Aug. 22 marks the 50th anniversary of the official establishment of the National Key Deer Refuge in 1957. Centered on Big Pine Key and surrounding islands, the National Key Deer Refuge protects native habitats that support the Key deer and 21 other threatened and endangered species. The battle to save the diminutive Key deer began long before the refuge's establishment.
Historically, the Key deer ranged from Marathon to Key West. Deer likely colonized this area when sea level was lower and the Keys were connected to the mainland peninsula, but they became isolated during the rapid sea level rise about 10,000 years ago. First reported by Spanish explorers in 1575, Key deer were a viable food source for Native Americans and early European and Caribbean settlers in the Florida Keys. An increasing number of people moved into the Keys in the early 20th century, putting more pressure on the deer and its habitat. As early as 1934, conservationists became alarmed about over-hunting that pushed deer numbers toward extinction. The state of Florida outlawed the hunting of Key deer, but poaching continued with little law enforcement. Later, the Boone and Crocket Club and National Wildlife Federation contributed funds for a game warden named Jack Watson, who eventually become the legendary protector of the Key deer and the first refuge manager.
By 1950, conflicts between people seeking developed paradise versus natural vistas in the Florida Keys mirrored the contemporary topics still debated today. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Director Jim Silver reported at the time that Congress was reluctant to spend an extraordinary $300,000 to buy 10,000 acres for a deer sanctuary. Silver wrote, "The question has been asked many times as to why these undeveloped lands should have such a high value.
The answer is only because of the magic that is Florida and where all ocean-front properties are potential home or recreational sites. It also emphasizes, however, the urgency for prompt action to preserve a small part of the Key deer homeland before it is forever too late." After several years of negotiations with private landowners and conservation groups, Congress finally authorized the initial purchase of 1,000 acres on Big Pine Key to establish the National Key Deer Refuge, dedicated on Aug. 22, 1957.
The open space and natural areas that both residents and visitors cherish today in the Lower Keys persists primarily because of the foresight of those who came before us to create the National Key Deer Refuge.
Fifty years later and millions of dollars spent on land acquisition to date, the National Key Deer Refuge has grown to more than 8,500 acres, creating a patchwork of small and large tracts of pine rockland forest, hardwood hammocks, mangroves, freshwater wetlands and coastal marshes. The refuge also encompasses more than 75,000 acres of state waters co-managed to support refuge objectives. The Key deer population has rebounded from near extinction to more than 600 animals. Three-quarters of the deer population is found on Big Pine and No Name Keys, with smaller numbers of deer ranging from the Johnson Keys to Sugarloaf Key.
Protection of the Key deer and its habitat is one of the best examples of the importance of the National Wildlife Refuge System for saving our nation's natural heritage. President Theodore Roosevelt began the legacy of setting aside lands and waters dedicated to conserving wildlife with the establishment of Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge near St. Augustine in 1903. Today, a national system of nearly 100 million acres in more than 540 national wildlife refuges spans every state and territory, including four in the Florida Keys: Key West, Great White Heron, and Crocodile Lake, in addition to National Key Deer Refuge.
Join refuge staff and volunteers later this year in celebrating 50 years of conservation when we host a gathering on Nov. 17 at our Watson Boulevard administrative site on Big Pine Key. We will welcome old and new friends to share stories about the past and present, feature a premiere showing of a Jack Watson biographical video, and cut a ribbon to open our reconstructed office building. Stop by our Key Deer Visitor Center in the Big Pine Key Shopping Plaza for information about the event and to learn more about your national wildlife refuges.
Anne Morkill is manger of Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges.
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