More Science Slows Park Plan

Efforts to improve the science behind revisions to the Everglades National Park general management plan has slowed the process, park officials say.

A set of revised alternatives for Florida Bay was expected to be released in January, according to a timeline discussed at last July’s workshops by Everglades Superintendent Dan Kimball.

"A lot of the public comments questioned the science, and they were legitimate questions," park spokeswoman Linda Friar said. "We pulled together a science team to perform a better assessment."

A slate of revisited alternatives could be released by ate March or during April, she said.

"There quite literally were thousands and thousands of comments. Just going through them was a slow process," Friar said.

Hundreds of Florida Keys anglers and residents turned out last summer to protest possible scenarios released by park staff in preparation for the general management revision.

For discussion purposes, the Park Service produced maps depicting four alternatives. Alternative A would change nothing; the most restrictive – Alternative D – envisions banning motors in vast swaths of shallow bay motor.

The most extreme of those suggested banning boat motors in large sections of Florida Bay, and in waters less than 3 feet deep. Much of Florida Bay is shallow, but many boats used in South Florida require only inches of water to run safely.

Anglers also questioned the extent of propeller scarring that was cited as a reason for some of the proposed closures.

A group headed by Upper Keys anglers and guides crafted their own Alternative E, which keeps large areas of the bay open to fishing but proposes to establish licensing requirements.

Most of the problems in the bay are caused by boaters unfamiliar with the area’s tricky navigation, say Alternative E backers.

The Monroe County Commission, Islamorada Village Council and several business groups also endorsed Alternative E.

Said Friar, "When the revised alternatives are released, we expect they will go into greater detail, which would help alleviate some of the concerns in the community down there."

First Lady visit

First Lady Laura Bush will visit the Everglades today in an event aimed at promoting park protection.

Fifth-graders from Florida City Elementary School will meet with Bush in the program organized by the National Parks Foundation.

A nationwide essay contest for youngsters will be announced, focusing on national-park issues like exotic species.