美國聯邦政府正積極尋求佛州大沼澤地區(Everglades)上游有意願將土地出售給政府設置地役權保育的地主，以保護涵蓋河流、湖泊、野生生態和歐克秋比湖以北的牧場等廣大地區。
內政部長沙拉薩(Ken Salazar)7日宣布，美國魚類暨野生動物局（U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service）正與民間地主、保育組織以及聯邦、各部族、州和地方機關洽談設立一處國家野生動物保護區，以「維持當地的放牧傳統，同時保護艾維格雷地區的水源、魚類和野生動物。」
這項7億美元預算的議案主要内容為，政府將購買約 5萬英畝的土地作爲國家野生動物保護區，並透過與地主們協議進而擴及保護其他10萬英畝的地區。
目前，魚類暨野生動物局與合作夥伴共同就設立該國家野生動物保護區，和涵蓋15萬英畝位於佛羅里達州中部奧蘭多市南部的凱西米河谷（Kissimmee River Valley）重要的環境與文化景觀保育帶進行初步評估。
該提案預期購得5萬英畝的土地。此外，更在確保地主土地權的考量下，通過保護地役權跟合作協議，取得另外10萬英畝的保育區。因此，魚類暨野生動物局只會向有意銷售土地的地主購買土地使用權。
除了改善水質，計劃中的保護區可為88種被聯邦和各州列為受威脅或瀕臨滅絕物種的棲息提供庇護，其中包括佛羅里達黑豹、佛羅里達州的黑熊、美洲鶴、艾維格雷細嘴螺鳶和東部靛藍蛇。
此外，該保護區還將與其他保育組織管理，近 69萬英畝的保護區連成一片。
南佛羅里達州水資源管理局(SFWMD)就是該計劃十幾個合作夥伴中的一個參與者。該機構的理事會副主席傑里蒙哥馬利(Jerry Montgomery)當天對這項「大膽的提案」大表讚揚。
蒙哥馬利表示，這項計劃與去年由聯邦政府出資在艾維格雷北部設立近2萬英畝的保護區，在改善水質，水資源儲存和修復環境等基礎上所作的努力，有利於所有的佛州人。
其他參與大艾維格雷地區保育的合作夥伴還有：佛羅里達州農業和消費者服務部；佛羅里達州環境保護部；佛羅里達州州有土地部門；佛羅里達州魚類和野生動物保護委員會；奧西奧拉縣公園處；國家野生動物保護協會；美國自然保育協會；美國空軍 - 艾文派克空軍靶場；以及美國農業部自然資源保育署。
該計劃只是佛羅里達州中南部目前所進行的保育行動中的一部分，預計於今年年底完成定案。
The federal government is looking for landowners in the Everglades headwaters area willing to sell land to the federal government for conservation easements that will protect an area of streams, lakes, wilderness and ranch lands north of Lake Okeechobee.
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with private landowners, conservation groups and federal, tribal, state and local agencies to create a new national wildlife refuge and conservation area that will "preserve the community's ranching heritage and conserve the headwaters and fish and wildlife of the Everglades."
Under the $700 million proposal, the government would purchase about 50,000 acres for a new national wildlife refuge and protect another 100,000 acres through agreements with landowners.
The Service, along with its partners, is conducting a preliminary study to establish a new National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area of 150,000 acres of important environmental and cultural landscapes in the Kissimmee River Valley south of Orlando in central Florida.
The proposed area includes 50,000 acres for potential purchase, and an additional 100,000 acres that could be protected through conservation easements and cooperative agreements, keeping the land in private ownership. The Service will only work with willing sellers to purchase land rights.
In addition to improving water quality, the proposed conservation area and refuge would protect habitat for 88 federal and state species listed as threatened or endangered, including the Florida panther, Florida black bear, whooping crane, Everglade snail kite and the Eastern indigo snake.
It will also link to about 690,000 acres of partner-conserved lands.
The South Florida is one of more than a dozen partners working on the proposed refuge and conservation area. SFWMD Governing Board Vice Chairman Jerry Montgomery today applauded the "bold" proposal.
Combined with last year's federal investment to conserve 26,000 acres in the Northern Everglades, this effort builds on the momentum to deliver water quality improvements, water storage and environmental restoration benefiting all Floridians," said Montgomery.
Other partners working together through the Greater Everglades Partnership Initiative include, the Florida Department of Agricultural and Consumer Services; Florida Department of Environmental Protection; Florida Division of State Lands; Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; Osceola County Parks Division; the National Wildlife Refuge Association; The Nature Conservancy; U.S. Air Force - Avon Park Air Force Range; and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resource Conservation Service.
Their efforts are part of a larger conservation effort across south-central Florida. A final plan for the Everglades Headwaters proposal is expected by the end of this year.
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