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| Audubon Thanks the Everglades Foundation |
| Audubon extends its gratitude to the Everglades Foundation for its
continued support of Audubon’s Everglades Restoration Program.
Audubon’s Everglades Team looks forward to continuing its strong
efforts, in 2010, to bring this unique river of grass back to health.
It is partnerships like the one with the Everglades Foundation that
make our work and success possible. Thank you. |
|
State of the Everglades Report: December 2009
Dear friend,
Because of your support, we have made great progress toward restoring
America’s Everglades this year. Just two weeks ago, we broke ground on
bridging Tamiami Trail to pave the way to recover the abundant colonies
of roseate spoonbills, other wading birds, and healthy wildlife
populations that once flourished there. This State of the Everglades
Report highlights the Tamiami Trail success and others we have achieved
this year with your help.
Every time you wrote a letter to a policymaker, sent Audubon a donation
or attended a meeting to speak on behalf of an Everglades restoration
project, you acted for the good of something greater than yourself: Our
water, the health of our habitats, and Florida’s spectacular diversity
of wildlife. Thank you for all your support this year to restore
America’s Everglades. To achieve even greater progress in 2010,
consider a year-end gift to Audubon’s Everglades Restoration Program.
Your support counts.
Southeast Everglades
Bridging Tamiami Trail Opens the Way to Wildlife Abundance in the Everglades
Audubon and its partners celebrated the groundbreaking of a one-mile bridge, part of the Modified Water Deliveries (Mod Waters) project, on December 4, 2009, because it paves the way to recovering the abundant colonies of roseate spoonbills, other wading birds, and healthy wildlife populations that once flourished in the Everglades.
Audubon, whose scientists have studied wading birds and ecological conditions in the Everglades for over a half century, has raised the alarm that the southern Everglades and important species, such as the spoonbills, are reaching a tipping point and could face ecological collapse unless freshwater flows are reestablished. The bridge is the beginning of efforts to restore these important flows.
Tamiami Trail, U.S. 41 from Tampa to Miami, was built in 1928. A consequence of its construction was the division of the natural flow of water, which historically nourished the Everglades and provided the habitat conditions necessary for wading bird colonies. When complete in 2013, the one-mile bridge along Tamiami Trail will reconnect fresh water flows through Northeast Shark River Slough into Everglades National Park. The initial bridge has overcome political, economic and legal hurdles and paves the way to accomplishing other important restoration projects.
Audubon applauded the dedication and longstanding commitment of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of Interior. The staff of these agencies and many others worked for two decades to see this project begin. Even as we celebrate the restoration milestone of the one-mile bridge, Audubon continues to advocate for additional bridging over the Trail. This and other key restoration efforts in the southern Everglades will bring visible ecological benefits, and wildlife recovery can be achieved in Everglades National Park and Florida Bay.
Florida Bay One Step Closer to Increased Flows
The C-111 Spreader Canal (C-111 SC) project is Florida’s best opportunity to bring the southern mangrove wetlands and Florida Bay back to their former abundance and ecological productivity. The South Florida Water Management District Governing Board recently approved three construction contracts that will finally set this critical project in motion.
Audubon has long-advocated for progress on restoring flows to Florida Bay by minimizing the devastating impact of the C-111 canal’s diversion of freshwater away from the Bay. We will continue to engage in the implementation of this critical restoration project as it moves from the construction to the operation phase.
See Audubon’s fact sheet, explaining how the success of the C-111 SC project will be determined by whether the ecosystem responds in certain ways to these increased flows of freshwater. Ultimately, the indicator of project success will be when roseate spoonbills can once again nest in sustainable numbers in Florida Bay.
Southwest Florida
A Victory for All Supporters of Save Our Swamp
Cocahatchee Slough wetlands flowing from Audubon of Florida’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and the old growth bald cypress forest there received important protection on October 23, 2009. A federal judge agreed with Audubon and its allies, ruling to revoke a wetlands destruction permit issued to the Mirasol project in 2007.
Wood stork © RJ Wiley |
The Mirasol project challenges Everglades restoration’s basic premise of protecting and restoring wetlands and habitat by proposing to destroy 650 acres of unique wetlands and endangered wood stork habitat near Audubon’s sanctuary – all to build two golf courses and 799 houses.
The judge found the federal permitting agencies had not completed a sufficient accounting for the cumulative impacts of the wetlands to be destroyed in the region, and revoked Mirasol’s federal permit. Combined with adjacent development projects, over 1,100 acres of wetland habitat would be destroyed by proposed development in the critical Cocohatchee Slough.
While next steps are yet unclear, the ruling is important for all supporters of Audubon’s Save Our Swamp initiative, and the coalition of conservation organizations working to protect and restore western Everglades landscapes: Audubon of Florida, Collier County Audubon Society, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, and the Florida and National Wildlife Federations. These groups brought the lawsuit, with the support of the Everglades Foundation, and will continue to work with landowners and agencies to achieve sustainable habitat restoration in this watershed.
Picayune Strand Receives Major Federal Funding for CERP Construction
Earlier this year, Audubon celebrated the finalization of the Picayune Strand and Fakahatchee Estuary Water Reservation. This achievement combined with the triumphant approval of the overdue Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) Master Agreement, will result in a groundbreaking of the federal part of the Picayune Strand & Fakahatchee Estuary CERP project on January 7, 2010 for the Merritt Canal Pump Station. This construction project is funded by $53 million in federal appropriations and is the first major commitment fulfilled in the 50/50 state-federal funding partnership for CERP.
The Merritt Canal Pump Station will allow the plugging of the Merritt Canal, which currently over-drains more than 10,000 acres of a failed massive subdivision in Collier County in southwest Florida. Moving forward, Audubon and its allies will advocate for funding to install additional pumps to move freshwater flows to nourish wetlands habitats in the next couple of years to complete this largest of true habitat restoration CERP projects.
Northern Everglades, Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades Agricultural Area
Planning Efforts to Restore the River of Grass
Governor Charlie Crist’s bold plan to buy the US Sugar Corporation’s land for Everglades restoration, termed the “River of Grass” acquisition, continues to materialize. The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) has been holding workshops to explore various ways to use the land to restore the Everglades, Lake Okeechobee and the important estuary systems ringing south Florida. The exciting news is that appropriate water storage and cleaning facilities on these 73,000 acres will deliver better system-wide restoration performance than the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) alone would. The improvements include not only environmental performance, but urban water supply and flood control needs as well.
Significant obstacles do remain. Some entities have challenged the purchase in court. Audubon has intervened on the side of the SFWMD to protect the agency’s authority to purchase the acres. Audubon and the SFWMD were successful with the judge’s ruling; however the decision has been appealed to the Florida Supreme Court. This purchase is an opportunity to gain the acres needed to repair the fabric of south Florida’s ecosystems and Audubon is devoting its resources to ensuring it is successful.
Audubon Recommends Strong Rules to Control Sewage Sludge
The land application of human sewage sludge, also called wastewater residuals or biosolids, is a major source of phosphorus and nitrogen pollution in water. This nutrient-laden water is damaging to the ecosystems of Lake Okeechobee, the Everglades, and coastal estuaries associated with the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee Rivers.
In December, Audubon presented testimony and recommendations to the state’s Environmental Regulation Commission (ERC) which is updating the state’s rules for sludge haulers. At the ERC meeting on December 1, 2009, staff of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection indicated agreement with two of Audubon’s key recommendations regarding the spreading of sewage sludge. The ERC will meet again in January to take up the issue, and Audubon will be present to press the case for stronger rules and prohibitions to protect Florida’s natural ecosystems.
Audubon Wins Battle Over Proposed Landfill Near Water Treatment Marsh
A proposed Palm Beach County landfill just 1/10th of a mile northwest of Stormwater Treatment Area (STA) 1 West in the Everglades Agricultural Area threatened to undermine plans for STA expansion earlier this year. However, Audubon advocates were committed to educating decision-makers on the obstacle this landfill would pose for Everglades restoration activities.
The proposed landfill would have blocked STA expansion, long advocated by Audubon, because of the importance of cleaning up nutrient-laden water. Audubon testified, and marshaled the support of our members, environmental partners, and the editorial boards of the Palm Beach Post and the Sun-Sentinel. In October, after hearing arguments from Audubon, other environmental organizations and landfill proponents, the Palm Beach County Solid Waste Authority voted unanimously to reject the controversial site near the STA and engage with the South Florida Water Management District in a cooperative effort to locate an alternate site that would not hinder Everglades restoration objectives.
Federal & State Partnership
Federal Government Steps up Funding for Everglades Restoration
For the second straight year, significant federal funding has been approved for Everglades restoration activities. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) will receive more than $180 million in 2010 for Everglades restoration projects, which will enable real progress on the ground to begin in south Florida. A few recent appropriations for restoration projects include:
- Modified Water Deliveries - $8.4 million
- C-51/Stormwater Treatment Area 1-E - $7.2 million
- C-111 South Dade - $4.4 million
- Picayune Strand - $62.1 million
- Kissimmee River - $44.7 million
To reap the ecological benefits from restoration, it is important that projects be constructed at an aggressive pace, and federal funds are needed to make that a reality. Audubon will continue to work to ensure that Everglades restoration remains a high priority within Congress and President Obama’s administration, and we will advocate for consistent substantial annual appropriations to move us toward restoration success.
Water Managers Approve 2010 Budget for Everglades Restoration Activities
In September, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) approved a $1.5 billion budget for its FY 2010 activities (October 1, 2009-September 30, 2010). This budget highlights significant allocation of funding to restore south Florida’s natural environment. The budget includes $536.5 million in funding for the historic acquisition of 73,000 acres of farmland from the U.S. Sugar Corporation. The SFWMD has also approved:
- $152 million to expand Everglades stormwater treatment areas, creating
11,473 acres of new treatment wetlands south of Lake Okeechobee to
improve water quality.
- $34.5 million to begin work on the C-111 Spreader Canal, a project
to help restore Florida Bay and Taylor Slough, preserve clean water in
Everglades National Park and maintain flood control for eastern
communities.
- $25 million for Kissimmee River Restoration land acquisition.
- $42.3 million to design and construct the Lakeside Ranch Stormwater
Treatment Area north of Lake Okeechobee to improve water quality in the
lake.
- $11 million for Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands Construction to
restore habitat and improve water quality in the bay and national park.
In 2010, Audubon will continue to advocate that the construction and operation of all restoration projects realize ecological benefits throughout the Greater Everglades Ecosystem.
Federal and State Governments Sign Important Everglades Restoration Agreement
In August, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) signed the Master Agreement for implementation of CERP projects.
This agreement is an essential legal and procedural part of CERP as it clearly outlines the 50/50 partnership responsibilities of state and federal agencies to fund, build, operate and maintain each of the 68 CERP projects. After many years of difficult negotiations between the levels of government, Audubon was pleased to support the signing and finalization of this historic agreement.
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