EVERGLADES COORDINATING COUNCIL
SUGGESTED COMMENTS FOR THE
BIG CYPRESS NATIONAL PRESERVE ADDITION GENERAL MANAGEMENT PLAN WORKSHOPS
Naples — May 1, 2007, Edison College, 7007 Lely Cultural Parkway, 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Everglades City — May 2, 2007, Everglades City School, 415 School Dr., 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Weston — May 3, 2007, Weston Branch Library, 4205 Bonaventure Blvd, 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM
ECC Delegates, Affiliate Members, and Friends:
Big Cypress National Preserve (BICY) will be holding three workshops to receive public input related to the BICY Addition General Management Plan (GMP) now in development. The input format will be agency manned “flip chart” stations for each of six Alternatives set up throughout the room to record verbal comments. Questionnaires soliciting written comments on four specific questions will also be available.
None of the Alternatives currently offered would provide the level of access for hunting, fishing, frogging, and other traditional recreation assured by the enabling legislation. The following are comments the ECC BICY Committee has compiled to help guide you in making comments that will be helpful in our quest to convince the NPS to develop a Preferred Alternative that will meet the needs of the hunters and fishers and other members of the Gladesman culture.
Please help us make sure the following comments are recorded on the flip charts for each Alternative. Comments in
bold are priority items:
GMP development process
I protest that a full range of Alternatives have not been presented.
The existing GMP for the Original Preserve should simply be expanded to include the Addition.
I protest this unnecessary process, BUT will participate as a good citizen, nonetheless.
Congressional intent is clear about its expectation for traditional recreational uses and the NPS has a moral obligation to develop a GMP within that spirit.
Proposed Wilderness Designation
The Addition lands and waters are not suitable for Wilderness eligibility due to the intrusion of human uses (traffic noise) from I-75 and SR 29.
Existing soundscape (I-75/SR 29) precludes eligibility as Wilderness.
Wilderness eligibility could prevent wildfire suppression and impose grave threat to human life and safety from smoke-related traffic accidents on I-75 and SR 29.
Wilderness designation will preclude habitat management practices which are proven to be necessary in Florida for endangered and common species of wildlife to thrive.
Wilderness designation will unavoidably result in a “taking” of Florida panthers and other protected species.
Wilderness eligibility must not be measured by the absence of human activities resulting from DOI/NPS deliberately extending closures of congressionally authorized uses for nearly twenty years in order to create those Wilderness conditions.
Primitive Backcountry Designation
Primitive backcountry designation should be removed from the Alternatives B, C, D, E, and F, as it unlawfully reclassifies areas.
Remove Primitive Backcountry from Alternatives B, C, D, E, and F, and manage the Addition as specified in Section 3 of the BICY Addition Act.
Primitive Backcountry will prevent the type and level of access and use assured by Congress.
Alternative A
I protest Status Quo being measured by the 2007-level of access and uses after an illegally extended closure, rather than at levels in existence at time of congressional authorization.
The public should not be penalized for the NPS failure to comply with a congressional mandated timeline to document levels of recreational uses of the Addition and Original Preserve, and the anticipated increase of recreational uses and adequacy of access facilities.
Failure to develop a GMP in a timely fashion should not be considered Status Quo.
Alternatives B, C, D, E, and F
Alternative B can work if significant revisions are made to eliminate zoning, wilderness eligibility, and adequate primary ORV trails are provided to get people of average health and fitness to all areas of the Addition for authorized recreational uses.
Primary ORV trails must be within one mile of one another and provide connection to the Original Preserve. The ORV trail system should include at least one primary trail throughout the Addition east of SR 29.
Culturally important sites in remote locations must be ORV accessible.
The Addition lands must be determined to be non-suitable for Wilderness designation due to not meeting Criteria 2 related to soundscape.
I protest the use of “zoning” in this process. Hiking, biking, equestrian activities, camping at designated and undesignated sites, motor boating (including airboats), paddling, ORV use, hunting, fishing, frogging, research, and modern habitat management practices should be permitted throughout the Addition.
All types of boats should be allowed, including airboats.
ORV permits for the Addition must be issued free to holders of ORV permits for the Original Preserve, and vice versa.
Reduction of congressionally authorized traditional recreation must not be used to mitigate new recreational uses.
The Addition Act authorizes development of access sites for traditional recreational activities.
A new preliminary Alternative G must be presented to allow for traditional access and uses without Wilderness or Primitive Backcountry restricted zones, as the enabling legislation allows.
Minerals Management
Congressionally authorized minerals exploration and extraction operations must not be allowed to displace congressionally mandated public access and traditional recreational activities.
Traditional cultural activities must be allowed to coexist with mineral exploration and extraction operations.
Thank you Hawk. It'd be a lot easier to fill out this comment card and mail it in than the two-hour conversation you had with Frank. Thank you again and both of your ears don't get me wrong Frank is a good man but boy he can turn a five minute conversation into one hour but he has a lot of info. This is easy guys downloaded fill it out mail-in.
