Southern Range Translocation Cooperative
The final 2012 SRTC meeting notice (August 2-3, 2012) and memo are below. Information in the attached memo includes the estimated RCW pairs available from donor populations, the listings for normally scheduled recipient populations, lodging at block room rates (e.g. Cabot Lodge), and a summary of our 2011 SRTC meeting. This is shaping up to be another good year with an estimated 59 RCW pairs becoming available from at least 6 donor populations for allocation among 16 normally scheduled recipient populations in the even-year rotation. As always, we will adjust the allocation from donors to recipients in response to recipient status and other factors. Opportunities appear available for normally scheduled recipients to receive additional RCWs. Also, some recipients scheduled for the odd-year rotation may be able to receive RCWs.
The objectives of the SRTC are to stabilize and rapidly increase the size of small RCW populations, as augmented by translocation, to prevent and reduce their vulnerability to extirpation by stochastic demographic and environmental events. As described in the attached summary of the 2011 SRTC meeting, recipients for 5 populations or subpopulations have either just achieved or are at the threshold of reaching the SRTC management and translocation objective of 30 RCW potential breeding groups or, if smaller, the population management objective: Ocala National Forest Paisley Woods subpopulation, Goethe State Forest South subpopulation, Withlacoochee State Forest Croom subpopulation, Avon Park Air Force Range population, and Disney Wilderness Preserve population. The Disney population represents an important recovery support population. Each of these other 4 population/subpopulations are designated as Essential Support recovery populations in the South Central Florida RCW recovery unit. Since the SRTC was initiated, there are now 16 populations or subpopulations that have increased to a sufficient size where translocation is no longer essential or provided. Congratulations to everyone involved in this management and recovery achievement! This year, I expect we will hear reports of other accomplishments as well.
Your SRTC participation and collaboration continues to be a RCW recovery success for many populations!
