FWC biologist Matt Vance recognized as Jim Stevenson Resource Manager of the Year
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) biologist Matt Vance has been recognized with the 2020 Jim Stevenson Resource Manager of the Year Award for his exceptional oversight of the Lake Wales Ridge Wildlife and Environmental Area.
The Jim Stevenson Resource Manager of the Year award is given annually by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to a representative from the FWC, Florida Park Service and Florida Forest Service for excellence in the field of natural resource management. Logistical constraints delayed public recognition of the FWC’s 2020 recipient. The agency’s 2021 and 2022 winners will be honored in the future.
Vance’s responsibilities included managing 17,294 acres of the Lake Wales Ridge WEA and leading its associated field office of seven employees, which he had been doing since 2016.
The Lake Wales Ridge ecosystem is comprised of a variety of natural communities, ranging from scrubby flatwoods to swamps and marshes, and has been recognized globally as a biodiversity hotspot due to its unique terrain. Managing this collection of landscapes and its numerous imperiled wildlife species requires an exceptional command of land management practices. These include prescribed fire, hydrological restoration, mechanical hardwood control and invasive exotic plant management.
The Lake Wales Ridge WEA offers additional land-management challenges in that many of the prescribed burns needed to maintain quality wildlife habitat are near urban areas and demand precise preparation and smoke management. Through careful planning and hard work, Vance’s team slowly revealed the area’s ancient sand dunes’ rolling hills following years of overgrowth due to fire suppression.
“Matt’s management efforts in 2020 are worthy of praise,” said FWC biologist Josh Agee. “Managing this WEA is a difficult task and Matt has embraced this challenge without hesitation, achieving a banner burn year despite a global pandemic and associated difficulties. His passion for the resource and multitude of skill sets have allowed him to successfully manage our public lands for the benefit of the wildlife that use them, as well as for the people of Florida to enjoy for years to come.”
A notable success story has been the Florida scrub-jay population within the Carter Creek tract of the WEA. As the land has been restored to its natural low, open scrub habitat, area staff have observed a dramatic increase in scrub-jays, a federally threatened species. The 2020 local Florida scrub-jay census counted 22 family groups, up from a low of only two groups in 2011.
“Matt is most deserving of winning this prestigious award,” said Melissa Tucker, Director of the FWC’s Division of Habitat and Species Conservation. “The FWC has many accomplished and talented prescribed burners but Matt stands out in that he and his team were ready to burn on every available day. His dedication to applying prescribed fire has benefitted the many imperiled species on the Lake Wales Ridge WEA.”
Visit MyFWC.com/recreation/lead/lake-wales-ridge to learn more and plan your next visit to the Lake Wales Ridge Wildlife and Environmental Area.