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Also in Nature & Environment

Pinhook

Finding Wholeness in a Fragmented Land

by Janisse Ray

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About Pinhook Swamp

PINHOOK SWAMP - OSCEOLA - GREATER OKEFENOKEE ECOSYSTEM (POGO)

Whereas, the Pinhook Swamp, the Osceola National Forest, and the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge (POGO) make up an important expanse of wilderness comprising nearly 600,000 acres; and

Whereas, the area includes the headwaters of the Suwannee and St. Mary's rivers and provides habitat for a number of threatened and endangered species, as well as abundant and diverse birds and other wildlife; and

Whereas, Audubon and its allies have worked to acquire the Pinhook connector between the Osceola NF and the Okefenokee NWR to create a wildlife corridor; and

Whereas, changes in the economy and land ownership could remove the opportunity to purchase the Pinhook Swamp area and with it the opportunity to protect the plants and animals that inhabit the area; and

Whereas, in spite of being on the U.S. Forest Service list for acquisition for nearly a decade, very little federal Land and Water Conservation Fund dollars have been appropriated for Pinhook; and Whereas, Pinhook is on the Florida Conservation and Recreation Lands acquisition list and thousands of acres have been purchased and are managed by the U.S. Forest Service,

Therefore, be it resolved that Audubon of Florida and its chapters will: Urge the U.S. Forest Service to continue to make the Pinhook a priority purchase area through the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund; and Urge the U.S. Congress to appropriate adequate funds to acquire land in the Pinhook project area; and

Urge the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the water management districts to work with the U.S. Forest Service to use Preservation 2000, Florida Forever, CARL, and Save Our River funds to purchase lands in the Pinhook project area.

About the POGO Coalition

The Florida Wildlife Federation helped create the P.O.G.O. Coalition (Pinhook-Osceola-Greater Okefenokee) to protect the health, integrity, connectivity, biodiversity, and natural processes of the ecosystem encompassing in the Pinhook-Osceola-Greater Okefenokee ecosystem. The Coalition of individuals and twenty-two national, statewide and local groups in Florida and Georgia supports this wildlife corridor project. Member groups include:

Apalachee Audubon Society, Sierra Club Florida Chapter, North Carolina Wildlife Federation, Florida Wildlife Federation, National Wild Turkey Federation, Florida Defenders of the Environment, Florida Audubon Society, Duval Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, Florida Federation of Garden Clubs, Friends of the St. Marys, Garden Club of Georgia, National Wildlife Refuge Association, Okefenokee Bird Club, Okefenokee Pastimes, St. Johns County Audubon Society, Florida Panther Society