Author(s)
Doug Scott
Author(s) Description
Scott is policy manager for Pew’s Campaign for America’s Wilderness and author of “The Enduring Wilderness: Protecting Our Natural Heritage through the Wilderness Act.”
This editorial originally ran in Naples Daily News.
Floridians take deserved pride in their state’s many conservation achievements, including protecting greenways and establishing the 1,400-mile Florida National Scenic Trail.
Now, residents of this state need to be on full alert, because legislation pending in Congress proposes to strip existing protection measures from more than 60 million acres of our public lands nationwide — including areas in Florida that remain roadless.
These undeveloped lands offer enormous value for hiking, camping, hunting and fishing, nature study and enjoying scenic beauty. In 2006, 5.9 million Floridians and visitors took part in such recreational activities, generating $8.1 billion for the state’s economy. Yet essential parts of that economic engine, the areas of our national forests least touched by development, are threatened by the pending legislation.
Here’s the danger: The Wilderness and Roadless Area Release Act, championed by the House majority whip, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and backed by a handful of special interests, would end current protection for 45,000 acres of public lands in the Sunshine State.
The word “wilderness” might at first conjure images of far-away mountain peaks or vast tundra landscapes in Alaska. However, there are amazing wilderness areas right here, including Everglades National Park, where 1,296,500 acres are protected by the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Wilderness. In all, Congress has designated 17 wilderness areas on public lands throughout the state.
We have much to lose if McCarthy’s measure becomes law. All Americans share in the ownership of national forests and other public lands across the country. Many Floridians enjoy wild areas right here — just as they savor wonderful memories of a special hike or camping trip in the Rocky Mountains or the Sierras in California. Others dream of and plan for future outings, seeking out roadless lands for the highest-quality outdoor recreation opportunities in truly wild settings.
The 1964 Wilderness Act, under which these areas are safeguarded, is one of America’s most historic conservation laws. It offers the strongest protection we have for natural areas on our public lands. For example, in 1984 Congress passed the Florida Wilderness Act, establishing six such regions within national forests in Florida, from an area near Tallahassee to several just west of Daytona Beach. Like the original Wilderness Act, this later measure was a thoroughly bipartisan achievement, co-sponsored by then-Florida Sens. Lawton Chiles, a Democrat, and Paula Hawkins, a Republican.
Today, 45,000 acres of the same kind of road le s s n at ion a l fore st l a nd Con g re s s shielded in that law are threatened by the Wilderness and Roadless Area Release Act. This bill, which many have dubbed the “Great Outdoors Giveaway,” would lift current protections from these roadless areas — that is exactly what the word “release” in the title of the proposed legislation means. Development could make short work of the quiet nature sanctuaries, even though they are the last national forest lands in Florida available for wilderness designation. So far, no member of the Florida congressional delegation has joined as a co-sponsor of the McCarthy bill (or the identical bill in the U.S. Senate). For this, they deserve our thanks. Let’s hope vigilant constituents remind lawmakers of the need to protect the state’s wild places as a natural legacy for future generations.
