Item N4
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
Meeting Date: Sept. 15th
Division:
BOCC
Bulk Item: Yes can be
No
Departtnent:
AGENDA ITEM WORDING: Equitable support from the County afMonroe of$14,000.00 to
match an equal amount from foundations that support the legitimate non-profit (501C3)
Corporations that provide 24/7, 365 days a year, humane animal control & support for year-
round and migratory birds fuat inhabit the Florida Keys.
Birding is a fast growing interest and a valuable economic component of our overall ecc>>nomy.
Many, more than most know, come to The Keys to view our local year-round fauna, as well as
the migratory species of the Eastern Flyway. Please consider the proposed motion as an
investment that will assist in providing protection, treatment, and educational outreach for a
valuable resource of the Florida Keys.
ITEM BACKGROUND: as aJl. commissionetskBow, The Florida Keys are part of the Eastern
Fly Way for many migratory birds;.serving both as a stopping off point for those that continue
on south and on their northerly return and temporary home for those that winter here. Many of
these birds, both local and migratory, are subject to many human produced "death-traps" e.g.
mono-mament line, hooks & line, cars, towers, discarded fish carcass, oil spills, chemical
pollution etc.
The birding groups that provide legitimate humane care for birds that are injured & maimed
work hand to mouth on providing tltese valuable services; The BOCC has now before us an
opportunity to financially assist these struggling enterprises.
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION:
Financial Support of $14, 000.00 for the Upper Keys Bird Center
CONTRACT/AGREEMENT CIlANGES:
I.
STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
. /,
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EXOTIC AND WILD BIRD RESCUE OF THE FLORIDA KEYS
P.O. Box 431392, Big Pine Key, Florida 305-872-1982
E-mail: M.Totmanat<chicc054@bellsouth.net>
August 26, 2004
Board of County Commissioners
Monroe County, Florida
Dear Sirs,
We are requesting County funds in the amount of$14,000 to support our wild bird rescue
and nature conservation center that operates from Big Pine Key. This would be the same
amount approved at your last meeting (August 18th) for the Wild Bird Center ofTavenier.
Like the Tavenier center, we operate in unincorporated Monroe County, but in our case
we cannot expect a municipality to provide support. However, we are prepared to match
the County's $14,000 with an equal amount offunds available to us from charitable
foundations.
Profile: Established in February 2000 and located in Big Pine Key, Exotic and Wild Bird Rescue
of the Florida Keys, Inc. (EWBR) is a 501 (C)(3) non-profit organization with State and Federal
certification. The mission ofEWBR is to rescue and rehabilitate sick and injured wild birds,
restore wildlife habitat to a more productive condition, and educate citizens about nature so that
everyone is made aware of the importance of respecting all life and the environment. All services
are professionally managed, free of charge, and we operate around the clock, every day of the
year. There are no salaried personnel or board members. Volunteers help to expand the services
of EWBR.
EWBR is a small volunteer organization, created to fill a geographic gap in wild bird rescue
coverage in the Keys, operating in unincorporated Monroe County between Key West and
Marathon - although we go outside those boundaries when necessary. We collaborate with all
County, State, and Federal wildlife and law enforcement agencies who now refer to us all cases of
wild bird disablement in the Lower Florida Keys. As well, with "Rescue" in our name, we seem
to have become "the place" to call about, bring, or drop off (sometimes in the middle of the night)
all sorts of critters from orphaned and injured baby raccoons and kittens to abandoned dogs, cats,
chickens, domestic ducks, and rabbits as well as disabled frogs, turtles, and iguanas. We will not
turn away any critter in need, and so we accept and care for them until their appropriate
rehabilitators can collect them.
Facilities: EWBR has established a modest sized rehabilitation facility where there are aviaries
for housing sick and injured birds, flight cages/sanctuaries (two with concrete pools for wading
birds), and regular and intensive care facilities including diagnostic and remedial capabilities in
the bird hospital, which has modern examination and treatment equipment (much of it donated by
hospitals and clinics). The Director is a trained surgical nurse with experience in the use of
modern medical approaches to animal care. Professional veterinarians are consulted in special
cases. Field vehicles are those donated by the Monroe County Sheriff's Department when
replaced by new vehicles. The needed operating budget for EWRB is $40,000 per year which we
have been struggling to obtain and too often fall short.
Services: Last year, EWBR rescued and treated over 500 disabled wild birds, many of which
suffered fishing-related injuries because of carelessness. These included wading birds such as
herons, pelicans, and cormorants; raptors such as hawks, ospreys, owls; and songbirds. When
crippled or sick birds are reported by citizens or law enforcement or conservation officers, EWBR
sends a volunteer to the scene to rescue the bird and usually to bring it to the EWBR facility for
treatment and later release back to nature. Forty-one disabled wild birds remain in long-term care.
Some are employed in EWBR's educational program which centers on nature and ecology but
also provides people with an up-close look at the damage that improperly discarded fish line and
other trash can cause.
Problems with fishing. The Florida Keys are a premier fishing area. Unfortunately, improperly
discarded monofilament line is a top killer of wild birds in the Keys (as well as being responsible
for the deaths and maiming of manatees, sea turtles, and other marine life). Entangled in this
fishing line, they can die, sometimes quickly, more often in gruesome, lingering deaths. In 2002,
EWBR began placing monofilament recycling containers at various bridges and marinas, as
money from donations permitted, so that fishermen can properly dispose of monofilament. At an
outreach meeting in the Upper Keys, EWBR introduced to the participants the recycling
container, and Staff of the newly-formed Florida Overseas Heritage Trail decided to place
containers along the "trail," at every bridge in the Keys (and other coastal fishing locations in
Florida) using stickers designed by EWBR.
Education in County schools: EWBR's education program focuses on interactive events and
ongoing projects such as learning about and growing wildlife friendly plants for placement in
various habitats. Writing essays on wildlife and habitat, and performing cleanup activities helps
to reinforce material being presented and creates a deeper understanding of nature and
conservation. Participants are asked to write about what they have learned, and their essays have
been published weekly in the News Barometer and posted on school bulletin boards. The program
is conducted in schools throughout the Keys and teachers are active participants. During summer
months, EWBR hosts youth groups - Boy/Girl Scouts, YMCA, and visiting student groups from
other areas of the U.S.
Public Education: EWBR has an active outreach program to teach people about the importance of
protecting wildlife and keeping the environment clean for wildlife and humans. It became
obvious early on that simply caring for injured and orphaned birds coming through the doors of
EWBR was not enough. Thus, outreach and educational programs which strive to bring about
public awareness about environmental pollution, habitat damage, and exploitation of wildlife are
part of our mission. Brochures and flyers are made available at public places and personally
handed out on beaches (to mitigate trash problems), bridges (to educate fishing people about the
hazards of monofilament line to wading birds), and other venues for public gatherings.
Presentations are made at various meetings such as the Audubon and Discovery programs as well
as to informal groups at R V sites, recreation facilities, marinas, and fishing lodges. Helpful what-
to-do-if hints are published in newspapers.
Sincerely,
Maya Totman, Director
Exotic and Wild Bird Rescue of the Florida Keys
8712MN
exotic & Wild Bird Reecue of the Florida Keys, Inc.
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