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Three National Parks of the Sunshine State by
With the second largest coastline in the United States, Florida is known for its sandy beaches and warm, sub-tropical and tropical climate, nicknamed the "Sunshine State". As a peninsula that is bordered by the Gulf of Mexico to the west, the Strait of Florida to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Florida also consists of marshes, swamps, lakes, rivers, ponds and thousands of islands. The state has three designated National Parks to protect the diverse collection of species both plant and animal, as well as the rich natural and cultural resources of these lands. Biscayne, Miami, Key Biscayne & Homestead To the north of the Florida Keys lay 50 more ancient coral reef islands that before designated as a national monument in 1968, were almost developed into hotels and roads for a major industrial seaport. With a proposal to dredge up 8,000 acres of bay bottom in order to create a jetport in 1962, a group of people protested the plans and called for a national park that would protect the islands as well as the bay to the west and reef to the east. Local and national support for the park grew with supporters such as Herbert W. Hoover, Jr., grandson of the vacuum cleaner company's founder, who gave blimp rides to legislators from Washington over the proposed park area. Landowners in the area who were in favor of the development plans bulldozed a six-lane wide and seven-mile-long area through one of the keys hoping to deter the park. This became known as "Spite Highway" and today is the park's only hiking trail. Biscayne National Monument was created to protect these northern islands and their residing wildlife, and on October 18, 1968 President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the bill. The monument was later changed to Biscayne National Park in 1980. The park is the largest marine sanctuary in the U.S. National Park system with 95% of the 173-thousand-acre park being water. It is the third largest offshore reef in the world and home to thousands of wildlife habitats. The Biscayne National park consists of four primary ecosystems, each supporting a diverse variety of animal species. There are over 600 native fish, neo-tropical water birds and 20 threatened or endangered species including the West Indian manatee, peregrine falcon, American crocodile, Schaus' swallowtail butterfly and five different types of turtles.
As seen in LASN magazine, October 2020.
LASN 2023 Yearbook
2022 Saw a Surge in Visitor Spending Near National Parks
Investments Aim to Bolster Ecosystem Resilience
NPS Opens Comment Period Through July 21
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