Endangered Species: Turtle Habitat Program

Executive Summary

Conservation need: At least five endangered sea turtles habitats are in harm along the Gulf of Mexico and the Savanna, Georgia area. Unfortunately, there are approximately five different species of sea turtles have been lost from roughly over 53 percent of the wetlands that they once inhabitant.

Performance targets: The state of the art expenditure of over $5.3 million for the next ten years would aid in accomplishing 10 -15 percent of the endangered reptile population goals. While an added $9.2 million across the span of an additional 15 years for recovery through work in Galveston, Texas, will be needed as well.

Roughly five populations of Sea Turtles will be conserved through this project from the funded initiative.

Key partners: Wildlife and Marine National Fishery, Environmental Marine and Forestry Defense Fund, D.D. Charitable Foundation, and Andrew County Foundation.

Major threats include The lack of natural or not man-made or agricultural interferences, which was once its original wetland habitat.

Implementation plan, key strategies, and annual budget: Four key strategies will prevent future declines and allow existing populations to have the habitat quality and adequate buffers to grow and be sustainable:

Significant ancillary benefits: Five species of sea turtles homed to the Gulf of Mexico, including mainland wildlife, oysters, various species of birds, and as well as various species of fish will benefit from the actions of these conservations.

NMLSTC financial leadership: One-third of the cost of the annual cost will be provided by NFWF, which will not succeed more than $523,000 a year.

Risk: There are few significant risks to the potential success of this initiative, however, there are a few moderate risks that in some or many locations.

Introduction

In the Gulf of Mexico, the sea turtle population is on a decline. Kemp’s Ridley Turtle is the smallest and most endangered sea turtle followed by 4 other endangered sea turtles in the gulf. The life of these endangered sea turtles relies heavily on the marine habitat of the Gulf of Mexico. Kemp’s Ridley, Leatherback, and the North Atlantic Loggerhead sea turtles are three populations of specific concern because of their absolute reliance on the Gulf. The Oyster, Shorebird, and Turtle Habitat program is designed to provide a solid framework in all efforts with regards to increasing a strong population for the sea turtle habitat. This includes and is not limited to growing turtle nesting with high success rates as well as reducing incidental catch in fisheries in and around the Gulf.

Specifically, the Oyster, Shorebird, and Turtle Habitat Program will provide grant funding for projects that:

Promote safe fishing gear and practices that reduce incidental catch of turtles while maintaining open and sustainable fisheries; and

Protect critical habitat through monitoring and reducing the threat of driving vehicles on priority nesting beaches.

Value-Added Statement

Natural Marine Living Sea Turtle Conservation is a non-profit organization that believes children are the future to helping the turtle species and marine life survive. We are motivated by knowing knowledge is power so we offer free admission (to all public and private schools in this area (k4-8th grade) Natural Marine Living Sea Turtle Conservation. Free admission includes an engaging educational program lead by one of our biologists who works with the endangered turtles and other species.

List the background of the problem

Due to the oil spill in the Gulf and the fishermen dragging everything caught in the net, our organization is here to advocate for better and safer fishing equipment along with strategic plans that will aid in decreasing the accidental catch of endangered sea turtles. This will be done along with sustaining and maintaining the fisheries industries. Our objective is to assure the protection of the fading endangered sea turtles habitats through various resources, such as overseeing, monitoring, and decreasing the threat of motorized vehicles on the main nesting beaches as well.

List the potential benefits (and value-added) of the proposal

The potential benefit is having extra funds to educate school-age children, teachers, guardians, and the public through with a grant award that ranges from $50,000 – $200,000. Natural Marine Living Sea Turtle Conservation is a non-profit organization that believes children are the future to helping the turtle species and marine life survive. We are motivated by knowing knowledge is power so we offer free admission to all public and private schools in this area (k4-8th grade) Natural Marine Living Sea Turtle Conservation. Free admission includes an engaging educational program lead by one of our biologists who works with the endangered turtles and other species.

Objectives and Deliverables from RFP

Healthy habitats provide essential support, provisioning, and regulating services that sustain human well-being (MEA 2005). Habitats provide the necessary structure for biodiversity to perform important functions that maintain system balance. Interconnectivity among habitats maintains the flow of resources and is essential to the health of the larger environment. Recovery of damaged and degraded habitats can bolster existing ecosystem services, increase resilience within and among habitats, and augment biodiversity. Thoughtful restoration may require shifts in management priorities and the implementation of ecosystem-based strategies.

Enhance ecosystem structure or function (e.g., by increasing landscape-level connectivity) and/or population viability (e.g. increasing smaller populations toward recovery goals). Habitat parameters that provide appropriate conditions for viable populations should be considered, as appropriate.

The strategy proposes to focus on achieving tangible results in the following essential priorities: Recover Habitat – Restore and Enhance Water Quality and Ensure Freshwater Inflows – Sustain Native Turtle, Oyster and Shorebird and Wildlife Population – Conserve Special Places on Land and on Water

This initiative will have a measurable benefit for a host of other imperiled species which all are to some degree dependent on early successional habitat. We do not plan to monitor progress in achieving benefits for these species but will seek to monitor the increase in overall native biodiversity. The majority of these species have only a small total habitat overlap with the five species of turtle so our ability to create significant benefits for the global range of each species is limited. However, to the extent that healthy, vegetated wetlands produce abundant insects, these habitats should become valuable food sources and foraging areas for insectivorous bird species.

Success in achieving the goals of this plan depends upon the Natural Marine Living Sea Turtle Conservation Program raising and dedicating at least $5.3 million over a period of 10 years on the strategies described herein. It also depends upon government and non-government agencies and organizations providing an additional $9.2 million over 10 years. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is likely to make a major contribution to this effort of approximately $1.0 to $1.5 million.

Other partners who are already committed to making investments to bog turtle conservation include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Environmental Defense Fund, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, and Broward County Foundation.

Activities to Meet Conservation Priorities

There are several different activities, which will be used in efforts to help meet to goals for funding the various species of sea turtles:

• Seminars to teach about aiding in the survival of sea turtles

• Conferences on safe fishing gear

• Conferences on accidental catch of turtles

Conservation Outcomes

Land Protection Demands for turtles Poaching

Development Pressure Inadequate site mgmt. Increased predation

Lack of Regulatory Oversight Public data on sites Water quantity & quality

Ag Economics Incompatible land uses Exotic invasive plants

On-Farm Land & Conservation Practices Incompatible ag practices Roads/Barriers

Loss of disturbance regimes Road Re-Engineering

Reintroduce disturbance

Project Scope: Early Successional Habitat Initiative

Inadequate Survival & recruitment

Inadequate Reproduction Network of Five Species of Sea Turtles

Inadequate dispersal/expansion

Enhance Ecosystem Structure

At least five endangered sea turtles’ habitats are in harm along the Gulf of Mexico and the Savanna, Georgia area. Unfortunately, there are approximately five different species of sea turtles have been lost from roughly over 53 percent of the wetlands that they once inhabitant. The population that these endangered turtles once resided in included Southeast Georgia, which has now been noted as a threatened species and the Endangered Species Act. These endangered reptiles are vanishing from various areas along the Gulf of Mexico.

Involved Qualified Technical Experts

There will be qualified experts from various spectrums of fields, to included but limited to, Marine Biology, Engineers, Mechanics, Contractors, Educators, and Veterinarians. Technical experts will be hired on a case-by-case situation, throughout the course of this project.

Performance Targets

The state of the art expenditure of over $5.3 million for the next ten years would aid in accomplishing 10 -15 percent of the endangered reptile population goals. While an added $9.2 million across the span of an additional 15 years for recovery through work in Galveston, Texas, will be needed as well. Roughly five populations of Sea Turtles will be conserved through this project from the funded initiative.

Key Partnership

There are several key partnerships that will be involved in order to enhance the funding sustainability of this diverse project. The partnerships that are currently involved are the Wildlife and Marine National Fishery, Environmental Marine and Forestry Defense Fund, D.D. Charitable Foundation, and Andrew County Foundation.

Key Major Threats

The lack of natural or not man-made or agricultural interferences, which was once its original wetland habitat. Growing the land development is futile to the survival of the turtles and the growing populations of humans can cause the sea turtle habitats to be destroyed; poor and polluted water quality; and increased species predators

Implementation Plan

Six key strategies will prevent future declines and allow existing populations to have the habitat quality and adequate buffers to grow and be sustainable:

• Securing and sustaining restoration for the habitat as well as a minimum of 350 acres. Acreage must be nearest to the turtle’s natural wetland habitat with constant management thereafter, including but not limited to the project supervision and planning costs of $450,000 a year.

• Hydrologic Function of making sure there is the high quality of water maintenance

• A total of $1.3 million will be needed for protecting the key habitats of acquiring the long-term management of 300 acres.

• Easements/acquisitions acres protected

Ancillary Benefits

Five species of sea turtles homed to the Gulf of Mexico, including mainland wildlife, oysters, various species of birds and as well as various species of fish will benefit from the actions of these conservations.

Long Term Sustainability

One-third of the cost of the annual cost will be provided by NFWF, which will not succeed more than $523,000 a year. Funding from various partners including the Wildlife and Marine National Fishery will cover the majority of easement and management costs with a total investment of $1.5 a year; Collaboration of no more than $60,000 a year with Andrew County Foundation is seeking to restore various areas in need of high-quality improvement.

Risk

There are few significant risks to the potential success of this initiative, however, there is a moderate risk that in some or many locations incompatible uses will come to dominate wetland buffers and make continued management of a sustainable turtle population more time-intensive and expensive to achieve. In addition, some wetlands are completely and irreversibly isolated from other sites; if agencies decide that this isolation precludes populations from being considered as part of recovery, work in those sites will no longer count as progress.

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