Broadcast spawning has a very low ROI. A better approach is a direct appeal to those who make decisions and have money. If any person/organization/business wanted to run the facility as a business, that would be a good start. Running it as a hobby -- typical in he scuba biz -- is a terrible idea. What is the biggest scuba shop in the area...who sends the most students there? Who stands to lose the most if DS is not open? Clearly, no shop will keep it open to benefit OTHER shops; it has to be a way to bring in some money from the other shops...Money and/or government (in)action are the two prime movers in determining the final outcome.
The petition is, yes, an expression of personal discomfort regarding the situation. If a couple hundred folks sign, it is probably going mean little. If, however, many hundreds sign, it reflects a large, interested user base, and that may help to influence governmental action.
The news is just now spreading. and people are starting to consider how to organize to retain this as a training facility.
This is not a new problem. this is the third quarry I've seen close within driving distance of my home. There is one viable quarry left, south of Richmond VA, and then there is the fantasyland of Juturna Springs. Juturna does not have the projected capacity of DS.