The state of Florida is attempting to take back one of America's National Wildlife Refuges. The Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge provides critical habitat to 250 species of birds, including the largest wading bird colony in the Everglades with more than 7,000 active nests.
Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the past sixty years, the Refuge has flourished into some of the healthiest remaining Everglades habitat. But now, in an effort that has long been encouraged by the sugar industry, Florida has begun the process of evicting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This move will eliminate federal wildlife protections on the 144,000 acre Refuge.
Please sign our petition today!
Dear Governor Scott,
Please don’t close the ARM Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge is a national treasure that protects wildlife, migratory birds and waterfowl, and provides clean water for communities in South Florida. I treasure the values and services that National Wildlife Refuges provide to migratory birds, wildlife, and human communities.
Every dollar spent on the Refuge translates into $6.81 dollars of economic activity in the region associated with recreational activities in the Refuge, from people like me who enjoy traveling to watch birds and other wildlife.
The agencies need to work together instead of fighting each other. Please direct the South Florida Water Management District to work with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to do the necessary work to control invasive exotic species in the Refuge, and keep the water clean. Collaboration is the best path forward. It has been done in the past and it can be done again.
[Your comment here]
Sincerely,
[Your name here]
