Environmental issues in Brevard County in Florida United States are highlighted by the amount of waterline, the amount of wetlands, the quantity of residents and visitors to the area, as well as the usual threat to air quality from commuters. Assisting in this is the Florida Space Coast Clean Cities Coalition which is headquartered in Brevard.
Land preservation and animal habitats There are a number of wildlife refuges in the county: the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, the Canaveral National Seashore, the St. Johns National Wildlife Refuge, and the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge.Caribbean Conservation & Sea Turtle Survival League :: CCC's Sea Turtle Survival League Programs & Projects Saint Johns National Wildlife Refuge - Merritt Island NWR, Titusville, Florida
Environmentally Endangered Lands Program Local taxes support an Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL) Program to protect environmentally sensitive areas. The 395-acre Malabar Scrub Sanctuary located in Malabar, Florida. Malabar is also a Trail Town. The Enchanted Forest in Titusville was the first land set aside under this program. It preserves a significant sample of the natural communities that were originally found in this region, including xeric oak scrub, mature hardwood forests, wetlands and pine flatwoods.Environmentally Endangered Lands Program: ENCHANTED FOREST SANCTUARY A recent controversy was solved when the County decided to rehire the Nature Conservancy to negotiate the purchase of EEL acquisitions.
The Management & Education Center at The Enchanted Forest Sanctuary in Titusville, is the EEL Program's first regional educational facility. The EEL Program was established in 1990 to protect the natural habitats of Brevard County by acquiring environmentally sensitive lands for conservation, passive recreation, and environmental education. This was made possible by citizens who voted to tax themselves up to $55 million for the acquisition and maintenance of Brevard's natural areas. Residents reaffirmed the EEL Program in 2004 under a second referendum to protect the natural habitats within Brevard County by the acquisition of environmentally sensitive lands through a willing seller program for the purpose of conservation, passive recreation, and environmental education. To maximize the funding, the EEL Program forms partnerships with federal, state and local agencies that are committed to the protection of natural resources and our long-term quality of life. EEL sanctuaries are managed to preserve native habitats and the plants and animals that live there.
As of 2010, there have been purchased under the EEL program.
Barrier Island Center In 2008, the county built a $3 million building south of Melbourne Beach, Florida. Barrier Island Center is a sanctuary management and education center. The facility hosts environmental programs and features an interactive exhibit and presentation hall. Programs include educational projects, beach cleanups, and guided hikes on the Barrier Island Trail.
Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge The Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge provides and opportunity to observe animals in their natural habitat. It is home to many species of birds, wild boar, white-tailed deer, American alligators, bobcats, nine-banded armadillos and other creatures. There are nature trails, a US Ranger Nature Center and a scenic drive through a wild bird habitat.
Enchanted Forest Sanctuary The Enchanted Forest Sanctuary preserves a diversity of the natural habitats found on the Space Coast. Several miles of hiking trails pass through the natural environment of the Sanctuary. Plant life in the Sanctuary includes both temperate (northern) and subtropical (southern) species which grow here together. There are five basic habitat types in the Enchanted Forest Sanctuary: oak, scrub, mesic and hydric hammock, wet prairie, and pine flatwood. Wildlife species found here include the eastern indigo snake, Florida scrub lizard, gopher tortoise, white-tailed deer, and bobcat.
Every April, the Friends of the Enchanted Forest present "Earth Day Family Fun Fest." About 800 attend.
Erna Nixon Park The Erna Nixon Park is a natural Florida hammock and nature preserve that features a long elevated boardwalk with of trail that winds through three different ecosystems. Signs on the nature trail identifies many different plant species. A nature center with exhibits is on the site.
Bird and turtle habitats The brown pelican, wood stork, snowy egret, great blue heron and loggerhead sea turtles are endangered species present in Brevard.
The Space Coast contains most of the sites included in the Florida East Coast portion of the "Great Florida Birding Trail."Great Florida Birding Trail - Winter 1999 Trail Update
The Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival (Space Coast Flyways Festival) is held in January. It attracts about 5,000 attendees, the third largest in the US.
The Welcome Back Songbirds Festival is held at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in April.
In 1987, Brevard hosted the last dusky seaside sparrow, now extinct.extinct species There have been only two such avian failures since listing of endangered species began in 1973. This event has presented a challenge to ensure that other environmental concerns are addressed in a timely manner.
The Florida scrub jay has been thought to be threatened in the county for many years, because the species is territorial and cannot move to better grounds when its habitat is jeopardized. In 2009, the Brevard Zoo is moving the remaining 15 scrub jay families native to Palm Bay to Buck Lake Conservation Area in Mims.
In 2010, officials rescued 3,000 loggerhead turtles from hypothermia, brought about by unseasonably cold weather in early January.
Floral pests Native flora is threatened by various invasive plants, including the Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius). Possession and cultivation of this tree is illegal. Large numbers of volunteers periodically cut down these invaders, particularly along waterways. The Australian pine (Casuarina spp.) is being actively attacked.
Other foreign pests include the Asian ambrosia beetle (Xyleborus glabratus) threatens the local avocado industry and redbay trees (Persea borbonia). The fungus they carry destroyed 95% of redbays in the county by 2009.
Water quality Brevard County has of waterline, presenting a challenge to water environmental management.
In 2013, there were four major problems with water quality in the Indian River Lagoon. 1) Excess nitrogen and phosphorus from runoff from the application of fertilizer; 2) an estimated 8 to 11% septic tank failure. There are tens of thousands of septic tanks in the county. 3) Muck from construction, farming, erosion and dead plants, all find their way to the bottom of the lagoon, preventing growth and consuming vital oxygen essential to marine flora and fauna; 4) Invasive species, including the Asian green mussel, South American charru mussel, and the Australian spotted jellyfish, all eat clams and fish larvae.
In 2017, excessive rain from storms, forced the county to discharge of untreated sewage into the Indian River Lagoon near Indian Harbour Beach. The law permits the dumping of treated wastewater. Dumping untreated sewage is a health-hazard. It contributes .5% of the nutrients in the lagoon. The county signed a consent order in 2018, that required the county, among other things, to install of force mains on the South Beaches from Florida State Road 518 south, at a cost of $10 million.
In December 2005, four communities including Cocoa Beach, failed the salinity test in the adjacent Indian River Lagoon. The salinity was too low due to excessive fresh water runoff, a frequent problem in the area. Each community must address this problem. In 2010, the St. Johns River Water Management District was diverting the fresh water (and sediment and pollution) from the C-1 and C-54 canals into the Saint Johns instead of the lagoon.
Watershed Action Volunteers (WAV) provides workers, from among their 300 members, to help monitor water quality, conduct nature surveys, planting sea oats and other eco-friendly tasks. Brevard had of escaped sewage in 2004. Aging sewer systems was blamed. Brevard stood tenth in the state, which is consistent with its population.2006SewageReport7.25.06ngFINAL.doc In 1970, the county had 20,000 septic tanks. This number rose to an estimated 100,000 tanks in 2016.
Palm Bay has hosted Water Fest featuring many water games for children. The Fest teaches water conservation.http://www.palmbayflorida.org/PalmBayerSpring2007.pdf
St. Johns Watershed The St. Johns River Water Management District maintains and protects local waterways and estuaries such as the St. Johns River, the Indian River, and the Banana River. The district has directed that lawn sprinkling be done once a week during Standard time, twice a week during Daylight Saving Time.http://sjrwmd.com/wateringrestrictions/index.html retrieved July 28, 2010 Violators are subject to a $50 fine for the first offense.http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20090309/NEWS01/903070328/-1/sevendays retrieved March 15, 2009
In 2013, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection required that benchmarks be met within 15 years: cut nitrogen runoff to the lagoon by 67% and 72% of phosphorus. Because of its marine origins, Florida soil is naturally high in phosphorus.
The St. John's Watershed Action Volunteers provides workers, from among their 300 members, to help monitor water quality, conduct nature surveys, planting sea oats and other eco-friendly tasks.
A 2012 resultor algae bloom resulted in a 50% dieback of sea grass, vital for marine creatures. The bloom is believed to have been triggered by extreme winter cold spells and drought.
Lagoon water samples tested as high as 5% salt, twice desirable. Ocean water is 2.5%.
Ocean In 2005, divers and biologists want to restrict fishing and ocean dumping at Oculina Reef to protect the deep-sea coral that grows only here, about offshore from Cape Canaveral to Fort Pierce. They are seeking a federal designation of a "National Marine Sanctuary." They are opposed by area fishermen.
In 2008, Florida passed the Clean Oceans Act with support from local legislators. The intention was to force gambling ships out of Port Canaveral to dump sewage more than from shore. This took effect in 2009. During that year the gambling ships went bankrupt. This was believed due to the economy and other business reasons and not because of this statute. The water quality near shore, which was rarely below standard, did not change.
Marine life Sea turtles nest on Brevard shores. They are sensitive to night lights which have affected their reproduction locally. The not-for-profit Sea Turtle Preservation Society (STPS) educates the public about marine turtles. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service permits STPS to work with these endangered and threatened sea turtles.STPS - Sea Turtle Preservation Society
The Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge contains a twenty-mile (32 km) section of coastline from Melbourne Beach south. This is the largest nesting area for loggerhead sea turtles in the western hemisphere and the second largest nesting beach in the world.Caribbean Conservation & Sea Turtle Survival League :: CCC's Sea Turtle Survival League Programs & Projects Twenty-five percent of all loggerhead sea turtle and 35% of all green sea turtle nests in the United States occur in this zone.
The Marine Resources Council focuses on issues affecting the Indian River Lagoon through its programs on shoreline restoration, water quality monitoring and right whale watching. It is possible to watch right whales from December through March as they migrate to their summer home in the South Atlantic.Brevard Zoo |