FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Environmental groups are suing the National Park Service over a series of off-road vehicle trails in the Big Cypress National Preserve in southwest Florida.
The Center for Biological Diversity, the Sierra Club and other groups filed a lawsuit against the park service Wednesday in Fort Myers federal court. They say nearly 150 miles of trails across two sections of the preserve violate the Endangered Species Act and the preserve’s own management plan for off-road vehicles, putting wetlands habitat and species such as the Florida panther at risk.
Preserve Superintendent Pedro Ramos says he hasn’t seen the lawsuit yet. Ramos says there’s been “a long story of disagreement” over off-road vehicles in the preserve. He says the preserve’s management plan aims to eliminate the use of off-road vehicles beyond designated trails.
