The question of how best to protect Big Cypress National Preserve for future generations — install stricter protections or keep it open to all — is now officially a congressional matter.

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., filed a bill Monday to block a move by the federal Department of Interior that would ratchet up protections for the broad swath of cypress forest in Southwest Florida. Scott, who is up for reelection in November, aims to stop the federal government from designating the preserve as “wilderness,” like it has done for the preserve’s southern neighbor, Everglades National Park.

The move is supported by the park system and Everglades conservation groups, who say it would help keep damaging activity out of one of the biggest pieces of wild land in the state. But others who regularly use the preserve, including hunters and the Miccosukee Tribe, oppose the move. They argue it would make it more difficult for them to use the park for hunting, fishing and sacred tribal activities like burials and medicine gathering.

Talbert Cypress, chairman of the Miccosukee Tribe, said in a statement that the tribe’s connection with the land has been “jeopardized by an effort to regulate these lands and exclude native stewards in the process.”

“Wilderness is bad for the Big Cypress, bad for the Tribe, and bad for Florida. The push to keep Wilderness out of Big Cypress transcends politics and includes artists, activists, environmentalists, hunters, water managers and law enforcement officials. Unfortunately, there is a small minority of government officials that believe that fortress conservation, exclusion of native stewards, and more red tape is the answer to saving the Big Cypress,” he said. “We are fortunate that there are Members who listen to the people of the land who are able to tell this small group of officials that they are wrong.”

The tribe secured support against the Department of Interior’s plan from Scott and Sen. Marco Rubio in a letter the senators sent in March. In a statement about the newly filed bill, Scott called the proposal “a massive overstep by the federal government that would significantly diminish the conservation and recreational activities that those who live on and visit the preserve take very seriously to foster a connection between the public and nature today.”

“Big Cypress is a cherished natural resource, and its proper management is crucial to preserving its ecological integrity while maintaining access opportunities for the public,” he wrote.

The one-sentence bill simply says the preserve “may not be designated as wilderness or as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System.”

When asked about the newly filed bill, Allyson Gantt, a spokesperson for Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve, said the service does not comment on pending legislation.

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