Message from the Executive Director

Welcome to the first edition of Everglades Report for 1998.

We not only have a new look for this publication, but we also have a new name for our office -- both designed to better portray the diverse activities we are engaged in to protect and restore the Everglades.

Five years ago, when the Everglades was designated as the most endangered ecosystem in the U.S., the National Audubon Society established its Everglades Conservation Office here in the heart of South Florida. The Campaign was the start-up phase of a long-term commitment by the National Audubon Society to restore and protect the remaining portions of the Everglades. This Campaign has been so successful that our office has become the largest field office in Audubon's history, and we are still growing.

Now, as we begin our sixth year, we want to formally announce that our "start-up" phase is complete, and we have fully established the Everglades Conservation Office of the National Audubon Society. I hope you are as pleased by this change as we are.

We are also planning to increase the production of Everglades Report, to keep you informed in a timely manner of all the ongoing efforts to restore the Everglades, not only from our office but throughout South Florida, from Kissimmee to the Keys, and from Federal legislation to grassroots participation. The Everglades Conservation Office serves as both a catalyst and a clearinghouse to coordinate restoration efforts.

The Everglades can be restored, and it can happen in our lifetime if we take the right actions now.

Sincerely,

Stuart D. Strahl, Ph.D.
Executive Director

Central and Southern Florida Restudy

The Central and Southern Florida Restudy is the first complete update of the 50-year-old water management system of the Everglades. Unlike the system of 50 years ago, a major goal of the Restudy is Everglades protection.

National Audubon Society - Everglades Conservation Office (NAS-ECO) has been very active in monitoring the Restudy modeling efforts. Our Scientists have provided substantial comment on the six model runs, with particular attention to how water is being transfered to the natural system. Model runs will be completed in April 1998, and a draft Environmental Impact Statement on the modeling conclusions and recommended plan will be available for comment in June 1998.

Everglades Agricultural Area Lands Purchased

During the 50th anniversary celebration of Everglades National Park last December, Vice President Al Gore announced the federal government's intention to acquire the Talisman property in the Everglades Agricultural Area. This acquisition, which is one of the crucial components needed to effect Everglades restoration, was directly influenced by a position paper issued by the National Audubon Society - Everglades Conservation Office in November, 1997.

The position paper stated that "The National Audubon Society urges the acquisition of the Talisman properties in their entirety for the purposes of water storage and water retention in the southern Agricultural Area." The paper also points out a number of reasons for acquiring the Talisman property, including its adequate size for water storage in the Agricultural Area, its proximity to several canals and stormwater treatment areas (the latter constructed to clean agricultural water before sending it to the Everglades), its limited long-term agricultural use, and the fact that it is a large single holding with a willing seller.

At the Everglades National Park's official anniversary celebration, Park Superintendent Richard Ring specifically thanked the National Audubon Society and it's president, John Flicker for their roles in the purchase. As a further tribute, the Agricultural Area position paper was sealed along with other important mementos in a 50-year time capsule.

Environmental Impact Study for Homestead Air Reserve Base Area

Another environmental victory, directly influenced by the National Audubon Society - Everglades Conservation Office, was the announcement by the White House to require a study -- known as a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement -- before the Homestead Air Reserve Base in South Miami-Dade County can be redeveloped.

"The Impact Statement is the right thing to do," explained Strahl, "It puts us back on track for finally developing a vision for the economic and environmental future of South Miami-Dade County."

The decision means that plans for a major commercial airport on the Homestead site will be put on hold. The study is expected to focus on the impact of redevelopment of the Air Base on unique surrounding natural environments, including Biscayne National Park, Everglades National Park, and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

The National Audubon Society has been involved in the process leading up to the recent decision and had stressed the need to prepare a thorough Impact Statement, one which would include protection for surrounding natural environments and endangered species habitat, enhancement of water quality, proper land use planning, review of alternative uses, and a detailed regional analysis of South Florida's aviation infrastructure capacity.

"The Impact Statement is good public policy," commented John Mitchell, Esq., environmental counsel for NAS-ECO. "There has been a great deal of talk about a major commercial airport in this area, yet no one has studied the impact this will have on the region's environment or economy. With a proper Impact Statement we will be better able to understand the social, economic, and environmental ramifications associated with reuse of this facility, and move towards the best possible redevelopment plan."

"There is no silver bullet solution to balancing economic development with the need to protect irreplaceable natural resources," concluded Strahl. "The Impact Statement moves us towards a comprehensive plan for South Dade, and will help us avoid the pitfalls of piecemeal planning."

A recent development which underscores the need for further environmental studies before redevelopment of the Air Base takes place is concern over the high numbers of white ibis reported to be causing problems with flying aircraft in the area. There has been talk of controlling the numbers of birds by shooting and other means. This problem can also be addressed in the Impact Statement, in order to better evaluate the impact of the proposed development on the ibis populations.

"If white ibis are a concern regarding flight operations now, then the idea of increasing flight operations at Homestead is ridiculous," commented Mark L. Kraus, Ph.D., Conservation Director at the Everglades Conservation Office. "The birds are a species of special concern and must be protected, not placed in additional jeopardy."

Rare Everglades Sparrow Close to Extinction

The Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow, a small olive-gray sparrow, is found almost exclusively within Everglades National Park and the Big Cypress National Preserve. The sparrow prefers wet, grassy prairie habitat. Named an endangered species in 1967, the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow is now close to extinction.

The sparrow resides in three small populations within the Park: one, west of Shark Slough, crashed in 1993 and is nearly lost at 10 percent of its former level; the second, east of Shark Slough, lost 50 percent of its former population and is not recovering; and the third, the Ingraham Highway population, also east of the Slough, has been healthy since 1981, but is at risk from fire and hurricane damage. If any of these populations is extinguished, extinction for the sparrow, as a whole, is thought to be likely.

The many parallels between the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow's decline and the recent extinction of its close relative, the Dusky Seaside Sparrow, add to the concern that the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow is in real danger of following its cousin into oblivion.

Since the decline of the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow has become evident, the Department of the Interior has retained the services of the University of Tennessee to investigate the sparrow's biology and reasons for decline, and to perform risk assessments. The western population is at risk due to flooding, while the eastern one has been affected by fire and over-drainage. Because of record rains in South Florida during this dry season, making it the third wet winter during a four-year period, the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow has been put in even more danger.

These sparrows are short-lived, and the consequences of several consecutive breeding failures may have already caused the western population to be composed primarily of aging adults which may already be experiencing increases in natural mortality (from aging). There is great concern that if the floodgates along the Tamiami Trail are opened in order to release the overflow, that the western population of sparrows will be wiped out.

Needed actions for saving the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow were summarized in recent public testimony by Kraus. In the long term, the east Everglades, Taylor Slough, and Water Conservation Area 3B need to be restored to longer hydroperiods, higher water depths, and more natural fire regimes. The western marshes need to be restored to conditions of shorter hydroperiods and lower water levels. Returning flows to the east which have been diverted to the west will be a critical component necessary to achieve the desired results. These actions will also go a long way to restoring the Park.

However, shorter-term actions need to be undertaken to ensure that healthy populations of the sparrows survive until the long-term restoration goals can be accomplished. These include modifying the water delivery schedules in several ways to minimize flooding of the nesting habitat of the western sparrows, maximizing flows to the east Everglades, developing a comprehensive habitat management plan, and developing plans for subpopulation translocation and captive breeding.

In addition, the NAS-ECO proposes the following actions:

1. Long-term, storage and retention areas must be acquired in the Agricultural Area and other parts of the Everglades ecosystem in order to help alleviate high water crises in the future.
2. The purchase of the East Everglades (which has already been approved by Congress for acquisition) should be expedited, and ownership and flooding issues in the 8 1/2 square mile area resolved.
3. All of the provisions of the Remedial Action Plan developed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service including diversion of water flows out of the Water Conservation Areas to Northeast Shark River Slough and Taylor Slough need to be implemented.
4. A study of the genetic structure of the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow populations to determine if the populations are genetically different needs to be conducted.
5. Intensive research to identify the extent and frequency of movement of birds among the three populations needs to be expedited.
6. A study to determine what steps must be taken to develop a captive breeding program needs to be initiated.
7. Many of the actions being taken to protect the sparrow's western nesting habitat should only be considered temporary, emergency measures, since they are destructive to the Everglades system as a whole.

As a direct result of the National Audubon Society - Everglades Conservation Office recommendations, Secretary of Interior Bruce Babbitt announced on February 11th that the Department of the Interior will expedite the purchase of the East Everglades. This action will help reduce threats to the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow.

Tavernier Science Center Officially Joins Everglades Conservation Office NAS-ECO

For over six decades, the Tavernier Science Center has been involved with applied field research and conservation including the Florida Keys Land Aquisition Program. This has involved acquiring the remaining patches of hammock crucial to maintaining white-crowned pigeon populations. Much of the land acquisition has been through the state Conservation and Recreation Lands Program. Through the efforts of the Tavernier staff, the Keys Land Acquisition Program has moved from tenth on the acquisition list to fourth.

To date, 724 acres of land have been acquired, which amounts to 42 percent of the 1,725 acres on the acquisition list.

In July of last year, administration of the Tavernier Science Center was transferred to the National Audubon Society - Everglades Conservation Office.

"The Science Center is now in a transition year in which it is cleaning up outstanding projects elsewhere and restoring funds for concerted efforts in South Florida," said Kraus.

Another project that the Tavernier Science Center is the "New Audubon Wardens". In the spirit of the Audubon wardens of the 1900s, where wading bird populations were monitored and protected, these modern wardens -- volunteers -- help manage manage conservation lands and assist with other conservation-related projects, such as the Environmental Neighborhood Watch. The watch "trains people, including volunteers, in recognizing environmental law violations," commented Kraus, "such as robbing crab traps or harassing deer, and contacting the appropriate authorities." The wardens, like their predecessors, also help monitor the populations and productivity of wading birds in Florida Bay and the Lower Keys.

Chief in the Center's research projects is the ongoing study of fisheries research in Florida Bay. Jerry Lorenz, lead researcher, has been studying how decreased freshwater flow from the Everglades into mangroves and Florida Bay has resulted in lower plant biomass and fewer prey-based fish species. Lorenz's preliminary research indicates that these decreases are correlated with a decline in the nesting success of the roseate spoonbill and with changes in lower trophic levels of the submerged plant base. He will be looking at incubation and chick growth until fledging in selected nests of three major spoonbill colonies. Lorenz has published an article in Wetlands on a new method of collecting wetland fish and was invited to submit a paper on his work for a dedicated issue on Florida Bay in Estuaries.

Craig Faunce, of the Tavernier Science Center, is examining the general biology of the Mayan Cichlid, an exotic, dominant species in the mangrove. This fish is suspected of displacing species of native fish and could have severe repercussions on the ecology of the coastal mangrove swamps. Faunce will be monitoring the numbers and following the cycles of the cichlid, in order to better understand how it may affect the decline in native fish species.

Water Preserve Areas Enhanced

The Water Preserve Areas are specific lands located between the Everglades and urbanized areas of Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade Counties. These areas, located along the eastern edge of the Everglades, will provide numerous benefits to South Florida including increased water storage and aquifer recharge, improvements to water quality, and habitat diversity and connectivity.

Between 1993 and 1997, NAS-ECO's Policy Department worked to establish a buffer area between the central Everglades ecosystem and the urbanized areas of South Florida. Through a grant from the MacArthur Foundation, NAS-ECO provided technical support during the designation of the buffer area in the tri-county area. Included in these efforts was co-sponsorship of a workshop in 1996 about the desired ecological functions and benefits of such a buffer. Along with advocacy regarding maximizing the spatial expanse of the buffer area, these efforts resulted in the 1997 designation of approximately 71,000 acres of Water Preserve Areas within the tri-county area. The South Florida Water Management District will use these buffer lands for water storage, aquifer recharge, and enhancement of wetland function.

The Water Preserve Areas will play a vital role in Everglades restoration. Rapid acquisition of these areas is important, and to that end, NAS-ECO policy staff is working to ensure that local government land use decisions do not infringe on the Water Preserve Areas, precluding options for hydrological and ecological restoration. For example, conversion of land from open or agricultural lands to residential development would result in increased impervious surfaces, and a resulting decrease in aquifer recharge capabilities. Such development severely restricts the ability for the South Florida Water Management District to properly manage water in the area and address the natural, urban, and agricultural systems.

Agriculture/Open Space Protection

NAS-ECO joined the Biscayne Bay Land Trust Working Group, established in 1996, to address concerns of the business, agricultural, and environmental communities regarding the future development of South Miami-Dade. In 1997, the Land Trust adopted the Comprehensive Development Master Plan, requiring the Countys develop and implement a regional water and land use management plan for the South Dade area. It also established an interim Review Committee to provide comment to the Miami-Dade County Commission regarding local land use and zoning decisions within the study area.

These efforts are hoped to result in an environmentally and economically sustainable South Dade. NAS-ECO staff participates in the Land Trust, holds the Co-Chair position of the Review Committee, and is the primary group involved in the Public Relations Committee which endeavors to build broad-based support for the regional planning effort.

NAS-ECO actively participates in numerous committees and groups concerning agricultural preservation. These include the Governor's Commission Sustainable Agriculture Committee, DOERS, and Broward County's Ad Hoc Agricultural Advisory Committee. In addition, NAS-ECO has surveyed the current status of the agricultural industry in South Florida. These efforts will result in the development of a policy report regarding agricultural preservation in 1998.

Education Department Overview

The Education Department continues to teach individuals of all ages to appreciate and understand the ecology of South Florida and the interconnectedness of the Everglades ecosystem. This year over 13,000 students participated in NAS-ECO Workshops and approximately 2,000 teachers attended NAS-ECO's New Teacher Orientation Workshops. Teacher training courses this spring include "Barrier Island Field Study for Teachers," "Aquatic W.I.L.D. Teacher Workshop,"; "Keys Marine Study for Teachers,"; and "Coral Reef Field Study for Teachers".

The Education Department is the recipient of several grants to help further its mission. An award from the South Florida Water Management District will help NAS-ECO hold five one-day workshops for the business community, culminating in an Environmental Summit to be held in conjunction with the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. The goal of these workshops is to discuss the economic benefits of Everglades restoration with the business community and explore ways of working with local businesses to promote a sustainable South Florida.

Another award through Miami-Dade County's Department of Environmental Resources Management provides for an Everglades Teacher's Workshop in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods of the county. In addition, the award will be used to take 700 students from these neighborhoods into the Everglades for a hands-on educational experience.

Wetlands Mitigation Banking Workshop

Mitigation banking is a process by which wetlands are restored in a central location, and "credits" are sold for permitted wetland impacts throughout the region. Frequently, mitigation banking actually causes a net loss of wetland acreage, and should not be used as the predominant tool for wetland mitigation. Of increasing concern is the State of Florida's push to allow private mitigation bankers to profit from building mitigation banks on public lands owned by the citizens of Florida.

In order to develop a better understanding of the impacts of wetland mitigation banking, NAS-ECO sponsored a wetland mitigation banking workshop that for the first time included participants from the environmental community, government, and the industry. Although no conclusions were drawn at the end of the workshop, it did begin an open dialogue that will continue in an effort to protect Florida's environment from unnecessary habitat loss and the abuse of public lands.

Birdathon '98

NAS-ECO's Everglades Conservation Office will once again take to the field on Saturday, April 25, for Birdathon '98. Each year, Audubon members and supporters nationwide participate in this unique birding event.

The Birdathon is the world's largest competitive event of its kind. In addition to celebrating the importance of birds in the wild, it is a great way to raise funds for Audubon programs. Sponsors pledge a donation for each species identified in a 24-hour period.

For our local Birdathon, the day will be spent in and around Everglades National Park. Past Everglades Birdathon events have identified 80 to 90 species, including the roseate spoonbill, bald eagle, burrowing owl, mangrove cuckoo, reddish egret, swallow-tailed kite, white-crowned pigeon and wood stork.

Everglades Conservation Office
Suite 850, 444 Brickell Avenue
Miami, Florida 33131
Office 305-371-6399
Fax 305-371-6398

Printed on recycled paper with soy inks

Photography by Claudine Laabs