| Canaveral National Seashore | |
History
The earliest known inhabitants of the area were the Timucuan Indians, nomadic hunters and gatherers whose remains include large shell middens (large refuse heaps containing shells, charcoal and food remains). More than 100 Timucuan mounds can be found within the boundaries of Canaveral National Seashore, including Turtle Mound, one of the largest shell middens on the Florida coast. Standing fifty feet high, the mound is made up predominantly of oyster shells. It was used by both later Indian groups and Spanish explorers as a lookout and navigational landmark during the 18th century.
In the early 1960s the Kennedy Space Center was established on part of Merritt Island. Not all the land was needed for the space program, so two other agencies were invited to help manage the area. In 1963, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in cooperation with NASA, established the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge as a sanctuary for wintering waterfowl. With the creation of Canaveral National Seashore in on January 3, 1975, the National Park Service took on the dual responsibility of preserving the primitive barrier beach while providing for public enjoyment of its resources. Thus three different governmental agencies have joined to ensure the proper mesh of the Nations highly technical space program, wildlife management, and public recreation.
Interagency cooperation extends to a number of projects, such as feral hog control, exotic plant removal, restoration of impacted wetlands, long-term monitoring of natural resources and implementation of prescribed fire. Additional partnerships with state and local agencies include sea grass monitoring, mosquito control, water quality monitoring and law enforcement patrols.
