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In the ongoing fight to save the Briger Forest, the Palm Beach County Environmental Coalition (PBCEC), The
South Florida Wildlands Association, The Sierra Club of Florida led by its
Loxahatchee Group, and the Palm Beach County Green Party have submitted a
letter today notifying the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers of violations of the Endangered Species Act in connection
with the consultation process that the two agencies engaged in over the Scripps
Briger Development of Regional Impact (DRI) Project in Palm Beach County,
Florida. The letter has been submitted
by William S. Eubanks II of the Washington, D.C. public interest environmental
law firm of Meyer Glitzenstein and Crystal.
As one of the last remaining sizable
tracts of contiguous forested land in Palm Beach County, the project site is
critical for various wildlife species including the federally protected eastern
indigo snake. With major highways and heavy development on all sides, the
site plays a key role in providing habitat for numerous species which, simply
put, have nowhere else to go.
However, in their Biological Opinion written for the
project, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service failed to account for the parcel's
value as habitat or refuge for wildlife.
In authorizing construction and operation of a massive facility that
will eliminate habitat for snakes and other wildlife on the parcel – leading to the eventual
elimination of all remaining eastern indigo snakes, a federally listed
threatened species, from the property – alternative ways of conserving the project site were not even
considered. Indeed, by failing to minimize deaths and injuries of eastern
indigo snakes at all – let
alone analyzing various ways that the agency could have minimized such deaths
and injuries – the Service
has failed to comply with its duties under the Endangered Species Act.
Christian Minaya of the Palm Beach County Environmental
Coalition said his group has had longstanding opposition to the development of
this tract. "Our vision for the
future of the Briger Tract is one of preservation. A vital link to old Florida,
a preserved Briger Tract will undoubtedly prove to be a precious resource for
the continuation of biological diversity in the area, as well as a great boon
for education and recreation for local residents."
Suki DeJong of the Palm Beach County Green Party echoed
those remarks. "In the future we see the land being acquired through private
and public funds, invasive species removed, the ecosystem restored to a natural
state, and ultimately the whole area managed and kept for passive recreation. A
living laboratory, the Briger Tract holds unfathomable potential as a teaching
tool for the community as well as being a treasure trove for diverse science
disciplines. We believe it is time that
Palm Beach County treasure and preserve its natural resources - not facilitate
their destruction."
"As growth
continues unabated in south Florida, the habitat available for wildlife shrinks
at a steady rate", said Matthew Schwartz of the South Florida Wildlands
Association. "This puts our
biodiversity at extreme risk. For many
species, rigorous enforcement of the Endangered Species Act is the only lifeline
they have. The Fish and Wildlife Service
had many options here - including requiring changes to the development
plan. It's unfortunate that they gave a
green light to complete destruction of habitat in this locale."
If you want to support this fight, please donate now.
Full text of the notice letter.
