Greetings,

Welcome back to Audubon's RESTORE! Everglades Conservation Advocacy E-Newsletter. Your willingness to stay informed and take a stand for Florida's wildlife and habitat are critical to persuading decision-makers to protect our environment. 

Please welcome Julie Wraithmell to the Audubon advocacy team.  These reports will arrive from her email account.  You can send questions and comments to her at jwraithmell@audubon.org. 

Thank you,
Audubon of Florida Policy Team.

IN THIS ISSUE:

Redesigning Tamiami Trail to Restore Flow to the Everglades

Decades of development have disrupted the quantity and quality of vital water flowing through the Everglades to Florida Bay. Restoring this flow to the southern Everglades is one of Audubon’s highest priorities. Currently, the Tamiami Trail blocks this natural flow, so Everglades advocates including Audubon are proposing modifications to restore this important connection. Ultimately, a portion of the Trail should be rebuilt as an elevated causeway to allow unrestricted sheetflow south to Everglades National Park. Current government plans would create 3 miles of bridges and repave the remaining 8 miles of roadway, which would improve flow and provide benefits to the southern Everglades, but would not restore continuous sheetflow to the northern end of Everglades National Park. Audubon will continue its active involvement in Everglades restoration, including applied research, technical review of projects, and informed advocacy, to help secure the best outcome for the southern Everglades and Florida Bay.

 

 

Mod Waters Budget Delayed on Capitol Hill

 

The Modified Water Deliveries Project will restore freshwater flow to Everglades National Park and Florida Bay, through projects like the redesign of Tamiami Trail. This critical component of Everglades restoration must be completed at the earliest possible date, as Florida Bay is in danger of suffering an estuarine collapse similar to that experienced in the late 1980’s. Currently, the President has proposed $35 million in the Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill and the Interior appropriations bill includes $25 million for this project, contingent on matching funds of $35 million from the Army Corps of Engineers. Completion of the Modified Waters project is a prerequisite to beginning work on the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). Failure to fund this project this year will likely bring Everglades restoration to a standstill. Originally slated for review in the Oct. 27th Energy and Water Appropriations conference, the meeting was cancelled and has not yet been rescheduled.  

 HOW YOU CAN HELP Visit our advocacy site for Mod Waters where you can email your senators and congresspeople. Let them know you support Everglades Restoration and their support of Mod Waters funding is important to you!

  

 

Rampant Growth in Central Florida Threatens the Everglades Downstream

In the last two months, five major "Developments of Regional Impact" have entered the review process in Central Florida, with at least two more anticipated later this year. Together, these major developments would extend the Orlando Metro Area south to the shores of lakes Hatchineha and Cypress, well south of Kissimmee/St. Cloud in Osceola County. The impact of these developments could threaten the Kissimmee Restoration project and elements of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. Audubon of Florida has called on the Departments of Community Affairs, Environmental Protection, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Water Management District and Regional Planning Council to convene a comprehensive regional planning process similar to that undertaken in the Wekiva area three years ago. Joining Audubon of Florida in the request were National Audubon, Sierra Club, Everglades Foundation, World Wildlife Fund, National Parks Conservation Association, and the National and Florida Wildlife Federations. The Nature Conservancy has also joined the effort and has sent its own letter to state leaders.

top

Governor Bush Renews State's Commitment to Lake Okeechobee

Lake Okeechobee and its watershed received record amounts of rain and wind from mid-2004 to mid 2005.  The resulting deep, turbid water in the lake caused fisheries failures, the loss of more than 60 square miles of plant communities and months of estuary-devastating water releases. In response, Governor Jeb Bush, Senator Ken Pruitt, Representative Joe Negron, Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson, and other officials gathered on the shores of Lake Okeechobee on October 10 to announce the “Lake Okeechobee and Estuary Recovery” (LOER) plan to help accelerate restoration of Lake Okeechobee and associated estuaries. LOER’s goal is to radically increase lake restoration funding to $200 million over the next four years and accelerate many restoration initiatives already in motion. Bush also pledged to re-visit many critical programs including: lowering lake levels, growth management rules, Environmental Resource Permits for landowners, phosphorus use on private properties, and increased water storage in the watershed. Audubon is pleased with the increased interest in the health of Lake Okeechobee. For more on this new plan, visit the South Florida Water Management District's LOER webpage. 

 

Miami-Dade Development Interests Eye Coastal Everglades

Audubon is fighting to protect and restore the remaining fresh- and saltwater wetlands of the Coastal Everglades, extending through Biscayne, Florida and Rookery bays. Broad sheets of water once flowed into these shallow estuaries, creating ideal habitat for wildlife including roseate spoonbills, snowy egrets and endangered American crocodiles. Flood protection and development have drastically altered water flow and destroyed much of these delicate systems. Several large developments are currently proposed within the Coastal Everglades. In Miami-Dade County, these proposals currently threaten to push development outside the Urban Development Boundary (UDB). The UDB is the line that separates the urban areas from the Everglades, agricultural lands, and Miami's drinking water supply. The area beyond the UDB south of Florida City and west of Kendall is currently threatened by nine standard applications and two applications for Developments of Regional Impact (developments whose magnitude require state review).

 HOW YOU CAN HELP

All Everglades Advocates: Learn more about the Urban Development Boundary and the Miami-Dade effort to Hold the Line.

Miami-Dade Residents: email your county commissioners and tell them to Hold the Line. Let them know sprawl at the expense of our Coastal Everglades is unacceptable. Don't know how to contact your commissioner? Look up names, districts and contact info here.

top