$30 Million to Preserve Wetlands in South Florida

USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and the Environment Mack Gray was on hand to help announce a partnership among NRCS, the South Florida Water Management District, and Martin County to restore and preserve more than 15,000 acres of wetlands and associated upland buffer habitat on the Allapattah Ranch, a beef cattle ranch in Martin County.

Through the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), $23 million went to purchase a permanent conservation easement on the Allapattah Ranch property. Under a separate restoration cost-share agreement, another $7 million in WRP funds were used to cost-share with the Water Management District on restoration of the agriculturally impacted wetlands.

Martin County and the water management district will contribute approximately $15 million to the restoration project. At the announcement in Martin County, Florida, Gray said that size is not as important as location for these types of projects.

“This is the largest single Wetlands Reserve Program contract that we have in the country. There are parts of the U.S. where 15,000 acres of wetland restoration would make very little difference. On the other hand, in an area like the Everglades 15,000 acres of wetlands makes a tremendous contribution.”

A major focus of the Allapattah Ranch WRP Project is to restore water levels on the ranch closer to their natural levels by plugging or backfilling drainage ditches and installing passive water control structures. This, along with other restoration activities will restore thousands of acres of wetlands that have been drained since the 1960’s.

The project will enhance and increase habitat for a large number of plants and animals.  U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service biologists anticipate that the project will enhance recovery of 7 Federally and 16 State-listed endangered or threatened species.

In addition to wetland restoration and wildlife habitat benefits, this project will help to achieve one of the primary goals of Everglades restoration – increasing the number, size and distribution of wetlands and natural areas.

Restoration of the ranch wetlands will also re-establish onsite water storage capacity that will help to reduce the release of nutrients and excessive freshwater discharges to the St. Lucie estuary and the Indian River Lagoon.

Your contact is Bob Stobaugh, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 352-338-9565, or bob.stobaugh@fl.usda.gov.