• The Florida panther's watchful gaze- Courtesy- Ralph Arwood

    Big Cypress

    National Preserve Florida

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    Beginning at 12:01 am Monday, April 8, 2013, the Zone 4 airboat access within Big Cypress National Preserve will be closed due to low water conditions. More »

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South Florida National Parks Adjust Special Use Permit Fees

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Date: September 21, 2007
Contact: Bob DeGross, 239-695-1107
Contact: Ed Clark, 239-695-1108

Everglades, Dry Tortugas, and Biscayne National Parks and Big Cypress National Preserve in south Florida announce implementation of a standard application fee for special use permits and film permits that will be charged at each of the four parks.

At each location, a consistent, non-refundable fee will be collected with every special use permit application, including those for commercial filming. Other park-specific fees, such as fees for a permit, monitoring, location, or facility-use, may also apply. These additional fees are based on actual costs incurred by the National Park Service for private or commercial events in the parks.

All National Park Service lands require a special use permit for a variety of special uses of the park including any special event or activity that "…provides a benefit to an individual, group or organization rather than the public at large, and requires written authorization and some degree of management control from the NPS in order to protect park resources and the public interest" (Director’s Order #53: Special Park Uses). These activities include, but are not limited to, weddings, birthday parties, organized group campouts, bike rides, first amendment activities, ceremonies, and non-profit group activities.

Film permits are a type of special use that requires detailed information in an application for any commercial filming and still photography. To recover the costs of administering the permit program, a $100.00 non-refundable application fee, currently in place at Biscayne National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve, will now be collected at Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Parks for these special use permits beginning December 1, 2007.

For more information, please contact the following park permit program coordinators:

Big Cypress National Preserve – Ed Clark 239-695-1108

Biscayne National Park – Maria Rodriguez 305-230-1144 X -3074

Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Parks - Skaidra Kempkowski 305-242-7732

Did You Know?

Alligator in the swamp.

Feeding alligators creates nuisance alligators. Every year alligators that have been fed by visitors begin to lose their fear of humans. If these animals become aggresive they are killed to ensure visitor safety. To avoid this tragic end for these unique animals DO NOT FEED THEM.