Welcome to the Virtual Question and Answer Webinar for the Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area Draft Visitor Services Plan April 28, 2020 1
Purpose of Webinar Provide an overview and answer any questions you may have about the draft Visitor Services Plan Meeting Schedule 6:00 PM EST- Welcome and overview 6:15 PM EST- Overview of draft Visitor Services Plan 6:45 PM EST – Questions and Answers 2
Webinar Communication Process Camera and mic controls will be • restricted to meeting hosts only. Questions will be answered at the end of • the presentation. To submit questions, click the Chat icon • on the bottom panel to open the chat window. After the window opens, type your • question in the box and click ‘enter’. We will do our best to respond. • Official comments should be submitted • through project email or postal address, which we’ll cover at the end. This webinar will be recorded and posted • on our website: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/everglades_he adwaters/ 3
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) • NEPA mandates that the government is transparent when making decisions • Environmental Assessment (EA) analyzes the effects of the proposed action (VSP) • The EA is Appendix F of the draft VSP 4
Goals of Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area • Through partnerships help conserve important resources found in the Kissimmee Prairie region • Protect and enhance habitats for wildlife • Provide opportunities for outdoor recreation • Protect headwaters, groundwater recharge, and watersheds of the Kissimmee River and Lake Okeechobee regions • Protect and enhance habitat corridors • Protect historic properties
Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area Land Protection Plan (LPP) Guides the establishment of the • Refuge and Conservation Area Outlines resource protection • needs https://www.fws.gov/southeast/pdf/land Provides an interim management • -protection-plan/everglades-headwaters- plan national-wildlife-refuge.pdf Presents methods the Service • could use with Partners to accomplish goals Prioritizes land acquisition • opportunities
Boundaries of Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge & Conservation Area 7
Plan for Visitor Service Opportunities of Future Fee Title Units • The Service intends to carry forward the uses outlined in this draft VSP, if approved, onto any future, fee- title refuge lands • All newly acquired fee-title units would become members of the State’s WMA family of lands • NEPA analysis would be conducted for each newly acquired fee-title unit bridging from the analysis crafted from the Refuge establishment efforts in 2012 and NEPA efforts provided through this draft Visitor Service Plan with the purpose of maintaining transparency and streamlining this effort 8
PARTNERSHIP WITH FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION: Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Service & FWC have shared interest to • provide public use opportunities Service recognizes FWC procedures for • managing hunting & fishing MOU established in 2012 for 15 years • and is subject to automatic renewal pending review and concurrence by FWC and Service 9
Everglades Headwaters NWR & CA Visitor Services Background • Currently 11 public uses allowed on interim basis per the 2012 Land Protection Plan • Draft Visitor Service Plan proposes adding pets-on-leash, commercial recording & ecotours https://www.fws.gov/refuge/everglades_head waters/ 10
Arbuckle Unit Quick facts 395 acres • Acquired in February, 2015 • Huntable Species Deer/hog • Turkey • Migratory game birds • Small game • 2018-2019 Managed as member of Arbuckle • WMA family of lands (due to its shared boundary with Lake Wales Ridge State Forest) 11
Hatchineha Unit Hatchineha Unit ~1,350 acres • Acquired in 2015 • and 2017 Huntable Species Deer/hog • Turkey • Migratory game birds • Small game • 2018-2019 Everglades Headwaters WMA- • managed as part of the State of Florida Wildlife Management Area family of lands (per July 1, 2018) 12
Okeechobee Unit Okeechobee Unit ~2,000 acres • Acquired in 2019, • Adjacent ~2,000 acres • acquired by the State of Florida Huntable Species Deer/hog • Turkey • Migratory game birds • Small game • Plan to be added to WMA program for 2021/2022 hunt season 13
Proposed Public Uses include: Bicycling • Camping • Commercial recording • Commercial ecotours • Environmental Education & • Interpretation Fishing • Hiking/jogging • Horseback riding • Hunting • Off-road vehicle use in support • of hunting and fishing Pets on leash • Wildlife observation & • Photography 14
Bicycling • Helps visitors gain an appreciation of trust resources • On designated roads and trails only • No off-trail use 15
Camping • Via permit, in support of priority public uses • Where provided only primitive camping would be allowed at designated upland sites • No pit fires 16
Commercial Recording and Ecotours • Example commercial recording - videography, photography and audio recording • Example Commercial Tours: photography excursions, environmental education, guided field trips • Approved through commercial permit process 17
Environmental Education & Interpretation • Initially, local school involvement • Future, possible guided tours Florida ziziphus, Arbuckle Unit 18
Fishing • Per State regulations • State regulations allow taking of non-imperiled frogs • Commercial fishing prohibited 19
Hiking/Jogging/Backpacking • On designated roads/trails only • Uses promote an appreciation for and provide visitors with an opportunity to experience wildlife and habitat 20
Horseback Riding Provides way for visitors to • connect with the natural world and gain an appreciation of trust resources On designated roads/trails • only Horseback riding may be • prohibited during hunting season depending on local WMA regulations 21
Hunting The Service considers hunting • a priority, wildlife dependent activity and is a traditional use throughout the refuge landscape Through a Memorandum of • Understanding Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission conducts and administers hunts on Refuge fee-title lands Hunting regulations are • specific to each Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and provided through the WMA public review process Huntable species may include • – Big game including turkey, deer and hog – Small game – Migratory game birds – Alligator 22
Off-road vehicle (ORV) use in support of hunting and fishing • In support of hunting and fishing on designated roads and trails only • Recreational ORV use is not permitted • Refuge to coordinate with FWC through WMA process to evaluate use on any particular unit 23
Pets-on-Leash • Leashed pets only • Leashes no longer than 6 feet • On designated trails/roads only • Owners are responsible for removing pet waste 24
Wildlife Observation and Photography • Designated roads and trails • Potential for future photo blind 25
Planning Schedule • Public review: March 25 – May 23 • Virtual question and answer session: April 28 • Incorporate public comments: May/June • Final VSP: July/August 26
How to submit comments • Email: evergladesheadwaters@fws.gov • Mail: Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge C/O Public Comments 4055 Wildlife Way Vero Beach FL 32963 27
Thank You We will now answer your questions using the chat function. Your phones will continue to be muted. 28
Q&A Guidelines Step 1: Click the chat icon After the speaker is finished, if • you have a question, please click the “chat” icon at the bottom of your Zoom screen to write and send your question to the host of the meeting (Amy Lewis) [See Step 1 and Step 2]. The host will read the question for • all participants to hear. A USFWS staff member will respond • to your question aloud for all Step 2: participants to hear. Message your We will try to answer questions in • question the order they are received. Please limit questions to those • related to the NEPA process 29
Phone-only participants If you are calling in through your phone and you have a question, please press *9 to “raise your hand” to let staff know you have a question. The host will then unmute you so that you can ask your question. You will be muted until you “raise your hand,” so please remember to speak once prompted. We will address phone call questions after addressing questions that are sent to the host via the chat function. 30
Closing Remarks All questions received will be posted on the website with answers from the USFWS. The USFWS will add updates on the Draft Plan to the website as the Draft Plan moves through the NEPA process. A recording of this meeting will be available on the website: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/everglades_headwaters/ 31
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