On June 23, Friends of the Everglades sent the following letter to Gov. DeSantis asking him to kill the “Alligator Alcatraz” proposal — a damaging idea, floated by the Attorney General of Florida, to build a detention facility in the middle of the Everglades.
More than 50 years ago, Floridians rallied to stop the Everglades Jetport, protecting a vital stretch of wilderness from destructive development. Today, “Alligator Alcatraz” threatens that same land. Friends of the Everglades is deeply concerned that building a detention center — along with the necessary infrastructure, and the likelihood of future development — poses an unacceptable and unnecessary risk to on-site wetlands, nearby Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades National Park. Negative environmental impacts would include wetland degradation, building construction (even if temporary), water and sewer facilities, light pollution, traffic and emergency services.
It’s not too late for Gov. DeSantis to reverse course. We urge him not to make the same mistake Florida avoided 55 years ago. DeSantis should stand with thousands of Floridians against efforts to pave the Everglades — and be part of the fight to save it, instead.
