The Everglades - Swamped in controversy

It's estimated that Native Americans have lived in Florida for over 12,000 years. Some of these native people lived off the abundant supply of game and plant foods in the Everglades. In the early and mid 1800s, the United States fought several wars in and around the Everglades against the people whose descendants would later form the Seminole and Miccosukee tribes of Florida. The Indians used their knowledge of the land and ability to retreat into the bog during these fights to avoid defeat. No peace treaty was ever signed and the Seminoles never surrendered.

Read more about the Seminole and Miccosukee Indians.

Fifty percent of South Florida's original wetland areas no longer exist. The population of nesting birds has declined severely. Federally endangered species living in Everglades National Park are threatended. How did this happen? Attempts to drain the Everglades in various ways and reroute its waters have forever altered the flow of water that was so vital to maitaining balance in the Everglades ecosystem.

One drainage idea was to plant Melaleuca trees to absorb the water in the swamp so that real estate developers could build on its land. Unfortunately for the native plants and animals, the Melaleuca tree and other invasive species have taken over a million acres of Everglades land since their introduction. Programs continue to be tested to control these species, since eradication seems untenable. The National Park Service has singled out the Melaleuca as having a signficant impact on "the natural, scenic, hydrologic, wildlife, and recreational values of the park."

Beginning early in the last century, large canal projects were initiated to support urban growth along the coasts and create agricultural land. Great amounts of water were diverted (and continue to be diverted) from the Everglades to support the growing population and agricultural interests in Central and South Florida. The levee and canals systems used to control the flow of water have adversely affected the wildlife in the park, altering natural and seasonal variations.

Water quality also affects the ecological well-being of the Everglades. High levels of mercury, runoff from agriculture, and saltwater intrusion are some of the challenges facing the future of the Everglades.

Luckily for those concerned about the health and future of the Everglades, a young writer named Marjory Stoneman Douglas moved to South Florida in 1915.

While researching a book on the Everglades, Marjory Stoneman Douglas learned about the threats to the Everglades from commercial development. In 1947 her book, "The Everglades: River of Grass", was published. (A revised edition of her book was published in 1987.)

Marjory Stoneman Douglas was a dedicated and tireless writer and worker on behalf of social justice and environmental issues. As part of her life-long campaign to save the Everglades, she helped found the Friends of the Everglades, which strives to protect and restore the Everglades ecosystem through legal advocacy and education.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas died on May 14, 1998, at the age of 108.

Read more about Marjory Stoneman Douglas on the
National Women's Hall of Fame website.

Last year, over 1,000 people a day moved to Florida. Many more vacation in the Sunshine State every year. Urban and agricultural development are increasing. Providing water to cities and businesses, while at the same time restoring the Everglades ecosystem, is more of a challenge today due to past short-sighted management decisions.

The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, approved in 2000, is the largest environmental project in U.S. history.

Michael Grunwald, a reporter for The Washington Post, wrote a series of articles on Everglades Restoration. (The series can be read on the webiste of the Friends of the Everglades.)

Grunwald says that the project is "... a model for projects in the Chesapeake Bay and Louisiana coastal wetlands and the Great Lakes and even the Garden of Eden marshes in southern Iraq, so South Florida is really the place where we're going to figure out whether man can live in harmony with nature."

There is still much controversy over whether the plan will actually restore the Everglades. Charges of bureaucratic delaying tactics, underestimation of costs, and a bias in favor of immediate benefits to business owners have been leveled.