Everglades National Park was established in 1947. The same year, Marjory Stoneman Douglas published The Everglades: River of Grass, highlighting the region’s unique landscapes and diverse wildlife. Until that point, people had assumed the land was worthless.
A few decades later, one of the largest environmental battles in Florida’s history occurred over a plan to build the world’s biggest airport. The Everglades Jetport would have been five times the size of JFK International in New York. In 1969, groups like Friends of the Everglades, founded by Stoneman Douglas, organized to preserve the nearly 25,000 acres of land and stop the airport’s construction.
The Dade County Port Authority (DCPA), made up of the county commissioners, spearheaded the plan to build. At first, some state and federal politicians supported it. But environmental advocates changed many minds after a federal study found building in the Everglades would cause irreversible damage to the ecosystem.
Construction of the jetport stopped following public pushback. But some of it had already been built – a single runway, now known as the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport.
The battle to build yielded some silver linings, though, and may have influenced some important laws and events aimed at protecting the environment, wildlife, and parks.
The first Earth Day
Former U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson, a Democrat from Wisconsin, pushed back in Congress against the groups trying to build the jetport in 1969. Less than a year later, he organized the first-ever Earth Day on April 22, 1970.
An estimated 20 million people nationwide participated in protests and “teach-ins” to raise awareness of environmental issues. In a special Earth Day report, CBS evening news anchor Walter Cronkite issued a warning.
An excerpt from his report:
”The hoopla of Earth Day is over. The problems remain. Only time will tell if these demonstrations accomplished anything… For instance, the politicians who see this as a safe crusade. They seem to have missed the point that it will involve treading on more special interests than ever in our history.”
“If they haven't heard the unanimous voice of the scientists warning that halfway measures and business as usual cannot possibly pull us back from the edge of the precipice… The indifferent have missed the point that to clean up the air and earth and water in the few years science says is left to us means personal involvement, and may mean personal sacrifice… What is at stake and what is in question is survival. This is Walter Cronkite. Good night.”
The Earth Day environmental movement, which began more than 50 years ago, continues each April.
New agencies and laws
The jetport spurred the formation of regional planning councils (RPCs) across the state.
One of the earliest was the South Florida Jetport Council, formed in 1969. It’s now called the South Florida Regional Planning Council. Collier, Monroe, and Dade County members addressed common challenges like water, transportation, housing, and economic development that transcended city and county lines. RPCs became key vehicles for managing growth, economic development, and access to state and federal programs through interlocal agreements in the 1970s.
The late Nathaniel “Nat” Reed, an environmentalist who later served on the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, played a major role in halting the jetport’s construction and passing key environmental laws.
At a congressional hearing on the jetport in June 1969, Reed said the DCPA was unable to provide a clear picture of the site's development and use plans. He talked about an agreement between DCPA and Collier County commissioners to control the land use up to three miles beyond the airport’s boundaries.
Later that year, hydrologist Dr. Luna Leopold released a report about the environmental impacts of building the jetport in the Everglades. His report became the first environmental impact study in Florida.
Former President Richard Nixon signed the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, into law in 1970. NEPA requires federally funded projects to perform environmental studies to assess how actions might affect the land. Reed used research about the jetport’s impacts on the Everglades to help convince Nixon to sign the pro-environment law.
Reed was an advisor to six Florida governors and served under Presidents Nixon and Gerald Ford. He also played a large role in stopping the jetport’s construction.
Throughout his time in the federal government, Reed remained committed to protecting Florida’s environment. He helped draft landmark legislation still in use today: the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act.
The Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1972 was initially vetoed by Nixon on Oct. 17, 1972. Congress overrode his veto, and the bill officially became law the following day. The CWA establishes nationwide wastewater standards and regulates the amount of pollutants allowed in federal waterways. It was expanded from the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, passed in 1948.
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 establishes federal protections for wildlife, plants, and fish listed as threatened or endangered. The law helps to protect ecosystems from extinction. The law “replaced the weaker 1969 Endangered Species Act, which lacked penalties for killing endangered species,” according to the U.S. House.
In 1986, Reed co-founded the nonprofit 1000 Friends of Florida. The organization aims to “educate, advocate, negotiate and, when necessary, litigate” for environmentally conscious public policy. The group celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.
Reed’s advocacy in the jetport battle and his environmental research helped stop construction and ensure protections for Big Cypress. He played an instrumental role in securing federal funding to turn the swamp into a preserve.
New titles
In 1974, under President Gerald Ford, Congress adopted H. Res. 10088. It established Big Cypress Swamp as one of the nation’s first National Preserves. The National Park Service said the resolution was “the result of a short, intense preservation effort and a long-term concern for protection of the adjoining Everglades.”
The law also ensured the Miccosukee and Seminole Tribes had permanent rights to occupy and use the land. As well as first rights to develop businesses related to the preserve's resources and use, like guided airboat tours.
Everglades National Park was designated an International Biosphere Reserve on October 26, 1976, and as a UNESCO World Heritage Site about three years later.
The Big Cypress Preserve earned the distinction of an International Dark Sky Place in 2016. It’s one of more than 230 places around the world. It wasn’t the first in Florida to receive the recognition, but it was the first national preserve to get the title.
The set precedent
Plans to build the Everglades Jetport sparked a wave of legislative changes and a shift in public awareness. Research and findings from impact studies done during construction spurred three key environmental laws: NEPA, the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act. And those same laws are being tested in court today for the same plot of land.
An immigration detention center, dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” sits on the single runway at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport.
The Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Everglades, and the Miccosukee Tribe (who later joined the case) are suing to stop operations at the facility. They say officials violated state and federal laws.
“Ironically, the 1968 proposal to build the 'Everglades Jetport' – now the TNT site – contributed to the January 1, 1970, adoption of NEPA, and its requirement to evaluate reasonably anticipated environmental impacts that could result from federal action before acting,” the initial complaint said.
The case to close the detention center is ongoing, but the facility remains fully operational. Lawyers are expected to return to court early this year.
Want to join the conversation or share your story? Email Meghan at bowman4@wusf.org.
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This story was produced by WUSF as part of a statewide journalism initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
