Protecting Biscayne National Park
In 1968, Congress reacted to a proposed oil refinery on the banks of Biscayne Bay by establishing Biscayne National Park, first as a national monument, then changing its status to national park in 1980. Even though the Miami skyline is visible from Biscayne National Park, it is an oasis of marine serenity. However, in 1994, that serenity was again threatened by a proposal: redeveloping the former Homestead Air Force Base into an airport.
Everglades Betrayal - The Issue that Defeated Al Gore reveals the extraordinary events that unfolded during the eight years from the base’s destruction by Hurricane Andrew to the final decision rendered days before George Bush took office as President. It describes the setting that led to the proposal, politics that delivered a no-bid contract to a developer, scores of environmentalists rallying to protect Biscayne National Park and Everglades National Park, and a powerful legal tool, the National Environmental Policy Act that guided the way. Everglades Betrayal imparts students and practitioners of natural resource protection, public land management, and land use planning with an appreciation of this incredible saga that pitted environmentalists and conservation organizations against a revered Cuban-American mayor and the influential Latin Builders Association. Action from the White House was summoned to give all interests fair consideration, however, as readers of Everglades Betrayal will learn, that intent was clouded by another intent: securing the presidency for Al Gore.
Because the fish, manatees, herons, coral polyps, and other inhabitants of Biscayne National Park do not have voices, conservation organizations and the National Park Service carried their message throughout the process. Everglades Betrayal is a story of strategies and consequences in the complicated realm of protecting natural resources such as Biscayne National Park.
The Everglades Betrayal – The Issue that Defeated Al Gore is now available to you online.
