ORLANDO, Fla. - As part of the Obama Administration's sustained commitment to restoring and protecting the Everglades, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell will travel to Florida this week to mark progress, to tour restoration efforts, and to meet with key stakeholders in the region. This will be Jewell's second official visit to the Everglades since being sworn in as Secretary less than one year ago.
On Thursday, Jewell will visit the Durando Ranch in Okeechobee to meet with ranchers and private landowners to discuss next steps for the Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area. Based on a landscape-scale approach, the refuge was established in January 2012 to conserve and restore habitat needed for the survival of more than 200 imperiled fish, wildlife and plants, while preserving the traditional way of life for ranchers in the region.
Jewell will also have an opportunity to tour the Kissimmee River Restoration Project in Lorida, Fla., which is a collaborative effort to restore 40 square miles of river-floodplain ecosystem and 20,000 acres of wetlands that will have major benefits for Florida's environment and economy. The Everglades, which receives water from the Kissimmee River Valley, will benefit from the conservation and restoration of its headwaters with enhanced water quality, quantity and storage.
On Friday evening, the Secretary will deliver keynote remarks at the 29th Annual Everglades Coalition Conference in Naples, Fla.
Jewell's visit builds on her October speech at the National Press Club outlining her vision for conservation in which she underscored the importance of the Land and Water Conservation Fund for collaborative, landscape-level conservation and leveraging public-private partnerships.
EVENT ONE
WHO:
Sally Jewell, U.S. Secretary of the Interior
Lefty Durando, Owner, Durando Ranch
Ranchers and private landowners
WHAT:
Ranch tour and media availability
WHERE:
Durando Ranch
43195 Highway 441 North
Okeechobee, FL 34972
WHEN:
Thursday, January 9
10:00 a.m. EST - Media check-in
10:30 a.m. EST - Tour of Durando Ranch & Media Availability
MEDIA:
Due to limited seats available on the tour, credentialed members of the media who
wish to attend this event are required to RSVP here no later than 8:00 PM EST on Wednesday, January 8. Additional logistical information will be provided to confirmed members of the media.
EVENT TWO
WHO:
Sally Jewell, U.S. Secretary of the Interior
WHAT:
Keynote remarks at the 29th Annual Everglades Coalition Conference
WHERE:
Naples Beach Hotel
851 Gulf Shore Blvd N
Naples, FL 34102
WHEN:
Friday, January 10 at 6:30 p.m. EST
MEDIA:
For complimentary media registration , please contact Alison Zemanski Heis at 202.384.8762 or aheis@npca.org or Cara Capp at 305.546.6689 or ccapp@npca.org
Source: Department of Interior
