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The western chunk of the Everglades includes Big Cypress National Preserve, Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve, and the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge. This rich mix of wetlands, pine forests, cypress stands, hardwood hammocks and vast coastal forests of mangrove islands supports an amazing mosaic of life, including the endangered Florida panther, the Florida black bear, American alligator and swallow-tailed kite.

It is also the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles exist side by side. Nature-based tourism abounds in this haven for bird-watching, kayaking and canoeing. The Everglades also serve as an important natural flood control system, vital in this hurricane-prone corner of the world.

Yet the push to pave over paradise manifests itself along the edges of the western Everglades. Years of explosive population growth and unchecked development have squeezed the Everglades and the wildlife that depend on them. Rampant development is taking over critical habitat for the endangered Florida panther: there are only 100 panthers left in the wild.

Massive development proposals for new golf courses and hundreds of thousands of new homes stretch from Naples to Charlotte Harbor in areas critical for the panther's survival. Additionally, thousands of acres of panther habitat are threatened by proposals to strip mine for phosphate.

To protect this valuable and rapidly changing region, we need better enforcement of environmental laws and increased efforts to protect the habitat of the Florida panther or Florida black bear. The Sierra Club is working to establish a protective buffer between the natural landscape and ever-expanding urban areas and to advocate for smart growth options as the region grapples with a ballooning population.

To join the storied fight to save the beleaguered Everglades, please contact Frank Jackalone at 727-824-8813 (x302) or frank.jackalone@sierraclub.org.