Habitat Reclamation as Part of Off Road Vehicle Trail Stabilizing in Big Cypress National Preserve

As part of an Off Road Vehicle Management Plan that was approved by the National Park Service, US Department of the Interior, Big Cypress National Preserve has undertaken restoration activities in several areas that have been ecologically compromised by off road vehicle activities. In 2000 Big Cypress National Preserve (BICY) began designating a system of about 400 miles of off-road vehicle (ORV) trails within the preserve. This was initiated in response to contention between conservation organizations in southern Florida and organizations of groups that commonly use BICY for ORV recreation. Use of a designated trail system within the Preserve will allow limited use of the Preserve by ORV users and will help to limit habitat alteration that occurred nearly throughout the Preserve. Restriction of ORV traffic to designated trails, however, resulted in concentrated use of these trails, so that it was necessary to reinforce or stabilize these trails to accommodate the increased traffic. The following information outlines activities that Big Cypress National Preserve proposes to mitigate trail stabilization outlined in the approved Off Road Vehicle Management Plan.