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Did you know that of the 13 islands in the Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge, four are designated wilderness, while none of the Lower Suwannee NWR lands carry that designation? So what’s the difference between Refuge land and Refuge-designated wilderness? Both types of land are managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and set aside for conservation, but the key difference lies in the level of protection and allowable uses.
Designated wilderness, on the other hand, is protected under the Wilderness Act of 1964 and managed to preserve its “untrammeled” character. That means no motorized vehicles, no new permanent structures, and minimal human impact. Even wildlife managers and researchers must follow strict rules when working in these areas. Access is usually limited to foot or paddle travel, making these places some of the most pristine and untouched parts of our public lands.
In the Cedar Keys, four islands—Snake, Seahorse, Deadman's, and North Keys—are protected wholly or in part not just as National Wildlife Refuge, but also under the Wilderness designation specified in Public Law 92.364. This dual status helps safeguard nesting bird colonies, fragile shorelines, and sensitive habitats from disturbance. At the Lower Suwannee Refuge, although no areas are designated wilderness, large swaths of land are still remote, undeveloped, and offer a strong sense of solitude. The difference is more in policy than in appearance: you might see a trailhead kiosk or hear an airboat in the distance, but you’ll still be surrounded by wild Florida. Whether you’re standing on a sandbar in a designated wilderness or hiking a pine flatwoods trail in the Lower Suwannee, you’re part of a legacy of land set aside for nature—and for future generations to enjoy.
Friends' Summer Solstice event at the Low-Key Hideaway Tiki Bar on Saturday, June 21st was a lovely celebration. The breezes blew. The no-seeums stayed away. The shade was adequate. Best of all, the presentation by Dr. Ken Sassaman was informative and enjoyable. Ideally, both Summer and Winter Solstice celebrations would be held at Shell Mound. There, on the summer solstice, the sun rises over the closed end of the parabolic (U-shaped) dune on which the Mound is built. On the winter solstice, the sun sets between the open arms of the dune. Shell Mound was a ceremonial as well as residential place for the native people. Friends looks forward to returning there to celebrate as soon as the hurricane damages are mitigated and the pier is safe again. Until the Shell Mound Pier is rebuilt, the Tiki Bar is a beautiful setting for our celebrations. Click here to learn more about Shell Mound's connection to the solstices and the indigenous people who lived there as well as those who gathered there from throughout the southeast region. Dr. Sassaman, the Hyatt and Cici Brown Professor of Florida Archaeology at the University of Florida, talked about the civic-ceremonial activities that occurred at Shell Mound and what is being done today to better understand the people who lived there and the changes to the Mound itself over time.
 Suwannee, the river the Refuge protects and the reason for our advocacy. Friends’ updates in April and in May concerning the staff reductions and other precipitous changes at the Refuges received several comments from Friends members and News Brief readers expressing their concerns. Community support for our Refuges is apparently strong and surely essential. Sharing Friends' Perspective and Concerns We sent the updates to Congresswoman Kat Cammack. The District Director of her Gainesville office, Jessica Norfleet, invited Peg Hall and Jay Bushnell, members of Friends' Advocacy Committee, to meet with Kat during the Memorial Day Congressional break to discuss Friends’ concerns. Our plan was to emphasize to her the critical role of the Refuges in the economy and quality of life in her District and the need for her to be an advocate for the Refuges. As it turned out, our meeting was postponed until her next time in the District. Friends will continue to communicate with her in the interim.
The Public Lands Caucus
Contacting our Representative Using her website's contact form, Friends’ president Ron Kamzelski wrote to Kat, urging her to join the Caucus. Other Friends’ board members and volunteers have contacted her also to encourage her to support the Lower Suwannee and Cedar Keys NWRs and join the Public Lands Caucus. If you want to urge her to support our Refuges, you can send a message by way of the contact form on her website or call one of her offices: DC- (202)225-5744, Gainesville (352) 505-0838, or Ocala (771) 200-5542. So far, when one of us from Friends’ has called, we have always reached a staff member who took our message.  Kat Cammack visited the Refuge in February 2024, invited by Friends' Advocacy Committee and welcomed by Refuge staff. Pictured are Jay Bushnell, Denise Feiber, Kat, Scott Wright, Peg Hall, Ron Kamzelski, Andrew Gude, Daniel Barrand, John Stark It's only June, but we're getting messages from anxious hunters about the upcoming season. Thanks to Acting Refuge Manager, John Stark, here is the information. He can be reached at 850-527-8535.
Permit Release Schedule for 2025–2026 Seasons
 Hurricane Helene damaged the newly-rebuilt Shell Mound Pier. Some might say that it could have been worse, But the bottom line; it needed some work. The great news is that re-building is underway and expected to be finished by later in July. In the meantime, Friends has relocated the Summer Solstice event to Low Key Hideaway this year. While the agenda will be different, the opportunity to mark the longest day of the year with a celebration and a very interesting program will continue. Hope to see you there!
In the meantime, stay tuned for the reopening of the pier in a few weeks.  Our Friends organization is in good shape. The Board of Directors is committed to good stewardship of not only the Refuges we support but the funds and volunteer time that members and visitors invest with us.. We are happy to announce that the Friends of the Lower Suwannee-Cedar Key Wildlife Refuge has earned a Platinum Seal of Transparency Rating from Guidestar, the organization that reviews and rates nonprofits for good governance, You and our partners can be confident that our finances are well-managed and our work is always directed to the good of our Refuge, it’s environment, and the people who enjoy both.
Three staff members are now responsible for managing everything that our Refuges need to do to meet their mission. Their achievements in these first weeks with only half of their already small team is an impressive testimony to their skills and commitment to the wildlife, the land, and the river they signed on to conserve and protect for all of us. However, they cannot possibly do all that is needed. Here is some of what they are accomplishing. Achievements
The achievements speak to how well the Refuge staff set priorities. However, necessarily, some important tasks have to be postponed or outsourced and some deadlines can't be met. Tasks Postponed, Timelines not Met
A lot is happening. Our Refuges are open and operating. But all is not well.
This is the month when, with luck, the scientists from the Avian Research and Conservation Institute will tag a third Swallow-tailed Kite at the Lower Suwannee NWR. And the Winner is Suwannee Scout! When the story of our second kite's encounter with Hurricane Debby was published in USA Today, the students at Parkside School in Collier County read the story in their science class and wanted to help tag a bird they could track. Their science teacher David Ware asked if they could partner with Friends' to sponsor the next kite. Of course, Friends agreed. The students wanted to select the name for the kite. The first kite's name was Suwannee. The second was Suwannee 22 because she was tagged in 2022. The students proposed many names for kite number 3. Their votes are in and the winner is "Suwannee Scout".  Wish List Success The Parkside students raised $1,300 at their Everglades Day event and received another $500 from the Florida Ornithological Society toward the tracker for Suwannee Scout. Friends agree to commit the remaining needed amount, $2,500. We have almost reached the goal. If you would like to participate, visit the Wish List here.
Now we all need to cross our fingers that our lucky bird is tagged. |
Friends of the Lower Suwannee & Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuges
P. O. Box 532 Cedar Key, FL 32625 [email protected] We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. |
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