Issues on National Stage Effect Little Sanibel: The Toll of the Government Shut Down

Please be aware that this blog post is not going to take sides on the Government shut down.  We believe all parties in our capital have contributed to an environment that has allowed this shut down to happen. 

We also believe that greater struggles in our country have been addressed and overcome. So we are hopeful that agreements can and will be reached.

But we can not ignore the fact that our tropical island paradise has been effected by conversations that are , or are not taking, place hundreds of miles away.

It is easy to live and work on Sanibel and feel shielded from the problems in the world.  The beautiful weather, the lush environment, the belief that time is passing more slowly than on the main land all lull us into an almost dream like state.

Indeed, it is almost a shock when anything bad happens to or on the Island as we are so accustomed to life being just about perfect.

But the impasse in Washington D.C. has landed with a heavy thud on our soft territory.

The closure of the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island hasn’t just inconvenienced visitors hoping to bike its trails or glimpse magnificent birds such as the roseate spoonbill. It’s costing jobs.

Tarpon Bay Explorers, a tour business that caters to the refuge’s nearly 800,000 yearly visitors, has had to cease operations, leaving 23 workers with no paycheck until Congress ends a government shutdown that has closed hundreds of national parks and preserves since October 1.

Obviously, everyone is concerned about the shut down and pulling for as quick an opening of Ding Darling as possible.  We recognize particularly the special nature of our preserve.

Everyone, however, except the creatures who live in the preserve are worried.  And that is a big exception.

The alligators, the Roseate Spoonbills, the four legged creatures and fish in the lagoons are going about their business as usual.  They do not need us at all, and are perfectly content not to have cars or bikes or walkers strolling through their neighborhood.

The preserve is not a zoo, or a circus or a national museum that can not sustain itself with out the upright residents of the earth.  Everything a Ding Darling resident needs is right there within their grasp.

Clearly, the shutdown is dumping buckets of cold water on the heads of business owners, vacation guests and those who cater to the visitor trade.

But the animals?  No, they have hardly even noticed the signs saying Ding Darling is shut down.  That, at least, does give us some peace.