Politics Aside, Florida Swamp Fans Relieved
June 2 -- The Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida is a 729,000-acre swampland home to alligators, otters, hawks and at least eight endangered species.
"This is a very special place," said John Donahue, superintendent of the Big Cypress National Preserve. "I like to call it a primordial place. There's very few places where you can feel in touch with nature as you can here at Big Cypress."
But there also are oil trucks, oil drills, and storage tanks — signs of the kind of energy exploration the Bush administration has tended to promote.
That's why the president's decision last week to stop further exploration — to in effect preserve the preserve — has been a pleasant surprise for environmentalists.
"This is a wonderful decision and a wonderful day for Big Cypress, for the Everglades system and the national park system in general," said Ron Tipton of the National Parks Conservation Association.
Half a million people visit Big Cypress every year to observe animals like the rare Florida panther. There are more of them at Big Cypress than anywhere else.
"I think people come here because it's a wild place," said Ron Clark, chief of resource management at Big Cypress. "It's an ancient place. It's almost prehistoric when you look at some of the wildlife and some of the habitat that's here."
The decision means that 72 percent of the oil and gas rights in Big Cypress will be retired.
Political Decision?
However, because the decision affects the state of Florida — where President Bush's brother Jeb is up for re-election this year as governor — and because Florida was critical to the president's election victory two years ago, there's a current of politics running through the swamp.
At the White House last Wednesday, Gov. Bush said he hoped it would help him in his re-election bid.
"It is good public policy and when there is a convergence of good politics and good public policy," he said. "I don't think we should be ashamed about it."
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