Florida delegation blocks wilderness protection for Big Cypress preserve
H.R. 1192 — To ensure that Big Cypress National Preserve may not be designated as wilderness or as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System, and for other purposes. · Filed by C. Franklin (R-FL) · 18 cosponsors · Introduced Feb 11, 2025 · Referred to committee
Your members of Congress
Enter a ZIP to see where your representative and both senators stood on this bill.
Looked up on this device — your ZIP is never stored on our servers.
What it does
This bill prohibits Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida from ever being designated as wilderness or added to the National Wilderness Preservation System. The preserve would remain under its current management status, blocking any future administrative or legislative action to grant it wilderness protection.
Why we flagged it
The bill's operative mechanism is a permanent prohibition on a specific conservation designation for a named federal property. It functions to preserve current mixed-use management authority and block future wilderness protections, favoring extractive and motorized-recreation interests over strict conservation.
What the text implies
- Permanently forecloses future Congresses from designating Big Cypress as wilderness, removing a policy option from the legislative toolkit even if public opinion or environmental conditions change.
- Preserves current National Preserve status, which permits oil and gas leasing, airboat use, and other extractive/motorized activities that wilderness designation would prohibit.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
oil and gas extraction companies operating in Big Cypress; airboat and motorized recreation outfitters; hunting and fishing guide services