The Florida Ranchlands Environmental Services Project (FRESP) is a Payment for Environmental Services (PES) program in which cattle ranchers in the Northern Everglades region can use their working ranches to provide valuable water related environmental services. Now in the fourth year of a five year pilot phase, the program is based on the idea that ranchers can modify their existing water management systems to retain water and reduce the amount of phosphorus in surface water runoff. In doing so, ranchers help improve water quality and quantity in the Northern Everglades Lake Okeechobee watershed, as well as maintain and enhance wildlife habitat.
In addition to the conservation benefits, FRESP provides ranchers the opportunity to produce a new product, water environmental services, that can provide a new source of income based on managing environmental services.
Dr. Bohlen was an original partner in the FRESP program. He managed the field team involved in documenting the environmental services in pilot projects on eight ranches.
Click here to visit the official FRESP website.