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Almost 3M People Visited South Florida's National Parks In 2014

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HOMESTEAD(CBSMiami/AP) —  Almost three million people visited South Florida's national parks, generating over $231 million for the local economy last year, the National Park Service said.

Federal officials say over 1.1 million people visited Everglades National Park, spending over $104 million in nearby communities. Over half a million people visited Biscayne National Park, spending over $32 million.

Dry Tortugas National Park had over 64,000 visitors who spent over $3 million in the Florida Keys and other South Florida communities. The Big Cypress National Preserve saw over a 1.1 million visitors who spent over $91 million.

According to the park service, visitors to South Florida's national parks supported 3,380 jobs. Across the country, visitors to national parks spent $15.7 billion in local communities on lodging, food, gasoline, park fees and souvenirs.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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