The Everglades.

The Everglades

On May 30, 1934, an Act was passed, which authorized a park to be created through public donations. Thirteen years later, through a combination of private, state and federal lands, an expansive wetland was hopefully immortalized as a national park. Everglades was the first national park that was preserved primarily for its biota, in lieu of scenic or historic values.

Shortly after moving to Miami in 1925, Ernest F. Coe, made the Everglades Park project his life work. In 1927, Coe, along with a few others, formed the Tropical Everglades Park Association (TENPA), which concentrated its activities on the creation of a national park in south Florida. By 1928, the Florida legislature had the Tropical Everglades National Park Commission (TENPC) take over the responsibilities of TENPA. The commission was also granted the power to acquire land by purchase, gift, bequest or condemnation. Coe was named executive chairman of TENPC. In 1929, the US Congress sent out a committee of inspectors to investigate the feasibility of a national park project in South Florida. Upon return, the committee reported in favor of a park.

On December 6,1947, President Harry S. Truman formally declared Everglades a National Park, at a ceremony held at neighboring Everglades City. The Visitor Center near the main park entrance bears a dedication to Ernest Coe for his work towards creating the park.

The original size of the park (460,000 acres) has been greatly increased since 1947, as a result of boundary changes. In 1950, the Secretary of the Interior ballooned the size of the park to 1,228,500 acres. By 1958, two additional boundary changes increased the size of the park to a whopping 1,400,533 acres. Finally, in 1989, Congress passed legislation, which pushed the eastern boundary of the park by 109,000 acres, for the purpose of ecosystem protection and restoration. Everglades National Park now consists of 1,399,078.26 acres of wetlands.

On October 26, 1976, Everglades National Park was added to the ...

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On October 26, 1976, Everglades National Park was added to the list of International Biosphere Reserves. International Biosphere Reserves are a branch of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). These select reserves are protected samples of the Earth’s major ecosystem types. They are standards against which we can scale human impact on the environment and foresee its probable effects. On the same date, UNESCO also declared it a World Heritage Site. Human history has spanned for over 2000 years in the Everglade, from the nomadic Calusa to the present-day settlers. This subtropical mosaic of astounding diversity is also a haven for over 36 threatened or endangered animal species. This unique blend of natural and cultural history is what led to its “coronation.”

Slight changes in elevation, at points only a couple of inches, water salinity, and soil have created a number of different landscapes within the confines of Everglades National Park. The interaction of these distinct environments is what makes this area of the world so unique. Within the Everglades, there is an estuarine community, mangrove forests, coastal prairies, freshwater marl prairies, freshwater sloughs, cypress forests, hardwood hammocks, pinelands, and the Everglades estuary.

The Everglades estuary is possibly the most threatened, and most important part of this puzzle. This estuary serves as a nursery for many marine species. Manatees and sea turtles are often found grazing in the brackish waters. Shrimp, lobsters, mollusks, worms, and small fish, keystone species to the marine ecosystems, thrive in these waters. Over 100 species of marine fish have been identified in the Florida Bay. Several sharks and dolphins also call these waters their home. The extremely rare American crocodile can also be spotted in these waters. Without this protected area, a 300 million dollar sports fishery, and a 100 million dollar commercial fishery would be in serious jeopardy. Sport fishing is closely observed and regulated, while commercial fishing is prohibited inside the park. Both of these actions are attempts at maintaining a sustainable breeding stock, protect against over harvesting and ensuring a balanced ecosystem for later generations.

Alteration of overland water flow, uncontrolled hunting and drainage of wetlands has contributed to a decline of species within the Everglades. Once known for its expansive bird population, the Everglades has seen its number of wading birds drop drastically since the turn of the century. The Florida Panther, was a common sight throughout the state, is now on the brink of extinction. The Everglades serves as a haven for 15 endangered species: American crocodile, Green turtle, Atlantic Ridley turtle, Atlantic hawksbill turtle, Atlantic leatherback turtle, Cable Sable seaside sparrow, Snail kite, Wood stork, West Indian manatee, Florida panther, Key Largo wood rat, Key Largo cotton mouse, Red-cockaded woodpecker, Schaus swallowtail butterfly and Garber’s Spurge.

Years of damming, diverting, and draining the Everglades for agricultural purposes had devastating effects on it. Fertilizer contaminated the ground with high levels of mercury. Water holes dried up, and floods washed nests away. Florida and federal officials and politicians including the president and the vice president of the United States are now giving this fragile environment the attention it deserves. The key to fixing this huge “puddle of spilled milk” is water. Although the road is hard, there is still a slight hope of salvation. Local farmers, mostly sugarcane farmers, will have to conserve their water, and possibly even give back some water to the wetlands.

In the words of Al Gore, “By working together, we can heal this division and ensure a healthier environment and a vibrant economy. But the time to act is now. There is no other Everglades in the world.”