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Environmentalists Say Too Much Water In Everglades National Park Jeopardizes Endangered Sparrow

Photo courtesy Center for Biological Diversity
Photo courtesy Center for Biological Diversity

Environmentalists are calling on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to control flooding in Everglades National Park that they say is jeopardizing an endangered sparrow.

The Center for Biological Diversity and other scientists say flooding in the western Everglades National Park is threatening the Cape Sable seaside sparrow with extinction.

Stuart Pimm of Duke University says the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers should move more water east and maintain a dry period of the sparrow's habitat during nesting season.

"My colleagues and I feel very strongly that an organization like the Army Corps ought not to be driving a species to extinction in the middle of one of our national parks."

Pimm says the flooding has cut the sparrow's population in half. Some 2,500 remain.

An Army Corps spokeswoman says the agency is working to balance the needs of the Cape Sable seaside sparrow with those of the Everglades and other species living there.

 

Amy Green covered the environment for WMFE until 2023. Her work included the 2020 podcast DRAINED.