FWC Commissioner warns of ecological catastrophe in the Everglades

FWC Commissioner warns of ecological catastrophe in Everglades.

Broward County (treasurecoast.com) Last year the Everglades didn’t have enough water. Now, there’s too much water. It has created an environmental crisis that is putting 16 endangered animals at risk of extinction. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has seven regional commissioners, including “Alligator Ron” Bergeron, who runs the Fort Lauderdale division, where the bulk of the Everglades territory is.

In 1994, a bad mix of torrential rain and the inflow of water from cities and farms devastated the Everglades with nearly four feet of water. All of the small islands disappeared underwater while many of the animals that lived on them were overwhelmed and died. Those conditions were duplicated in 2017 and animals like deer, panthers, bobcats and bears are struggling to survive.

Bergeron says he played in the waters of the Everglades as a little boy and now, as a grown man, his mission in life is to protect the area. The commissioner has just sent a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, requesting they open several canals and to close off others. Wildlife officials say the next 60 days are absolutely critical. Conditions need to improve soon or they will be irreversible, causing many animals to start dying.

TreasureCoast

TreasureCoast

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  • Posted 6 years ago

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