Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area
Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area | |
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IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape) | |
Location | Hardee County, Highlands County, and Polk County, Florida, United States |
Nearest city | Avon Park Lakes, Florida |
Coordinates | 27°39′N 81°31′W / 27.650°N 81.517°W |
Area | 900 acres (3.6 km2) |
Established | 1991 |
Governing body | United States Fish and Wildlife Service |
Website | Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge |
The Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area, created in 2012, the newest addition and 556th unit of the United States National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) System, began with 10 acres (4.0 ha) donated to the conservation effort as part of the Obama administration's America's Great Outdoors Initiative.
Management
The NWR is managed by the Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge Complex that also includes the Pelican Island NWR, Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge, and the Archie Carr NWR.[1]
Description
Ken Salazar announced the creation of the Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area, that is, and will be, a large area of land south of Orlando and to the north of Lake Okeechobee. The original donation was 10 acres but is targeted for 50,000 acres. Florida pioneered Rural and Family Lands Protection Act provides funding for easements on thousands of acres of working ranches in the Everglades system, as part of the Everglades restoration, targeted to be 100,000 acres. Another new NWR is also planned for the area between the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge in the Southwest and the new Everglades Headwaters NWR.[2][3]
Added land
On March 24, 2016, the Adams Ranch in Fort Pierce was the first set of conservation easements added to the NWR, followed the Hatchineha Ranch owned by the Nature Conservancy, Adams Ranch, Camp Lonesome, Tiger Cattle Company and the Idols Aside property, totalling more than 4,214.99 acres (1,705.75 ha) with an additional 1,502.26 acres (607.94 ha) of purchased land that includes 400 acres (160 ha) of donated land. The added land and leases were provided by a Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) of $12.5 million used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. These added conservation easements, fee acquisitions, and purchases will ensure protection for gopher tortoise and the endangered Florida grasshopper sparrow.[4]
Flora
There is a diverse habitat, ranging from "Pine Flatwoods" that is habitat range for the Florida panther and Florida black bear, "Xeric Oak Scrub" community that includes myrtle oak, Chapman's oak, sand-live oak, scrub holly, scrub plum, scrub hickory, rosemary, and saw palmetto, and the Florida Ziziphus, habitat for the sand skink. The "Freshwater Marsh and Wet Prairie" includes habitat such as the pickerel weed, sawgrass, maidencane, arrowhead, fire flag, cattail, spike rush, bulrush, white water lily, water shield, and various other sedges[5]
Endangered species
The Florida jujube listed as federally endangered, pygmy fringetree listed as endangered, Florida sand skink, Eastern Indigo Snake, Sand Pine, Scrub Beargrass, and Scrub Blazing Star.[6]
References
- ^ FWS: Everglades Headwater NWR Complex- Retrieved 2017-12-25
- ^ Florida Audubon: Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area- Retrieved 2017-12-25
- ^ National Wildlife Refuge Association: Important Conservation Easements Established in Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area- Retrieved 2017-12-25
- ^ Refuge Association: Celebrating Success at the Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area- Retrieved 2017-12-25
- ^ FWS: Everglades Headwaters habitat- Retrieved 2017-12-25
- ^ FWS: Endangered species- Retrieved 2017-12-25
- IUCN Category V
- National Wildlife Refuges in Florida
- Protected areas of Hardee County, Florida
- Protected areas of Highlands County, Florida
- Protected areas of Polk County, Florida
- Protected areas established in 2012
- Great Florida Birding Trail
- Wetlands of Florida
- Landforms of Hardee County, Florida
- Landforms of Highlands County, Florida
- Landforms of Polk County, Florida