FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 6, 2014
GOVERNOR SCOTT, CABINET APPROVE ROOKERY BAY RESERVE MANAGEMENT PLAN
~Plan establishes future research and management goals for the Reserve and associated managed areas~
TALLAHASSEE – Governor Rick Scott and the
Florida Cabinet today approved the 10-year management plan for Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, a 110,000-acre site of forests, uplands and waters in Southwest Florida.
The Rookery Bay Reserve management plan, which was last updated in 2000, accounts for changes of
the past decade and provides for adaptive management in the future. Like the 2000 plan, this update combines the
management of the Reserve, Rookery Bay Aquatic Preserve, and Cape Romano – Ten
Thousand Islands Aquatic Preserve under a single management plan. The inclusive management of these sites within
the Reserve strengthens the purpose of the property as a platform for research
and education and provides for efficient and effective use of state resources.
"Rookery Bay Reserve -- one of
Florida’s three National Estuarine Research Reserves – has proven to be
a leader in innovation. They routinely are the creator of programs that
grow into
statewide standards, such as the Green Industries Best Management Practices
for
landscape professionals," said Kevin Claridge, Director of the DEP
Florida Coastal Office. "Additionally, Rookery Bay started the Coastal
Training
Program – bringing science to coastal decision makers- which is now a
national
focus in the entire system of 28 NERRS. We are proud of their
accomplishments
and look forward to their future."
In this plan, the Reserve characterizes
each of its issues and delineates unique goals, objectives and strategies that
set the framework for meeting the challenges presented by the issues. Objectives include reducing non-native, invasive plant and
animal species within the managed lands; conducting education, training,
and outreach programs for targeted audiences; and
supporting visiting investigators conducting research in the reserve.
Some of the Reserve's
management goals include:
-
ensuring user experiences are
environmentally sustainable and consistent with natural and cultural resource
protection
-
improving the conservation of native
biodiversity
-
enhancing the preservation of Rookery Bay Reserve’s
cultural resources through credible science resulting in informed management
practices
-
minimizing adverse environmental impacts
from land use while restoring ecosystem services
-
increasing the community’s level of
awareness, knowledge, skills, and sense of value for the coastal environment
“This is a strategic plan focusing
on priority issues, that directly addresses both the needs of the natural resources within the Reserve and the resiliency of our local community.” said Gary Lytton,
Reserve Director. “The economic impact associated
with sustaining the environmental health of the Reserve is both locally
significant and of great importance to the residents of Florida.”
Rookery
Bay Reserve was established in 1978 as a partnership between the state of
Florida and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The reserve is
one of 28 research reserves operating across the nation. DEP’s Florida Coastal Office manages Rookery Bay Reserve along with
41 aquatic preserves, two other National Estuarine Research Reserves and the
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The Florida Coastal Office’s programs and activities are
designed to help Floridians better understand and conserve the state’s
resources through research, education and conservation. For more information about the reserve,
please visit www.rookerybay.org. For more information on DEP’s Florida Coastal Office, visit http://www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal.
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