FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Heather Benson, Lee County Parks & Recreation,
              (239) 432-2040

SIX MILE CYPRESS SLOUGH TO BE CLOSED UP TO A MONTH
FOR REPAIRS

FORT MYERS, Fla. (May 20, 2003) - Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve will be closed starting Tuesday, May 27 for repairs to the mile-long boardwalk that runs through the park.

The reopening is tentatively scheduled for Monday, June 23.

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 10,000 acres of environmentally sensitive lands the county has purchased through its Conservation 20/20 Program. Its fiscal year 2003 operating budget is $18.3 million.