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Contact: Scott Pardue, 239-695-1101
OCHOPEE, FL – On August 12, 2022, the National Park Service (NPS) will begin seeking public review and comment on an updated Backcountry Access Plan (plan) and Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) at Big Cypress National Preserve. The 45-day comment period runs through Sept. 26.
The Supplemental Draft EIS analyzed three alternatives, including the no-action alternative, and identified a preferred alternative. The plan incorporates public feedback received in 2014, 2016 and 2020 as the plan was being developed. Each of the action alternatives analyzed in the plan was developed considering wilderness eligibility assessments completed in 2010 and 2015, with the result that all proposed off-road vehicle (ORV) trails and motorized recreational opportunities would avoid wilderness eligible areas.
The NPS selected Alternative 3 as the preferred alternative because it provides public access to secondary trails while providing for protection of cultural and natural resources. The Supplemental Draft EIS analyzed impacts on preserve resources, including soils, vegetation and habitat, wetlands, special status species, visitor use and experience, natural soundscapes, ethnographic and archeological resources. This information was further verified through on-site inspections.
Three virtual public meetings will be held on Aug. 29, 2-4 p.m., Aug. 30, 7-9 p.m., and Aug. 31, 12-2 p.m. to present the plan and seek feedback from the public. Please visit https://parkplanning.nps.gov/bicybap for more details and links to the virtual public meetings.
Written comments may be submitted online or by mail to:
Big Cypress National Preserve
c/o Superintendent Tom Forsyth
33100 Tamiami Trail E
Ochopee, FL 34141
The plan was prepared in response to litigation brought in 2013, and the subsequent settlement agreement, challenging the opening of certain “secondary” ORV trails and the way those trails were established. The plan has been prepared in part, to re-evaluate the preserve’s trail network, establish a system of secondary ORV trails and define a set of destinations for the preserve. The plan also addresses the management of the other backcountry activities in the preserve as a whole, including hiking and camping. In 2020 the NPS released the plan and a Draft EIS for public review and comment. Comments were substantial and the NPS has chosen to adjust the alternatives presented in the Draft EIS through the release of a Supplemental Draft EIS with new alternatives and updated analysis.
After public comments are reviewed and considered, the NPS will issue a Final EIS followed by a Record of Decision. The Final EIS and The Record of Decision will be posted online and announced via press release.
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 423 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
Last updated: August 12, 2022