Everglades National Park provides an update on the Wilderness Stewardship Plan

News Release Date:
January 16, 2025

Contact: Media Contact: Allyson Gantt, 786-610-8023

Contact: Project information: Daniel Noon, 305-242-7717

Contact: General park information, 305-242-7700

HOMESTEAD, Fla. - On Jan. 16, Everglades National Park released a status update on the draft Wilderness Stewardship Plan, which would guide the preservation, management and use of the park's wilderness lands. An updated StoryMap with details is available at parkplanning.nps.gov/ever-wsp. No public meetings or public comment period are planned with this informational update.

"We are grateful for the input we have received on our wilderness stewardship planning effort," said Superintendent Pedro Ramos of Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Parks. "Having a wilderness stewardship plan that balances the protection of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Wilderness with active use and enjoyment by people is essential."

The purpose of the Wilderness Stewardship Plan is to provide long-term direction for preserving wilderness character, protect the natural and cultural resources in wilderness areas, improve conditions in areas with unacceptable levels of impact, and provide opportunities for public use and enjoyment in accordance with the Wilderness Act and other applicable laws and policies.

The next steps will include development of alternatives, another opportunity for public comment, and a management decision as required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The development of alternatives will be prepared in an environmental compliance document that will analyze the near-term and high-priority actions in the Wilderness Stewardship Plan. These documents will be shared for public review in late 2025.

Recognizing the deep connections between past, present, and future peoples, and wilderness, the National Park Service (NPS) welcomes shared stewardship of our wilderness areas. As part of a collaborative and transparent planning process, the park invited input on the draft desired conditions and preliminary management strategies from the public and associated Tribes in spring 2024. The NPS analyzed comments and refined the desired conditions and preliminary management strategies. The public comment summary can be found along with the StoryMap on the project website: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ever-wsp.

The park's Marjory Stoneman Douglas Wilderness is the largest unit of the National Wilderness Preservation System east of the Rocky Mountains. Established in 1934, Everglades National Park was considered wilderness 30 years before the Wilderness Act of 1964 was signed into law, and 44 years prior to its official wilderness designation in 1978. The NPS now manages 97% of the park as wilderness, including submerged marine lands.

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