Audubon of Florida News

The Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners voted to take an important step closer to passing a one-year moratorium on new rock mining.

Audubon supported the ban and thanks all advocates who helped call on the County to freeze new mining permits.  The third and final vote needed to make this decision final will be at the end of August and as that time nears, Audubon will provide more details and information on how to help.

Read about the decision here.

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The Palm Beach Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) is scheduled to vote Thursday on a proposal to restrict applications for new limestone rock mining in the County for one year.

If approved, the moratorium will allow time for the BOCC to consider changing the way mining applications are approved- a process the County is in the midst of reviewing that could give them greater discretion to consider the impacts of new mines.  Audubon and conservation partners support changes requiring a land use change to the County’s Comprehensive Plan and reviewing the cumulative impacts of such mining on Everglades restoration and other environmental issues.

More than 20,000 acres of new rock mines have been approved in the past few years.  This temporary freeze on mining applications should allow the BOCC to develop new rules to address ongoing debates and recognize changed circumstances, including the importance of maintaining lands for sustainable agriculture and Everglades restoration in the Everglades Agricultural Area.

The BOCC has already taken the first step toward putting this moratorium in place, but Thursday’s vote is critical to moving it forward.  If you live in Palm Beach County, please write your Commissioner and ask that he or she approve the mining moratorium.  To find your Commissioner, click here.

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John C. “Johnny” Jones, Executive Director of the Florida Wildlife Federation during the 1970’s and 1980’s, passed away Sunday, July 11 2010. He was 77.

Jones was the individual most responsible for the successful campaign to restore the Kissimmee River in Central Florida. As a youth, Jones had spent much of his free time hunting and fishing in the Kissimmee River and watched as the Corps of Engineers destroyed the river through channelization. He vowed to reverse the process and convinced the conservation community, including Audubon, to make Kissimmee restoration a major priority.

Jones transformed the Florida Wildlife Federation from a group of local hunting clubs into a powerful statewide conservation organization. Under his leadership, the Florida Wildlife Federation became a major actor in the successful effort to stop the construction of the Everglades Jetport, and the lobbying effort to convince Congress to pass legislation authorizing and funding the acquisition of the Big Cypress National Preserve.

In addition to restoration of the Kissimmee River, Jones will be remembered for his tireless efforts to obtain state support for Florida’s first major land acquisition programs, “Lands for You” the “Environmentally Endangered Lands” program, and the “Conservation and Recreation Lands” program. One of the most significant purchases ever was Jones’  special crusade to preserve the 60,000-acre Three Lakes Ranch wildlife management area in Osceola County.

With the passing of Johnny Jones, the conservation movement in Florida mourns the loss of one of its most important, dynamic, and powerful leaders. Read about it here.

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Dr. Paul Gray, Audubon of Florida’s Lake Okeechobee expert, (center) with SFWMD Governing Board Chair Eric Buermann (L) and Governing Board Member Kevin Powers

Audubon’s Lake Okeechobee expert, Dr. Paul Gray, attended the groundbreaking today, June 18, 2010, for the Lakeside Ranch Stormwater Treatment Area (STA), located on the northeast shore of Lake Okeechobee.

Hosted by the South Florida Water Management District, the groundbreaking launches a project that is part of the Lake Okeechobee Protection Plan. The STA is designed to clean water before it flows into the Lake.  When completed, this $70 million project will be a 2,000-acre (about three square miles) artificial wetland, projected to be able to remove around 19 tons of phosphorus per year, along with excess nitrogen and other pollutants. Once it is functioning, the STA will be essential to restoring Lake Okeechobee.  Audubon applauds the cooperative work of state and federal agencies to complete it, even in these difficult budget times.

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Audubon of Florida to Bring the Everglades to the American Museum of Natural History

For Immediate Release

Contacts: Dr. Shawn Liston, sliston@audubon.org, 239-354-4469

Megan Tinsley, mtinsley@audubon.org, 786-295-4954

June 10, 2010, New York, NY—Audubon of Florida experts will bring the Everglades alive for children and families at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City on Sunday June 13 with interactive presentations about one of America’s most unique ecosystems.

Shawn Liston, Ph.D., Florida Audubon’s Research Manager for the Southwest Region, and Megan Tinsley, Audubon’s Everglades Policy Associate, will be featured in the Museum’s Milstein Science Sundays: Restoring the Everglades.  The program will be held between 12 noon and 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 13th in the Museum’s Milstein Hall of Ocean Life, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024. (Visit amnh.org for directions and additional information). Shawn and Megan will be accompanied by Dr. William Loftus, an ecologist who has worked in the Everglades for more than 30 years, and Jarod Miller, a zoologist and television personality.

Children will learn about the Everglades through the story of two raindrops as they travel southward through the Everglades, along the way learning about this unique natural system and the birds and other wildlife that depend on a healthy ecosystem to survive.  Many important plant and animal species will be introduced throughout this journey, including Everglades Snail Kites in the Lake Okeechobee watershed, wading birds, such as the White Ibis, and alligators in the River of Grass, the Florida panther and Wood Stork in the Big Cypress Swamp, and the charismatic Roseate Spoonbill in Florida Bay.

As the raindrops travel through the Everglades, the audience will see some of the current threats to this fragile ecosystem, including increased development and human demand for water and flood protection, poor water quality, spread of non-native species, and climate change.  They’ll learn about the incredible efforts being made to protect this invaluable environmental resource and how they can help to make a difference.

Hands-on activities will allow children to make frogs from recycled corks, color images of various Everglades animals and habitats, and ‘forage’ like wading birds to learn the importance of concentrated prey.  Young people will also meet several live animals found in the Everglades, including an alligator, a Burmese python and a young Florida panther, and see aquariums of native and non-native Everglades fish.

–30–

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Audubon and all Everglades advocates welcomed the good news last week that park officials are recommending the

Tamiami Trail Photo Courtesy of the US Army Corps of Engineers

preferred alternative of 5.5 miles of additional bridging for Tamiami Trail.

The announcement came during America’s Everglades Summit when the National Park Service released its draft report for additional bridging over Tamiami Trail.  The preferred alternative  goes above and beyond the one-mile bridge currently under construction as part of the Modified Water Deliveries Project.  Audubon and partner Everglades advocates have long urged that enough Tamiami Trail bridging be built to reconnect the vital sheetflow to Everglades National Park (ENP) that provides habitat for many of the Everglades’ endangered and threatened species.  This preferred alternative will finally provide the needed ecological connectivity that enabled the once abundant populations of wildlife to thrive in the Everglades.

This alternative was selected because scientific analyses concluded that it provided the greatest ecological benefits, based on marsh connectivity, flow velocity, reconnection of ridge and slough habitat, and wetland loss.  The plan would increase ecological connectivity between ENP and Water Conservation Areas north of Tamiami Trail by 500 percent, providing great benefits for endangered bird species such as the snail kite and wood stork.  Audubon applauds the National Park Service for recognizing the importance and necessity of additional bridging, and looks forward to working with partner agencies and organizations to ensure that the preferred alternative is fully implemented.

Read Audubon’s view on raising the trail in the Miami Herald.

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NOAA Cumulative Oil Trajectory Map

Step Lightly on Florida Beaches

Well-motivated but not well informed volunteers sent out to clean debris from beaches may be disturbing nesting and other shorebirds.  Volunteers eager to move beach litter above the high water line to make it easier to clean up oil that may come ashore are putting beach and marsh nesting birds at risk.

Some people are moving beach debris such as driftwood from the beach onto high-water areas.  This is harmful as beach wildlife use naturally occurring beach debris near the water line and may be harmed when debris is piled in upland areas on or near their well camouflaged nests.  Traffic in dune areas can also harm vegetation.

Safe Tips for Cleaning Litter off Beaches:

For those who want to clean litter from the beaches in anticipation of oil coming ashore, Audubon recommends the following:

• Use approved access points and avoid walking or hiking through marshes or seagrass beds.

• Stay below the tidal line.

• Leave natural debris in place because it provides nesting benefits to shorebirds and other wildlife.

• Only remove man-made litter.

• Do not place litter in the dunes or above the high water line.

• Don’t use equipment such as rakes, shovels or tractors.

• Do not bring ATVs or other motorized vehicles onto the beach.

• Do not bring dogs onto the beach (dogs are a primary sources of beach bird disturbance and mortality.)

• Respect posted areas and leave signs, posts and twine in place to protect beach nesting bird colonies.

You can take action in many ways:

1. Volunteer to rescue injured birds and to clean oil off Florida’s beaches and other coastal areas.
2. Sign the petition opposing state and federal plans to expand oil drilling in Florida’s water.
3. Contribute to our special fund to rescue birds injured by the oil spill and underwrite advocacy so this never happens again.
4. Recruit your friends and family to join Audubon’s response efforts.

Red Knot courtesy of Rod Wiley

Send us your photos and video of local habitats and wildlife

Audubon of Florida is urging everyone to step lightly on our beaches and follow safety tips if you are engaged in beach clean up activities.

You can also help by taking pictures and videos of the habitats and wildlife in your local communities. This local knowledge could become very useful as the oil spill evolves.
Follow these guidelines when documenting your coastal areas and wildlife and to send images to Audubon of Florida:

When photographing or filming

• Follow all Audubon safe tips for beach cleaning.
• Keep your distance from nesting grounds, marked areas, and resting birds. Do not flush birds.
• Use long range zooms to capture close up images.

Send your images, video or a notification of their availability to flconservation@audubon.org.

• Identify the time, day, date and location that the image was taken, and use GPS coordinates if possible.

• Identify and clearly spell the name of the photographer/videographer and provide contact information, email, telephone and address.

• Clearly state whether Audubon may have the rights to reprint, publish in print and electronic vehicles, and share your images, providing proper credit.

• For large photo or video files, notify us at flconservation@audubon.org that images are available and we will contact you with instructions for uploading them.

Note that Florida Audubon does not have a budget to pay for images but provides photo credit to the photographer/videographer.

Additional Resources

Click Here for Florida updates from the Department of Environmental Protection.

Click Here for the most updated National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration maps on the oil spill’s trajectory.

Click Here to visit the Deepwater Horizon central command.

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From the Sun Sentinel:

Audubon of Florida picked a political fight with Big Sugar on Thursday, calling for tougher water pollution rules for agriculture to try to jumpstart Everglades restoration.

The push for tougher water quality requirements comes after a federal judge’s blistering ruling Wednesday that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the state of Florida left Everglades restoration “rudderless” by failing to enforce the Clean Water Act.

Audubon contends that the most immediate way to respond to the judge’s call for action is to toughen the water quality requirements for runoff from sugar cane fields and other farms in 700,000-acre Everglades Agricultural Area, south of Lake Okeechobee.

The environmental advocacy group wants the South Florida Water Management District to update pollution cleanup rules in place since 1992 on growers in the vast agricultural area.

That could mean requiring farmers to store more stormwater on their properties and to more frequently clean up polluted muck from the drainage canals that deliver water that ends up in the Everglades.

“There are some distinct opportunities . that could leverage tremendous amounts of improvements,” said Charles Lee, Audubon director of advocacy. “It’s probably the most practical and immediate movement you can make.”

Agricultural representatives on Thursday countered that growers already have changed their practices to improve water quality. They blame urban stormwater runoff and polluted water from Lake Okeechobee for South Florida
failing to meet water quality standards set for the Everglades.

“It’s not the farm water that’s the issue,” said Judy Sanchez, U.S. Sugar Corp. spokeswoman. “Tweaking the [cleanup rules] is just going to cost the farmers more money and it won’t give you any cleaner water.”

The South Florida Water Management District plans to wade into the politically divisive water quality issue in the next few months. That could include updating the “best management practices” required of farmers to lessen agricultural pollution.

The concern is the amount of phosphorus that ends up in the Everglades.

Phosphorus comes from fertilizer as well as the natural decay of soil on agricultural fields. Stormwater that drains off farmland, as well as urban areas, carries phosphorus to the Everglades and fuels the growth of cattails that squeeze out sawgrass and other native habitat.

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For more than twenty years, Florida has reaffirmed its commitment annually to conservation land preservation and Everglades Restoration with appropriations to support state land buying programs, such as Preservation 2000, Save Our Everglades, and Florida Forever.

Write to your legislators, urging them to provide bridge funding for Florida Forever and Everglades Restoration in this year’s budget. Tell them why wildlands and local parks are important to you and their constituents. Encourage them to attend Florida Forever Day at the Capitol’s Waller Park tomorrow at 11:30.

In recent years, Florida Forever has been appropriated $300 million annually for conservation and recreation land acquisitions, and Everglades Restoration has received annual appropriations of as much as $200 million.

Due to the economy and declines in documentary stamp revenues, last year’s funding for Everglades Restoration was much reduced, and Florida Forever received no appropriation. With the State of Florida currently strapped for cash and struggling with limited bonding capacity, we recognize a return to full funding for these programs is unlikely this year. Nevertheless, it is crucial that these keystone conservation programs receive some bridge funding.

DEP Division of State Lands Director Deborah Poppell reported earlier this Session before the Senate Environmental Preservation and Conservation Committee that many previously unwilling sellers have approached the Division in the last year, now willing to sell their environmentally sensitive lands at bargain prices. Continuation funding this year is an important signal to landowners that the state remains committed to working with willing sellers to protect Florida’s remaining special places.

Currently, the Senate budget includes $15 million in cash for Florida Forever and $10 million in cash for the Everglades; the companion House budget appropriates no funding for either of these programs.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, April 7, is Florida Forever Day at the Capitol. We need your voice now, more than ever.

1) Be inspired by Carlton Ward’s breathtaking photos of Florida’s top ten proposed Florida Forever acquisitions in a countdown to Florida Forever Day tomorrow.

2) Write to your legislators, urging them to provide bridge funding for Florida Forever and Everglades Restoration in this year’s budget. Tell them why wildlands and local parks are important to you and their constituents. Encourage them to attend Florida Forever Day at the Capitol’s Waller Park tomorrow at 11:30.

3) Attend Florida Forever Day: Join us at the Capitol Wednesday to show your support for Florida Forever. Email us if you’d like help scheduling an appointment with your senator and representative, or just join us for the rally at 11:30 (to be followed by an ice cream social). Events will be located in Waller Park (the steps, fountain and plaza on the West side of the Capitol building).

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Until large projects to store, treat and convey freshwater from Lake Okeechobee to the Everglades come on line, water management policy and tools to determine freshwater releases must balance the necessities of the natural ecosystem and wildlife that depend on healthy habitats with demands of water users for urban and agriculture uses.

Audubon is working with state and federal water managers to develop an important water management tool, called Adaptive Protocols for Lake Okeechobee Operations, that outlines when to hold or release water in Lake Okeechobee.

At issue is some agricultural sector demands to curtail small, beneficial water releases from Lake Okeechobee to the Caloosahatchee Estuary during the dry season, even before they would be rationed. Audubon recommends that all interests must share the adversity of water rationing during the dry season as the only means of balancing competing demands and necessities.

The Caloosahatchee Estuary needs fresh water flows during the dry season to sustain its vital brackish water zone, which is an important nursery for fish, crabs, oysters, and other marine organisms for the Gulf Coast region.  Lake Okeechobee often is the only source for these flows and an entire month of healthy flows only lowers the lake about one inch.

Yet, the SFMWD has proposed that if there is only a 30 percent chance that the lake could drop close to the water rationing line—before rationing is even triggered—that beneficial flows to the Caloosahatchee could be cut to zero.  Thus, when farmers are having all their supplies met and have a cushion of water remaining, the estuary’s ecological health could be destroyed.

Audubon maintains that water flows during the dry season must be balanced to all interests, including the Caloosahatchee Estuary, and will remain vigilant to ensure that water management tools, including the Adaptive Protocols, fairly allocate freshwater between water supply and environmental needs.

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