Page 70 - April 2016 Life In Naples Magazine

ROOKERY BAY

PROTECTING PHOTO CREDIT(S) JEAN HALL

BIRD HABITAT

R ookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (RBNERR), PHOTO CREDIT DAVE GRAFF
in cooperation with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission (FWC) and Audubon Florida, has closed the emergent
sandbar located one mile southeast of Cape Romano, known as “Second Chance.”
The sandbar, which is closed to public access annually from March 1 - Aug. 31,
was designated as a Critical Wildlife Area (CWA) by the FWC in November.

“Protecting Florida’s wildlife and natural resources is our first priority,” said
Rookery Bay Reserve Director Keith Laakkonen. “Taking steps to protect this
habitat during the nesting season will increase the likelihood of successful
breeding and help preserve threatened Florida species such as the Least Tern.”

PHOTO CREDIT JEAN HALL two years.”
“Audubon cheers the efforts of the Department

of Environmental Protection and Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission to manage the important
shorebird nesting site at Second Chance Shoal,”
said Eric Draper, executive director of Audubon
Florida. “This kind of agency coordination and
action will help shorebird populations recover.”

RBNERR and FWC have installed perimeter
signs on the island to clearly mark the sandbar as
closed. The signs will be removed on Aug. 31 after
the birds have left and boating visitors may return.
The area has been closed annually since 2001 to protect nesting habitat for The Least Tern is listed as a threatened species
Least Terns, Black Skimmers and Wilson’s Plover. This is the first year that the in Florida by the FWC and Black Skimmers are
CWA rules are in place prohibiting vessels, in addition to people and dogs, from listed as a Species of Special Concern. Nesting
visiting the sandbar during summer nesting season. Rookery Bay offers numerous areas will be monitored throughout the nesting
other recreational options throughout its 110,000 acres of coastal lands and waters. season and harassment or removal of endangered or
“We work with our partners to establish CWAs to protect wildlife from human threatened birds, their eggs or young is a violation
disturbance during important life stages such as nesting,” said Kipp Frohlich, of state law and may subject violators to criminal
deputy director of FWC’s Division of Habitat and Species Conservation. “We penalties. Additionally, the attempt to remove or
had broad public support and the Commission was unanimous in their decision possess any migratory bird, their nest or eggs is a
to create this CWA, the second one established by the Commission in the last violation of federal law.

70 Life in Naples | April 2016