WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.
- All members t
he South Florida Water Management District's (SFWMD) Governing Board asked the U.S. Congress to do its part to restore and protect the unique ecosystem of America's Everglades in a letter sent yesterday.
"There is strong bipartisan support for restoring America's Everglades, and this world-renowned ecosystem depends on a sustained $200 million in annual federal funding for restoration," state letters signed by all SFWMD Governing Board Members transmitted yesterday to the U.S. House Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee and the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development. "The federal-state partnership to restore America's Everglades was agreed to nearly two decades ago and is critical to protecting this unique national treasure and the state's water resources for millions of residents and visitors. Unfortunately, federal funding of the cost-share for these critical restoration projects has not kept pace with the state's contributions, but we are hopeful that your support of Everglades restoration funding will make a difference."
The letters ask the members of the Congressional appropriations subcommittees to support the highest possible funding for the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration line item and to support $200 million for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Account in next year's federal budget.
"Enhanced federal funding complementing years of state funding will accelerate the design and construction of the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) and the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Storage Reservoir to divert and clean Lake Okeechobee releases and increase water deliveries to Everglades National Park and Florida Bay," the letters read.
To read the SFWMD Governing Board Members letters, click HERE.
For more updates on SFWMD's work:
