For 125 years in Florida, Audubon has worked in partnership to advance durable conservation solutions which benefit birds, habitat and people. We were on the front lines in 1968 when bulldozers began clearing a massive tract of Everglades land for what was to become a regional airport hub between Miami and Naples, known as “The Jetport.”

Back then, there were no modern environmental assessments, permitting requirements with teeth, or substantial public transparency, but Floridians rallied and thwarted this catastrophic proposal that would have meant, in the words of the Nixon Administration’s Leopold Report, “death for the Everglades.”

Any proposal for the use of this site in the middle of Big Cypress National Preserve should be considered with the transparency, accountability, and environmental review that modern Floridians now expect, and that our Everglades deserve.

We believe the establishment of a detention center at this site is moving forward with haste and has not met these expectations.

While Audubon recognizes the state’s authority under emergency order to fast track this work for temporary site use, we oppose this use for the site and urge the administration to simultaneously evaluate capacity needs and alternative locations.

A priority should be placed on more economical and resilient site options without substantial risk to the public’s investment in Everglades Restoration or the residents of the nearby Miccosukee Indian Village. The Everglades is the foundation of South Florida’s quality of life, economic prosperity, and drinking water.

Alternatives exist, and there is only one Everglades.