A news story from Wildlife Conservation Online produced by the Wildlife Conservation Society. This story provides a good description of the coyote's coming to Florida.  "The ecological impact of the coyote’s quiet march into Florida may not be clearly understood for decades. “It’s a huge ecological experiment in which we have the chance to get data from the start,” sums up Main. As information flows in from the efforts of biologists like Hershberger, the picture will come into sharper focus."  

I know that in the 1970s and 80 you never saw a coyote or coyote road kill in Florida.  Now they appear as one of the more common species.  What I'd like to know is were coyotes here in the past, before Florida was developed.  Like the Buffalo.

Today as I was driving into work I heard that Florida once again registered large numbers of new residents – “Florida added 321697 residents in 2006”. At this rate we will be adding about three and a quarter million people to the state each new decade. This translates into approximately 1,300.000 new households (i.e., neighborhoods and rooftops and roads – figured at and average of 2.5 people per household). From a Florida wildlife and habitat protection perspective it means less and less open natural landscapes, fewer opportunities for wildfire dependent communities to thrive, greater and greater competition for surface and groundwater nourishment and many more roads and associated road kill and habitat fragmentation.

Florida has many of the same wildlife species as the rest of the nation but also has a mix of distinct species due to its geography as a peninsula that extends south inclusive of both temperate and subtropical climates. Our fauna represent a mix temperate and subtropical adapted species with a growing group of recent exotics that share and compete to sustain their kind with the growing human population. With our ever-greater abilities to reshape and manage natural landscapes we must accept the related responsibilities to be wise stewards of the land, water and the varied intertwined habitats.

This of course this is not news in Florida, it’s just that through the constant and incremental wildlife habitat loss brought about by each new resident, our wildlife are stressed and constrained more, more and a little more again. Species by species, there are limits to adaptability and their abilities to meet the habitat squeeze and loss. Our challenge is to move forward in the face of the continued population growth and craft a Florida where most, if not all, of our wildlife species can be sustained.

A cornerstone tool helping us craft a wildlife friendly Florida is, and hopefully will continue to be, the Florida Forever Program which has allowed us to identify and acquire from willing sellers land and water in sizeable tracts. Given the continuous population growth in the state though, development of other tools will be necessary. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservations Commission’s Wildlife Legacy Initiative accentuates this point and emphasizes that we must prevent wildlife not only from becoming threatened or endangered but we must craft strategies to keep common species common.

A tiered approach to this challenge is developing with large statewide and regional acquisition efforts at the top and many community and even citizen-based efforts below (such as the Florida Yards & Neighborhoods program, run by the University of Florida, and the National Wildlife Federation's Backyard Wildlife Habitat program.). In the middle are a variety of community-based efforts and tools such as:
• Local Community Master planning
• Envisioning/Creating new green infrastructure
• Linking regional parks, green grids and community forests
• Parks and natural green spaces acquisitions (existing and future)
• Greenway linkages (within the particular community and then outward)
• Street trees, canopy roads designations
• Transportation and Stormwater infrastructure examined planned and designed for Wildlife Integration/enhancement opportunities.
• Incorporation of private green areas (golf courses, botanical gardens, easements and set-asides).

From another perspective, the top level habitat protections efforts might be best view through efforts such as Florida Ecological Network Project and the original and hopefully a soon to be updated Closing the Gaps in Florida’s Wildlife Habitat Conservation System.

 

Lower tiered individual citizen-based efforts might highlighted by a variety of rural good land stewards programs [see: Rural, Agricultural and Silvacultural Lands (Wildlife as a part of our working landscapes)] and the more urban-suburban wildlife friendly yard programs mentioned above.

In the middle tier is the community (i.e., local governmental to large development and neighborhood level). This tier has been less fully defined and articulated relative to means or programs for sustaining wildlife and habitat, even though it is at this level where most of the development approvals are issued (see: Tools for Communities to Use in Wildlife and Habitat Planning). Over the next few years Florida has an opportunity to become a leader in this area as there is nothing like the pressure of a new development to challenge the creative juices. I hope we can rise to challenge.

Snook Islands

 

 

In the early 1920s, dredging and filling along the western edge of Lake Worth Lagoon adjacent to what is now the City of Lake Worth Municipal Golf Course left a series of oxygen-poor deep holes which accumulated many feet of silt and muck, contributing to poor water quality and providing minimal habitat value.

The area where the holes were has very poor water quality, with sludge in the bottom from years of discharges from the Palm Beach Canal (C-51) which drains the sugar fields to the west and urban development along the way. While engineers try to sort out ways to fix the problem, Palm Beach County, the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE), the City of Lake Worth, and the Federal Inland Navigation District (FIND) have figured out a way to increase wildlife habitat and clean up the water.

The solution was complicated by permitting standards, but simple and inclusive in practice. The county has a spoil island park called Peanut Island near Riviera Beach in the Intracoastal Waterway that people liked to visit to boat, snorkel, camp, picnic, and enjoy but it was infested with invasive exotic vegetation. FIND had used the island to place sand dredged from the inlet on the island, making it very high and a prime place for invasive plants to take root. It was covered in Australian pines, with very little native plants.

The county looked for ways to reduce the height of the island, get rid of the exotic trees, make the park better for its visitors and restore native habitat. Coordination with all the other agencies paid off.

Over the last five years, Palm Beach County has worked with the City of Lake Worth and other partners to eliminate erosion and create a natural shoreline in this area now known as the Snook Islands Natural Area. First, all the exotic plant species – Australian pine, Brazilian pepper and seaside mahoe were removed from five acres of shoreline.

Approximately 1.2 million cubic yards of spoil material from Peanut Island was placed in the inter- and sub-tidal zones and graded to wetland elevations to create mangrove islands and seagrass habitat. Later, the county planted mangroves and native maritime hammock species on Peanut Island and created a new snorkeling area by placing artificial reefs in the shallows.

Eve though a few citizens waged some rather well organized door-to door opposition, the project went ahead. It was an amazing feat of engineering, cooperation and vision. I remember watching the barges moving huge amounts of sand from Peanut Island and heading south to its destination near my home in Lake Worth, one after another after another for months. They moved sand 24 hours a day with an operation that was amazingly efficient.

I went to the golf course nights to watch as the giant machinery moved and shaped what was to be one of the most dramatic restoration projects we’ve seen in this area. The barges would come, shoved along by a tugboat to align themselves near the site while an enormous crane unloaded its payload in the glaring lights, to be sifted and placed in the restoration islands. It took a little over a year and completed ahead of schedule. For a look at the enormity of the project go to http://www.co.palm-beach.fl.us/erm/enhancement/snook.asp for an aerial view.

We see all kinds of birds now in greater numbers than before the work. Fish are coming in to spawn and the mangroves are growing fast. The hurricanes didn’t hurt them and seagrasses are beginning to colonize the site. The oyster beds will surely improve the water quality, and already the clarity of the shoreline water has improved. Over time, we are hopeful the birds will roost in the mangroves to raise their young, one part of completing a vision shared by the local governments, citizens and the agencies that made the project possible.

We have a good sized fox population in Lake Worth and they are often seen on and around the municipal golf course along the Intracoastal Waterway. Neighbors spot them in backyards and alleys and we talk about them at neighborhood gatherings. The foxes are very tolerant of humans and have adopted an ‘urban’ lifestyle, walking down streets in late evenings or very early mornings at a leisurely pace in full view of passersby, not too close, but close enough to get a really good look at them.

I saw a mother fox carrying her babies to another location across the street from where she had them and thought it would be a better situation if they had a safer place to make their dens. We could improve the situation for all our urban wildlife with simple projects the neighbors could get involved in.

The golf course is a natural location for wildlife, and it could be improved and enhanced by planting more native trees and shrubs to provide more cover and food. Our neighborhood association could take an active role in identifying places on the course that would not interfere with golf or the neighbors’ views and still make special areas for the animals. Logs and large rocks could be strategically placed among the landscape to help protect the young in their early weeks. Nest boxes could be mounted to trees, poles, and buildings to house the screech owls and woodpeckers we have.

Alleys can also be landscaped with native trees shrubs and groundcovers to be utilized by animals and humans too, and become beautiful greenways we can all enjoy. Some alleys are already on their way to becoming greenways by efforts of community groups and volunteers. The city could close the golf course for the time it would take to install the landscaping or do it in small sections with the help of volunteers from the neighborhood.

It would also be fun to have guided wildlife ‘prowls’ with children and adults to see how many critters can be spotted in the wee hours. This would help educate residents about their furry and feathered friends and help create a sense of stewardship for them.

In a couple of years, a boardwalk will be installed adjacent to the golf course through a restored area called Snook Islands (picture below). This will increase the opportunities to observe wildlife on the golf course itself and expand the viewing area to include the shallow waters where manatees, fish, and birds are beginning to gather.

Today, mangroves and oyster beds are growing in the shallows, the silt has settled, and wading birds are all over the area at any time of day or night Black crowned night herons, rarely seen in the area, can now be seen on a regular basis. As the mangroves mature, we hope to start seeing roseate spoonbills and manatees.

There are lots of little things we can do that together will make a huge difference. In neighborhoods, all generations can be involved, and knowledge and experience can be passed on. The foxes and owls will still be there, doing what they do best, ridding us of rats, mice, bugs and other varmints we don’t want around anyway.

Central Florida (large Osceola County) is on the verge of an urban growth explosion on a scale rarely seen in Florida (and that is saying a lot since we folks in Florida have seen nothing but growth for three decades). In the past we talked about growth in terms of acres, now we are talking about it in terms of many square miles. We are seeing traditional ranching communities rapidly transforming into large-scale sprawling urban areas.

What Floridians thought was forever undeveloped natrual landscape and ranchland (yes, Florida is quite famous for its cowboy culture) is quickly being given over to thousands of rooftops (suburban culture).  Anyone whom has driven the Florida Turnpike south from Orlando has experienced the wide open spaces of the Kissimmiee River and Lake Okeechobee floodplain and head waters. It is a landscape of cypress domes and slews, marginal "upands" populated by Bald Eagles, the remarkable Sandhill Crane, Crested Caracara, Florida Kites, Wood Storks and many other wading bird species.  Quickly though the drive south from Orlando to Fort Pierce and Stuart will be transformed into new towns and "supporting' development interspered with a few large Florida Forever acquisitions.

It is important to recognize the relationship of the Upper Kissimmee River Basin and Chain of Lakes area to the restoration of the Kissimmee River, the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) and the management of Lake Okeechobee (the area includes Lake Tohopekaliga, East Lake Tohopekeliga, Alligator Lake, Lake Hatchineha, Lake Gentry, Cypress Lake, Lake Kissimmee and other Everglages headwater lakes).  As anyone that follows Florida environment knows, this state (and the Feds) has been spending billions of dollars to work to undo the intricate maze of water diversion and pollution adding canals and berms that have starved the River of Grass of its life blood and nutrified it originally low nutrient  waters.

Anyway, all this whinning about losing our shared natural and cultural heritage isn't because I think such a plea would put the brakes on the development.  No, my complaint is related to the fact that a region of incredible wildlife is being parcelled off to development one large development at a time without a coherent directive or plan that trys to retain portions through coordinated greenway/green infrastructure planning. 

There is integrated water planning as the regional water management agency, the South Florida Water Management District, is linking the component developments to the CERP planning (as best they can).  What's lacking though is an itegrated, across development boundaries wildlife plan.  A wildlife plan that isn't just focused on one or two threatened or endangered species individuals or colonies, but instead, an integrated wildlife plan that looks at all the indigenious wildlife (common as well as threatened or endangered) and asks the question - how can we develop all this area and still, at the end of the day, have most of the native species still present?  This is the real challenge.

Also, see "Will Kissimmee project ease pollution woes?" and, Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan site.

 

Florida 2060: A Population Distribution Scenario for the

State of Florida

 

The progression of population growth in Florida from 2005 to 2060 following today's patterns of development.  Such a distribution of projected population will have dire consequences for habitats and wildlife

 

The companion study, entitled A Time for Leadership: Growth Management and Florida 2060 outlines steps that need to be taken today to protect the environment and quality of life while accommodating growth. The study calls for a shift to "growth leadership" in Florida - a proactive approach to plan for the future that encourages large-scale, long-term planning and development that is both sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Prepared by the Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development at the Georgia Institute of Technology, A Time for Leadership notes that the governor, state legislators, and citizens can change the course of development in Florida through deliberate growth leadership. Overarching recommendations include:

* Expand Florida Forever. Accelerate and expand this highly successful natural-lands acquisition program to permanently protect not only natural lands and open and recreation space, but also agricultural and forestry lands.
* Adopt New Policy on Conversion of Rural Lands to Urban Use. New public policy should mandate that the conversion of rural land to urban density only be allowed in return for significant public benefit, especially the preservation of natural lands, open space, and agricultural lands.
* Create a 100-Year Legacy Plan. The statewide plan should identify the lands for permanent protection from development and lands that are appropriate for development and redevelopment. All state funding should be consistent with the Legacy Plan.
* Identify Leaders and Galvanize Support. Identify champions to organize and advocate for Florida's vision and plans. Such leadership must come from a broad cross section of Floridians who believe that our future is far too important to just let it happen.

With close to 18 million residents in 2005, Florida already is overwhelmed with the ramifications of rampant sprawl, rapidly vanishing natural areas, and overcrowded roads. What will Florida look like in 2060, when its population is projected to reach almost 36 million? Will current patterrns of development offer a sustainable future for Florida natural landscapes and wildlife.

To help address these questions, 1000 Friends of Florida contracted with the University of Florida's GeoPlan Center to develop a "population distribution scenario" for the state. 1000 Friends also contracted with the Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development at the Georgia Institute of Technology to provide guidance to state leadership and citizens on how to deal with this growth in a more proactive manner.

Links to the full studies and regional fact sheets are provided below. Also available are the Executive Summary with graphics, a Statewide Summary, and the news release.

For the complete study and graphics Click Here

* Roughly 7 million acres of additional land will be converted from rural to urban uses in Florida, including 2.7 million acres of existing agricultural lands and 2.7 million acres of native habitat.

* More than two million acres within one mile of existing conservation lands will be converted to an urban use, which will complicate their management and isolate some conservation lands in a sea of urbanization.

* The counties projected to undergo the most dramatic transformation, in rank order, will be Glades, Hardee, DeSoto, Hendry, Osceola, Baker, Flagler and Santa Rosa.

What does this mean for different parts of the state

?

Central Florida

-- This region will experience "explosive" growth, with continuous urban development from Ocala to Sebring, and St. Petersburg to Daytona Beach. The 1-75 and I-4 corridors are expected to be fully developed. Most of Florida's Heartland will convert to urban development, resulting in a dramatic loss of agricultural character and native Florida landscape that define this region today. Seminole, Orange, Brevard, Indian River, Pinellas, and Manatee counties are expected to build out in the period from 2020 to 2040, so population is projected to spill over into surrounding counties in the region. Virtually all the natural systems and wildlife corridors in this region will be fragmented, if not replaced, by urban development.

 

Southwest Florida

-- Charlotte, Lee and Collier counties are expected to build out before 2060, causing an almost continuous band of urban development along the southwest Florida coast and population spillover into adjacent inland counties. Large amounts of this spillover are projected for DeSoto, Hendry and Glades counties. These three counties are projected to experience the greatest transformation over the next 50 years as they go from largely rural to largely urban in character. The result will be an almost continuous urban strip linking Ft. Myers to West Palm Beach.

 

Southeast Florida

-- This region will become mostly urbanized, with the exception of some agricultural lands north and south of Lake Okeechobee. Surprisingly, in part because of the county's current patterns of high density development and remaining expanses of agricultural lands, Dade County is not projected to reach build out by 2060.

 

The Florida Keys

-- All vacant land vacant land in the Keys is projected to be developed, including areas not necessarily accessible by automobile.

 

Northeast Florida

-- Duval County is projected build out sometime after 2040, and by 2060 its population is anticipated to spill over into surrounding Nassau, Clay, St. Johns and Baker counties, forever changing their rural character.

 

Northwest Florida and the Big Bend -- Only the Panhandle and Big Bend are projected to retain significant areas of open space, and this is only if current growth and development patterns continue.

FDOT Planning for a Variety of New or Expanded Transportation Corridors that will most certainly affect Florida's Wildlife.  FDOT's corridor planning initiative is planning to designate as many as nine (9) new transportation corridors by December 31 of this year.

Not only is this happening in the last days of the current administration, but it is doing so without the benefit of local or regional growth and development visions. Although FDOT says it will only work the corridors through a three phase process that could take as long as two to four years before full approvals are given, it is very likely that these corridors will become the "default" vision for many parts of the state where growth management, land use planning, and/or visioning are limited at best.

Without an overall idea or concept from the state as to a future state buildout vision, these corridors could become the state's defacto vision for growth and development for the next 50 years and beyond. We feel the process is too far out in front of public and community thinking (no one has been asked up to this point).

The Action Plan identifies the vision, framework, and initial implementation activities to establish Florida’s Future Corridor Program. The Action Plan will be adopted by the Secretary of Transportation in December 2006, following a rapid period of public and partner review . The Action Plan will be updated as needed throughout 2007 as implementation of the Future Corridors Program begins.

Statewide transportation corridors are generally described as those corridors that connect Florida to other states, or that connect two or more economic regions in Florida.

• Major enhancements to existing statewide corridors, including re-use of the corridor to create exclusiveuse lanes for travelers willing to pay a toll, as well as for trucks, transit vehicles, or other types of trips; and

• Development of new statewide corridors.
These statewide corridor activities will be coordinated with the planning and development of existing and new regional corridors, which may serve as segments of these statewide corridors.

You can provide feedback comments to FDOT by going to: Draft Action Plan.

You can learn more about wildlife and transportation planning and design elements by going to:

Transportation Planning, Design and Management to Support Wildlife