The roar of outrage that greeted Gov. Ron DeSantis’ plan to develop our state parks was a sight to behold.

For the time being, at least, we won; the outcry forced DeSantis to hit the brakes. But make no mistake, these park proposals will be back, likely next year –  DeSantis said so.

And that just underscores a truism of Florida politics: The next nonsense proposal is always just around the corner.

One of the most important things that came out of the past week-plus is the fact Floridians were able to hold Gov. DeSantis accountable.

He wants to make this whole episode the fault of some nameless functionary who leaked “half-baked plans” to “far left groups.” That’s nonsense – this was HIM. The leaked memo – the accuracy of which DeSantis did not dispute – makes it clear the impetus for the plan came from the Governor’s Office.

He bears responsibility; he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

If we can continue to do this – stay vigilant, catch these “bullsugar” proposals before they get going and hang it around the neck(s) of the individual politician(s) like an anchor – they just might think twice about trying to pull a fast one next time. And it sends a pretty powerful message to everyone else: Don’t try it, because we’re watching.

The key, of course, is that we need to keep watching.

It will be natural, after something like this, for interest to gradually wane. Today a post on this issue may generate 1,000 likes; a month from now, it may be lucky to generate 100.

The fight will be “over.” But the longer you spend in conservation spaces, the more you realize that those who want to privatize public lands and bulldoze nature to make a buck never take a day off – and neither do the politicians who do their bidding.

At VoteWater, holding politicians accountable is in our DNA. It’s the cornerstone of our “VoteWater Pledge” which you can sign if you like; doing so both demonstrates your commitment and ensures you’ll continue to get updates from us on issues like this.

In September we’ll be publicly unveiling our “Dirty Money Project,” more than a year in the making, which flags campaign donations from polluting special interests to more than 140 elected officials at the federal, state and county commission level in eight key south Florida counties.

For our belief is that dirty money to dirty politicians is a major cause of dirty water – and it’s important to hold politicians who take “dirty money” to account.

Too often our politicians – in Washington, D.C.; in Tallahassee; in your local County Commission chambers – aren’t held to accont, They prioritize corporate special interests over their constituents and they get away with it, because too few of us are watching – and by the time we realize what’s happening, it’s too late.

So don’t let this be the end of the vigilance. To those of you who rose up against DeSantis’s parks plan, VoteWater offers a heartfelt “thank you.”

And we ask you to stick around – because we need you now more than ever.