Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 4090 - Big Cypress National Preserve Addition

(House)
(Rep. Lewis (R) Fla.)

The Administration opposes H.R. 4090, because:

— the 128,000 acres the bill would add to the Preserve are not essential for the purposes of the Preserve;

— there is no evidence that the additional land is needed for habitat for the Florida Panther, the principal justification cited for the addition, or that the land is threatened with imminent development;

— existing mechanisms are adequate to protect the watershed of the area; and

— enactment could impede completion of Interstate 75 in a cost-effective and expeditious manner.

In short, there is no compelling reason to spend over $40 million to expand the Federal estate in southern Florida, when the Federal Government already owns about 2 million acres nearby and about 4.2 million acres in the State.