Everglades Echo, Everglades City's hometown newspaper, has an online poll asking readers' opinion on whether or not the changes associated with the designation of Tamiami Trail as a Scenic Highway will be good for the community's economy. I urge you to go to the site Everglades Echo (www.evergladesecho.com) and cast your vote.

Things to consider: The National Park Service plans to use the scenic highway designation as a means of obtaining funding to build parking lots, long boardwalks, and other tourist amenities in Big Cypress National Preserve. The superintendent of Big Cypress has stated publicly that he expects these amenities to bring in millions of new tourists to the region, and that he plans to route these millions of tourists down "spur" road such as Turner River Road and Loop Road. He has also stated that he anticipates this increase in tourism in the Preserve to be the "goose that laid the golden egg" for Everglades City. Oddly, the Preserve's permit application for the visitor amenities stated they anticipate the projects to have no appreciable effect on the local economy.

This raises many questions: Will tourists bypass Everglades City and go straight to the Preserve? Will the increase in tourism increase property values and property taxes to the point that locals and their grown offspring can no longer afford to live in their hometown? Will the NPS projects funded by the scenic highway program put the Preserve that much closer to being managed as a "park" rather than multi-use preserve? How will residents living along Turner River, Wagon Wheel Road, Burns Road, and Loop Road, be affected by millions of tourists being routed past their gates? What effect will increased tourism have on the safety of Tamiami Trail? Will the increased tourism provide an excuse for another push to reduce the speed limit on Tamiami Trail? How will the projects effect traditional recreational uses, such as hunting, fishing, etc.? (The Preserve has already closed ORV use for a mile on either side of Tamiami Trail anticipating this designation.)

I won't try to sway your opinion by urging you to vote one way or the other, but please visit the site and let your opinion be kNOwn. (Smile)

Bxxxxxx Jxxx

Funny. The question is, "Will it be good for the everglades' economy?" To which I had to vote "YES" because it logically would. Had the question been along the lines of, "do you think the highway thingy is a good idea?" I might vote differently.