Human Use and Impact
Ecologically, the preserve is slightly more elevated than the western Everglades, and Big Cypress has historically served as home to Native Americans, including the Miccosukee and Seminole tribes, as well as early settlers who hunted herons and egrets to supply feathers to hat-makers in New York and Paris, and poachers who hunted American Alligators and Crocodiles to near extinction. The timber industry also operated in the area, and built railroads to haul out most of the cypress ecosystem's old growth trees. Portions of the Big Cypress were also farmed for winter vegetables.
The search for oil in Florida began in 1901, but with no success. After almost 80 more dry holes had been drilled throughout the state, Humble Oil Company (later to become Exxon) discovered Florida's first producing oil well on September 26, 1943 in the northwest portion of what is now Big Cypress National Preserve. The wells currently produce about 20 barrels of oil per day.
Big Cypress differs from Everglades National Park in that the Miccosukee and Seminole people have permanent rights to occupy and use the land, that the Native Americans and hunters may use off-road vehicles, and home and business owners have been permitted to keep their properties. As in Everglades National Park, petroleum exploration was permitted within Big Cypress, but plans are under way to buy out the remaining petroleum leases. However Governor Rick Scott has stated that he is open to expanded drilling in the Everglades.
In the 1960s, Native Americans, hunters, and conservationists succeeded at fighting an effort to move Miami International Airport's international flights to a new airport in the Big Cypress area, and then campaigned to put Big Cypress back into the National Parks System. Although construction of the new airport had already begun, it was stopped after one runway was completed, and it is now known as the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport.
Read more about this topic: Big Cypress National Preserve
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