The Florida Keys Chapter holds periodic beach clean-up events, and participates in the international beach clean-up each September. The next such clean-up has not yet been scheduled, because of the coronavirus pandemic. Check back for an update.
For many years, the Florida Keys Chapter has joined with the Mangrove IWLA Chapter from the Miami area and the Cypress IWLA Chapter from Florida's Southwest coast, to hold a spring picnic and education event at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. This event is also the Annual Meeting for the Florida Division of the IWLA. Contact the chapter president for more information, at floridakeysiwla@gmail.com. The chapter educates the public about conservation issues through programs featuring speakers on relevant issues, videos on conservation subjects, and other events where local citizens can learn more about the natural resources that we all depend on for our daily existence. Our annual meeting is normally held in late February or early March, but has not been scheduled for this year because of the coronavirus.
We provide copies of the IWLA magazine, "Outdoor America" to local schools and libraries. The chapter has provided many books to local schools on subjects related to the conservation of natural resources.
Each year, the chapter provides a $1,000.00 college scholarship to a deserving high school graduate, to help him or her study natural science in college.
As explained in item 1 below, we are deeply involved in the Everglades issues. The Everglades Coalition holds an annual conference each year. This is one of the most important conservation conferences in the United States, as the Everglades Restoration, the focus of the conference, is the largest environmental restoration project in the world. All the agencies with jurisdiction over all or part of the Everglades will be there. If you want to really get Everglades 101, this is the place. Registration for this year's conference, the 36th Annual Everglades Coalition Conference, which will be held virtually, is available at www.evergladescoalition.org .
For many years, Florida Keys Chapter has awarded conservation scholarships to graduates of the Monroe County Public School System. Since 2011, we have awarded $14,000 in scholarships, thanks to generous contributions by our supporters. Application forms for the current year are available at the "Conservation Scholarships" button at the top of the page.
2. Florida's Everglades Ecosystem
The Florida Keys Chapter has been a member of the Everglades Coalition for many years. That group is composed of over 60 member-organizations dedicated to protection and restoration of Florida's Everglades. As the residents at the bottom of the Kissimmee-Okeechobee-Everglades Ecosystem, our members are directly impacted by the conditions and activities that occur in the Everglades ecosystem. Fishing in Florida Bay and offshore of the Florida Keys has historically been adversely effected by nutrient pollution and salinity fluctuations caused by mismanagement of the upland water supply. Numerous bird species have gone into sharp decline because of mismanagement of the resources of the Everglades. Both the quality and available quantity of our drinking water, which comes from wells west of Florida City, is dependent on decisions taken by water managers and land-use agencies on the mainland. We actively participate in events designed to move forward the restoration of the Florida Everglades.
3. Florida Bay
We recognize the importance of a healthy marine ecosystem in Florida Bay and the adjacent brackish waters of Everglades National Park and the Florida Keys. Our members have watched sadly as persistent algae blooms have ravaged the seagrass communities of Florida Bay. We are working with other organizations and government agencies to reverse the conditions that have caused and perpetuated the 'pea-soup' waters of Florida Bay where they used to be, and should be 'gin-clear.'
4. Everglades/Biscayne/Dry Tortugas National Park
We support the efforts of the National Parks to improve management of the waterways of the parks, particularly within Florida Bay, by education and regulation of users. We have supported a plan, put forward by experienced users of the area, for educational programs and revised enforcement measures, to protect the shoal areas in the bay from propeller damage and other misuse. We participate in the national parks’ planning processes for better ways to use and enjoy the parks in South Florida.
5. Jet Skis (Personal Watercraft or “PWCs”)
Our chapter has a long history of support for a ban on PWCs in the waters adjacent to the Florida Keys. Despite efforts to 'educate' jet ski users, we continue to see practices that endanger both boaters, swimmers, and the users themselves, plus causing unacceptable disturbance to fishing activities in the area. We promote the need to operate all marine vehicles responsibly.
6. Energy Conservation/Energy Policy
Our members recognize that the availability of clean, affordable energy is critical to our ability to live here and protect our natural resources. At the same time, we recognize that offshore oil production threatens the marine environment on which we depend and has historically been associated with adverse environmental impacts both at sea and on land due to shore-based activities of the industry. We support implementation of clean, renewable energy resources and conservation of the remaining supplies of fossil fuel, through improved architecture, more efficient vehicles and appliances, and better planning to minimize vehicle use, such as carpooling and improved mass transit systems. We realize that the US cannot drill its way to energy independence because of our huge appetite for energy, and we therefore oppose drilling as a solution to the energy supply problem. Remaining reserves of untapped petroleum would be much more useful to us if saved until we have in place more efficient ways to use them. Our chapter and members participate in various projects to educate the public in ways to conserve energy and be more efficient in their daily lives.
7. Land Use
Land available for development in the Florida Keys is extremely limited because of our unique geography. Because our most precious resources are in upland hammocks and just offshore, development of land areas poses a threat to the health of our marine and upland ecosystems. Extensive studies over the years have determined that there are only a limited number of development units that can be located in the Florida Keys without unacceptable degradation of our natural resources.
The Florida Keys are also at high risk from hurricanes, made more serious because of the low elevation of most of the island chain and the possibility of high storm surges accompanying large hurricanes. The storm surge from Hurricand Donna that hit Islamorada in 1960 was 18 feet above sea level. We have only one highway running north from Key West, which limits the ability of the population to evacuate the islands ahead of an approaching hurricane. This is made more dangerous because the ability of the weather bureau to predict the severity or time of arrival of a hurricane is limited. Past hurricanes have grown from minor to very major in just a few hours.
For these reasons, Monroe County and the State of Florida years ago adopted a "Rate Of Growth Ordinance" or "ROGO" that limits the number of units that can be developed in the Florida Keys. Recently, politicians in Tallahassee have attempted to undermine the limitations on development in the Keys and we have strongly opposed those efforts.