Citizens and conservationists, including Audubon, and led by the Estero Council of Community Leaders, won a victory for good community planning and wetland habitat protection near Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary at the Lee County Commission meeting Wednesday, April 29, 2009.  The Board was strongly considering siting a new Boston Red Sox spring training stadium on a 4,000 acre wetland area, called Edison Farms, occupied by endangered Florida panthers and wood storks, until over a year of community planning, wood stork research and other science input led to a groundswell of opposition to that site.  The Board heard the opposition and voted, after several months of public meetings and negotiations, to pursue a far more appropriate infill location.

Jason Lauritsen, wood stork biologist and assistant director of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, commented this action helps safeguard scare shallow wetlands vital to successful nesting of the endangered wood stork rookery at Corkscrew Swamp.  Audubon and our allies will continue to work with the landowner to arrive at preservation-oriented outcomes such as acquisition, mitigation banking, and restoration.

For more information, please see the Ft. Myers News-Press story.