I'm reposting this and comments, at the top of the blog because Ken Burns' series on the national parks goes on. It is an excellent record that should be required viewing by the unreformable majority of the county commission and Miami's sprawl developers whose businesses are on life support thanks to US taxpayer backstopping trillions in fraudulent debt. The national park series has had poor coverage by The Miami Herald. Maybe that will change, with the Burns' episode featuring the Everglades and Biscayne National Park on Oct. 2.
The great news on Monday that the US Army Corps of Engineers issued a contract to elevate a short segment of Tamiami Trail deserves comment in the context of "what's wrong with our national parks". As noted by the Herald, the project to restore the eastern edge of the Everglades was first authorized by Congress in 1989. It has taken 20 years to move the first shovel of dirt in a piece of the puzzle-- a key one. What happened in this 20 year period in Florida is a fine example of what is wrong with our national parks.
To make a long story short, the Everglades is a victim to conservative politics that held that government is inherently evil and cannot not be trusted to protect the public commons. This idea, naturally, is not featured in the Herald. The story of the western suburbs-- from the rapid development of West Kendall, the 8.5 Square Mile Area, the Frog Pond, and rock mining too in the West Dade wellfield and Lake Belt-- is a 20 year effort by private corporations and wealthy individuals to commandeer public policies for private gain that might have been directed, otherwise, to modifying flood control features like water levels in canals to benefit the Everglades and not insta-grow suburbs from Weston to Homestead.
I am not exagguerating. Only compressing the story to fit the blog. 20 years ago environmental groups knew exactly what was needed to restore the eastern edge of the Everglades. It was not a matter, as described in cynical voices like the Dade County Farm Bureau shilling for land speculators and local bankers and political bullies, of "flooding" neighborhoods. It was a matter of land acquisition to provide water storage adequate to the purpose of re-watering the east Everglades. Even though the Everglades had become an iconic symbol of the green movement, no politician (from Senator Bob Graham, to Democrat and Republican governors alike) were willing to take on Growth Machine and its commandeering of policies and politics that had a profound influence on our national parks in Miami Dade.
Now, here is the text from the earlier posting and comments as well.
"Although Miami-Dade borders two of the nation's most threatened and unique national parks, the local Miami Herald has had virtually no coverage of the Ken Burns' series that began, last night, on PBS and features Everglades National Park. Ho-hum. The blog feature of The New York Times has a running debate that you may find interesting: "What's wrong with our National Parks?" One of the writers is local Miami native and UM law graduate, Sara Fain, who is now co-chair of the Everglades Coalition and works for National Parks Conservation Association. From my point of view, as a long-time observer and -- now-- board member of Friends of the Everglades, there is plenty wrong with our national parks. For one, if we can't fix what we have committed to, in Everglades National Park, there is no chance for reversing the truly alarming environmental problems at our doorsteps."
21 comments:
Miami Herald advertisers don't like the national parks. Not much room in the Everglades for "Rooms-to-go" or Lennar or US Century. On this point, Natacha Seijas and the Herald agree.
The promotion of the S FL National Parks is abysmal.
Also Miami is the ONLY metro area to border two National Parks. However I'd bet 2/3 of the population doesn't realize Biscayne is a NP.
What's wrong with The Miami Herald that it would print that diatribe review by Gleen Garvin - which also doesn't mention Everglades or Biscayne National Parks. In fact, he couldn't even bother to see the whole series.
National Parks do not have a budget to advertise. They depend on partnerships or media to do that for them.
National Public Radio and TV have been promoting the series big time. Also, one of the Sunday magazines (Parade?) had a big article about a week ago. So it has been getting some coverage but, of course, not in the Herald.
Exactly -- the Garvin piece (again linking all bad things to the hippie-dippy culture wars of the 60s) was an abomination.
Something is wrong with Glenn Garvin. Maybe he should stick to daytime TV reviews. He is a failure at Conservative reporting and worse at feeling the pulse of the TV veiwer and giving levelheaded reviews.
Garvin called parks "unnatural." The Herald should really assign someone else to review the series, after actually watching it. And, in particular, writing about the segment that covers Everglades and Biscayne National Parks. There's still time to make amends to the community.
Here you have the most eminent documentary film maker in a generation focusing on a key part of the American experience and one that has wrapped up South Florida's history. Yet the Herald won't give run-up for its readership. What a sad testament.
just like some people in Miami to think the only thing out there is Miami and the everglades. expand your horizons.
the herald doesn't have the money to do actual in depth and newsworthy reporting! come on people! they can barely afford to do the salacious news.
Your post asks:
What's wrong with our National Parks.
You should be asking:
What is wrong with Glenn Garvin?
What's Glenn Garvin's beef? He can't seem to separate his TV critic hat from his extremist political views. This wasn't a review. It was anti-nature screed. Why don't his editors at the Miami Herald say, "Glenn, you're embarrassing this paper and this community. Either stay within your TV critic job description or try your hand at NewsMax instead."
Take it easy on Garvin. He's delivered some of the most trenchant and piercing social satire of the year.
Too bad that year is 1971.
Does Garvin even have editors? I tried to write to one and got a message she was on leave for two weeks. Maybe he sneaked one in. I'm trying to give the editor the benefit of the doubt. Still it's in print. Truly shameful.
I think the National Forests and all of Nature should be preserved, especially in areas where the building has gone out of control. We need some trees and "green" stuff around...or we will go totally mad.
After watching the series, I want to nominate Virginia Key for inclusion in the National Parks, part of Biscayne National Park in particular. The Marine Stadium could start off the deal by being declared a National Monument. It seems everyone in the series who cared about saving a place had to turn to the National Parks to save it. If "green" City of Miami Mayor Manny Diaz got behind this idea - of what a legacy he would leave!
The series to date has been spellbinding. Everyone living in or visiting this country should be educated that our parks are national gems and they don't come into being easily. There has always been a push to develop parkland by the greedy. We need to cherish them with a million voices.
On Garvin...the Miami Herald did a disservice to its readers allowing a TV critique of the National Parks to be turned into an bizarre ideological anti-nature tirade. With every passing episode it becomes clear he should be taken off the beat.
On Morgan...while one mile is better than no miles and happily closes out the Mod Waters saga, Morgan should have mentioned that the National Park Service is now evaluating plans to bridge up to six miles more in a process called "Tamiami Trail Next Steps" http://www.nps.gov/ever/naturescience/nessrestoration.htm
The omission was shocking considering the stakes involved. Everyone and their brother knows that one mile doesn't cut it. It just gets the ball rolling. It only works if the asphalt on the other 10 miles of the project area is not put down first giving the NPS through "Next Steps" enough time to bridge the rest.
Questions:
Why was there a full court media press by Corps (and apparently Interior) on the awarding of a building contract (something that is usually covered by a blog or a business publication?)
Why was the extemely non-newsworthy act of awarding of construction contract deemed fit to be put on the front page of the Herald?
Why wasn't "next steps" by NPS not given one drop of ink when it is so integral to the bridging of Tamiami Trail?
I'm sure those with the answers are reading this. Please inform us.
To me .. Miami must preserve national parks. It helps in alleviating hurricane wind etc.. also trees are good for the area where construction is going beyond control.
Miami Vacations, your a bit transparent in your quest to get people to your site:
National Parks alleviate hurricane winds??? Give me a break...Exactly how does that compute?
And, trees are good???? Okay, you got me to your site but if that is all you are going to do is write phony, thoughtless comments to get people to Miami Vacations...it ain't going to work.
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