In a disappointing decision, the Governing Board of the SFWMD issued a notice of default to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service related to the lease agreement between the two agencies through which the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge has stewarded the land for more than 60 years. This is the first step toward removing the Refuge from the heart of the habitat it protects.

Audubon urges SFWMD Executive Director Peter Antonacci and Governing Board Chairman Dan O’Keefe to cooperate with the Refuge and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to find additional resources and help find a solution that leaves the Refuge in place. Click here to see Audubon's letter to Chair O'Keefe.

Click here to see Audubon Florida Executive Director Eric Draper’s take on this issue.