Tom Bayles and Michael Braun

Wildfire in Big Cypress National Preserve within the Florida Everglades is burning through acreage, moving to the southwest, shutting down roads and trails and putting residents in the heavily wooded region on notice that evacuations are escalating

U.S. 41 closed Saturday by smoke from Sandy Fire; firefighters using drones to thwart fire's advance

The Florida Highway Patrol closed a 58-plus mile portion of 41, from Krome Avenue in Dade to State Road 29 in Collier on Friday and Saturday to ensure the safety of travelers as well as for the firefighters working along the roadside.Friday's closure ran several hours and the FHP on Saturday said it anticipated another multi-hour closure.

A forestry firefighter keeps an eye on a segment of the Sandy Wildfire, in the Big Cypress National Preserve Wednesday night.

Environment

Sandy Fire over 11,000 acres; some residents urged to leave

Tom Bayles and Michael Braun

The Sandy Fire in the southeastern portion of the Big Cypress National Preserve has grown over 11,000 acres and fire officials have activated a second phase of evacuation plans for those living within the affected area.The wildfire began May 1 as a 50-acre blaze in an area of the preserve between I-75 to then north and U.S. 41 to the south.

Environment

Sandy Fire in Big Cypress near Ochopee grows to 5,500 acres

Tom Bayles and Michael Braun

The Sandy Fire was discovered on May 1, east of the Oasis Trail. Dry woods, low relative humidity, and several structures have made progress difficult

Manatee resting at Three Sisters Springs (Crystal River NWR) while shading over a school of mangrove snappers. The Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, was established in 1983 specifically for the protection of the endangered West Indian Manatee. This unique refuge preserves the last unspoiled and undeveloped habitat in Kings Bay, which forms the headwaters of the Crystal River. The refuge preserves the warm water spring havens, which provide critical habitat for the manatee populations that migrate here each winter.

Petition urges USFWS protect Florida manatees as endangered

Tom Bayles and Michael Braun

Calling declines in the manatee population since 2017 “dramatic” a coalition of groups have petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to increase protections for the aquatic mammal.The Center for Biological Diversity, Harvard Animal Law & Policy Clinic, Miami Waterkeeper, Save the Manatee Club and Frank S. González García filed the petition Monday. The petition urges the federal wildlife agency to reclassify the species from threatened to endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

South Lee mulch and agricultural recycling facility bought by larger Florida green waste recycler

Tom Bayles and Michael Braun

Veransa Group, an industrial-scale recycler of green and wood waste has acquired MW Horticulture's South Lee County green and wood waste recycling facility for an undisclosed amount.