The South Florida Multi-Species Recovery Plan is one of the first recovery strategies specifically designed to meet the needs of multiple species that do not occupy similar habitats. It is also one of the first designed to approach recovery by addressing the needs of entire watersheds: the Kissimmee-Okeechobee- Everglades watershed, the Caloosahatchee River-Big Cypress watershed, and the Peace-Myakka River watershed.

Among the species that have declined by the degradation of the Everglades are: (click on any photo for a full-sized version.)

great blue herons whooping cranes atala butterflies white ibieses limpkins

The plan, which was approved by the Service's Southeast Regional Director and endorsed by Secretary Babbitt in May during a ceremony at the South Florida Restoration Science Forum, is intended to serve as a blueprint to be used by the federal, state, tribal, and other partners who are committed to restoring the south Florida ecosystem. It also meets the information needs of agencies involved in the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Initiative as they prepare compliance documents for the National Environmental Policy Act, go through regulatory permitting processes, or engage in endangered species consultations with the Service.

Using an ecosystem-wide approach, the plan identifies the recovery and restoration needs of imperiled species and their habitats in an area encompassing 67,346 square kilometers, covering the 19 southernmost counties of the state. To ensure that the greatest diversity of South Florida's species benefit from the management actions of the FWS and its partners, the plan also includes candidates for federal listing, state-listed species, migratory birds, and other species of concern.

The 2,200-page document is divided into two volumes, the first of which, entitled The Species, contains the most current information on the biology, ecology, distribution, status, trends, management, and recovery actions needed for the 68 federally-listed species in the region. Volume II, The Ecosystem, provides an overview of south Florida's ecosystem and discusses the biological composition, status, trends, management, and restoration needs of the area's 23 major ecological communities - from upland and wetland to estuarine and marine environments. It describes a holistic approach to recovery by including recommendations on how to manage, reconstruct, or restore these communities in ways that will optimize benefits for the greatest number of imperiled species.

By design, the plan is a living document, with the flexibility to accommodate changes identified through further research and to be compatible with adaptive management strategies. Carrying out the plan requires extensive interagency coordination and public involvement. The implementation section of the plan calls for establishing a Multi-Species/EcoSystem Recovery Implementation Team that will prioritize recovery actions and recommend funding for recovery and restoration activities. The FWS Publications Unit in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, is serving as the distribution clearing house for the CD-ROM and paper versions of the plan. Call 304-876-7203 for information. The FWS Multi-Species Recovery Plan is available online at http://www.fws.gov/r4eao/wildlife/esvb.html

Dawn Jennings is a Fish and Wildlife Service biologist in the Service's South Florida Field Office in Vero Beach.