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Wilderness Designation
The Cypress Chapter of IWLA opposes the declaration of Big Cypress National Preserve as wilderness under the National Park Service (NPS). The designation is unnecessary, would be a burden on the NPS, and would increase the risk of the land being managed as parkland rather than as a preserve.
Updates:
Nov 7, 2024: Another WIN! National Park Service recommends against Wilderness designation.
What Cypress IWLA Has Done:
Frank Adams spoke on June 27.
Director Elfenbein spoke at the June 2024 Legislative Hearing on Big Cypress Wilderness Bill HR 8206.
April 2024 letter to SFWMD from Elfenbein that resulted in the DEP and SWFMD agreeing to allow all lands in the acquisition to remain under SWFMD management.
Resources:
Background to objections:
Letter from F. Adams to the Department of the Interior.
Florida Trend: Oct. 2024 “Wilderness Trap: Why Indegenous trives, hunters, Glades people and others are fighting a new protection plan for Big Cypress National Preserve” Link to Article
E&E News: Sept. 2024 “Is the Wilderness Act outdated? A 60-year-old law sparks new fights.” Link to Article
Naples Press: Sept. 2024 “Tribal access at stake in Big Cypress” Link to Article
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: July 2024 Letter Indicating the Water Resources Development Act of 2024 does NOT include a wilderness area for Big Cypress National Preserve. Link to Letter
Seminole Tribune: April 2024 “Proposed wilderness designation
threatens tribes access to Big Cypress National Preserve” Link to Article
Mineral Rights
The Cypress Chapter of the IWLA has been actively collaborating with various organizations to persuade the federal government to acquire the mineral rights, thereby safeguarding the area from harmful practices.
We are a partner with the mineral rights team led by WildLandscapes International, Family Lands Remembered, Miccosukee Tribe, and Bergeron Everglades Foundation in these efforts.
Media stories:
- As Turkey hunting season begins at Big Cypress National Preserve, another battle looms (Miami Herald, March 7, 2025) (if link does not work, click here for the story)
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Elfenbein said that the groups involved now are “doing it the right way. We’ve been working on it methodically for three years, and we’re right at the end.” Instead of using taxpayer money, the purchase would be funded by Land and Water Conservation Fund money. Elfenbein said the LWCF generates $900 million annually in royalties collected from oil companies that are developing mineral rights in the Gulf. “So we’re going to use oil royalties to acquire oil rights,” he said, adding that LWCF money is appropriated to every state. But some western states don’t like the federal policies and regulations that go with the handouts, so they return the money. “And we’d like to tap into about $300 million.”
Did you know that the Big Cypress National Preserve is the first National Preserve in the United States? Preserves have distinct missions and visions, along with specific guiding principles. The most significant aspect is that they permit human activities in the landscape, which have been practiced for over 1,500 years. These activities include fishing, hunting, trapping, off-road vehicle use, and even mining.
Additionally, they recognize the rights of indigenous tribes to utilize the land. For further information, you can visit this page on the Big Cypress National Preserve Foundation Document Overview.
A brief history of the Big Cypress National Preserve written by Captain Frank Adams—a founding member of the CC-IWLA who played a key role in its establishment—can be found here.
What You Can Do
Support United States HB 8206 by contacting your representative in the US House of Representatives and telling them you support HB 8206. You can do tht using the Contact your Legislator tool on the page linked below.