Peregrine falcons make a dramatic comeback

Florida officials took 10 years longer than the feds, but they recently delisted peregrine falcons from the endangered species scrolls.

Never seen one? Just think of a hawklike bird that could be a U.S. Marine or a Navy pilot. Precise predators: That's what peregrines are.

They only come to Fort Myers in the winter. Amazingly, you see these sleek, powerful falcons — they embody speed and power at once — in downtown, sitting on ledges of historic buildings and such. The falcons like to eat other birds, preferably medium-sized ones. They're dark and stocky, with pointed wings and a mustache of sorts.

Last week, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commissioners decided to down-list the birds. As a result of pesticide regulations and captive breedingand release efforts, the peregrine falcon made a dramatic comeback from precipitously low numbers in the 1970s. Peregrine populations dropped from about 20,000 birds beore the 1940s to 650 birds in 1965. Of the two populations of peregrine falcon that pass through Florida, there are now at least 3,100 breeding pairs. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service delisted the species in 1999.

COURTESY PHOTO Female peregrine falcon I'm glad Florida finally jumped on the bandwagon. Or would that be birdwagon?

In other outdoors news:

Picnic Island: The popular spoil island along the Miserable Mile is in peril — again. The island sits south of Matlacha Pass and north of San Carlos Bay. It's along the Intracoastal Waterway and the Great Calusa Blueway. Translation: A lot of powerboaters, sailors and kayakers use it for picnicking and camping.

With the Independence Day weekend coming up, please note: The island is trashed — again.

Three weeks ago, volunteer coordinator Ed Chapin transported about 30 garbage bags full of trash.

"We are back where we started," said Brian Cotterill, president of the Pine Island-based Calusa Land Trust.

Although the island sits just south of St. James City, it is used countywide by sailing clubs, yacht clubs and paddling clubs as well as parents who just want a place for their sons and daughters to swim after a long day of fishing.

More than a year ago, boaters came to the rescue, helping the two nonprofits that care for the island. That would be the Calusa Land Trust and the Pine Island Boat Club. The place had been laced with toilet-paper flowers and junk. Boaters from all corners of Lee County showed up along with Keep Lee County Beautiful Inc. to clean up the place.

It worked. For a while. Now, broken bottles, TP flowerets and discarded picnic items have become so abundant that the land trust had met with the boat club — both enlisted by the government to be stewards of the popular island — and members discussed eliminating camping at the site (which would be a shame) and also posting "don't-dothis" kind of signs.

C'mon, boaters. Let's get it together. When you're out and about this weekend, stop by the island with a trash bag and haul out a bunch of stuff that isn't your own, that is gross and that will make the island a better place once it's gone.

State park fees: I suppose we all knew it was coming, but the state finally announced it. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Florida Park Service will implement a modest fee increase beginning Wednesday, July 1.

It's the first fee update in five years. The money will be used to maintain cash flow for the system's 160 parks. Nearly half of the $81 million used to operate the state park system is raised from entrance and usage fees. Some of the most common fees that will change include day-use entrance fee for vehicles with up to eight people. You'll see two bucks more. Camping fees will go up four bucks a night.

Florida Park Service Director Mike Bullock put it this way: "Even with this fee increase, it is comforting to know a trip to a state park still remains affordable. Last year, more than 20 million visitors enjoyed Florida's state parks for just a few dollars, contributing more than one billion dollars to Florida's economy and creating more than 20,000 jobs."

OK, that may sound PR-ish. But as a regular camper at Florida's state parks and as a monthly user of Lee County's Lovers Key State Park or Koreshan State Historic Site, I can tell you that I don't mind paying more. They've been doing a lot with less for a long time. Our state park system is the first two-time Gold Medal Winner in the nation, after all. Plus parks are open 365 days a year.

— Betsy Clayton is a freelancer based on Pine Island and also is Lee County Parks & Recreation's waterways coordinator. Contact her at boatingbybetsy@ yahoo.com.