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Posted by Rock Jetty on 23:16:37 06/25/08
In Reply to: Great News? Really? posted by Toe
All valid points. But remember, part of the EAA was once a sawgrass-dominated marsh - no management for shorebirds there right? So your proposal is:
Since we've done away with shorebird habitat elsewhere (I hear ya bro), let's take that land that was once Everglades (the newly acquired US Sugar property), keep it from becoming Everglades again, and instead manage it for shorebird habitat (in other words, the hell with the watershed, sheetflow, etc.) Kinda selfish of your part to think that way huh? Sorta "special interest group" talk if you ask me.
Unfortunately for you and all other Charadriiformephiles out there (me included), some folks in the business look at the bigger picture...like the Everglades watershed ecosystem. In that part of the watershed, waders, not shorebirds (although in Europe waders are shorebirds), are the target species for restoration - bioindicators that will determine ecosystem integrity. Do we forget heron populations were decimated thanks to plume hunting? Do we forget they exist?
True, shorebird habitat is needed, maybe Miami-Dade County could take the initiative on that (acquire Saga Bay for instance). For instance, there are farm fields down south which may fall victim to development and are not integral to Everglades restoration. These lands could be acquired through government entities and managed for shorebirds...ideally. Acquired EAA land should be used for Everglades restoration, considering it was once Everglades to begin with. If approximately 1800 people are going to lose their jobs with US Sugar, it better be for the sake of Everglades restoration and not for shorebird habitat...can you imagine selling that (devil's advocate role here).
Let me make it clear: Everglades restoration is the big thing here in south Florida, whether you like it or not. It may have taken a different direction than was intially proposed (no skyway bridge that's for sure). It may be taking longer than expected (40-year plan so far). It may spend more time in litigation than in making progress (with billions of dollars on the line, it's no surprise). Nonetheless, its a selling point to the general public in south Florida, and the rest of the nation, which promotes environmental consciousness. Our whole economy is directly or indirectly linked to the Everglades and people are starting to realize that.
Let's think outside the box folks.
-RJ
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