pastime for tourists, the most adventurous of which might sail as far as St. Marks’ Lighthouse to see its ruined spire emerge from the water.

==== Notable Local Organizations ====
* Florida State University – One of the largest universities in the nation, though generally regarded as something of a diploma mill party school for the children of cities like Niceville. However, its Ecological Conservation Lab has in fact become a world-class institution in wildlife stewardship and management.  
* The Economic Council for Local Stewardship – An organization of lobbyists concerned citizens representing the companies that hold stakes in Tallahassee’s wilderness, this close-knit group is the real power in town. Nearly every mayor in the last thirty years has been a member. They tend to support stricter pro-environmental regulations, clashing ferociously with other business boards throughout the state such as the SBC. They certainly lack the SBC’s sheer reach and financial power, but being embedded in the capital of Florida allows them to hold their own in legal battles.