WETLAND PROTECTION

Wetland ecosystems are essential to our water quality, water supply, storm resilience, quality of life – and they support a diversity of flora and fauna!

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida has been working to protect our wetlands for over 50 years. Our mission was seeded in 1964 when we worked to stop a proposal that would have destroyed Rookery Bay.

Today, we face continued threats, as Florida is now the third most populous state in the union. Southwest Florida is experiencing much of that growth directly, and is an epicenter of wetland loss in the nation.

Why Wetlands Matter:

• Wetlands are ‘nature’s kidneys’ – naturally cleansing our water

• Wetlands store rainwater (over 1 million gallons of water per acre!) and reduce flooding in urban areas

• Wetlands help recharge our aquifers – where 90 percent of Floridians get their drinking water

• Maintaining intact wetland ecosystems is one of the foundations for our economy. About 1.4 million jobs are supported by tourism in Florida, and loss in water quantity and quality can negatively impact the state’s economy.

• During Hurricane Irma, natural wetlands provided critical storage for heavy rainfall, and mangrove forests took the brunt of the winds and storm surge.

In the 2018 legislative session, bills were introduced that would fast-track wetland destruction. SB1402, and its House companion 7043, would pave the way for the state of Florida to take on the federal Clean Water Act authority of issuing 404 “dredge and fill” permits (the authorizations needed to destroy wetlands for development). This is being proposed in the name of streamlining and efficiency, but would likely result in reduced environmental review and protections. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida strongly opposes these bills.

EXTRAS

• Earthjustice letter on behalf of Conservancy and other partners, November 2020

• State Assumption of Dredge and Fill Permitting

• Opinion piece by former Conservancy Board Chair Nick Penniman

• Tampa Bay Times Editorial

• Legislature analysis

• Conservancy talking points

• Florida Conservation Coalition talking points

• WGCU: Florida Legislative Session Round Table Week Seven

• WGCU: Federal Wetlands Protections Threatened by Bill Advancing in FL Legislature

Though the Army Corps of Engineers - which is the major federal entity currently responsible for wetland permits - certainly has no stellar record on denying bad projects, the federal players have largely produced more positive outcomes than the state agencies.

For example:

• In 2011, the state permitted nearly 10,000 acres of new mining impacts in Lee and Collier counties. At the same time, the Army Corps announced that a full investigation of these impacts was necessary due to impacts to sensitive lands, wildlife habitat, and groundwater supplies.

• In 2002 the state of Florida permitted a large, manmade drainage ditch as part of a proposed residential development within the Cocohatchee wetland system, which hydrates the Audubon Corkscrew Sanctuary, home to endangered Florida panthers and wood storks. However, the Corps denied the project, citing inappropriate impacts to wetlands. While the project was ultimately litigated and constructed, action taken by the Corps resulted in a much improved project and better result for the environment and for Corkscrew.

Florida has neither the expertise nor the workload capacity to take on the federal responsibilities. This restricted capacity will impact the robustness of review that projects receive.

Importantly, there is no specific plan for maintaining other critical federal laws that are integral to the decision-making process like the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act if these bills move forward.

It is clear that this proposal would only benefit development interests and is not in the best interest of the environment, public, or the state agencies.

Our Work

Florida is home to the one and only Everglades, the historic river of grass, containing vast landscapes filled with plants and animals found nowhere else on earth. In order to protect our waters and native wildlife, environmentally sensitive lands must be protected both within Southwest Florida and further north.

The Conservancy works to advise local and state government officials on priority acquisitions, potential changes to land acquisition programs, and more, as well as advocates for sufficient funding for these important programs.