Florida Keys National Park

Monroe County Administrator, Roman Gastesi, and others proposed a $1.2 billion project to the state and federal governments to help keep certain areas of the Florida Keys from being developed by their current owners.

The county's land mapping system states that "Tier 1" lands contain the most sensitive vegetation species and 7,275 acres of the Florida Keys fall into this category.

The land is privately owned by developers, however, so this may lead to lawsuits. Monroe County has paid more than $12 million since 2002 to settle lawsuits in which the county took the land by eminent domain. The county is hoping the federal government will purchase the land for $1.2 billion, so that the county doesn't have to be involved.

Everglades, Biscayne and Dry Tortugas National Parks are near the Keys and each are protected from development by the National Park Service. The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and Key West and Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuges protect the habitat for birds, manatees and fish. So why shouldn't the National Park Service protect the vegetation, too?

We will keep you informed of the status of this proposal.