Commission meeting news : 

News Release

Big Cypress Addition recreational-use plans move forward

December 3, 2008
Contact: Patricia Behnke, 850-251-2130

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) heard a report on the progress of opening the Big Cypress Addition for public access and hunting during its meeting in Key West on Wednesday.

"The National Park Service is moving forward with the process to complete a general management plan for the addition, which is required before a full range of recreational access can be offered," said Nick Wiley, assistant executive director of the FWC.  "They have not finalized the new timeline for completing the planning process, but they have indicated that delays in the planning process are likely to push the opening for public access and hunting back to the fall of 2010."

The Commission adopted a resolution in June that urged federal officials to open the 146,000-acre Big Cypress National Preserve Addition to a full range of public recreation.

The National Park Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior are in the final stages of adopting a general management plan that lays out what types of recreational use they will allow on the area.

The FWC resolution emphasized that the U.S. Congress established the preserve and addition to provide traditional public recreation in addition to resource protection.

The FWC took a strong stand in the resolution, urging the federal agencies to consult and cooperate with the FWC to provide recreational uses such as hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing and vehicular access and ensure any associated restrictions are reasonable and justified. During the six months since the passage of the resolution, the National Park Service has maintained close communication with FWC staff and offered unprecedented opportunities for FWC staff to provide input into the planning process.  There also will be an opportunity for the public to review the draft general management plan and provide comments to the National Park Service sometime in 2009.    

"Mr. Pedro Ramos, the acting superintendent at Big Cypress National Preserve has assured me that they are making every effort to move through the next steps as quickly as possible," Wiley told the Commission.