The Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area authorized by Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar in January 2012 has seen a groundswell of landowner enthusiasm. As of the first week in June, over 30 ranchland property owners have now filed formal requests with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to sell easements protecting habitat and wildlife resources on their properties to the Department of Interior. The ranch owners who have formally applied to sell easements thus far represent more than 160,000 acres of land within the proposed refuge boundary.

Since the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s target for acquisition of easements and fee acquisitions was initially set at 150,000 acres, the landowner interest in selling easements can only be termed anoverwhelming success.

Audubon has visited with many landowners and previously contacted every landowner in the Kissimmee watershed providing information and encouragement regarding participation in easement based and “payment for services” based conservation and water resource programs.

Audubon’s view is that the Everglades Headwaters Refuge program is a “double win” for the remarkable environment in the Kissimmee Watershed.

The outstanding landowner interest in this program is important because in order for success to be assured, the funding for the acquisition of easements in the Everglades Headwaters Refuge and Conservation Area will have to be increased over time. Currently, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has only $1.5 million available for funding purchases in the designated Everglades Headwaters refuge area. The budget proposed for the next fiscal year contains only $3 million for purchases in this area.

Northern Everglades landowners have formed their own organization, the “Northern Everglades Alliance” to generate congressional support for action to adequately fund the Everglades Headwaters Refuge and Conservation Area purchases.

The first part of the “win” is permanent protection of the land against the possibility of future development destroying its hydrologic and wildlife habitat benefits. The second part of the “win” is that payments to cattle ranch owners in the Everglades Headwaters area will help keep ranching viable which is also important to the environment – ranchers have been excellent land stewards and are the reason the Kissimmee Watershed is one of the most ecologically productive and diverse parts of Florida.