U.S. Fish and Wildlife proposing an addition to Everglades Ntl Park---Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge would be the most Northern segment of the Everglades and would help restore and protect the headwaters of "The Sea of Grass"

New Refuge Proposed in Everglades

Credit: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

On 7 January 2011, the Obama administration announced plans for the Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area that would protect, restore, and conserve more than 150,000 acres of key habitat south of Orlando, Florida, largely through partnerships. As the name suggests, the area would play a key role in the protection of the headwaters of the imperiled Everglades. Specifically, the proposed refuge would improve water quality north of Lake Okeechobee, restore wetlands, and increase connections between conservation lands and wildlife corridors.

The refuge will be established through efforts of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and partners to work with interested and willing landowners. A variety of methods are expected to be utilized to establish the refuge, such as conservation lands that have already been established, fee simple purchase, conservation easements, leases, lands set aside through habitat conservation plans, conservation and mitigation banks, and cooperative agreements with landowners. The refuge would represent the northernmost part of a 4.5 million acre region for which increasing efforts are being made to protect lands for the preservation of both the Everglades and habitat for the Florida panther and other threatened and endangered species.

The proposal is in its early stages and public scoping meetings are being planned for January and February 2011. Development of a Draft Land Protection Plan and NEPA Document is planned for March-May 2011.

 For more information, visit the project website.
Sources: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, E&E News, LLC (E&E PM).