Act Now to Protect the Greater Western Everglades

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Robert Carey
Michael Ornella II

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To [Decision Maker],

I oppose the Rural Lands West development, permit application #SAJ-2008-02431 (SP-MAO). I am asking that you deny the request for a Section 404 permit because this development will have unacceptable impacts on endangered and threatened species, wetlands, public lands, and other natural resources.

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The development project would destroy more than 4,400 acres of Florida panther habitat essential to its survival and recovery. There are only 120-230 Florida panthers left in the wild.

There are alternative lands to the north of Rural Lands West -outside of the "Primary Zone" panther habitat- that could accommodate this development. Unfortunately, the applicant has not pursued a less-damaging alternative. The best available science tells us that the panther's Primary Zone is necessary for the continued survival and recovery of the panther. Intensive large projects like Rural Lands West need to avoid key panther habitat areas.

If permitted, Rural Lands West would narrow, fragment, and degrade one of only two major north-south Florida panther corridor connections. The Camp Keais Strand corridor is essential to maintaining panther movement within its core range, as it connects the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge with other public lands to the north.

Rural Lands West is within the Florida Wildlife Corridor. Adding perhaps more than 10,000 new residents plus strip malls into the corridor could result in the Florida panther avoiding this area and disrupt its natural use of this critical greenway.

Panther-vehicle collisions are the top known cause of mortality for panthers, yet Rural Lands West would add at least 88,000 additional daily vehicle trips on already-deadly roadways, according to the applicant's documents.

The site is heavily utilized by many types of protected wildlife. Nearly every type of protected species has been documented there from sandhill cranes, to Florida bonneted bats, to crested caracaras.

The project proposes to directly destroy over 270 acres of wetlands, which are important wildlife habitat, floodwater storage, and water filtration areas.

The project site is in a designated wellfield area and regional wetland flowway. Impacts to water resources and hydrology should be avoided, yet the applicant has not agreed to move wetland impacts to adjacent uplands  a bare minimum that they have ignored from our previous requests.

The Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge lies downstream of this project and the Refuge staff has previously shared concerns about how this large development could impact the integrity of the Refuge. The Refuge staff expressed concern that the development could endanger use of prescribed fire that is essential to manage the 26,000+ acre preserve. Other concerns include water quality degradation, increased panther-human interactions, and increased likelihood of invasive species.

As a result of Rural Lands West, the future of the Florida panther would be jeopardized. This project, especially when considered with other proposed large developments, would severely impact wetland ecosystems and essential habitats for imperiled species.

The Rural Lands West project is a direct threat to the integrity of the greater Western Everglades ecosystem. The project will have irreversible impacts on water resources, public lands, and our wildlife. Thank you for considering my comments and I ask that you deny the permit.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
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[Your Email]