Partnerships promise hope
for Florida’s wildlife
By Patricia Behnke
Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission
MyFWC.com
Too much, too fast, too late – so
some folks shout about greenhouse
gas emissions. But, thankfully, that
is not the whine of the wildlife com-
munity.
Here’s some positive climate
change news for a change. Across
Florida, wildlife managers are plan-
ning, researching and monitoring to
ensure our species are able to adapt
to predicted environmental changes.
Imperiled species will feel
the first impacts of climate
change because their status
makes them already vulnerable
to any changes in the envi-
ronment. Florida’s snail kite
teeters dangerously close to the
precipice of extinction because
of habitat disappearance and
degradation. Once it sailed the
air from southeast of Tallahassee to
the Everglades, looking for freshwa-
ter marshes to find its favorite food,
the apple snail. However, today its
range is limited to a few sites in
Central Florida and South Florida.
Is it too late to save this species?
No, because folks are working
diligently to protect and conserve
species such as the snail kite. But it
takes foresight and partnerships to
make a difference. The Florida Fish
and Wildlife Conservation Commis-
sion (FWC) conserves and protects
the state’s fish and wildlife. Conser-
vation is a fluid practice because it
involves living organisms in per-
petual movement. The FWC and
other wildlife conservationists must
be flexible, especially in times when
the environment is changing faster
than species can adapt.
“We must work together and
remember all our best laid plans
require flexibility,” said Dr. Elsa
Haubold, the FWC’s Species Con-
servation Section leader. “Our im-
periled species are already vulner-
able; climate changes and sea level
rise will tax them even further.
“We must be ready to meet those
challenges with wise and forward-
thinking management strategies.”
Some of the FWC’s strategies
include the creation of a climate
change team charged with integrat-
ing climate change thinking, plan-
ning and actions agency-wide.
The most tangible way the FWC
has been preparing for the future
is in revising the way it manages
wildlife in the most danger – the
Imperiled species will feel the first
impacts of climate change because
their status makes them already
vulnerable to any changes in the
environment.
imperiled species. An FWC team,
led by Haubold, has been working
for nearly two years on revisions to
the way Florida lists and manages
imperiled species. Even though the
FWC has the responsibility to man-
age wildlife wisely, we realize we
must engage others in the process.
It takes a whole state, not just a vil-
lage, to conserve Florida’s diverse,
unique and abundant wildlife. The
imperiled species team has made it
a priority to work with its partners
to create the best possible conser-
vation strategies for our imperiled
species.
“We appreciate that the FWC
has solicited input from diverse
groups to revise its species-listing
and management planning process,”
said Julie Wraithmell, Wildlife
Policy Coordinator for Audubon of
Florida. “Threatened status in com-
bination with collaborative manage-
ment plans will be essential to pull
many of Florida’s declining species
back from the brink of extinction.”
I’ve had the privilege of sitting
in on workshops where FWC staff
listens to and works with all its
partners. Even when the discus-
sions become heated, one thing
keeps the group participating. Each
person present cares deeply about
Florida’s fish and wildlife. When the
goals are the same, the means to
achieving them are merely details
that need adjusting to ensure that
wildlife thrive, despite the chal-
lenges of climate change.
“The FWC performs a balancing
act between conserving wildlife,
while still providing opportuni-
ties for a variety of human ac-
tivities,” said Bonnie Basham,
who represents Florida Airboat
Association and BOAT US at
these meetings. “We appreci-
ate that our voice is heard, and
it is always good to hear other
perspectives so compromises
can be reached. We all care pas-
sionately about Florida’s heritage
and want to preserve the state’s re-
sources for access by all of Florida’s
future generations. I think we all
share a common goal of conserva-
tion of Florida’s resources.”
As individuals, we are partners
as well. If you should be so lucky
to see a rare snail kite in its very
limited habitat, sit back and enjoy.
But remember to always stay out of
posted areas, whether in wetlands
or at the beach. Allow Florida’s
wildlife to be just that – wild.
Too much, too fast, too late?
Never – not for our precious natural
resources. We have the crown jewels
here in Florida, so let’s make sure
we do everything now to keep the
tiara in place in the future.
Contact Patricia Behnke at
pat.behnke@MyFWC.com