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Saturday, January 29, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Everglades Headwaters Scoping Meetings
Panther Advocates,
FYIPlease distribute and ask public to attend Everglades Headwaters Public Scoping Meetings:New National Wildlife Refuge Proposed in Florida:
Public Scoping Meetings Announced to Discuss the Proposed Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and a variety of public and private partners are advancing a collaborative approach to address landscape-scale land protection efforts to conserve wildlife and habitat in the greater Everglades landscape. This partnership is the Greater Everglades Partnership Initiative (Initiative).“This initiative is aimed at preserving a rural working ranch landscape to protect and restore one of the great grassland and savanna landscapes of eastern North America. The partnerships being formed would protect and improve water quality north of Lake Okeechobee, restore wetlands, and connect existing conservation lands and important wildlife corridors to support the Everglades restoration effort." - U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar
This partnership initiative would help conserve a rural working ranch landscape; protect and restore habitat; protect, improve, and restore water quality and wetlands benefiting residents and visitors in South Florida; and connect a matrix of existing conservation lands and important wildlife corridors, supporting Everglades restoration efforts. Three study areas have been defined within the greater Everglades landscape: (1) the Everglades headwaters area, (2) the Fisheating Creek area, and (3) the area around Florida Panther NWR and the Caloosahatchee River. The Service is currently focused on the first study area.
Proposed Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area
The proposed Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area is a proposed land conservation partnership between federal, Tribal, State, and local governments; ranchers and other landowners; non-governmental conservation organizations; area residents; and other stakeholders to protect, restore, and conserve approximately 150,000+ acres of environmentally important natural habitat and associated wildlife in portions of Polk, Osceola, Indian River, Okeechobee, and Highlands counties in Central Florida, within a larger 4.5 million-acre landscape that extends from the southern outskirts of the Orlando metro area south through the Kissimmee River Valley to Lake Okeechobee, and southwest to Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge and Big Cypress Preserve.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and partners would work with willing landowners to establish the proposed 150,000-acre Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area through several methods, including already-established conservation lands, fee simple purchases, conservation easements, leases, conservation and mitigation banks, lands set aside through habitat conservation plans, and/or cooperative agreements with landowners. The planning target is to work with partners and willing landowners to conserve approximately 50,000 acres in fee title acquisitions and 100,000 acres in less than fee title. The Service’s policy is to work with willing landowners.
Four Public Scoping Meetings Scheduled
Four public scoping meetings have been scheduled in the area of the proposal to provide the public the opportunity to hear a presentation about the proposal and to ask questions and submit comments, ideas, and concerns. We invite all interested individuals, organizations, businesses, and agencies to join us at one or more of these meetings. Comments may also be submitted by email, mail, or fax (see the How to Submit Comments section below).
Wednesday
6:00-9:00 pm
Kissimmee, FL 34741
Friday
6:00-9:00 pm
Sebring, FL 33870
Wednesday
6:00-9:00 pm
Okeechobee, FL 34972
Thursday
6:00-9:00 pm
Main Campus Cafeteria
Vero Beach, FL 32960
What is the Schedule for the Proposal?
We are in the early stages of the project and are requesting input from the public. After this public scoping phase, we will use the comments gathered to help us develop a Land Protection Plan and associated National Environmental Policy (NEPA) document. We will then return to the public to request comments on the document and the more detailed proposal. Four main planning phases are outlined for this proposal, as listed.
How to Get More Information?
For more information on this proposal and to view a map of the study area, please visit:http://www.fws.gov/southeast/greatereverglades/.
For more information on the Greater Everglades Partnership Initiative and to view a map of all three study areas, please see the Fact Sheet at:http://www.fws.gov/southeast/greatereverglades/pdf/GreaterEvergladesFactsheet.pdf.
To view the recent press release from earlier this month, please visit:http://www.doi.gov/news/pressreleases/Salazar-Announces-Initiative-to-Conserve-Working-Lands-and-Wildlife-Habitat-in-the-Everglades-Headwaters.cfm.
To get on the mailing list for the proposed Everglades Headwaters NWRCA, please fill out and scan/email back or mail in this form: http://www.fws.gov/southeast/greatereverglades/pdf/MailingListRequest.pdf.
How to Submit Comments?
To comment on the proposal,please send email to: EvergladesHeadwatersProposal@fws.gov;
please send mail to: Everglades Headwaters Proposal, PO Box 2683, Titusville, FL 32781-2683;
please fax to: 321.861.1276; and/or
please attend one of the public scoping meetings.
We request that scoping comments be received by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by February 28, 2011 to ensure their consideration in the development of the Land Protection Plan and NEPA document that will outline the detailed proposal.
____________________
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 150 million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses the more than 550 management units, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 37 wetland management districts, 70 national fish hatcheries, 65 fishery resource offices, and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
Cheri M Ehrhardt, AICP
Natural Resource Planner
US Fish & Wildlife Service
PO Box 2683
Titusville, FL 32781-2683
Cheri_Ehrhardt@fws.gov
321.861.2368 office
321.593.2516 cell
321.861.8913 fax
Death of UCFP154
Panther Advocates,
A male panther has died in a territorial fight with another panther.
From: Onorato, Dave [mailto:Dave.Onorato@MyFWC.com]
Sent: Friday, January 21, 2011 7:33 PM
Sent: Friday, January 21, 2011 7:33 PM
All:
This report, required by Section 2(d) of the Endangered Species Cooperative Agreement between the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), is to provide you details regarding the death and handling of a Florida panther.
The remains of an approximately 10-11 month old uncollared male panther, UCFP154, were collected on 21 January 2011 in an orange grove north of Sears Road in Hendry County. The cause of death was intraspecific aggression (ISA). The carcass is being held at the Naples field office until it can be transported to the FWC Wildlife Research Lab in Gainesville for a complete necropsy. The remains will be archived at the FL Museum of Natural History. This is the 5thpanther mortality for 2011.
This information is being provided as required by Section 2(d) of the Endangered Species Cooperative Agreement between the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). It is not intended as a News Release. All information should be considered “pending” until all necropsy results and tests are finalized.
Death of UCFP153
Panther Advocates,
Sad news, another panther was killed on I-75 east of the Naples toll booths.
From: Onorato, Dave [mailto:Dave.Onorato@MyFWC.com]
Sent: Friday, January 21, 2011 12:12 PM
Subject: Death of UCFP153
Sent: Friday, January 21, 2011 12:12 PM
Subject: Death of UCFP153
All:
This report, required by Section 2(d) of the Endangered Species Cooperative Agreement between the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), is to provide you details regarding the death and handling of a Florida panther.
The remains of an approximately 8 month old uncollared male panther, UCFP153, were collected on 21 January 2011 near mile marker 98 in the westbound lanes of I-75 in Collier County, approximately 1.9 miles east of the toll booths. The cause of death was trauma associated with a vehicle collision. The carcass is being held at the Naples field office until it can be transported to the FWC Wildlife Research Lab in Gainesville for a complete necropsy. The remains will be archived at the FL Museum of Natural History. This is the 4th panther mortality and 3rd road mortality for 2011.
This information is being provided as required by Section 2(d) of the Endangered Species Cooperative Agreement between the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). It is not intended as a News Release. All information should be considered “pending” until all necropsy results and tests are finalized.
Date | Panther ID | Sex | Age | Location | Cause | Type | Year | NAD83E | NAD83N |
1/5/2011 | FP141 | M | 8.5 | Private property, Hendry County | Unknown | DEATH | 2011 | 493576 | 2917771 |
1/7/2011 | K284 | M | 1.5 | SR29 south of Sears Rd., Hendry County | Vehicle | DEATH | 2011 | 456583 | 2946741 |
1/13/2011 | UCFP152 | Pending | 1.5 | MM98 on I75 Eastbound, Collier County | Vehicle | DEATH | 2011 | 436807 | 2892929 |
1/21/2011 | UCFP153 | M | 8 months | MM98 on I75 Westbound, Collier County | Vehicle | DEATH | 2011 | 436221 | 2892997 |
News Press Article on orchid's at FPNWR
Panther Advocates – see News Press Article on orchids at Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge
--Elizabeth
Photo Gallery
Orchids' health speaks volumes
Imperiled species hint at troubled ecosystem
1:10 A.M. — Deep in the silent and ancient spookiness of a cypress swamp in the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge - complete with an 8-foot alligator - was a sight to make an orchid hunter's mouth water.
A half-dozen clamshell orchids and a dingy-flower star orchid grew on a pop ash; a few yards away, beyond a 600- to 800-year-old cypress tree, was a night-scented orchid. All three species were delicate, beautiful and endangered.
Refuge wildlife biologist Larry Richardson had waded into the cold, thigh-deep water to see how the orchids had fared during the freezes of December and January.
The verdict: They did just fine. These orchids are epiphytic, which means they grow on trees, and their host trees were growing in standing water.
"It's a simple concept," Richardson said. "Water collects solar radiation during the day and gives heat off at night to keep the orchids warm. It can be 32 degrees at night outside the swamp and 38 degrees 100 yards away in the swamp. That's enough to keep them alive."
Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge is home to 27 orchid species, 13 of which are endangered.
Keeping an eye on the health of the refuge's orchids is one task of the Florida Orchid Restoration Partnership, a cooperative effort between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the University of Florida. Relying on graduate students from UF and Illinois College, the partnership's goal is to study, manage and preserve orchids in South Florida.
Of water and shade
Among other things, researchers are looking at the refuge's orchid populations, orchid genetics and relationships between orchids and insects.
"Why should we worry about these little, dinky plants?" said Michael Kane, a professor in UF's Environmental Horticulture Department. "The issues are bigger than the plants. It's not just the plants. It's the pollinators and other insects that depend on specific orchid species.
"The plants are part of the overall fabric of their ecosystem. It can get pretty complicated."
The biggest reason for crashing orchid populations in the refuge, and, by projection, elsewhere in South Florida, is lack of water due to changes in hydrology.
After visiting the thigh-deep cypress swamp, Richardson drove to a dry swamp, called Unit 1, that historically held water at this time of year.
But canals dug during the construction of Interstate 75 drained the land, and Unit 1 has no water during the dry season, which also is the cold season.
As a result, orchids have no water to keep them warm - and alive - during a freeze.
"There were orchids here when there was year-round water," Richardson said. "There are no orchids now because they're freezing because there's no water because of the canals because of people like you and me."
Lack of water also has allowed cabbage palms to move in huge numbers into formerly wet areas.
These trees block sunlight, so terrestrial orchids - orchids that grown on the ground, such as pine pinks - don't flourish.
Orchids a good sign
"I've found pine pinks out along road edges because that's where the sun was," Richardson said. "When we cleared cabbage palms from one area, pine pinks moved right in.
"Water is central to everything. Orchids tell us what's right and wrong about the ecosystem. If you have healthy orchid populations, you have a healthy ecosystem."
To help bring back orchid populations, researchers in the restoration partnership have learned how to grow orchids from seeds of refuge orchids.
Since 2006, they've introduced about 500 night-scented, yellow-helmet, clamshell and cigar orchids into the refuge; 70 percent have survived.
"We want to effect orchid restoration on the refuge," Richardson said. "Then we'll go to places like Big Cypress National Preserve and Fakahatchee Strand and say, 'Hey, you want some orchids? It ain't gonna cost anything.'"
Big Cypress botanist Jim Burch likes the idea of restoring orchid populations.
A beautiful payoff
"It's a matter of re-establishing a more natural habitat, a habitat that's more like what it was here before it became perturbed by people," he said. "Orchids are something people like to see and associate with these areas."
Orchids are, indeed, something people like to see, sometimes to the point of obsession.
"There's definitely a fascination," Richardson said. "Part of it is because they're hard to grow, and when you do get a bloom, you have an incredibly beautiful payoff.
"There's a lot of gee-whiz stuff about orchids. It rubs off on you. It makes you fall in love with them and say, 'Hey, we can't let them disappear. They're just too cool.'"
Editorial on Panther Posse Program
Editorial: FGCU Panther Posse program
Naples Daily News Tuesday, January 18, 2011
This scene was captured in Estero on Jan. 7.
It’s a Florida panther.
Enjoy the view, because we seldom get to see one up close and personal like this.
This is one of a sequence of five broad-daylight photos made of this panther by a motion-activated camera in an underpass — yes, one of those panther crossings we hear about from time to time — under Corkscrew Road in Estero. The underpass is located just east of the intersection with Alico Road and connects CREW conservation lands on the south with airport conservation lands to the north.
The photo is forwarded to the Daily News by Nancy Payton of the Florida Wildlife Federation and Ricky Pires, who runs a Florida Gulf Coast University nature outreach education program for youngsters.
Rather than joining the statistics of panthers killed on our highways, this panther — thanks to the crossing — is a success story.
Other animals have been photographed using the underpass — deer, coyotes, black bears and bobcats to name a few.
There is a photo gallery online at http://www.fgcu.edu/CAS/WingsofHope/gallery.html with hundreds of candid shots of wildlife using this and the underpasses on State Road 29 near the Panther Refuge.
We ought to try to remember this photo the next time we hear about a panther underpass and perhaps dismiss it as a waste of effort and money.
Some of us wouldn’t trade scenes like this for the world.
New Panther Pop Estimate
New estimate: Florida panther population could exceed 160
By ERIC STAATS Monday, January 17, 2011
NAPLES — Cattle rancher Russell Priddy knew panthers roam his cow pastures south of Immokalee.
He had never tried to count them, but he and his wife, Liesa, started counting calves as they went missing from their JB Ranch last fall.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirmed at least two of the Priddys’ calves and one on a neighboring pasture were killed by panthers and dispatched trackers to the Priddys’ 9,000-acre ranch to try to get a handle on the problem.
Over six days in November, the team combed 3,000 acres southeast of Oil Well Road and State Road 29 and treed nine panthers, according to the trackers’ report to the Conservation Commission.
“That number surprised even me,” Priddy said.
Trackers said at least one of the panthers might have been counted twice, but the discovery added fuel to the debate about whether the Conservation Commission has been undercounting the number of endangered panthers in South Florida, their last holdout.
Now, in a “Statement on Estimating Panther Population Size” quietly released last week, the Conservation Commission has put a new number on the books _ 163.
State biologists say that is the upper limit of the panther’s population range, replacing the old estimate of 100 to 120 panthers.
In the carefully worded statement, the Conservation Commission said the new number doesn’t represent a sudden jump in the number of panthers and that the range of 100 to 120 panthers was always meant to be a minimum estimate.
That’s not how it’s always been understood, though, including in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s official recovery plan for the panther. That plan, updated in 2008, uses the estimate of 100 to 120 panthers in several places but doesn’t hedge it as only a minimum.
The Conservation Commission has been working on the new estimate for about a year — before last year’s reports of panthers killing calves — in response to calls for a more accurate panther count, said Kipp Frohlich, imperiled species coordinator for the Conservation Commission.
“By providing only the minimum number, it kind of leaves the question open,” he said. “I don’t expect the debates to subside, but maybe they’ll be better informed with this.”
Still, he called the new estimate little more than a “mathematical theoretical exercise.”
It was derived by figuring how many panthers had been counted in 2009 in the Big Cypress National Preserve, the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, Picayune Strand State Forest, Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge and the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation.
That came to 58 panthers over about 1,300 square miles. The Conservation Commission then applied that ratio to the larger primary panther zone to come up with 163 panthers.
The upper estimate “is based on the idealized and unlikely premise” that panthers are evenly distributed even though panther habitat varies by type and quality, the statement said.
The statement also admits that counting panthers isn’t a perfect science and that techniques can miss panthers or double-count them.
“I think their new estimate is very much on the low side,” Priddy said.
The Conservation Commission is looking at other ways to get a better estimate of the panther population.
One method would use trail cameras, but there are questions about whether that would create scientifically reliable estimates, Frohlich said.
Biologists also are working with statisticians to try to develop a model that would estimate the panther population based on the number of dead panthers found with tracking collars.
About 25 percent of the panthers’ range is on private lands, like the Priddys’ ranch, that aren’t surveyed by the annual count used to figure the new upper estimate.
Frohlich said the Conservation Commission is preparing research proposals to present to landowners in hopes of gaining access to more private lands to capture panthers and put tracking collars on them.
The Conservation Commission and Big Cypress National Preserve monitor 23 panthers with tracking collars, but that number could grow to 30 or so by the time teams have completed this winter’s panther capture season on public lands, Conservation Commission panther team leader Darrell Land said.
For Priddy, the panthers on the JB Ranch are a source of pride in his stewardship — to a point.
He estimates that panthers have dragged off at least 35 of his calves. The true toll won’t be known until he gathers up his calves to take to market in April.
Frohlich had a first meeting Friday in Collier County with a working group of landowners and conservation groups to discuss options for stemming panther predation and compensating landowners for calves that are killed by panthers.
“I certainly don’t mind them being there,” Priddy said. “But I can’t be put out of business from feeding them.”
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