On the morning of March 19th, Chief Cecile Osceola arrived at the park’s Shark Valley entrance with a large front-end loader and told an interpretive ranger there that he intended to start building a home in Shark Valley by 11 a.m. (click on the link below for the original report). Following an extended discussion, during which Osceola showed a 1960 document that purportedly gave him the authority to build a home within the park, the superintendent, Dan Kimball, got Osceola to agree to a later meeting to discuss alternative housing options. On March 31st, Kimball and acting chief ranger Dave King met with Osceola at the Miccosukee Resort. Kimball explained that the document on which Osceola was basing his claim referred to state lands north of the park and that those lands are currently under lease to the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida. Kimball suggested three housing alternatives for Osceola to consider, but Osceola, who is not affiliated with either the Miccosukee or Seminole tribes, immediately dismissed all of them since they required dialogue with those tribes. Without admitting that his interpretation of the document was incorrect, he did show some interest in finding out more about the state lands north of the park; however, he also suggested that a next step might be for him to involve the media. The park has discussed the issue with both the criminal and civil divisions of the U.S. Attorney's Office, and has prepared for the possibility of Osceola's return to Shark Valley with his heavy equipment.
