Be an activist…make your voice heard…
“D=PPP... Democracy equals perpetual public participation.”
Susan Brookman

1. Know what’s going on in your legislature and Congress. Visit Audubon's wrap up report of the 2007 of Florida’s Legislative Agenda and join the Advocate email network.

2. Take action. Join the Audubon of Florida Advocacy Center. You can influence the decision making process on critical conservation issues, and help Audubon prioritize environmental initiatives in Florida. Participation is free! Audubon does not share it's advocacy membership lists.

3. Keep track of regional Audubon issues and actions at the Audubon SW Florida Regional Conservation Committee website. (www.SWFLRCC.org)

4. Take action. Read our newsletter FLYWAYS online rather than get a snail mail copy. Saves the chapter several dollars in production and distribution costs and maybe even a tree. Send your request to be removed from the snail mail list to Members@AudubonSWFL.org . You will be to added our "Action Alert" roster and receive information on local environmental issues and chapter business via email.

Audubon's 2007 Conservation Priorities and Strategies

Land Conservation
Water Resource Protection
Growth Management and Transportation
Wildlife Policy
Global Warming

The following are summaries of Audubon’s 2007 five major statewide strategies. For the full text of these resolutions, please download the PDF version here.

Land Conservation and Public Land Management
Audubon calls on the new Governor and legislative leaders to dramatically increase the state’s commitment to buying land for wildlife habitat, water resource protection and for restoring the Everglades and Lake Okeechobee. Success will be measured by an annual commitment of up to $1 billion for land conservation programs.
Land conservation is losing the race with development. Parts of key ecosystems are being converted to urban areas faster than land can be protected. Public land management budgets are not keeping pace with the challenges of using prescribed fire, controlling invasive exotics species and managing human use. Audubon is working with allies to accelerate acquisition programs and increase funding for public land management. Goals:

• Florida Forever – Spend the remaining Florida Forever funds in 2007, preparing the way for a replacement program that spends $600 million a year.
• Everglades Restoration and Lake Okeechobee Recovery – Complete land acquisition for restoration projects by 2010.
• Conservation through Land Use – Encourage programs such as Rural Land Stewardship that use increased development density to pay for land conservation.
• Local and Regional Public Land Initiatives – Support land conservation at the local and regional level.

Water for the Environment
Water is a public resource and should be clean and safe and managed for the benefit of natural systems. Florida’s freshwater and estuarine systems have been heavily damaged by drainage, pollution, overuse and mismanagement. Human water use must be balanced with environmental needs. Goals:

• Reserve Water to Preserve Nature – Uphold state policies and actions must allocate water to protect fish and wildlife and for the health of springs, rivers, lakes and estuaries before human uses are permitted.
• Protect wetlands, floodplains and aquifers - Maintain, improve and restore nature’s storage capacity in order to reduce withdrawals and diversions from natural waterways.
• Pollution - Reduce human sources of pollution and clean up polluted waterways.

Growth Management and Transportation
Florida’s growth management and transportation policies are failing to deal with the state’s rapid population growth. New development, often following new roads, is chewing up Florida’s rural and natural areas. State policies must focus on urban infill and on increasing public participation in regional planning. Goals:

• Citizen Participation in Regional Planning - Increase grassroots participation in regional and local plans in order to designate habitat protection areas and require conservation lands to mitigate new development.
• State Oversight - Focus state review on ecosystems and natural areas.
• New Roads - Divert highway projects away from intact ecosystems and natural areas.

Wildlife and Protected Species
Many species are at risk as a result of habitat alteration. Maintaining abundant resident and migratory wildlife populations requires increased understanding of wildlife needs, stronger rules and intervention for recovery. Goals:

• Laws and Rules to Protect Wildlife - Amend and strengthen Florida's protected species rules to increase emphasis on designation and protection of species and critical habitat and on enforcement.
• Bird Conservation – Push policies and programs that help rare birds recover and keep common birds common.
• Endangered Species Act - Align with national campaigns to defend and advance federal environmental wildlife protection policies.

Global Warming
Human activities such as primarily power generation and transportation are causing overwhelming releases of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere. International scientific consensus concludes that the build up of these gases is increasingly trapping heat, which is warming the earth’s surface and atmosphere. The effects of global warming, including changes in climate, weather and sea levels, are a leading threat to many bird species and the habitats on which they depend and are likely to threaten human health and prosperity.
Florida is the nation’s third largest consumer of fossil-fuel based energy, and subsequently makes a significant contribution to the emission of carbon dioxide. The United States is responsible for approximately one-quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. Actions in Florida will influence national and international efforts. Goals:

• Greenhouse Gas Targets - Promote local, state and federal actions to set specific greenhouse gas emission reduction goals.
• Clean Energy Alternatives - Promote adoption of clean and alternative energy sources and efficiency in energy production and use and transportation.
• State and Local Leadership - Engage the public and decision makers to create state and local pressure on the US for national and international action to reduce the causes of global warming.

Other Links and Resources:

Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau: Water Facts
The Southwest Florida Watershed Council
Riverwatch-The Caloosahatchee River Citizens Association
PURRE - People United to Restore our Rivers and Estuary
Lee County Smart Growth
SW Florida Regional Planning Council
Greater Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program
Global Warming – What do you need to know
Babcock Preservation Partnership
Calusa Chapter of the Sierra Club
Florida Department of Ag: Division of Forestry: Caloosahatchee District
Southwest Florida Council on Environment Education
Florida Chapters of North American Butterfly Association

Join Audubon…

To join Audubon and receive chapter newsletters and Audubon magazines, you can print out this membership application form (a pdf file) and mail it in to P.O. Box 61041, Ft. Myers, FL 33906. with your check. Membership in Audubon of SW Florida includes membership in National Audubon and Audubon of Florida. Your membership card gets you discounts at Audubon facilities including Corkscrew Sanctuary and the Audubon Bird of Prey Center.

Swallow Tailed Kites