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Welcome to the Virtual Question and Answer Webinar for the Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area Draft Visitor Services Plan April 28, 2020 1 Purpose of Webinar Provide an overview and answer any questions you

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Welcome to the Virtual Question and Answer Webinar for the Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area Draft Visitor Services Plan

April 28, 2020

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Meeting Schedule 6:00 PM EST- Welcome and overview 6:15 PM EST- Overview of draft Visitor Services Plan 6:45 PM EST – Questions and Answers

Purpose of Webinar

Provide an overview and answer any questions you may have about the draft Visitor Services Plan

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Webinar Communication Process

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  • Camera and mic controls will be

restricted to meeting hosts only. ​

  • Questions will be answered at the end​ of

the presentation.​

  • To submit questions, click the Chat icon
  • n​ the bottom panel to open the chat

window.​

  • After the window opens, ​type your

question in the box and​ click ‘enter’.​

  • We will do our best to respond.​
  • Official comments should be submitted

through​ project email or postal address, which we’ll cover at the end.​

  • This webinar will be recorded and posted
  • n​ our website:

https://www.fws.gov/refuge/everglades_he adwaters/

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National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

  • NEPA mandates that

the government is transparent when making decisions

  • Environmental

Assessment (EA) analyzes the effects of the proposed action (VSP)

  • The EA is Appendix F
  • f the draft VSP

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Goals of Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area

  • Through partnerships help conserve important resources found in

the Kissimmee Prairie region

  • Protect and enhance habitats for wildlife
  • Provide opportunities for outdoor recreation
  • Protect headwaters, groundwater recharge, and watersheds of the

Kissimmee River and Lake Okeechobee regions

  • Protect and enhance habitat corridors
  • Protect historic properties
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Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area Land Protection Plan (LPP)

  • Guides the establishment of the

Refuge and Conservation Area

  • Outlines resource protection

needs

  • Provides an interim management

plan

  • Presents methods the Service

could use with Partners to accomplish goals

  • Prioritizes land acquisition
  • pportunities

https://www.fws.gov/southeast/pdf/land

  • protection-plan/everglades-headwaters-

national-wildlife-refuge.pdf

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SLIDE 7

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Boundaries of Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge & Conservation Area

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Plan for Visitor Service Opportunities of Future Fee Title Units

  • The Service intends to carry forward

the uses outlined in this draft VSP, if approved, onto any future, fee- title refuge lands

  • All newly acquired fee-title units

would become members of the State’s WMA family of lands

  • NEPA analysis would be conducted

for each newly acquired fee-title unit bridging from the analysis crafted from the Refuge establishment efforts in 2012 and NEPA efforts provided through this draft Visitor Service Plan with the purpose of maintaining transparency and streamlining this effort

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PARTNERSHIP WITH FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION: Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

  • Service & FWC have shared interest to

provide public use opportunities

  • Service recognizes FWC procedures for

managing hunting & fishing

  • MOU established in 2012 for 15 years

and is subject to automatic renewal pending review and concurrence by FWC and Service

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Everglades Headwaters NWR & CA Visitor Services Background

  • Currently 11 public

uses allowed on interim basis per the 2012 Land Protection Plan

  • Draft Visitor Service

Plan proposes adding pets-on-leash, commercial recording & ecotours

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https://www.fws.gov/refuge/everglades_head waters/

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SLIDE 11

Arbuckle Unit

Quick facts

  • 395 acres
  • Acquired in February, 2015

Huntable Species

  • Deer/hog
  • Turkey
  • Migratory game birds
  • Small game

2018-2019

  • Managed as member of Arbuckle

WMA family of lands (due to its shared boundary with Lake Wales Ridge State Forest)

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Hatchineha Unit

Hatchineha Unit

  • ~1,350 acres
  • Acquired in 2015

and 2017 Huntable Species

  • Deer/hog
  • Turkey
  • Migratory game birds
  • Small game

2018-2019

  • Everglades Headwaters WMA-

managed as part of the State of Florida Wildlife Management Area family of lands (per July 1, 2018)

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Okeechobee Unit

Okeechobee Unit

  • ~2,000 acres
  • Acquired in 2019,
  • Adjacent ~2,000 acres

acquired by the State of Florida Huntable Species

  • Deer/hog
  • Turkey
  • Migratory game birds
  • Small game

Plan to be added to WMA program for 2021/2022 hunt season 13

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Proposed Public Uses include:

  • Bicycling
  • Camping
  • Commercial recording
  • Commercial ecotours
  • Environmental Education &

Interpretation

  • Fishing
  • Hiking/jogging
  • Horseback riding
  • Hunting
  • Off-road vehicle use in support
  • f hunting and fishing
  • Pets on leash
  • Wildlife observation &

Photography

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Bicycling

  • Helps visitors gain an

appreciation of trust resources

  • On designated roads

and trails only

  • No off-trail use

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Camping

  • Via permit, in support
  • f priority public uses
  • Where provided only

primitive camping would be allowed at designated upland sites

  • No pit fires

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Commercial Recording and Ecotours

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  • Example commercial

recording - videography, photography and audio recording

  • Example Commercial

Tours: photography excursions, environmental education, guided field trips

  • Approved through

commercial permit process

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Environmental Education & Interpretation

  • Initially, local school

involvement

  • Future, possible guided

tours

Florida ziziphus, Arbuckle Unit

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Fishing

  • Per State regulations
  • State regulations allow

taking of non-imperiled frogs

  • Commercial fishing

prohibited

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Hiking/Jogging/Backpacking

  • On designated

roads/trails only

  • Uses promote an

appreciation for and provide visitors with an

  • pportunity to

experience wildlife and habitat

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Horseback Riding

  • Provides way for visitors to

connect with the natural world and gain an appreciation of trust resources

  • On designated roads/trails
  • nly
  • Horseback riding may be

prohibited during hunting season depending on local WMA regulations

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  • The Service considers hunting

a priority, wildlife dependent activity and is a traditional use throughout the refuge landscape

  • Through a Memorandum of

Understanding Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission conducts and administers hunts on Refuge fee-title lands

  • Hunting regulations are

specific to each Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and provided through the WMA public review process

  • Huntable species may include

– Big game including turkey, deer and hog – Small game – Migratory game birds – Alligator

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Hunting

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  • In support of hunting and

fishing on designated roads and trails only

  • Recreational ORV use is

not permitted

  • Refuge to coordinate

with FWC through WMA process to evaluate use

  • n any particular unit

Off-road vehicle (ORV) use in support of hunting and fishing

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Pets-on-Leash

  • Leashed pets only
  • Leashes no longer

than 6 feet

  • On designated

trails/roads only

  • Owners are

responsible for removing pet waste

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  • Designated roads and trails
  • Potential for future photo

blind

Wildlife Observation and Photography

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  • Public review: March 25 – May 23
  • Virtual question and answer session: April 28
  • Incorporate public comments: May/June
  • Final VSP: July/August

Planning Schedule

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SLIDE 27
  • Email: evergladesheadwaters@fws.gov
  • Mail:

Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge C/O Public Comments 4055 Wildlife Way Vero Beach FL 32963

How to submit comments

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Thank You

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We will now answer your questions using the chat function. Your phones will continue to be muted.

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Q&A Guidelines

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Step 1: Click the chat icon Step 2: Message your question

  • After the speaker is finished, if

you have a question, please click the “chat” icon at the bottom of your Zoom screen to write and send your question to the host of the meeting (Amy Lewis) [See Step 1 and Step 2].

  • The host will read the question for

all participants to hear.

  • A USFWS staff member will respond

to your question aloud for all participants to hear.

  • We will try to answer questions in

the order they are received.

  • Please limit questions to those

related to the NEPA process

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Phone-only participants

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If you are calling in through your phone and you have a question, please press *9 to “raise your hand” to let staff know you have a question. The host will then unmute you so that you can ask your question. You will be muted until you “raise your hand,” so please remember to speak once prompted. We will address phone call questions after addressing questions that are sent to the host via the chat function.

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Closing Remarks

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All questions received will be posted on the website with answers from the USFWS.​ The USFWS will add updates on the Draft Plan to the website as the Draft Plan moves through the NEPA process. A recording of this meeting will be available on the website: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/everglades_headwaters/