Everglades National Park

• Agricultural, industrial and urban developments altering the natural systems;
• Pollution of the water (nutrients and mercury);
• Hurricane in August 1992 (issue resolved);
• Need to elaborate a monitoring plan with benchmarks and indicators

WHC:

The State Party provided a report by the US Department of the Interior dated 17 April 2003, which reviews point by point the issues and threats, which led to the inclusion of the site on the Danger List. These are:

1. Alterations of the hydrological regime and impacts from adjacent urban growth, including reduced water levels from flood control operations The report lists and briefly describes several projects that have been ongoing in order to try to save the remaining Everglades and restore some of their natural pre-drainage functioning:

·  The Canal 111 series of projects will help facilitate a larger volume of water through Taylor Slough and into northeast Florida Bay. Work has been completed on the removal of portions of the old Park road from Anhinga Trail east to the Park boundary to further facilitate water flows. The report highlights that two of the five pump stations have been completed. In addition, the Canal 111’s supplemental Corps plan has implemented over the last four years special emergency water management actions to protect the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow.

·  The Northeast Shark Slough project may be critical to the survival of several endangered species, including the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow, whose population has declined dramatically. As of April 2003, approximately 98% of the total authorised acreage in the East Everglades addition are either in public ownership, condemnation, or have been referred for Declaration of Taking. It is estimated that sufficient funds have been provided to complete the remaining acquisitions.

·  The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) incorporates 68 individual projects focusing on the whole of South Florida, including Everglades National Park. The State Party estimated it would take more than 30 years for projects to be completed.

·  The Critical Ecosystem Studies Initiative (CESI) aims at providing scientific information for restoration processes. The CESI programme is currently refocusing from research and development to model applications and data collection in order to support the evaluation of the CERP and related restoration projects.

2. Increased nutrient pollution from agricultural activities. Water quality remains a concern in all restoration projects. To date, more than 16,000 hectares of filtration wetlands are completed, or nearing completion, to cleanse agricultural runoff from northern fields. According to the “Everglades Forever Act” water released into the Everglades by 2006, must contain a limited phosphorous level. The Secretary of the Interior and the Governor of Florida supported the suggestion of the scientists that a maximum level of 10 parts per billion of phosphorous is required to restore and maintain a healthy aquatic system.

3. The ecological deterioration of Florida Bay. With generally wetter weather conditions in south Florida since 1994, relatively more fresh water has reached Florida Bay. As a result, water salinity lowered and there have been reductions in the sizes of algae blooms. The report states these conditions help in the planned restoration of natural water flow regimes throughout the Park.

IUCN:

The new information provided above has been proposed on a consensual basis between IUCN and the Centre.