A 350-foot communications tower could be installed near the Skunk Ape Research Headquarters in the Big Cypress National Preserve after the Collier County Planning Commission unanimously approved it on Feb. 6. A final vote could occur at the Collier County Commission at the end of February.
The tower, planned for the Ochopee Fire Control District, is intended to improve emergency services communications for fire and EMS. Planning commissioners also claim it could provide cell service.
"The state spent over $2 million doing a Florida Panther study, and right there is where they decided the majority of the panthers cross the road. Environmentally, it's just not going to work, and there’s a lot of interference with bird migrations with towers, too. This is a huge migration route," said David Shealy, with the Skunk Ape Research Headquarters.
Beyond environmental concerns, Shealy says the tower would destroy the attraction's old Florida aesthetic. The Skunk Ape Research HQ was recently voted as the No. 2 roadside attraction in the entire United States, according to USA Today.
"If you took a picture of this, it would look like [the tower] was mounted on it. And just on the other side, even closer, is an Indian village. If it falls, it could even fall on the village," Shealy said.
The Shealy family says they plan on creating a public petition to halt the construction and approval of the communications tower.