Freshwater
Conservation
How will
the Action Plan revisions affect freshwater habitats?
To better collaborate on important freshwater issues and
resources, the FWC is adding a section to the Action Plan that will
identify priority river basins within the state. The basin
approach to conserving Florida's freshwater habitats and species is
designed to look at all freshwater systems on a statewide scale and
determine which basins are in the most need of conservation
actions. This basin approach will also help the FWC better engage
its stakeholders and partners, as well as develop actions that will
benefit fish and wildlife.
Why develop
a statewide basin approach?
The FWC is developing a basin approach to better define its
freshwater priorities and create greater opportunities to work with
partners. This approach will address the situation in a given
basin, from issues caused by surrounding land use to threats to the
stream channel itself. This approach will focus on two
types of basins, those that are currently in good ecological
condition and need to be preserved, and those that potentially have
good value to fish and wildlife but are imperiled and in need of
enhancement. Projects in these prioritized basins will vary
in size and scope but will include habitat restoration, research,
monitoring, education and stewardship.
How will
the priority basins be decided?
An internal team of FWC staff created a draft priority basin
list using GIS information including species occurrence data,
identified threats to basins and potential urban development in
Florida by 2060. The basin list and methods used are being
reviewed by both internal and external experts and
stakeholders. Final decisions on which basins will be
prioritized will be made based on the internal and external review
and comments.
Will
softwater streams and spring and spring runs still be priorities
after the basin approach is adopted?
Softwater streams and spring and spring runs located within
priority basins will be recognized as priorities.
Special consideration may be given to specific projects that work
in softwater streams or spring and spring runs that are not in
priority basins if they address some other priority need.
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