Big Cypress National Preserve
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Big Cypress National Preserve
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| location | Florida , USA |
| surface | 2,916 km² |
| Geographical location | 25 ° 52 ' N , 81 ° 2' W |
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| Setup date | October 11, 1974 |
| administration | National Park Service |
The Big Cypress National Preserve is a National Preserve in southern Florida . With the Big Thicket National Preserve, it was one of the first preserves in the USA. The reserve is located north of Everglades National Park in a slightly elevated area and is jointly managed by the National Park Service . It is considered the primary habitat of the critically endangered Florida panther .
history
Before the arrival of the Europeans, the area was inhabited by the Mikasuki and Seminoles . The first settlers hunted herons for hatters in New York and Paris, as well as crocodiles and alligators , until they were almost extinct. The logging industry felled the bald cypresses of the area's primary forest . In addition, arable farming was even practiced in some areas.
On September 26, 1943, after 42 years and 80 unsuccessful drilling attempts across Florida , the Humble Oil Company (later Exxon ) discovered an oil well that was producing 20 barrels a day. In the 1960s there were massive protests by Indians , hunters and conservationists against the relocation of Miami Airport to the area. The construction started was finally stopped and later moved to Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport . The reserve was established by law by the United States Congress in 1974.
In 1996, the protected area was expanded by almost 600 km², provided that the areas were available for hunting and recreational use with swamp buggies, all-terrain vehicles with large-volume studded tires. The draft of a management plan for the expansion was only published at the end of 2010, in which around 200 km of drivable swamp slopes are to be permitted. Protests by various nature conservation organizations, who neglect the protection of the Florida panther, have risen against this.
Flora Fauna
The sanctuary has the highest biodiversity in the Everglades . In the mangrove forests you can find orchids and alligators as well as various types of snakes such as the water moccasin otter or the diamond rattlesnake . In addition to various bird species such as herons or the American darter , the Florida black bear also occurs. Less common are otters , bobcats and the West Indian manatee , the eastern indigo snake and the sandhill crane .
Web links
- National Park Service: Big Cypress National Preserve (official site; English)
Individual evidence
- ^ National Park Service: Parkplanning - Big Cypres National Preserve Addition , October 2010
- ↑ National Parks Conservation Association: Parks Group Urges Better Protection for Addition Lands within Big Cypress National Preserve ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Press release of October 24, 2010
