ENP GMP update

[Ted]

Below is a link to updated information concerning the Everglades National Park's General Management Plan.

http://www.nps.gov/ever/parkmgmt/upload/EVER%20GMP%20newsletter5%20...

The National Park Service has had a history of siding with the major user groups (in our case the power boaters) concerning management planning and I have a feeling it will be no different for the ENP.

[yakmaster]

Get your voice heard!!!  Help make the park paddle & hiking friendly(er)!!!!

 

Everglades National Park News Release

EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA

The National Park Service cares for special places saved by the American people so that all may experience our heritage.

Date:   February 27, 2013 
Contact: Fred Herling, Park Planner, 305-242-7704
Contact: General Park Information, 305-242-7700
Contact: Mary Plumb, Public Affairs Officer (Acting), 305-242-7714

Everglades National Park Seeks Public Comment on Long Term Vision for the Park in Draft General Management Plan

Everglades National Park is seeking public comment on its Draft General Management Plan / East Everglades Wilderness Study / Environmental Impact Statement (Draft GMP). The Draft GMP was released today for public review and public comment is requested by Sunday, May 12, 2013. 

Superintendent Dan Kimball said, “The park has been working hard to complete the draft plan, and we’re pleased to have reached this important milestone. We now look forward to presenting the results of this collaborative effort, hearing directly again from the public and many stakeholder groups, and working together to shape the long-term vision for the park.”

 

The Draft GMP is available for review and comment at: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/EVER (then go to the “Open for Comment” link). A limited number of paper copies and compact disks (CDs) of the plan are also available upon request by contacting Everglades National Park at 305-242-7700.

 

Seven (7) public meetings will be held the evenings of March 19 – 21 and April 8 – 11, 2013 (5:30 to 8:30 p.m.; the April 8 meeting will also be webcast through the link above). The meetings will be organized in three parts:

• Open House – opportunities for the public to review Draft GMP materials, meet with National Park Service (NPS) staff, and provide comments
• NPS Presentation – overview of key features of the Draft GMP
• Formal Comment/East Everglades Wilderness Hearing – comment session that allows the public to comment on the Draft GMP and the East Everglades Wilderness Study (session will be transcribed)

 

The Draft GMP provides broad guidance and describes desired conditions to be achieved and maintained regarding natural and cultural resource protection, appropriate types and levels of visitor activities, and facility improvements and development.  Also included is a wilderness study for the East Everglades Addition (an area added to the park in 1989, after the park’s original 1978 wilderness designation). The Draft GMP presents and evaluates the NPS Preferred Alternative and three other alternatives. Superintendent Kimball believes that the Preferred Alternative would most effectively achieve the park’s long-term goals and be compatible with Everglades ecosystem restoration efforts.

 

Superintendent Kimball added, “We have carefully considered public input received during many rounds of public and stakeholder meetings, the park’s mission and legal responsibilities, and current and future restoration projects, in crafting the Preferred Alternative. The Preferred Alternative is also identified as the environmentally preferred alternative.”

 

Among other features, the Preferred Alternative includes important proposals for two areas of the park that have been of particular interest to the public and park managers: Florida Bay and the East Everglades Addition.

 

In Florida Bay, extremely shallow areas would be managed as pole and troll (non-combustion engine use) zones, while still providing traditional access and use through the channels and deeper basins.

 

Superintendent Kimball supports this proactive measure, stating, “Careful examination of damage and threats to natural and submerged wilderness features, and patterns of visitor use, pointed to the need for a new strategy. The Snake Bight Pole and Troll Zone pilot project, with overwhelming public support, showed me that new approaches to park management are possible. The Snake Bight project demonstrated that resource protection and enhanced visitor opportunities, designed in close consultation with the public, can work. Our approach in the Draft GMP is the same; it’s a multi-faceted program (mandatory boater education, improvements to navigation and enforcement, and strategic zoning) and builds on work by the state of Florida in its 1995 statewide report for protecting vital seagrass resources. I’m confident that over time, we can effectively implement these strategies and see benefits to resources and visitor experience in the park.”

 

In the East Everglades Addition, for the first time since passage of the 1989 Expansion Act, a framework would be established for managing commercial and private airboating, and backcountry uses.

 

Superintendent Kimball says, “The Preferred Alternative outlines a zoning strategy that would lead to implementing a limited number of airboat tour concession contracts between NPS and four eligible companies identified in the 1989 Expansion Act, and identifying areas for eligible individual airboaters, and backcountry recreational users. The Preferred Alternative also proposes 80,100 acres of wilderness and 9,900 acres of potential wilderness in the 109,600-acre Addition.”

 

The Draft GMP also highlights a new, smarter approach to sustainable development in coastal areas like Flamingo and Everglades City, where consideration of sea level rise, storm surge and fiscal realities have led to innovative investment strategies for both the NPS and its partners, such as park concessioners.

 

To guide complex efforts like Florida Bay and East Everglades Addition management, a stakeholder-based advisory committee would be established. This committee would help park managers in GMP implementation by working with park managers to assess projects, and inform monitoring and adaptive management activities to meet resource protection and visitor use goals.

 

After the public review and comment period ends on May 12, public input will be reviewed and analyzed, and adjustments to the plan will be made. The Final GMP and Record of Decision will be issued in 2014.

 

Schedule of Public Meetings (all 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.):

Date	Location
March 19, 2013	Homestead, Florida John D. Campbell Agricultural Center, 18710 SW 288th Street
March 20, 2013	Islamorada, Florida Coral Shores High School, 89901 Old Highway
March 21, 2013	Everglades City, Florida Everglades City School, 415 School Drive
April 8, 2013	Dania Beach, Florida International Game Fish Association – Fishing Hall of Fame, 300 Gulfstream Way Live webcast will be available: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/EVER
April 9, 2013	Naples, Florida Edison State College, Collier Campus – Building J, 7007 Lely Cultural Parkway
April 10, 2013	Key Largo, Florida Murray Nelson Government Center, 102050 Overseas Highway
April 11, 2013	Miami, Florida Florida International University – Stadium Club, 11200 SW 8th Street

 

 

 

--------------------------------------------------------

Fred Herling, Supervisory Park Planner  

Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Parks

40001 SR 9336, Homestead, FL 33034

[Amazon Bill]

Here are the EIS maps for the NPS Preferred Alternative.  The white tent/camp sites are proposed. There are a couple in North Shark Slough in the East Additions portions.

[Amazon Bill]

What do you think about having the abandoned science stations opened for camping overnight along Shark Slough and Craighead Pond? Then next, we find a way to Mahagony from Main Street and have a great 2 day, one night trek. These are a few of the science stations. Know of any others that would be good overnight spots?

 

[Gary M]

Folks,

Do not miss this opportunity to voice (or write) your opinions and preferences!

Ya gotta know that the boater groups are going to get out in force to fight the poll/ troll zones. Clubs will supply form letters to all their members (don't ask me how I know). Don't let that one topic overshadow all the other ideas and possibilities.

The conservation groups and (I expect) the parks personnel lean more toward our kind of ideas... but they need responses from the community for support.

I heard a response from some politician the other day (he was a congressional rep, I believe but I forget the topic). He was asked why he did not vote one way or another and he replied that he had no contact from his constituents on the topic. HE SAID HIS TRIPPING POINT WAS *** SIX *** COMMENTS! In other words, this congressional rep did not get six calls or emails on the topic... so he did not believe he could vote against whatever is was that he was being interviewed about. He would have voted with his "people" had he gotten six or more!

Folks... one simple email like: "I support alternative X" actually really does count!

The GMP is how we are going to use the Park for the next couple decades... which is like the rest of our lives for many of us.

[yakmaster]

We spent the night on your SE Gumbo Limbo platform. You may have seen Flex's pix. Not exactly roomy, but ALOT drier than anything in the neighborhood!

 

I think those platforms would make an EXCELLENT addition to the expedition alternatives in the backcountry. We had looked at the camps in the east everglades, but they do not work for a slough trip, too far east.

 

As I told the bushpaddlers:

 

As far as I am concerned I want:

 

 more paddle access,

 

a more encompassing network of paddle trails, including the development of a wilder wilderness waterway [WWW] and the Gladesman’s trails

 

non-destruction of existing facilities on the Shark River Slough that can be used for overnighting

 

more transportation of paddlers such as shuttles and livery service…and a more robust Flamingo to operate out of!

 

But everyone wants something! So we have to be there to ask for ours! Make your wish list and ask Santa to make it part of the plan!

 

 

The Wilder Wilderness Waterway is on the prefered map, but none of the other items are...

 

Need to speak up & be heard!

 

Maybe Keith should get us all Everglades Deep Exploration Network shirts so we can be recognized at a distance!!!

Amazon Bill said:

What do you think about having the abandoned science stations opened for camping overnight along Shark Slough and Craighead Pond? Then next, we find a way to Mahagony from Main Street and have a great 2 day, one night trek. These are a few of the science stations. Know of any others that would be good overnight spots?

 

[Amazon Bill]

Being able to launch from the Southend of Shark Valley Road would be good.

[Flex Kayakfari.com]

I'll second that ! Would open up a whole new world of Glades tripping!!

Having just been to Shark Valley (SV) a few times, it's not like the main Park .. it's more like going to a Zoo! I've never seen so many people there .. they opened up new parking, even that get's filled now. Consequently, the rangers have a somewhat different mentality after dealing with such huge crowds of tourists. It was also apparent that 90% of visitors only hang around the first 1/2 - 1 mile from the road, then maybe 5% actually rent bikes to ride out further (and maybe to the Jetsons tower). The Tram concessionaire shuttles the vast majority of visitors, and they really only make one stop that's  at the tower.

I'm sure things could be worked out (for a fee) to carry boats on top of the trams .. IF they were to be allowed to do so!

Btw, it's a really long 15 mile walk, this loop~

Amazon Bill said:

Being able to launch from the Southend of Shark Valley Road would be good.

[Flex Kayakfari.com]

I'd also like to add that paddlers should have a simple, separate embankment to launch from out into Florida Bay. It's no fun mixing it up on the concrete boat ramp in Flamingo!

The boaters would be happier, as they are generally much quicker to launch or pull out their boats. Paddler's would be happy to not scratch up glass kayaks on the concrete and/or slip on it, easier to launch, no fumes, less noise and not feel like they are holding up a "line" and pressured at peak times..

[Gary M]

Flex,

I hear ya! Have you used the floating launch just south of the concrete ramps? You can pull your vehicle down the "road" along the seawall and then launch from there pretty easy... completely out of the way from the boaters. At high tide you can just step off of the seawall directly onto the float... but watch your step in the dark!

But, your idea has merit. If you go to the very end of the parking lot that is beyond the backcountry desk / restaurant building you will find a path that used to lead to the lodge (that is no longer there). That path takes ya right to the water that, from off shore, looks like it would make a fantastic paddler's launch. Vehicles could be parked in the seldom used far end of that parking lot after driving on the path to bring the boats to within a few feet of the "ramp".

Thats was in my suggestions the last time they asked, and its in my new ones now. The cost would be minimal - probably just making the path wide enough for cars.

Should we maybe start a separate thread for a unified paddler's response / suggestions for this round of GMP input???

Flex 029 Kayakfari said:

I'd also like to add that paddlers should have a simple, separate embankment to launch from out into Florida Bay. It's no fun mixing it up on the concrete boat ramp in Flamingo!

The boaters would be happier, as they are generally much quicker to launch or pull out their boats. Paddler's would be happy to not scratch up glass kayaks on the concrete and/or slip on it, easier to launch, no fumes, less noise and not feel like they are holding up a "line" and pressured at peak times..

[Swamp Hunter]

  When I worked at FMB, I tried to meet my friend Bob Hill to help him catch a very large Python at the Otter Cave and it was utter madness. It was great because the rangers let me bypass the line but I couldnt believe all the people. By the time I reached the otter cave, the reptile was already captured. It was a cold day and the snake could hardly move but they still needed bodies to lift the creature into the truck.. 

 I found it odd that so many people flock to Shark Valley when just a short way down the road at FMB, we had nobody. Tourists are starting to come back to Loop Road now that its repaired. 

 

Flex 029 Kayakfari said:

Having just been to Shark Valley (SV) a few times, it's not like the main Park .. it's more like going to a Zoo! I've never seen so many people there .. they opened up new parking, even that get's filled now.

[vivian]

Should we maybe start a separate thread for a unified paddler's response / suggestions for this round of GMP input???

Gary, this is a good idea because there are some issues we all need to be unified on.  One very big concern of mine is the lack of maintenance to the backcountry sites (clean porta potty, etc) How is the park going to add more campsites if they can't even keep up with the maintenance on the existing?

[yakmaster]

A separate thread is good, but  this thread is dedicated to the topic. So it should be fine to keep it here.

 

What I think is that once discussion dies down on this thread, the contents should be sent over to the park planners so that it can be included in the public comments.

 

Keith can you do that? Would anybody have an objection?

Dale said:

  When I worked at FMB, I tried to meet my friend Bob Hill to help him catch a very large Python at the Otter Cave and it was utter madness. It was great because the rangers let me bypass the line but I couldnt believe all the people. By the time I reached the otter cave, the reptile was already captured. It was a cold day and the snake could hardly move but they still needed bodies to lift the creature into the truck.. 

 I found it odd that so many people flock to Shark Valley when just a short way down the road at FMB, we had nobody. Tourists are starting to come back to Loop Road now that its repaired. 

 

Flex 029 Kayakfari said:

Having just been to Shark Valley (SV) a few times, it's not like the main Park .. it's more like going to a Zoo! I've never seen so many people there .. they opened up new parking, even that get's filled now.