Help Save the Florida Panther!
- by: Defenders of Wildlife
- recipient: Mary Bomar, National Parks Services Director; Pedro Ramos, Acting Park Secretary
There are fewer than 100 Florida panthers left in the wild, and many of them live in Big Cypress National Preserve. Yet the National Park Service is now considering opening up a part of Big Cypress to off-road vehicles (ORVs)!
Big Cypress is the most biologically diverse region of the terrestrial Everglades. Excessive ORV use has already destroyed large sections of Big Cypress's sensitive wetlands. Opening more of Big Cypress to ORV use would put undue stress on the Florida panthers and other endangered wildlife that already struggle for survival there.
You can help play an important role in ensuring that the National Park Service protects the home of some of the world's last remaining Florida panthers. Please sign our petition now and tell the National Park Service that Big Cypress National Preserve -- and the Florida panthers and other endangered wildlife that live there -- need to be protected from damaging off-road vehicle use.
The deadline for comments is this Friday, June 15th - please sign today!
Dear Director Bomar and Superintendent Ramos:
As a supporter of Defenders of Wildlife who cares about Florida's wildlife and wild lands, I am writing to let you know that Big Cypress National Preserve -- and the Florida panthers and other endangered wildlife that live there -- need to be protected from the damaging impacts of swamp buggies and other off-road vehicle use.
I understand that the National Park Service is currently considering six management alternatives for Big Cypress, and I urge you to support the adoption of Management Plan Preliminary Alternative F. This is the only management plan that designates most of the 109,000 acres of "wilderness eligible" Addition Lands as Wilderness, preserving one of the few remaining wild areas in the state and protecting the highly endangered Florida panthers, Florida black bear and other wildlife that live there.
Off-road vehicles (ORVs) have already had a devastating impact on Big Cypress National Preserve's sensitive wetland terrain. ORVs are already allowed in several other areas of the preserve – there is no need to open the Addition Lands to the habitat degradation associated with unchecked ORV use.
I hope you will stand with the majority of Floridians and Americans who care about conserving our lands for imperiled wildlife and our own future generations to enjoy.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]
