Impacts of Airboats on Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge; Part 2- Long Term Impacts of Airboat Use Under the Deer Hunt Restrictions Interim Report

Johnston, Joseph

Airboats have been used as a form of transportation in south florida since long before the formation of Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge (LNWR). During the last 20 years, there has been an increase in the number of these vehicles in south Florida. However, s1nce 1970 the number of permitted airboats at LNWR has remained the same, about 100. Airboat use is generally concentrated around the waterfowl season, about two months, but 50 percent of the use is outside this time period. During the 1970s, three studies- Schemnitz and Shortemeyer, 1972; Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, 1977; and Duever, Carlson, and Riopelle, 1981 - were conducted to address the issue of airboat impact. These investigations primarily evaluated short-term, less than one year, impacts and vegetative recovery associated with off-road vehicle use in the Everglades. The deer hunt at LNWR caused concern about potential adverse impacts associated with airboat use during the hunt. This study was initiated to assist in answering whether or not airboats should be used in the proposed hunt. The study was designed to address the short and long-term impacts of airboats on vegetation. The impacts of year around use of airboats were not investigated because of limitations of the proposed hunt and budgetary constraints. These budgetary constraints also prohibited investigation of faunal impacts.