Restoring The Everglades Ecosystem For People & Wildlife

Freshwater wetlands of the Everglades ecosystem host fragrant blooms of the String-lily by Larry Richardson / USFWS

The Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area in Florida was established in 2012 as a result of unprecedented cooperation among federal and state agencies, cattle ranchers, sportsmen, and conservation groups. This 155,000-acre national wildlife refuge is home to 88 of Florida’s protected or listed endangered or threatened species, such as the iconic Florida Panther and the Florida grasshopper sparrow, and supports human well-being by protecting and improving the crucial Everglades watershed and ecosystem and contributing to the local economy in Palm Beach County, Florida. 

Unacquired Acreage

Florida panther hanging out in a pine tree by Larry Richardson / USFWS

Despite its designation and size, much of the land within the boundary of Everglades Headwaters NWR remains unacquired. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service currently has the authority to purchase outright 50,000 acres of land and to convert another 100,000 acres to conservation easements. Acquiring these tracts of land or converting them to easements would protect diverse wildlife species and the delicate ecosystem they live in. 

Connecting the Everglades Headwaters NWR with other conservation areas throughout Florida would create wildlife corridors and support the migration and movement of vulnerable species, especially those affected by climate change. These protected lands will be an integral part of the larger Florida Wildlife Corridor, a 17.9-million-acre project to connect conservation areas from South Florida all the way north and west to the borders of Alabama and Georgia. 

A Race Against the Clock 

Now is the prime time to purchase this land and these easements to complete the Everglades Headwaters NWR. Valuable acreage for the National Wildlife Refuge System and the Florida Wildlife Corridor is already up for sale and can be purchased by anyone, including developers and others with no intention of conserving the land. As time goes by, development pressures will inevitably increase and Florida’s population will continue to grow.

Everglades Headwaters NWR relies on Congressional appropriations from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to acquire land and easements. In a significant blow to conservation efforts in the state of Florida, the Biden Administration’s Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2022 provides zero funding for Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge. 

Eliminating LWCF money for Everglades Headwaters NWR severely curtails efforts to conserve Florida’s unique wildlife and retain the utility of the Everglades’ Headwaters in assuring an adequate supply of water throughout the state. The National Wildlife Refuge Association supports a change in the budget to reflect Everglades Headwaters NWR’s critical importance to conservation efforts in the United States. We are advocating for a $20 million allocation so that Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge can move forward with critical land purchases.

News

Featured
Happy 121st Birthday to the National Wildlife Refuge System, and Welcome Everglades to Gulf Conservation Area!
Happy 121st Birthday to the National Wildlife Refuge System, and Welcome Everglades to Gulf Conservation Area!

This year, we celebrate a momentous occasion: the 121st birthday of the National Wildlife Refuge System! For over a century, this incredible network of lands and waters has served as a beacon of conservation, protecting a staggering array of wildlife and providing cherished outdoor experiences for millions.

Proposed Everglades to Gulf Conservation Area Would Protect Lands Most Important To Wildlife & Waters
Proposed Everglades to Gulf Conservation Area Would Protect Lands Most Important To Wildlife & Waters

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is embarking on an ambitious new effort to establish an Everglades to Gulf Conservation Area (formerly known as the Southwest Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Area). If successful, a new conservation area would allow the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to work with willing landowners to protect the lands most important to our water and wildlife, in one of the most biologically diverse regions in our country. The USFWS has released a draft Everglades to Gulf Land Protection Plan and is seeking input.

New Partnership Changes Conservation Landscape in Florida
New Partnership Changes Conservation Landscape in Florida

The National Wildlife Refuge Association and Florida Conservation Group recently agreed on a partnership to strengthen their respective work and impact in the state. The collaboration offers increased benefits to the Florida conservation community.

Guests Go Wild Over Wild About Wildlife Event in Palm Beach
Guests Go Wild Over Wild About Wildlife Event in Palm Beach

There was Ramen and Rissotto, the alligators and Rivali, Remus and Cass, the hawks and owl who welcomed the approximately 150 guests at the Wild About Wildlife event to benefit the Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and the National Wildlife Refuge Association. The event was held outdoors in the lush gardens at the home of Richard and, Board Member, Dragana Connaughton in Palm Beach.

On The Ground In The Greater Everglades Ecosystem & Southwest Florida
On The Ground In The Greater Everglades Ecosystem & Southwest Florida

The National Wildlife Refuge Association has been active on the ground in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem and Southwest Florida. Our work in outreach, conservation science, and land protection has resulted in significant conservation gains to protect the most ecologically significant landscapes in southern Florida, directly benefiting several national wildlife refuges or the landscapes where they are located. Our work has resulted in increased conservation funding and the permanent protection of thousands of additional acres.

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Florida Grasshopper Sparrow - There is hope.
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National Wildlife Refuge Association Updates From Across The Country

The National Wildlife Refuge Association’s staff has stayed busy throughout the country despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Check out their stories below to find out about the amazing work being done for our National Wildlife Refuge System.

Ranchland Conservation: Protecting Florida’s Water, Wildlife and our Local Food Supply
Ranchland Conservation: Protecting Florida’s Water, Wildlife and our Local Food Supply

In the southern half of Florida, well-maintained cattle ranches are the most desired land use (other than purely native habitat) as the pasture mimics much of the native landscape’s ecological functions and supports wildlife endemic to this open prairie region.

Conservation Partners Project Underway in Southwest/South-central Florida
Conservation Partners Project Underway in Southwest/South-central Florida

The Conservation Partners Project (CPP), funded through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, is underway in Florida. This innovative partnership between the National Wildlife Refuge Association and Florida Conservation Group seeks to protect habitat on private lands and restore wetlands in Southwest and South-central Florida.