Dear NRLI alumni and friends,
While the content articles of this newsletter focus on our February session, the project team wants to let everyone know that we have transitioned as best we can to our suddenly all-virtual world. We had to postpone the forestry discussion forum that was to be held this week, so stay tuned for re-scheduling info sometime in the future. We also just finished our Session 7 for Class XIX via Zoom, which we'll share details of in next month's newsletter. And we (the project team, together with the fabulous Fellows of Class XIX) are working on alternative plans for Class XIX graduation. So for now, enjoy the content and photos from February, and we'll fill you in on March in the next newsletter. Stay safe and healthy everyone!
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To spray or not to spray?
THAT is the question.
Ana Zangroniz and Sara Owen, Class XIX NRLI Fellows
As baby NRLI fellows starting the program last August, it seemed impossible that we would have made it through one session, to say nothing of multiples. Our February 2020 trip to Sebring, FL completed our sixth session, with an issue focus of lake habitat management, and a content focus of multi-stakeholder processes. Lake Istokpoga (note the silent "k") provided a fantastic backdrop to study these two highly intertwined topics.
Lake Istokpoga is the fifth-largest lake in Florida, and no longer functioning as a natural freshwater system due to historical invasive aquatic plant management via herbicide application and the highly regulated water level maintenance for flood control purposes. Since these two approaches have been employed over a long period of time, managers and policy makers are presented with a major challenge: factoring in various needs and uses of the lake, along with the best management practices to keep the lake functioning ecologically. Since the problems took a long time to develop and compound, it's fair to say that resolving them would not be a fast or easy solution (despite the firm belief by some stakeholders that by simply stopping the spray application of herbicides would be the solution, hence, the title of this article).
The most problematic invasive species include water lettuce (pictured above, photo by Ana Zangroniz) and hydrilla. Some of the diverse stakeholders include fishermen, homeowners, resource managers, and realtors. Since each of these groups have their own very specific ideas about what the future of the lake should involve, it was critical to integrate these different groups into a multi-stakeholder process (MSP). This idea, that many different stakeholders can come together and have conversations that ultimately result in a draft habitat management plan, is a fascinating concept, and the MSP is an approach that is being more commonly employed when it comes to natural resource management planning. It is a complex, long-term process that must be planned and facilitated by an outside or neutral entity. In this case, that entity was a team from the University of Florida, who drove the process for just over two years.
Learning about this particular process was fascinating. In our stakeholder panel, a staple of each NRLI session, we were introduced to seven stakeholders who were all involved in this MSP. From the long-time bass fishing guide to the real estate agent, these individuals, while sharing differing views about what they each wanted for the lake, were able to acknowledge each other and respect different perspectives. All of the representatives affirmed that they had been able to sit down, complete a good amount of work and accomplish their goal: the draft lake habitat management plan. Despite reservations, the working group that drafted the plan  were able to come to consensus on their recommendations. The group is hopeful that these recommendations will garner a higher level of buy-in from the greater Sebring/La
ke Istokpoga community than a traditional, agency-lead process.
Our field trip featured a wonderful way to actually get out onto the Lake to see some of the issues as well as some of the solutions: via airboat. For many of the fellows, this was their first time ever riding one, which is a completely different experience than a traditional motorboat. Like other session field trips, the opportunity to view the resource and the challenges it faces really helps solidify and bring together everything that we have discussed in a particular session.
Between our content speaker, field trip, and stakeholder panel educational sessions, we left Sebring with a strong sense of just how important Lake Istokpoga was and still is to its stakeholders, and a sense of optimism for its future. We suspect that many of us will return to Sebring, not only to take another airboat ride, but to potentially explore the "haunted" Harder Hall hotel if possible...but that's for another article...
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Alumni Shout-Outs
 Once again, NRLI alumni were instrumental in planning and successfully executing our NRLI session in Sebring.
Huge thanks to guest speaker Chelsey Crandall (
Class XIII, bottom photo, aqua colored shirt) and the fearless air boat drivers from FWC, including NRLI alum Tyler Beck (Class XVI, top right).
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The deadline to apply is fast-approaching!
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Getting to Know Class XIX Fellows
Mark Lotz
Biological Scientist, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Mark is a Biological Scientist (a.k.a. panther biologist) with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission based in Naples. During his 25-year career, he has witnessed the endangered Florida panther rebound from 30 to an estimated 120-230 animals today. However, the success of an increased population led to new challenges and much of Mark's time is now devoted to managing human-panther conflicts, investigating depredation complaints and working with residents to resolve their predator conflict issues. Mark's other duties include capturing panthers for long-term radio collar studies, handling neonates at dens, and locating study animals from a fix-winged aircraft to monitor population demographics. As a member of the panther capture team, Mark is the tree-climber, safely extracting anesthetized panthers from the tree tops. He also oversees panther outreach efforts.
Mark moved to Florida, where he should have been born, after receiving his B.S in Natural Resources at the Ohio State University in 1992. He is the president of The Wild Felid Research & Management Association. In his spare time you'll find him plying the waters of the 10,000 Islands in his kayak in pursuit of snook or anything else that might be biting.
Katrina Moseley
Acting Mulit-Family Housing Program Director, USDA Rural Development
Owner/Operator, TK Moseley Farms
Katrina Moseley has worked for USDA Rural Development for over 10 years. She began as a student intern working in the various programs administered by the Agency and today, she is the Acting Multi-Family Housing Program Director. Florida has over 400 USDA Multi-Family Housing projects with over 18,000 units. Katrina's primary focus is to provide residents in rural areas, as well as farm workers, with decent, safe and sanitary housing.
Katrina and her husband, Troy, also live on a farm with their twin daughters, Hadley and Christy, who are four years old. Katrina and Troy own TK Moseley Farms, which is a cow/calf and hay operation that was established in 2015. They were recently recognized as a This Farm CARES recipient at the 2019 Suwannee CARES Celebration.
Katrina holds both a B.S. and M.S. in Food and Resource Economics with minors in Agricultural Law and Leadership form the University of Florida.
Melissa Nasuti
Environmental Technical Lead, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Melissa Nasuti currently works as an Environmental Technical Lead for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in Jacksonville, Florida for the Restoration and Resources Section in the Planning Division. The focus of her work involves implementing components of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) and operational modifications to water management infrastructure in south Florida. Melissa supports the Planning Division by preparing documentation to ensure environmental compliance with applicable laws and regulations including the National Environmental Policy Act and Endangered Species Act.
She obtained her Bachelors of Science from Ohio State University and a Master's of Science from the University of Florida. She resides in Jacksonville, Florida, with her family, including a daughter and two twin boys.
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Class XIX Fellows
Chris Cason
Equipment Operations/Engineering Tech/Law Enforcement Officer, U.S. Forest Service
Matthew Chopp
Regional Public Hunting Areas Biologist, Wild Hog Issues Specialist, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission
Ben Christ
Researcher, UF - SPARC USDA
Katelyn Cucinotta
Environmental Analyst, Office of Resilience, Palm Beach County
Ben Glass
Community Affairs Manager, Suwannee River Water Management District
Kathleen Greenwood
Environmental Consultant, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Elizabeth Guthrie
Stewardship Director, North Florida Land Trust
Cacee Hilliard
CARES Coordinator, Florida Farm Bureau
Marjorie Karter
Program Consultant, Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Mark Lotz
Biological Scientist III, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission
Katrina Moseley
Owner/Operator, family cattle & hay farm
Mulit-family Housing & Loan Specialist, USDA Rural Development
Melissa Nasuti
Biologist, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Planning Division
Sara Owen
Deputy City Manager, City of Lake Butler
Scott Pearce
Law Enforcement Captain, Marine Law Administrator, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Frank Powell
Assistant Deputy Secretary of Ecosystems Restoration, Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Zachary Prusak
Central Florida Program Manager/Florida Fire Manager, The Nature Conservancy
Andrew Rappe
Assistant Director, Ordway-Swisher Biological Station, UF/IFAS
Norma Samuel
Extension Agent IV, Florida-Friendly Landscaping & Urban Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension
Tiffany Trent
Environmental Scientist IV, St Johns River Water Management District
Matt Warren
Environmental Manager, Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, Office of Agricultural Water Policy
Ana Zangroniz
Extension Agent, UF/IFAS Sea Grant
Class XVIII Schedule
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Dates
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Topic |
Location |
| August 21-23, 2019 |
Impacts of Port Expansion |
Fort Lauderdale |
| September 25-27, 2019 |
Beach Renourishment |
Niceville |
| October 23-25, 2019 |
Water Quality & Estuary Health |
Fort Myers |
| November 20-22, 2019 |
Wildlife Management: Florida Black Bear |
Ocala |
| January 22-24, 2020 |
Agriculture & Water Quality |
Okeechobee |
| February 19-21, 2020 |
Lake Istokpoga Management |
Sebring |
| March 18-20, 2020 |
N/A |
online |
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April 15-17, 2020
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Graduation & Practicum Presentations |
online |
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#NRLI #NRLIrocks #NRLIalum
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