Parks Group Submits Comments In Support Of Plan To Bridge Tamiami Trail To Achieve Full Everglades Restoration

Hollywood, FL – The nation’s leading voice for our national parks, the non-partisan National Park Conservation Association (NPCA) today submitted a letter and comments voicing their support for the National Park Service’s plan to add 5.5 miles of bridging to Tamiami Trail, which will allow vital waters to flow back into Everglades National Park and Florida Bay. NPCA applauds the Park Service for their visionary plan to add additional miles of bridging to Tamiami Trail in order to achieve full Everglades restoration.

“Moving this project forward is key to reversing the ecological decline of America’s Everglades and ensuring that we protect our national treasure for our children and grandchildren,” said Dawn Shirreffs, NPCA Everglades Restoration Program Manager. “Expeditious actions taken now to finalize this effort will result in environmental benefits for the Everglades ecosystem and will bring thousands of jobs to South Florida.”

NPCA offered the following suggestions in response to the National Park Service plan to move the project forward:

•Seamless integration with the construction of a one-mile bridge currently underway can achieve significant cost savings and complement future restoration projects.

•Adding 5.5 more miles of bridging is critical to re-establish the historic water flows and revive Florida Bay habitat and sea grass beds.

•Bridging will have great economic benefits for the region including the creation of an estimated 7,200 jobs in South Florida.

“Additional bridging will help achieve significant wetlands recovery in America’s treasured Everglades and complement future restoration projects. This initiative directly supports the pending River of Grass land acquisition from U.S. Sugar by providing a route for water stored in the Everglades Agricultural Area to flow south naturally into Everglades National Park, thus alleviating harmful discharges into the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers,” said Shirreffs.

“Timing is everything for revitalizing Everglades National Park,” said Shirreffs. “Moving forward with the Park Services’ plan is a step in the right direction for achieving full Everglades restoration.

###

About National Parks Conservation Association
Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its more than one million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation’s natural, historical, and cultural heritage for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org.