Audubon and all Everglades advocates welcomed the good news last week that park officials are recommending the

preferred alternative of 5.5 miles of additional bridging for Tamiami Trail.

The announcement came during America’s Everglades Summit when the National Park Service released its draft report for additional bridging over Tamiami Trail.  The preferred alternative  goes above and beyond the one-mile bridge currently under construction as part of the Modified Water Deliveries Project.  Audubon and partner Everglades advocates have long urged that enough Tamiami Trail bridging be built to reconnect the vital sheetflow to Everglades National Park (ENP) that provides habitat for many of the Everglades’ endangered and threatened species.  This preferred alternative will finally provide the needed ecological connectivity that enabled the once abundant populations of wildlife to thrive in the Everglades.

This alternative was selected because scientific analyses concluded that it provided the greatest ecological benefits, based on marsh connectivity, flow velocity, reconnection of ridge and slough habitat, and wetland loss.  The plan would increase ecological connectivity between ENP and Water Conservation Areas north of Tamiami Trail by 500 percent, providing great benefits for endangered bird species such as the snail kite and wood stork.  Audubon applauds the National Park Service for recognizing the importance and necessity of additional bridging, and looks forward to working with partner agencies and organizations to ensure that the preferred alternative is fully implemented.

Read Audubon's view on raising the trail in the Miami Herald.