this picture contains cabbage palms (sabal...

This picture contains cabbage palms (Sabal palmetto).

1 NRLI Practicum Draft Presentation - Cabbage Palms

The cabbage palm is the state tree of Florida.


The cabbage palm is a tree.


The cabbage palm can be cooked to make the culinary delicacy known as "heart of palm."


Cabbage palms live most of their lives above ground.


Ecology and management of cabbage palm (Sabal palmetto) in Picayune Strand State Forest, FL

Kelly Keefe, Ph.D. US Army Corps of Engineers

Everglades Restoration Jacksonville, Florida

Background

South Florida

Everglades Restoration

Picayune Strand State Forest


Picayune Strand State Forest

Everglades Restoration: Picayune Strand

Restoration Project Area

Background

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Cabbage Palms at Picayune Strand

Cabbage palm (Sabal palmetto).


South Florida Water Management District

• Interest: restoration

• 50% cost-share partner

• 6 years of invasive plant species control

• Questions about cabbage palm harvests

Florida Forest Service • Interest: Multi-use forest management; restoration • Can sell cabbage palms via harvest bids • Will be responsible for vegetation management after 6 years

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service • Interest: restoration and species protection

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

• Interest: restoration

• 50% cost-share partner

• Harvests do not violate our policies, but…


Issue description • Mutual agreement among agencies that cabbage palms are over-

abundant on the site. • However… Not too clear about the consequences of the abundance of the palms...

– Do they suppress native plant diversity? – Do they act as ‘fire ladders’ during burns? – Will they prevent restoration of the site? – What is their role for protected wildlife?

• Questions about harvesting the palms – Does harvesting invite invasive plants? – Will hydrologic restoration restore species balance without

harvesting? – Does harvesting affect protected wildlife?


NRLI Practicum Objectives

• Support communication, mutual understanding of cabbage palm ecology;

• Increase understanding of how hydrology affects the palms;

• Foster cooperative discussions about cabbage palm management options, including harvests, while seeking to restore Picayune Strand.


Practicum Actions, Steps completed

1. Build trust by helping to answer questions: Scientific literature review

2. Facilitate multi-party decision 3. Facilitate further actions Steps completed: • Met with agency stakeholders: field visit followed by group meeting • One-on-one communications with agency stakeholders • Identified questions and areas needing information • Agreed on deliverable • Obtained buy-in and funding • Draft document completed


Fun (and relevant) Facts!

• They can grow underground for decades before emerging

• Cabbage palm is the most abundant native palm in the USA

• Several species rely on them, historically

including people (they taste like… cabbage)

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NRLI Practicum Draft Presentation - Cabbage Palms

Next Steps

• Interagency draft review

• Facilitate: further specification of the issues, given new information

• Suggestion: Interagency development of “management options matrix”

• Suggestion: Explore reduced impact logging techniques to continue harvests with less impact


Some NRLI concepts • To build trust and cooperation be aware of

“circle of conflict” and “triangle of satisfaction”.

• Understand the stakeholders! • Interests rather than positions; reframe the issues to focus on problem solving. • Awareness of personalities, emotions, group

dynamics, and ‘groan zones’.

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Questions?

this picture contains cabbage palms (sabal...

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