The Secretary shall administer the areas within the addition in accordance with sections 410r–5 to 410r–8 of this title and other provisions of law applicable to the Everglades National Park, and with the provisions of law generally applicable to units of the national park system, including the Act entitled “An Act to establish a National Park Service, and for other purposes”, approved August 25, 1916 (39 Stat. 535; 16 U.S.C. 1–4).[1] In order to further preserve and protect Everglades National Park, the Secretary shall utilize such other statutory authority as may be available to him for the preservation of wildlife and natural resources as he deems necessary to carry out the purposes of sections 410r–5 to 410r–8 of this title.

The Secretary shall manage the park in order to maintain the natural abundance, diversity, and ecological integrity of native plants and animals, as well as the behavior of native animals, as a part of their ecosystem.

The park shall be closed to the operation of airboats—

(1) except as provided in subsection (d); and

(2) except that within a limited capacity and on designated routes within the addition, owners of record of registered airboats in use within the addition as of January 1, 1989, shall be issued nontransferable, nonrenewable permits, for their individual lifetimes, to operate personally-owned airboats for noncommercial use in accordance with rules prescribed by the Secretary to determine ownership and registration, establish uses, permit conditions, and penalties, and to protect the biological resources of the area.

The Secretary is authorized to negotiate and enter into concession contracts with the owners of commercial airboat and tour facilities in existence on or before January 1, 1989, located within the addition for the provision of such services at their current locations under such rules and conditions as he may deem necessary for the accommodation of visitors and protection of biological resources of the area.

The Secretary is authorized and directed to expedite the construction of the visitor center facility at Everglades City, Florida, as described in the Development Concept Plan, Gulf Coast, dated February 1989, and upon construction shall designate the visitor center facility as “The Marjory Stoneman Douglas Center” in commemoration of the vision and leadership shown by Mrs. Douglas in the protection of the Everglades and Everglades National Park.

On completion of construction of the main visitor center facility at the headquarters of Everglades National Park, the Secretary shall designate the visitor center facility as the “Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center”, to commemorate the vision and leadership shown by Mr. Coe in the establishment and protection of Everglades National Park.

(Pub. L. 101–229, title I, § 103, Dec. 13, 1989, 103 Stat. 1948; Pub. L. 105–82, §§ 4, 5, Nov. 13, 1997, 111 Stat. 1541, 1542.)