Biscayne National Park is about to get 45 acres larger. The Miami-Dade Board of Commissioners approved a transfer of land north of Black Point on Biscayne Bay to the National Park Service this week.
The park’s waters have suffered from increasing salinization in recent decades. Caroline McLaughlin, the Biscayne program manager at the National Parks Conservation Association, says the transfer will help to bring freshwater into the park.
“With this transfer, we’ll be able to move faster to restore freshwater flow, improve habitat, decrease salinity, help water quality and help all the birds and wildlife that live in the area,” she said.
District 8 County Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava sponsored the transfer. She says she recognizes the importance of the natural ecosystem of Biscayne Bay for the local economy, which relies heavily on tourism and fishing in the Biscayne area.
“We can truly make a difference with these projects and we need everyone’s support,” she said.
Levine Cava says local officials need to continue to lobby Congress for funding to support such restoration projects.
