Lee County residents: We need your support to protect wildlife

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has proposed designating key sensitive habitats in the state as Critical Wildlife Areas (CWAs). CWAs provide protection from human disturbance and are proposed only in the most important lands for nesting and roosting.

The data shows that the proposed Lee County CWAs (three sites in Pine Island Sound and three in Estero Bay) support the highest number of nesting birds, including threatened species. Of the over 150 islands and 65,000 acres within the Pine Island Sound and Estero Bay, these six sites are tiny in comparison. They are essential to conservation and do not impact 99% of existing waterways for angling and other forms of water based recreation.

Reducing human presence close to these pinpointed areas will help reduce disturbance, minimize flushing of the birds, and decrease the likelihood of monofilament line entanglement. Our wildlife faces a myriad of threats from polluted water to habitat loss — protecting these key rookeries from human disturbance in these targeted areas is something we can do now to preserve these species into the future.

Unfortunately, some in Lee County have raised objections to these proposed CWAs, and there is a concern that local elected officials may oppose the designation. Share your support for CWAs with the Lee County Board of County Commission, who will consider this issue on November 1.

Take Action

Let the Board of County Commissioners know that you support designating Critical Wildlife Areas in Lee County! Complete the action alert or write a personalized email to the Commissioners.

We encourage you to attend in-person as well, because a strong showing of support at the meeting will be impactful. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 1st starting at 9:30 a.m. at Commission Chambers (2120 Main St. Fort Myers, FL). Currently the issue is to be discussed under agenda item #12. Please note public comments are usually restricted to three minutes.

Thank you for taking the time to communicate your support for CWAs in Lee County.