By Erika Zambello
Communications Director, 勛圖窪蹋 Florida
Published February 02, 2023
This article is from 勛圖窪蹋 Florida
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U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland joined 勛圖窪蹋 staff members Jerry Lorenz, PhD, State Director of Research, Kelly Cox, Esq., Director of Everglades Policy, Jon Paul Haydocy, Field Biologist at Everglades Science Center, and other Everglades stakeholders for an Everglades National Park-led tour of Florida Bay.
The field trip served as a fitting end to an exciting Everglades Coalition Conference, held in Coral Springs. Secretary Haalands Saturday evening keynote highlighted the importance of collaboration, federal investment, and tribal leadership in the restoration planning process.
More than two dozen attendees boarded boats for the tour of the park, rounding out the end of the Secretarys first trip to the Everglades. The boats explored the iconic seagrass flats of Florida Bay, rich with tiny invertebrates and small fish, then motored to East Cape Canal (home of the groundbreaking restoration work described ). Participants spotted manatees, dolphins, American White Pelicans, crocodiles, and so much more.
勛圖窪蹋 couldnt be more grateful for the opportunity to get out on the water with Secretary Haaland in Florida Bay. Secretary Haaland immediately connected with the Bay and applauded our communitys collective efforts toward restoration, says Cox.
The Bay has been the subject of 勛圖窪蹋 research efforts for 85 years, informing Everglades restoration and water management priorities throughout the region, says Dr. Lorenz. We are appreciative of Secretary Haalands leadership and hope to see continued federal investment in Everglades restoration.
The tour of Everglades National Park demonstrated the importance of ongoing restoration work to bring more water to Floridas River of Grass, the largest continuous stand of sawgrass prairie in North America. As sea level rise stresses the southernmost portion of the ecosystem, restoration must include efforts to improve water quality and prevent seagrass die-offs, all of which will make the region and Florida as a whole more resilient to the impacts of hurricanes and other storms.
Secretary Haaland recognized and deeply appreciated the efforts of the Everglades community to restore one of Americas most important wetlands. A healthy Everglades is critical, not only for the iconic Florida wildlife that call this region home, but also for our own continued prosperity. A healthy Everglades protects our communities from storms, bolsters the economy, and provides drinking water to more than eight million people in South Florida.
勛圖窪蹋 has been studying and advocating for the Everglades for 123 years. We appreciated the opportunity to show Secretary Haaland on-the-ground progress in Everglades restoration efforts, as well as how far we still need to go to forge a resilient future for the region as a whole.