Environmental Affairs Committee (EAC)
Lynn Martin and Patti Forkan
Co-Chairs
Report from EAC meeting on January 11, 2024, Guest Speaker: Kevin Godsea
At our January meeting, our Guest speaker was Kevin Godsea, Manager of the Southwest Florida National Wildlife Refuge Complex, He provided an overview of the National Wildlife Refuge System. The 568 national refuges fall under the U.S. Department of Interior via the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Godsea noted that wildlife refuges are specifically dedicated to wildlife protection with certain public uses allowed (fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing, environmental education, etc.), depending on the nature of the refuge. There are a total of 7 refuges in SW Florida: Collier (2) and Lee (5). Conservation areas, part of the refuge system, are mostly comprised of purchased easements (development rights purchased) but usually lack public access. He reviewed the process by which a new wildlife refuge or conservation area could be established and then talked in more detail about the Southwest Florida Conservation Area currently being proposed. He noted conservation goals for the 7+ million acre area: Everglades Restoration, Sustain and Recover the Florida Panther, Protect and Restore Watersheds and Coastal Estuaries, Maintain the Unique Native Communities and Species Adapted to this Subtropical Area, Protect Rural Landscapes and Ranch Lands to Combat Habitat Fragmentation and Provide Wildlife Corridors. This area of diverse habitats includes 74 threatened and endangered species and the only breeding population of Florida panthers. 95% of this proposed area is within the Florida Wildlife Corridor. He then discussed the planning process to create a conservation area, which involves establishing ecological priorities and an analysis of the threats to the area (e.g., habitat loss due to development, decrease in water quality, sea level rise). By April of 2023 they had established a compelling need and hence moved into a more detailed planning phase. The plan and the map outlining the 7.7 million acre conservation area was approved by Director of Fish and Wildlife. The next step involves getting agencies to identify and secure the funding needed to purchase easements. Once the final plan is approved (perhaps as early as this February) they will move ahead to identify willing sellers and purchase easements. It is hoped that at least 10% of this identified area can be secured by Fish and Wildlife.