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Home , Everglades, Fisheating Creek

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service January 2011 Greater Partnership Initiative,

Introduction The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and its partners are advancing a collaborative approach to address landscape-scale land protection efforts in south-. This new approach is described as the Greater Everglades Partnership Initiative (Initiative), which will help conserve the land, water, and wildlife resources of the Greater Everglades landscape (Figure 1). In order to facilitate analysis across this vast landscape, this large geographic area was divided into three Study Areas and the current proposal focuses on Study Area one:

(1) the Everglades Headwaters area,

(2) the area, and

(3) the area around the NWR and Caloosahatchee .

The Greater Everglades landscape is a George Willson vast approximately 4.5 million-acre region wildlife in the southeast U.S. and a large Specifically, this Initiative has a vision for: of and working ranch lands portion of the unprotected natural habitat that extends from the outskirts of the remaining in peninsular Florida. n Working cooperatively with ranchers Orlando metropolitan area south through and other landowners to protect the valley to This partnership initiative would wildlife, habitat, and a rural working Okeechobee and southwest to Florida help conserve a rural working ranch agricultural landscape; Panther NWR and Big Cypress Preserve. landscape; protect and restore habitat; This area is one of the great protect, improve, and restore water n and savanna landscapes of eastern North Planning for a proposed new quality and benefiting residents America. Still largely rural, this area is 150,000-acre refuge, the Everglades and visitors in ; and a mosaic of seasonally wet , Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge connect a matrix of existing conservation longleaf pine savannas, and cattle ranches and Conservation Area, including lands and important wildlife corridors, that sustains one of the most important landowner and local communities in the supporting Everglades restoration assemblages of imperiled vertebrate planning process; efforts. n Applying multiple ecosystem service This Initiative embodies the Service’s instruments, such as conservation landscape-scale, partnership-driven easements, leases, and landowner approach to land conservation and assistance grants and agreements, management, and provides a framework as well as fee title acquisition and for the Service to engage multiple federal , conservation, and mitigation agencies, State agencies, counties and banks; other local governments, non-government organizations and land trusts, private n Connecting to existing conservation landowners, and citizens in the process. lands and lands set aside through The conservation proposal would allow Habitat Conservation Plans; the partners to be able to put the best wildlife adaptation strategies into action n Simplifying the regulatory permitting on the ground, forming the linkages, processes for lands identified within corridors, and habitat core necessary the proposed study areas; to assist species to adapt to changing climate conditions. USFWS/Garry Tucker U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Non-Governmental Organizations Key Elements of the n The Nature Conservancy Greater Everglades Partnership Initiative The Initiative would converge, build, n National Wildlife Refuge Association and compliment multiple public and private conservation activities within Potential Partners this landscape to protect habitat for Federal Government imperiled species; restore water quality n U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and filtration functions, recharge, and hydrological systems Tribal Governments that will materially benefit residents of n Tribe of Florida south Florida; provide a new model for working with large family ranches and n Tribe of Indians of Florida landowners to help sustain the rural and State and Local Government ranching way of life in Florida; increase n Water Management opportunities for wildlife conservation District education and youth engagement by establishing a new national wildlife n St. Johns River Water Management refuge near major population centers; District and promote Florida tourism and travel industries. n Florida Department of Community Affairs Service Efforts within the

NPS/Rob Bennetts Greater Everglades Landscape n Florida Division of Historic Resources The Service manages several national n Supporting the principals of the wildlife refuges within the Greater President’s America’s Great Outdoors n Southwest Florida and East Central Initiative; Everglades Initiative landscape, including Florida Regional Planning Councils Lake Wales Ridge, Caloosahatchee, and Florida Panther NWRs. Further, n Implementing Conservation Service n Additional State Agencies and there are multiple ecosystem services Centers, a one-stop-shop for members Local Governments instruments such as Conservation Banks, of the public to engage with multiple Wetland Mitigation Banks, and Habitat agency and organizations for all their Non-Governmental Organizations/ Conservation Plans that contribute to conservation needs; and Individuals n Florida Farm Bureau overall conservation efforts in the area. The current proposal seeks to establish a Partners within the n Florida Cattleman’s Association new refuge, the Everglades Headwaters Greater Everglades Landscape NWR. n Ranchers Current Partners Federal Government n Key Community Leaders n U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service n U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service n U.S. Air Force, Avon Park Air Force Range

State Government n Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission n Florida Department of Environmental Protection n South Florida Water Management District n Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services n Florida Division of State Lands USFWS/Larry Richardson U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Partner Efforts within the Greater Everglades Landscape Beyond the Service’s interest in existing and proposed conservation lands within this landscape, other Tribal, federal, State, and local conservation agencies and non-governmental organizations manage existing conservation lands within this landscape and have identified goals, objectives, and projects similar to those identified in this Initiative for conservation in this area. While numerous partner activities are occurring in this landscape, key partner efforts are listed for Natural Resources Conservation Service, The Nature Conservancy, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the South Florida Water Management District, National Wildlife Refuge Association, and the U.S. Air Force. USFWS/Larry Richardson The Nature Conservancy (TNC) n In FY 2010 NRCS funded the National Wildlife Refuge Association n Goal to protect and connect 850,000 Fisheating Creek Special Project (NWRA) acres of high quality habitats on which brought about 26,080 acres in n Support Service efforts to conduct private lands through fee acquisition the Initiative area into the Wetlands the planning and analysis to propose of key parcels and conservation Reserve Program. new national wildlife refuge(s) and easements on ranches. to propose expansion(s) of existing n In FY 2011 approximately 45 national wildlife refuge(s) throughout n Goal to restore 150,000 acre-feet new Wetland Reserve Program the three study areas. natural wetland to and Grassland Reserve Program contribute to the restoration of the applications total approximately 37,000 n Support and conduct education and Everglades ecosystem. acres in the proposed new refuge area. outreach activities to build awareness and understanding of conservation n Improve the of the n In FY 2011 NRCS signed a activities within this landscape. ranching industry using conservation Memorandum of Understanding with easements, payments for ecosystem the South Florida Water Management n Bring together various interests and services, and other tools. District to work together to implement tools to support conservation activities Farm Bill programs. within this landscape. n Work with Natural Resources Conservation Service Farm Bill Avon Park Air Force Range, U.S. Air n Further the NWRA’s Beyond the programs to restore the Everglades Force Boundaries Initiative within this ecosystem n Manage 106,000 acres within this landscape. landscape, including wildlife and n Increase wetland restoration targets habitat management activities and n Promote the Greater Everglades in the Comprehensive Everglades outdoor public recreation. Partnership Initiative as an example of Restoration Plan, effective cooperation amongst a variety Watershed Project. n Evaluate partnership opportunities of public and private interests. under the Readiness and n Develop an ecosystem services Environmental Protection Initiative. program that will provide incentives for dispersed water storage, carbon storage, and wildlife habitat restoration and increase the sustainability of ranching in the Northern Everglades.

Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) n The Northern Everglades is a priority area for USDA’s Florida NRCS program. USFWS/Garry Tucker Jim Godwin U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Florida Fish and Wildlife Project Description: Conservation Commission (FWC) Proposed Everglades n Develop and implement landscape- Headwaters NWR and scale conservation planning Conservation Area documents, including Florida’s Wildlife The first phase of the Action Plan, Closing the Gaps, and Greater Everglades Cooperative Conservation Blueprint. Partnership Initiative is the proposal to n The Cooperative Conservation establish the Everglades Blueprint is focusing on the Greater Headwaters National Everglades area as a pilot region Wildlife Refuge and in which to identify consensus Conservation Area. priority natural resource areas with See Figure 2 for the incentives and policies to enhance their Everglades Headwaters Study Area. The other

conservation. Lamb Vince two study areas will be n The Landowner Assistance Program n Participate as core partner on the evaluated in future detailed planning has several focal areas within the Peninsular Florida Landscape and would likely include large scale Initiative landscape. Conservation Cooperative. easements, water protection buffers, expansions to existing NWR(s), and n Partner and coordinator in efforts for n Administer and award funding through connectivity to other conserved areas. Everglades Headwaters and related the Family Ranches Program. conceptual NWR projects. The Everglades Headwaters National n Concentrate Farm Bill funding to Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area Florida Department of Agriculture and proposal examines a large and diverse create focal areas for conservation Consumer Services (FDACS) easements. landscape that has generated broad n Administer the Rural Family Lands conceptual support from local ranchers, Protection Program, which allows urban residents, and the environmental n Focus acquisition efforts on high for joint federal and State funding of priority tracts. community, as well as amongst federal, conservation easements. State, and local partners. Establishing an Everglades Headwaters NWR and n 25-year history of land acquisition n Implement Watershed Restoration Act, Conservation Area would help: within the Initiative landscape through which compliments and expands Clean Preservation 2000 and Florida Forever Water Act activities to improve water programs. n Protect, restore, and conserve quality within Initiative landscape. important habitat for 88 federally- and State-listed species and State Species n Manage approximately a quarter n Administer 900,000 acres within this of Greatest Conservation Need, million acres of public lands in the landscape that are signed up for Best including Florida panther, Florida Greater Everglades region, such Management Practices as part of black bear, Audubon’s , as Babcock Webb, Three , FDACS’ water quality program. Florida scrub-jay, Florida grasshopper Fisheating Creek, and Lake Wales sparrow, red-cockaded woodpecker, Ridge wildlife management areas. n Projects completed cooperatively whooping crane, Everglades , through USDA incentive programs, , and Eastern indigo snake; n Co-manage the Babcock Ranch such as Wildlife Habitat Incentive Preserve, a private-public partnership Program (WHIP) and Environmental n Protect, restore, and conserve on nearly 75,000 acres within this area. Quality Incentive Program (EQUIP). exemplary habitats, such as wet and dry , Florida sandhill and scrub, South Florida Water Management and scrubby and mesic flatwoods, District (SFWMD) as well as multiple wetland types, n Implement Dispersed Water including cutthroat seepage slope Management approach to keep water wetlands; and on the landscape. n Protect, restore, and conserve the n Administer pilot projects on working headwaters, groundwater recharge, ranch lands to improve water quality and watersheds of the Kissimmee and water storage. Chain of Lakes, Kissimmee River, and Lake Okeechobee, which will improve n Administer 10-year conservation water quantity and quality in the easements to support water resource Everglades watershed, complementing goals and objectives within this the work of the Comprehensive landscape. Everglades Restoration Plan and protecting the water supply for n millions of people. USFWS/Garry Tucker Restore hydrology within the Greater Everglades landscape. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Schedule for the Proposed Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area Project Given the widespread interest and involvement in this landscape, this project is on an accelerated schedule, with a draft document anticipated for public review and comment this summer and with a final document anticipated for this fall.

Conduct Public Scoping January-February 2011

Develop Draft Land Protection Plan and NEPA Document March-May 2011

Conduct Public Review USFWS/Garry Tucker and Comment on Proposal June 2011

Develop Final Plan August-September 2011

For More Information Internet The Service has posted information on the Internet about this project. Please select the Everglades Headwaters Proposal under the Current Land Acquisition Projects at: http://www.fws.gov/southeast/planning/.

Email Please send email questions or comments to: EvergladesHeadwatersProposal@fws. gov.

Mail Please mail comments to: Proposed Everglades Headwaters NWR and Conservation Area U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service PO Box 2683 Titusville, FL 32781-2683

Fax Please fax comments to: 321/861 1276

Service Contacts The Service contacts for more information regarding this project are: Charlie Pelizza Refuge Manager; Pelican Island, Archie , and Lake Wales Ridge NWRs 772/562 3909 x 244 and Cheri Ehrhardt AICP, Natural Resource Planner 321/861 2368 Figure 1. Greater Everglades Landscape with the Three Study Areas: (1) Everglades Headwaters, (2) Fisheating Creek, and (3) Florida Panther/ Figure 2. Geographic Area of Interest for the Establishment of the Proposed Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area