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"As part of President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors Initiative, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today formally proposed the establishment of a new national wildlife refuge and conservation area in the Kissimmee River Valley, south of Orlando, Fla., to preserve one of the last remaining grassland and longleaf pine savanna landscapes in eastern North America.
Building on the conservation work of private landowners, state and federal conservation agencies, conservation groups, and the public, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposal is a strong example of how conservation partners are working to preserve the area’s rich ranching heritage and way of life, while protecting the headwaters of the Everglades in the Kissimmee River Basin and connecting valuable habitats benefiting the area’s rich fish and wildlife resources.
“We established the America’s Great Outdoors initiative to help support the efforts of local communities, private landowners and other key stakeholders to protect working lands and signature landscapes like the northern Everglades,” Secretary Salazar said. “This initiative honors the stewardship of generations of Florida cattle ranchers and other landowners who understood that we all have a stake in preserving the health of our land, water, and wildlife. This proposal, which will continue to be shaped by the local communities and landowners, will help protect both the ranching traditions in the area and the wildlife that call this area home. The establishment of this refuge promotes one of our key Everglades restoration goals, which is to restore habitat and protect species.”
http://southeastagnet.com/2011/09/07/salazar-unveils-proposed-everglades-headwaters-national-wildlife-refuge-conservation-area/New federal plan a boon for Evergladeshttp://www.miamiherald.com/2011/09/07/2395111/new-federal-plan-a-boon-for-everglades.htmlFederal officials unveiled final details of a plan to create a new wildlife refuge and conservation area that would preserve open land north of Lake Okeechobee and help water flow to the Everglades.