Excerpt from South Florida National Parks Coordinated Management Framework Draft The national park units of South Florida contain the remaining elements of a vast, interrelated ecosystem and linkages to the cultural heritage of this country. The crystal water and brick fort of Dry Tortugas National Park, the gleaming water and striking coral reefs of Biscayne National Park, the river of grass and Ten Thousand islands of Everglades National Park, and the vast cypress, prairie, and pine upland of Big Cypress National Preserve represent' the South Florida found by the Spanish explorers in the early 16th century. Collectively, these units of the national park system protect hundreds of thousands of acres that embody some of the best and most complete examples of the natural and cultural history of South Florida. Each was set aside by Congress for distinct purposes based on the special and individual significance of each site. These national park units belong to all of the people of this nation. This unique idea was first expressed in 1872 when, in creating Yellowstone National Park, Congress decreed that some of the nation's natural inheritance be preserved in perpetuity for uses other than material gain. Some park purposes share common bonds, others may be difficult to integrate. All are important to the significance of these sites and to their user and constituency groups. As the entire South Florida region begins to recognize the contribution that this unique system of natural areas has on the quality of human life, citizens and governments are embracing integrated ecosystem management philosophies to sustain that quality of life. The parks have long understood that they cannot effectively manage their resources without including their users, supporters, and neighbors in their decision - making process. And now, ' in the context of ecosystem management, they must look to one another to ensure that management and operational efficiencies are maximized, policies (where appropriate) are consistent, and missions and goals are coordinated. In that context, the four units of the national park. System in South Florida have initiated a planning process that describes their future. This framework document sets forth the purpose and significance of each park'and presents individual and collective goals that reflect conditions the park managers envision for the future. These collective goals are intended to help shape, and where possible, unify future management decisions. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.