The Miami Herald November 19, 1997 Wednesday BROWARD EDITION COUNTY TO HELP ORGANIZE RIVER CANOE TRIPS

BYLINE: Herald Staff SECTION: BROWARD NEWS; Pg. 2BR LENGTH: 247 words

The county's Department of Natural Resource Protection will help organize canoe trips for those who want to get a close-up look at Broward's last stretch of wild river. The farthest reaches of the North Fork of the New River are marked by towering cypress trees, remnants of pond apple swamps and maples draped in Spanish moss. But be warned: The river north of Broward Boulevard, also passes through some of the county's toughest neighborhoods. It can be a potentially dangerous place for passing boats. Enticed by a photo exhibit last weekend highlighting the river's flora and fauna, four people took a small boat up the river and got pelted by rocks as their boat passed an apartment building west of Interstate 95. One of those boaters, Clive Taylor, said they needed help from a Broward sheriff's deputy to get back down the waterway. "There were five or six guys, and they were throwing those rocks like baseballs," he said. The rock-throwing incident shook up conservationists and government officials who are trying to make the North Fork a prime attraction for canoeists in a planned countywide network of urban waterways. One plan calls for building a canoe access at Delevoe Park on the North Fork. "We think the people of the community will really benefit from the urban waterways," said Jennifer Schaufele, assistant to the director of Broward's resource department. For now, people who want to canoe the river should call Schaufele at 519-1253. Copyright 1997 The Miami Herald All Rights Reserved