President's Letter, June 2022
Dear Tampa Audubon Society Member,
Sometimes, people ask me, “Why is it so important to protect bird and wildlife habitat?” This is a good question, because as a county, a state and nation, our leaders have directed important programs to purchase and manage land for this purpose. These programs are not free, but the pay-offs from them are substantial. I will use what we know from Hillsborough County as an example. When we extrapolate this information nationwide, it’s clear that protecting habitat provides truly spectacular benefits.
Hillsborough County’s Environmental Lands program started in January 1987 when county commissioners approved an ordinance that provided $21 million to acquire environmentally-sensitive lands. In 1990 and 2008, voters approved more funding to purchase and manage conservation lands. These ballot initiatives were supported by the voters of both political parties, with over 70% of voters approving a tax on themselves.
Today, this program manages more than 63,400 acres of environmentally-sensitive wildlife habitat through the Jan K. Platt Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program (ELAPP).
And why is that a good idea? Well, to find out, Hillsborough County undertook a study of the economics of conservation lands published in 2017 in The Conservation and Environmental Lands Management Department Master Plan. The study summed the economic benefits of the preserve lands, as follows:
- flood protection and control of stormwater - $12,881,120/year
- climate regulation through sequestering of carbon - $27,474,865/year
- removal of air pollutants - $10,884,378/year
- improvement of water quality entering the aquifer, streams, rivers, lakes, and Tampa Bay - $48,631,332/year. The total in basic economic benefits that the preserves provide is $99,871,695 a year.
In fact, the ecosystem services provided by the preserves over a 3-year period is greater than the total cost of acquiring these lands ($260 million from 1988 to present).
In addition, other economic factors result from the county’s acquisition of conservation lands. Real estate values of homes adjacent to preserves are demonstrably higher. Homeowers in our county pay less for flood insurance because the preserves lower the risk of flooding. Preserves also increase ecotourism, attracting visitors and providing jobs to local businesses, hotels, and restaurants.
But the key benefit for me is not economic – it’s having preserves available for recreation and the chance to be out in nature that is directly related to my enhanced quality of life. And it’s knowing that the preserves provide our birds and wildlife habitats critical for their continued existence in this rapidly developing area.
Now, Polk and Pasco counties, which are adjacent to Hillsborough County, are putting referendums on their November ballots asking voters to approve land acquisition programs similar to our ELAPP program. Polk and Pasco counties have valuable natural lands that protect key resources in Hillsborough County – headwaters for the Hillsborough, Alafia and Little Manatee rivers, plus the Manatee and Peace Rivers, properties adjacent to state parks, wildlife corridors vital for bears, possibly panthers, and other wildlife, and habitat for rare birds like the Florida Scrub-Jay and other animals native to our state.
Please share with your friends and family members who are voters in Polk and Pasco why it’s a good idea to support the ballot initiative that will fund their county’s land protection programs. Land protection by these counties will help make our county’s efforts better, by connecting with them, and protect our clean air and water and wildlife, too. Besides, we can go there for bird-watching!
Ann Paul
President, Tampa Audubon
