The South Florida Water Management District has begun a process to revoke the agreement between the State of Florida and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to eliminate The Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge.

No surprise, the Refuge was created to stop the sugar industry dumping waste. The U.S. Department of Justice has enforced water quality laws and ordered sugar industries to clean up their spoils.

Join with us in calling on Governor Scott to stop the Florida agency from revoking the license agreement. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has met all aspects of the agreement, except for the eradication of Lygodium, an invasive climbing fern.

Loxahatchee comes from the Seminole meaning “River of Turtles.”  The Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge is a mosaic of wet prairies, sawgrass ridges, sloughs, tree islands, cattail communities, and a 400-acre cypress swamp. The refuge provides essential wildlife habitats for King Rail, Limpkin, Fulvous Whistling-Duck, White and Glossy Ibis, Sandhill Crane, threatened Wood Storks, and endangered Everglade Snail Kites – home for 250 species of birds and two turtles, Peninsula Cooter and Florida Softshell.

See what others are saying both in the neighborhood and far, far away about how vital the Loxahatchee is. Add your voice and perspective to the chorus by commenting below.  Please include your name, town and state because the Loxahatchee NWR belongs to all of us.

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“Management in partnership of the Loxahatchee NWR is working and the public is walking the raised trail in the largest remaining remnant of a cypress strand separating the pine flatwoods and Everglade marshes.”    Rob Moir, Ocean River Institute, Executive Director

As a Floridian and one who’s mom and brother live on the Loxahatchee with their home backing to a natural Everglades fed canal. I Desperately Ask you to continue the agreement and management of the Refuge.  All of the species that live and thrive there have been needed and loved by all for so long!!  “Gumbo Limbo” demonstrates all the good and necessary accomplishments they have made for the turtles. They and my family frequent that establishment often. PLEASE STOP SFWMD from from revoking the agreement. YOU can make this VITAL Difference, PLEASE HELP~~~WE NEED YOU~~~ Laurie Hein, Homosassa FL

“[Loxahatchee] turtles are the canaries in the coal mine.  We need to preserve the environment for creatures other than ourselves, or we will end up destroying it for ourselves as well.”    L.M. Holmes, Honolulu HI

“This wildlife refuge is an important means of providing sanctuary for hundreds of birds, plants and other animals living in this protected swamp area, especially turtles! Turtles are my favorite animals, so keeping this area of the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge open is very important to me. Please do your part to help save the turtles. Thank you in advance! :)”    Kistin West, Kewanee IL

“Wildlife is diappearing at an alarming rate everywhere.  Do not retreat from your commitment to manage the refuge to preserve the natural habitat for a rich array of wildlife.”    Mrion Tidwell, Merrillville IN

“There aren’t many places you can still enjoy the beauty of an undisturbed place like Loxahatchee. I love turtles and birds and want my granddaughter to be able to go there with me and enjoy the beauty. Please continue to co-manage this beautiful place with USFW for our children and their children. Thank you.”    Lara Beard, Elizabethtown KY

“It was working!”    Maureen Wheeler, Silver Spring MD

“Loxahatchee was part of the January term course . . . I often found wildlife there that students saw nowhere else during the trips.  It was an important educational resource.”    Vinnedge Lawrence, West Baldwin ME

“Hopefully, Florida will make good decisions about its environment and wildlife; and, hopefully, we will continue to visit Florida often to enjoy your natural resources and bring our vacation dollars to you.”    Annie McCombs, Kalamazoo MI

“I know and cherish the Loxahatchee. Please do not let it be degraded.”    Skip Lazell, Jackson MS

“Why would you give this up? Once it’s gone, there’s no getting it back and we need wild areas, desperately! We need to all step up to the plate to try to save our Earth. NASA isn’t going to magically figure out how to colonize somewhere else, you know.”  Susan Harrie, Grand Forks ND

“It includes a critical cypress stand habitat for hundreds of species including two species of rare turtles.”    Terry Forrest, Bristol TN

“It is very important to protect wildlife.  A wildlife refuge is an excellent way to help preserve and protect wildlife. Please support the continuation of the collaborative management of the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. Thank you.”  Salme Armijo, Blue Diamond NE

“I have been a resident of Florida and still have many family members who live in the state.   Florida has been ravaged by weather, the rising ocean level, and diseases.  CAN WE AT LEAST NOT DELIBERATELY destroy the Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge?”  Jeanne Bradbury, Flemington NJ

“Protect Florida wildlife by working with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to protect the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge and the wildlife within.  The Refuge is a Florida treasure which you, as governor, should value and protect. Thank you.”  Susan Selbin, Albuquerque NM

“River of the Turtles, River of Promises, of Agreements and Collaborative Management.  Your governorship too was a promise to the people and the people do not exist separate from the land, the water, from Nature.  Neither people nor Nature are objects or abstraction.  Thank you for reflecting on your responsibility and promises and Please honor them.”  Edythe Ann Quinn, Unadilla NY

“Florida has a most unusual climate and ecosystem.  When endangered as it is from invasive flora and fauna extra efforts to contain and eradicate these threats must be taken, or you will lose it all.”  Lam Weisman, Oklahoma City OK

“Florida should not only preserve its unique treasures like this for ethical and moral grounds, it is also a money-maker and the principal reason that many of us visit the state.  We have nice sandy beaches here in New England, too, but we do not have the natural features of Loxahatchee Refuge, the Everglades, and the Keys.”  John Burridge, East Providence RI

“Please help save our National Wildlife areas of Florida. Please help control invasive plants in Loxahatchee , the River of Turtles. Please protect our last areas of wildlife and ecosystems.”  Linda Heagy, Arlington TX

“This is the only way that the natural treasure, the Great Florida Birding Trail of the Loxahatchee NWR, can be preserved!”   James Hadden, Grafton VA

“I visit FL almost once a year and the Loxahatchee Nat’l Wildlife Refuge has been a stop for me several times.  I am asking you to protect this place and all the animals that it contains. It is a jewel that Florida has. Please be strong in its protections and do not waver.”   Diane Clark, Woolwine VA

“We need these precious creatures to continue.”  Jennifer Planeta, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands

“The loss of the Loxahatchee National Refuge means the death of the turtles dwelling there, and spells the death of hope for the Turtle River wildlife. Please let our common hope live on.”  Mai Hermann, Mercer Island WA

“We need to save what little land we have left, especially critical habitats such as the Loxahatchee.”  Angela Mayle, Fairview WV

“Please figure out other ways to manage the city’s waste water. Preserve the Loxahatchee for recreation and wildlife!”  Thomas Turiano, Wilson WY

Please make a $5 donation to help us spread the word, raise more voices and for the Governor and media to hear what we are saying before it is too late.  Click here http://bit.ly/TurtleRiverChampions 

Give for turtles not forgotten.