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Environmental Law

: ESA Blawg

Panthers vs. ORVs

By Keith Rizzardi

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From the Sunday, Feb. 24, 2008 Palm Beach Post...Panther Safety at heart of fight over off-road vehicles.

"Off-road vehicles were prohibited in 2000 in much of the region north of Interstate 75, known as Alligator Alley. But preserve Superintendent Karen Gustin decided to reopen the Bear Island area to vehicle use a year ago after a heavy lobbying effort by off-roaders..." but environmentalists "allege that vehicle access to the sensitive area constitutes federal neglect of the National Park Service's obligation to protect the highly endangered panthers."

Florida Panther photo by Ralph Arwood available atBig Cypress National Preserve

COMMENTARY: The struggle between natural resource management and recreational use, especially in the context of off-road vehicle use, is a well trod path in environmental litigation. See Natural Trails and Waters Coalition page. But while it is indisputable that ORV's cause some degree of habitat impact, see National Park Service article on human/panther interactions, another question needs to be considered: in the absence of the use of at least portions of that habitat, would the motivation exist to preserve the rest of the habitat?

Full post as published by ESA Blawg on February 25, 2008 (boomark / email).