FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FORT MYERS, Fla. (May 20, 2002) – Six Mile
Cypress Slough Preserve will be closed starting Saturday, June 1 for repairs to
the mile-long boardwalk that runs through the park.
The repairs could take up to a month, meaning the
preserve will be closed for the month of June.
The repairs will consist of
replacing the pressure-treated decking at the entrance to the slough with Trex
lumber, which is a combination of plastic and oak chips.
Other worn portions of the boardwalk also will be replaced. The cost is $49,800.
Six Mile Cypress Slough
Preserve is located at 7751 Penzance Crossing, about 1.5 miles north of Daniels
Parkway on Six Mile Cypress/Ben C. Pratt Parkway.
It offers a 2,200-acre wetland ecosystem with a mile-long accessible
boardwalk trail, amphitheater, picnic tables, shelter areas, restrooms, seating
enclaves and observation decks.
Winter hours (October through
March) are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Summer hours (April through September) are 8
a.m. to 8 p.m.
Guided Walks are:
January - March: 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. daily
May - October: Wednesdays only at 9:30 a.m.
November, December and April: 9:30 a.m. daily
Lee County’s Parks & Recreation Department maintains and operates 3,500 acres of developed park land, 14 centers, 9 pools, five boat ramps, three Gulf beach parks, one lakefront beach, 76 beach accesses, 60 tennis courts, 73 ballfields, and 13 preserves. The department also manages the more than 7,500 acres of environmentally sensitive lands the county has purchased in the last five years through its Conservation 2020 Program. Its fiscal year 2002 operating budget is $16.2 million.