Once upon a time, in the last century, there were big ideas for a huge jetport in the swamps of Florida. The project was known as the Big Cypress Swamp Jetport. Those who produced an environmental impact statement on the project said it would, in short, kill Everglades National Park.

While we're spending National Park Week tyring to enjoy the parks virtually, we also need to spend time pondering the condition of the National Park System and asking what needs to be done to show we really believe the parks are America's Best Idea. Just saying those three words doesn't make it so.

While the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Tuesday that it hasn't found any "clear evidence" of adverse impacts from an oil company's exploratory work in Big Cypress National Preserve, an outside consultant who visited the preserve in March to examine the work has found a number of significant impacts to the landscape that could remain for years if not properly addressed.

In somewhat of a surprising reversal, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has told an oil exploration company that it can resume seismic operations in Big Cypress National Preserve without the Corps' oversight.