Big Cypress National Preserve

A new USGS report with a long title has this short take-away message: All nine giant constrictor species capable of colonizing areas of the United States pose moderate to severe ecological risks, and some pose a credible risk to humans.

A proposal drafted by planners at Big Cypress National Preserve would greatly expand hunting and off-road vehicle use in the preserve, moves that would pose a "moderate adverse" impact to the endangered Florida panther.

Smoke from a wildfire in Big Cypress National Preserve has prompted closure of a major interstate highway connecting the east and west coasts of Florida. The shutdown of Interstate 75, also known as Alligator Alley, is into its fourth day, and may continue through the weekend.

Once seen as an innovative project for its time, in 1929, Tamiami Trail was built along the northern edge of what was to become Everglades National Park and through Big Cypress National Preserve. It fulfilled the dream to create passage across the Everglades from Tampa to Miami. Today, many people feel much differently about the road that currently impedes the natural flow of water through the historic River of Grass.