Audubon survey says SWF residents want wildlife protected
Two out of three residents believe area is growing too fast
The vast majority of Southwest Florida residents want the needs of both wildlife and people to drive decisions pertaining to the region's growth, according to an Audubon of Florida survey released today.
The first-of-its kind survey offers fresh insight into how important Southwest Floridians view the natural environment and the role it plays in their quality of life, as well as the impact of growth and development on the iconic wood stork and other threatened wildlife. The survey covered the Fort Myers/Naples area where residents provided their insights on quality of life, the natural environment and growth.
"This proves that most people who live here in Southwest Florida believe that we need to balance growth with protections for water, woods and wildlife," said Brad Cornell, a policy associate with the Big Cypress Ecosystem. "They realize the wood stork is an indicator of the health of the wetlands that store our water and keep it clean. Protecting the stork habitat also protects our water and woods, and as the survey shows, that combined with better growth management is essential to our quality of life
Some key findings from the survey:
• 91 percent of Southwest Florida residents overwhelmingly agree the needs of not only people, but also wildlife must be the arbiters of growth and development decisions.
• 89 percent believe a combination of both growth restrictions and greater requirements on new development can help protect the wood stork and other threatened wildlife
• 76 percent of residents consider the natural environment very important to their quality of life
• 67 percent believe the natural environment in Southwest Florida is deteriorating
• 68 percent of residents say they have heard of the wood stork, and awareness of the bird increases as income increases
• Two out of three residents believe Southwest Florida is growing too fast, which is a greater percentage than other parts of Florida where growth is higher
"The research shows that wildlife, clean water and open spaces are very important to the people who live here, which is why they are so sensitive to anything that unnecessarily threatens the environment," said Cornell.
Four hundred residents of the Fort Myers/Naples area were interviewed by telephone in a random sample gathered Feb. 27 through March 4, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 with a 95 percent confidence level.
Audubon of Florida protects wood storks and their natural wetland habitat at the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and in the greater Everglades system. In addition to advocacy and sanctuary management, Audubon of Florida works closely on local conservation issues with leaders from the Collier County Audubon Society and 42 other Audubon Chapters statewide. Audubon calls on residents and visitors to visit Corkscrew Swamp and join Audubon in calling for tougher protections for Southwest Florida's wetlands by visiting www saveourswamp.org.
