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Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is a 140,000 acres (57,000 ha) U.S. National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) on the Atlantic coast of Florida's largest barrier island. NASA's Kennedy Space Center and visitor complex are also situated on the island and NASA can restrict access to the refuge based on its operational needs.
The Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge is a 145,188-acre (587.55 km2) wildlife sanctuary is located west of Boynton Beach, in Palm Beach County, Florida. It is also known as Water Conservation Area 1 (WCA-1). It includes the most northern remnant of the historic Everglades wetland ecosystem.
The Florida Trail is one of eleven National Scenic Trails in the United States. It currently runs 1,000 miles (1,600 km), with 300 miles (480 km) planned, from Big Cypress National Preserve to Fort Pickens at Gulf Islands National Seashore, Pensacola Beach. Also known as the Florida National Scenic Trail, the Florida Trail provides permanent non-motorized recreation opportunity for hiking and other compatible activities and is within an hour of most Floridians. The Florida National Scenic Trail is designated as a National Scenic Trail by the National Trails System Act of 1968.
Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail (GFBWT) is a 2,000 mile (3200 km) long collection of more than 500 locations in the U.S. state of Florida where the state's bird habitats are protected. The trail promotes birdwatching, environmental education and ecotourism. The GFBWT is a program of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, supported in part by the Florida Department of Transportation and the Wildlife Foundation of Florida. It is modeled after the successful Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail. Trail sites area identifiable by prominent road signs bearing the Swallow-tailed kite logo.
The Thousand Islands are a group of natural, modified, and spoil islands in the Banana River Lagoon, Cocoa Beach, in Brevard County, Florida. From the late 1950s to the early 1970s the islands were reshaped by development and efforts to control mosquitoes as the population of Brevard grew during the initial period of the space program at Cape Canaveral and Kennedy Space Center.
The Manatee River is a 36-mile-long (58 km) river in Manatee County, Florida. The river forms in the northeastern corner of Manatee County and flows into the Gulf of Mexico at the southern edge of Tampa Bay.
In 1999, the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve was designated in St. Johns and Flagler counties, Florida as a part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) system. The GTM Research Reserve represents the east Florida sub-region of the Carolinian bioregion. It is one of 29 NERRs in 23 states and one territory. GTM is one of three NERRs in Florida, and is administered on behalf of the state by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Florida Coastal Office as part of a network that includes forty-one aquatic preserves, three NERRs, a National Marine Sanctuary, the Coral Reef Conservation Program and the Florida Oceans and Coastal Council. Additional interests are held in the research and management of the GTM and connected preserved or conserved lands including:
The Turkey Creek Sanctuary is a small nature reserve in the city of Palm Bay in Brevard County, Florida, and incorporates both salty hammock and sand pine ridge habitats. It has 1.85 miles (3 km) of boardwalk paths and 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of jogging trails through native forest to Turkey Creek, an excellent site for seeing birds, turtles, manatees, alligators as well as other local wildlife. The creek is an important breeding ground for both salt and fresh water fish and is accessible via a canoe deck. The Sanctuary is part of the East Florida section of the Great Florida Birding Trail.
Environmental issues in Brevard County in Florida United States are highlighted by the amount of waterline, the amount of wetlands, the quantity of residents and visitors to the area, as well as the usual threat to air quality from commuters. Assisting in this is the Florida Space Coast Clean Cities Coalition which headquartered in Brevard. It encompasses a nine-county area.
Colt Creek State Park is a Florida State Park in Central Florida, 16 miles (26 km) north of Lakeland off of State Road 471. This 5,067 acre park nestled within the Green Swamp Wilderness Area and named after one of the tributaries that flows through the property was opened to the public on January 20, 2007. Composed mainly of pine flatwoods, cypress domes and open pasture land, this piece of pristine wilderness is home to many animal species including the American bald eagle, Southern fox squirrel, gopher tortoise, white-tailed deer, wild turkey and bobcat.
The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) is a regional governmental district that oversees water resources from Orlando to the Florida Keys. The mission of the SFWMD is to manage and protect water resources by balancing and improving water quality, flood control, natural systems and water supply, covering 16 counties in Central and Southern Florida. It is the largest water management district in the state, managing water needs for 7.7 million residents. A key initiative is the restoration of America's Everglades – the largest environmental restoration project in the nation's history. The District is also working to improve the Kissimmee River and its floodplain, Lake Okeechobee and South Florida's coastal estuaries.
Starkey Wilderness Preserve is a public recreation and nature conservation area located in Pasco County, Florida. The park includes a system of hiking, bicycling, and equestrian trails, cabins and primitive camping sites, and picnic areas. It is named after Jay B. Starkey, a cattle rancher who bought the property in 1937 and later donated hundreds of acres. The Preserve consists of three tracts: the Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park, managed by Pasco County, and Serenova Tract and the Anclote River Ranch Tract, managed by Southwest Florida Water Management District. The area includes sections of pine flatwoods, cypress domes, freshwater marshes, stream and lake swamps, sandhill and scrub over a combined 8,500-acre (34 km2) "wetland ecosystem spread throughout approximately 18,000 acres of conservation lands". The park is located in Western Pasco County east of New Port Richey. The park includes the Starkey Trail, an approximately 6.7 mile paved multi-use trail that links up with the Suncoast Trail at its eastern terminus. There are also unimproved trails in the park. An 8-mile mountain bike trail was approved and being developed as of 2013.
Environmentally Endangered Lands Programs are bond funded wildland conservation efforts in Florida, USA.
The Balm-Boyette Scrub Nature Preserve is a 5,723-acre (2,316 ha) preserve located in Hillsborough County, Florida. It was purchased through joint funding from the County's Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program (ELAPP) and the State of Florida's Conservation and Recreation Lands (CARL) Program. While it consists largely of abandoned phosphate pits, it has a large area of undisturbed scrub habitat. Natural habitats within the site include sand pine scrub, xeric oak scrub, pine flatwoods, hardwood hammock, wet prairie, freshwater marsh, cypress swamp, and hardwood swamp. During the 1960s the land was pitted with phosphate mines. The natural waterflow had been altered from its original state into a series of stagnant pools. In 2016, a project was undertaken under the umbrella of Swiftmud's Surface Water Improvement and Management, or SWIM, program. The project will create a "habitat mosaic" with habitat for wading birds as well as upland creatures.
Boyd Hill Nature Preserve is a 245-acre (99 ha) protected area in St. Petersburg, Florida, Pinellas County, Florida. Boyd Hill Park was originally a zoo and botanical garden for the city of St. Petersburg. It has since come to include natural habitats and tropical landscapes along the shores of Lake Maggiore. The preserve is located on the shores of Lake Maggiore (Florida) in south St. Petersburg. It is operated by St. Petersburg Parks and Recreation and includes the Boyd Hill Environmental Center, a bird-of-prey aviary, and more than three miles of trails through a variety of ecosystems. Facilities include a playground and picnic areas. The preserve is used for school field trips and hosts environmental education programs. It is located at 1101 Country Club Way South.
Bell Creek Nature Preserve is a 477-acre (193 ha) nature preserve located at 10940 McMullen Rd. in Riverview, Florida. The preserve property was purchased using funds from the Jan K. Platt Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program and the Florida Communities Trust and is managed by Hillsborough County's Conservation and Environmental Lands Management Department. Bell Creek Nature Preserve comprises many habitat types including sand pine scrub, pine flatwoods, freshwater marsh, oak hammock, and restored pasture. The preserve is home to the endangered Florida golden aster, Eastern indigo snake, and wood stork along with other threatened and endangered plants and animals.
The Tibet-Butler Preserve is a county park located on the shore of Lake Butler, southeast of Orlando, Florida. It is managed by the Orange County Parks and Recreation.
Price’s Scrub State Park is a 962-acre Florida state park located in Marion County, Florida. The park has relatively high biodiversity with several natural communities, including its scrub, and is important in the proposed regional connection of conservation lands. The park is a part of the proposed Northwest Marion Greenway. This corridor would connect Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park to Goethe State Forest and could be used for recreational activities, particularly horseback riding.
References
- ↑ Ais Trail Park Palm Bay Parks & Recreation
- ↑ Barrier Island Sanctuary Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands Program, Florida
- 1 2 3 4 Environmental issues in Brevard County
- ↑ Blue Heron Wetlands Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
- ↑ Boundary Canal Trail Palm Bay Parks & Recreation
- ↑ Brevard Museum
- 1 2 3 Space Coast TPO Mobility Plan
- ↑ Buck Lake Conservation Area Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands Program, Florida
- ↑ Buck Lake Conservation Area St. John's River Water Management District
- ↑ Canaveral Marshes Conservation Area St. John's River Water Management District
- ↑ Canaveral Marshes OutInTheBoonies.com
- ↑ Canaveral Marshes Florida Trail Association
- ↑ Chain of Lakes Park Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
- ↑ Coconut Point Sanctuary Trail Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands Program, Florida
- ↑ Cruickshank Sanctuary Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands Program, Florida
- ↑ Dicerandra Scrub Sanctuary Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands
- ↑ Enchanted Forest Sanctuary Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands Program, Florida
- ↑ Erna Nixon Park Brevard County Parks & Recreation, Florida
- ↑ Fay Lake Wilderness Area Brevard County Parks & Recreation, Florida
- ↑ F. Burton Smith Regional Park Brevard County Parks & Recreation, Florida
- ↑ Joy & Gordon Patterson Botanical Garden Florida Institute of Technology Website
- ↑ Fox Lake Sanctuary Brevard County Parks & Recreation, Florida
- ↑ Grant Flatwoods Sanctuary Archived 2011-07-23 at the Wayback Machine Management Plan
- ↑ Grant Flatwoods Sanctuary Brevard County Parks & Recreation, Florida
- ↑ Kings Park inBrevard.com
- ↑ Jordan Scrub Sanctuary Trails Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands Program, Florida
- ↑ Lori Wilson Park Brevard County Parks & Recreation, Florida
- ↑ Malabar Scrub Sanctuary Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands Program, Florida
- ↑ Maritime Hammock Sanctuary Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands Program, Florida
- ↑ Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge Official Website National Wildlife Refuge System, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
- ↑ Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge Titusville Florida Area Community Guide(NBBD.com)
- ↑ Micco Scrub Sanctuary Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands Program, Florida
- ↑ River Lakes Conservation Area St. Johns River Water Management District
- ↑ Community Investment Program City Of Palm Bay
- ↑ Palm Bay Regional Park City of Palm Bay
- ↑ Pine Island Conservation Area Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands Program, Florida
- ↑ Sams House Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands Program, Florida
- ↑ Ritch Grissom Memorial Wetlands Brevard County Natural Resources Management Office
- ↑ Riverwalk Nature Center Brevard County Parks & Recreation, Florida
- ↑ Salt Lake WMA Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
- ↑ Samsons Island Archived 2012-09-20 at the Wayback Machine Satellite Beach Recreation Department Website
- ↑ Scottsmoor Sanctuary East Brevard County Parks and Recreation
- ↑ Scottsmoor Sanctuary West Brevard County Parks and Recreation
- ↑ Long Point Park Brevard County Parks and Recreation
- ↑ Sebastian Inlet State Park Florida State Parks Website
- ↑ Seminole Ranch Conservation Area Trails St. Johns River Water Management District.
- ↑ South Brevard Linear Trail Space Coast TPO
- ↑ South Lake Conservation Area My Florida and other Outdoor Stuff by Tom Choma
- ↑ South Lake Conservation Area Brevard County Parks & Recreation, Florida
- ↑ South Patrick Community Park Brevard County Parks and Recreation
- ↑ St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park Florida State Parks
- ↑ Three Forks Marsh St. John's River Water Management District.
- ↑ Turkey Creek Wildlife Sanctuary Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands Program, Florida
- ↑ Ulumay Wildlife Sanctuary Brevard County Parks & Recreation, Florida
- ↑ Viera Regional Park www.viera.com
- ↑ Wickham Park Brevard County Parks and Recreation
- ↑ Wuesthoff Park Brevard County Parks & Recreation, Florida