Panthers and ORVs don't mix

Having grown up in Florida, it doesn't surprise me that off-road vehicle use is one of the primary threats to Big Cypress National Preserve.  Floridians in general have a tendency to interact with their environment by shielding themselves from it - mostly by air conditioning everything.  And let's face it - high heat and humidity can be fairly unpleasant.  But those same factors are also what makes Florida's wild lands so special.  The flora and fauna of Big Cypress and the Everglades are extraordinary, supporting incredible bird and wildlife, amphibians and plants - many of which are threatened or endangered, like the Florida panther.  And for lots of people, wading through swamps just isn't the first thing they think of when planning a weekend outing or a day trip, though once introduced to the swamps secrets, your ideal weekend plans just might change.  Unfortunately, some people are more interested in experiencing Big Cypress on their off-road vehicles instead of on foot. 

Wildlands CPR has been working to protect Big Cypress from damaging off-road vehicle abuse for more than a decade.  We won an important legal victory a few years ago that, once implemented, will limit off-road vehicles to 400 miles of designated routes, down from the 23,000 miles of user-created routes that exist now.  The Park Service has taken an interesting perspective on the implementation plan, however, and has now opened up 20 miles of motorized routes in key panther habitat.  We don't think that's okay and we're working with a coalition of groups to stop that.

The National Parks Traveler has a great blog posting about the Park Service's recent decision, what it means for the panther, and what we and other conservation organizations are doing to challenge that.  Check it out.