CWCI Frequently Asked Questions

What is the CWCI?

Spearheaded by FWC, the CWCI is a multi-agency strategy to address coastal issues that affect wildlife and their habitats while considering human needs.  It has the broad goal of ensuring the long-term conservation of native wildlife in coastal ecosystems throughout Florida in balance with human activities.

The major objectives of the CWCI are to:

1. Maintain wildlife populations - by finding ways to minimize adverse impacts that can result from human activities, maintain sustainable native populations, and maintain critical habitat for wildlife and plants in coastal areas.
2. Maintain critical habitat - by seeking opportunities to restore natural coastal processes, re-establish habitat connectivity, and avoid and minimize adverse impacts from projects that modify the beach (for example, beach nourishment, raking, and coastal armoring).
3. Maintain opportunities for recreational and commercial activities - by considering the interests of commercial users, groups focused on conservation, private property owners, and community interests in providing public access to the beach.

Why is the CWCI necessary?

Many species of wildlife are dependent upon coastal ecosystems, 17 of which are state or federally listed - including 5 species of sea turtles, 5 subspecies of beach mice, and 7 species of shorebirds. Development of individual species management plans by FWC staff, partners and stakeholders is time-intensive, and could potentially create conflicting recommendations for different species.

Wildlife needs and human activities are often in conflict as a result of Florida's growing population and the importance of beaches and other coastal habitats to our economy.

Continuing habitat loss and degradation, increasing levels of disturbance in coastal areas-from beach nourishment, coastal development, and even recreational activities - as well as the implications of climate change and sea level rise - make addressing the coastal zone in a comprehensive manner a priority.

How is the CWCI different from the statewide Beaches HCP?

The CWCI will have a broader scope than the Beaches Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) being developed by FWC and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The CWCI is an "umbrella" program of which the HCP is one strategy.

The HCP will address activities that occur seaward of the coastal construction control line (CCCL). Although this is an important component of the coast, vital wildlife habitat also occurs landward of the CCCL in multiple habitat types, including coastal strand and tidal flats.

The coastal zone already has protection, and many regulations, through other programs. Why is another program necessary?

We use the analogy of a tool shed: there are many important tools - in the form of existing programs - to protect the coastal zone; but currently the shed isn't organized in a way that allows landowners, managers, and agencies to survey all of the tools, and select the ones that they can best use to protect wildlife under different scenarios.

The CWCI will provide a mechanism to develop and coordinate links between existing programs and identify gaps where additional actions are needed.

Why will other agencies need to participate?

FWC has statutory authority for the wildlife in Florida. However, many regulatory and land management programs are housed within other state agencies, counties, and municipal governments. To be successful, the CWCI will require that other agencies be full partners in development and implementation.

How does the CWCI fit with other FWC programs?

Each of the following FWC-led programs has components that overlap with the goals of the CWCI. The CWCI will coordinate with these on-going efforts to maximize conservation efforts.

Florida's State Wildlife Action Plan (previously the Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy) identifies and ranks many threats and actions related to coastal ecosystems, which the CWCI will utilize to help establish priorities.

The FWC Climate Change Team is responsible for developing a comprehensive action plan for addressing climate change issues as they related to fish and wildlife.

What specific issues is the CWCI working on now?

1. Entanglement — preventing entanglement of wildlife in fishing gear and other marine debris
2. Living Shorelines — replacing traditional “hardened” methods of shoreline stabilization, such as seawalls, with more natural “living” shorelines that not only provide shoreline stabilization but also habitat for wildlife.
3. Beach Wrack — emphasizing the importance of beach wrack to wildlife and reducing mechanical beach cleaning which removes wrack and disturbs wildlife
4. Disturbance — minimizing impacts of temporary actions associated with recreational use of beaches by people or their pets that alter the natural behavior of wildlife
5. Critical Wildlife Areas — providing areas where important congregations of wildlife can be protected from human impacts during critical parts of their life cycle
6. Vegetation Management — providing habitat for wildlife by strategically planting or removing vegetation, based on differing species' habitat requirements
7. Nourishment — providing protection measures to minimize negative impacts of beach nourishment on wildlife