COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — Plans for a new 350-foot cell tower in Ochopee have been halted after Collier County commissioners voted to stop the project in Big Cypress National Preserve. The decision came Tuesday following strong opposition from dozens of residents and activists.
Members of the American Indian Movement’s Central Florida chapter called the vote a step in the right direction.
“It’s going to save the people and their health, and it’s going to save a lot of animals as well,” said one indigenous tribe member from Virginia.
WATCH AS FOX 4'S MAHMOUD BENNETT SPOKE WITH ADVOCATES OUTSIDE TUESDAY'S MEETING:
“No matter where we are, we are on Indigenous land, and it’s important to steward the land Indigenously,” said an indigenous Caribbean tribe member who spoke against the proposed tower at the meeting.
Opponents argued the tower, planned for the old county-owned fire station off U.S. 41, would disrupt Indigenous lands and harm the environment.
However, the county has been seeking a new tower location to support emergency communications, as the existing tower in Carnestown is set to be removed by the National Park Service, potentially creating a coverage gap.
Commissioner Dan Kowal encouraged residents to advocate for federal cooperation.
“I would behoove the people in this room—very compassionate, very convincing—that I think together if we could all reach out to the federal government and [show] how important this is, if they can keep a spot on that site for communication and uproot it and move it,” Kowal said.
While the county’s vote blocks the tower at this location, officials are considering alternative sites. If another location is not found, Indigenous groups may face an uphill battle with the federal government, which controls Big Cypress.
“It’s a very small win because now we have to deal with the federal government,” said an indigenous tribe member from North Carolina. “And when we’re dealing with that, we’re looking at money—because people have come over here and the biggest thing they want to do is take whatever they can, and that has to stop," he added.
Despite the uncertainty, many in Ochopee felt commissioners heard their concerns and acted in good faith.
“Traditionally, speaking up for the greater good of the Everglades and its cultural communities is something that’s always brought us together—and today reflects that,” said Jack Shealy, who operates the Skunk Ape Research Headquarters next door to the originally proposed cell tower site.
"Today was a success," Shealy added.
The county will continue exploring options for the tower’s placement.
