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Glades Trouble / BIYC / Stairstep / Sparrow Zone - Moller

D

Daddy Dave

Well-known member
Sparrow Zone meeting from the document to email but There is a meeting August 29, 2007 at the John D. Cambell Agricultural Center 18710 SW 288th Street Miami Florida the information session starts at 5 p.m to 6:30 pm then a public hearing from 6:30 p.m to 8:30 pm

This is the final chance to comment on a sparrow Zone Designation The NPS closed half of airboat country without a formal sparrow designation from USFWS now not only is the already closed part of Zone 4 officially being designated critical habitat they have expanded another section all around the few available trails we have near Coconuts. At least the meeting is here I thought it was going to be in Vero Beach

Eric Kimmel

If you want to get more airboating in the Big Cypress National Preserve Stair step area, Rattle snake ridge area, you must attend the above meeting and insist that the USFWS not expand the current Cape Sable Seas Side Sparrow critical habitat in "Unit 2" as many people as possible should go and show that we do not want this designation expanded We should admaetly oppose unit 2 including any of the Cypress there was only 1 documented nesting in the time period Eric reviewed the maps and survey done by the USFWS. Also USFWS said to Eric verbally and in a email that this designation "should Not" result in closing but should not is not "will not ". Remember the NPS closed the first zone without it even being an official designation so to me this designation will be another closure.

Jack
 
I sure would like to go to this meeting if I can.
Any more main talking points for this issue?
Or should anyone who attends stand up and simply voice opposition to the zone2 proposal.
 
BigDaddy,

This is sad. Had my boat built for that place, (an airboat can be no longer than 14 foot).
Beautiful place the Stairsteps unit is.

Talking point....

This is the last 2,000 acres left in big Cypress that you can airboat on! Don't take it away from us cause of one bird nest!

Wish I wasn't 4-5 hours drive from there.

Basketcase
 
What gets me is that the endangered bird is not why they are doing what they are...it is the reason they are giving for doing it. I'm guessing the drier they can keep it, the easier it is to get where the special interests groups want to be.

I can't believe that the Indians do not have more power with which to deal with this.
 
This meeting is tonight for anyone interested in continuing to use what is left of the stairsteps unit might want to try and attend.
 
cowboy":1qqvmwst said:
Here's an intersting article that adds some insights to the issues.
http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200770824011Article located by Robert4570.


Thanks Robert!
Click to expand...

Welcome Cowboy ,

Here's a couple other articles on the subject going back almost 10 years .
Some good reading for those who may not be familiar with the subject.

Really for the Birds April 23, 1998
http://www.miaminewtimes.com/1998-04-23 ... the-birds/



God's Eye on the Sparrow July 18, 2002
http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2002-07-18 ... e-sparrow/
 
For those of us that could not make this meeting you can go to http://www.AAOF.com. Look at USFWS Everglades Letter. Down load this letter and send in you comments.
Thanks to the Airboat Assoc. of Florida for the help.
 
hey yall I went to the meeting last night about 30 people were there Micosukis Attorney Lead offf and made great points about how the US Fish and wild life is ruining the glades north of the trail to help to keep from flooding out these birds. seems that they want the bird areas to increase and keep the water levels below 7.5 inches so there nest won't flood out despite the fact that the birds are down in #'s to a raw count of about 4 yes 4 male birds which somehow they translate to being about 64 birds in the one area. seems to me that they are cutting off their noses to spite their face.
A little back ground (in short) the birds were displaced (eastward) some think by the 1935 hurricane that hit the SW coast. About the same time The U.S. Army Corps where diggin the the Tamiami Trial which stopped the natural Sheet Flow ( AKA THE RIVER OF GRASS) that flows south from the Big "O" and Areas To the north of the big "O"(LAke Kissimme). So with that the parries which had more than 7.5 " of water before the trail was created and before the dry season set in, in the fallnow looked like prime realestate

gotta go more to come later
 
(sorry had a rescue call got canceled)

any how it made for some prime real-estate for the sparrows because they like wide open parries of low grass and shallow to little water. well the biologists were keeping count through the years birds where up around 2600 and counting ( maybe a little off on my numbers) and OH my Gosh around the fall of 1992 (August to be specific) the birds #'s suddenly started dropping. Are you on the edge of your seat...........

Okay I'll tell you HURRICANE ANDREW Hit. Blew those little guys all to H_LL , I know it did my house and probably introduced some more predators (iguanas, snakes, Rats love their eggs amongst other non native plants and vines) and since then they have never recovered. Even by putting in the Bird Cage as it is lovingly called by us, along the Western edge of the park line (from just south of the airboat club roughly down to breakup rock trail and almost near stair step all closed to airboats. There are other areas designated sparrow preserves about 6 that can be found on park maps.

Well I was talking to one of the guys US fish and wild life asked him how the check on these little fellas. Well we fly helos out there land near the nest and check on em. Wow ....do you think the rotor wash would knock one of these new unlocated delicate nests out of the tuffts of grass as you land near the one that you know about? Why don't you guys use pole boats in the areas where the nests are known and walk in when you get close. maybe you won't destroy any new nests. He said to me are you willing to go out and check on them. I came back with I would if you want me to. Using helos maybe efficient use of time but land a ways away and pole boat in looking as you go or walk for new nests. Government thinking?

Any way What Should maybe be done is catch a few breed them in captivity, get the sheet flow going again, once everything levels out in a few years then reintroduce the little guys to the areas that will support them and be done with it.

Not hold back water in areas that are too deep already killing vast stands of old growth trees in the hammocks north of the trail Area 3 A/ B and killing off any and all fur bearing animals up there not to mention the Snail kite which is dying off because the apple snail its primary food source is being wiped out by the rising water levels. ALL To Help ONE SMALL BIRD Recover Maybe .

OH, and by the way since they designated these areas in around 1999 or 2000 the birds have steadily declined in numbers. So whatever they think they are doing right is DEAD WRONG AND ALL THEY are doing is Ruining the REST OF THE EVERGLADES.

BY the way there were several other speakers that did a great job putting out several great points about why the US F & W SHOULD NOT IMPLEMENT THIS PLAN. and I APPLAUD them for it. I hope they (US F& W) take all of the things that were said into consideration before they do anything else and not just do something because they have a DEADLINE LOOMING.

Hope this helps those who didn't come get a better idea of what went on down here last night.

AND IN THE WORDS OF FOREST GUMP "THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT"
 
Nice Postin' JDJ :thumbup:
Perhaps them little fellers need more water to increase their numbers.
Who knows?
Looks like they were doing better before all the bio-experts tried to help them!

Personally, I care alot more about the Snail Kites than the Sparrows.
DSC_0100.jpg

Photo by Sniper.
 
JDJ,

Good report, thank you from those of us that could not make it.
Seems like I remember the sparrow causing closures back in the eighties in Big Cypress? :scratch:

Yeah, I remember Andrew too. In East Naples we got some good winds from her. Don't know why biologists think they can fool mother nature anyway. :roll:

Basketcase
 
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