Everglades Restoration
Reviving
the River of Grass is the SFWMD's initiative to incorporate the U.S.
Sugar land purchase into Everglades restoration plans. Learn more at
our River of Grass page.
The SFWMD and the Corps signed a letter of agreement on August 13, 2009 which will allow the State-Federal partnership to move forward on Everglades restoration.
Click here for text of the Agreement.
SCCF signed on to a
letter to Rock Salt requesting that Col. Grosskruger continue in a civilian capacity, dated 7/1/09
Great news for Everglades Restoration! On June 25, U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said that the Obama administration wants to move forward on Everglades restoration .
Senator Bob Graham's Everglades Coalition Conference Homework AssignmentSenator and former Governor Bob Graham spoke at the 2008 Everglades Coalition Conference, hosted by SCCF in January at South Seas Resort on Captiva. He gave a "homework assignment" to all attendees, listing priority items necessary for the successful restoration of the Everglades. He later provided a written version of that assignment..
Department of the Interior Vision and Plan for Successful Everglades Restoration, draft dated December 4, 2008
Everglades
Coalition Resolution in General Support of the Department of Interior
Vision and Plan for Successful Everglades Restoration, dated 2/13/09
News about the agreement to buy 187,000 acres of U.S. Sugar land in the EAALetter from the Everglades Coalition to Fla DCA's Tom Pelham re mining in the EAA, dated March 18, 2008
Everglades Coalition Resolution in General Support of the Department of Interior Vision and Plan for Successful Everglades Restoration, dated 2/13/09
Florida delegation letter to Peter Orszag, Director of OMB, re Everglades Funding, dated January 29, 2009U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Memo re CERP and Federal Cost Share, dated May 25, 2007
In anticipation of an omnibus appropriations bill coming up in Congress in late January, SCCF signed on with 14 other environmental groups to letters that were sent to all members of the Florida Congressional Delegation on November 26, 2008, outlining funding priorities. The same letter was sent to all members of the Delegation; click below for a copy of the letter sent to Senator Mel Martinez.
Letter to Senator Mel Martinez re Everglades Restoration funding, dated November 25, 2008Letter from Florida's delegation to U.S. Senate and House Appropriations Committee leaders, dated March 19, 2008The following table was provided by Audubon and compares the Federal funding for Everglades Restoration projects by legislation enacted in 2008, Audubon recommendations for 2009 and the President’s budget request for 2009.
Audubon table showing Everglades Restoration Federal Appropriations
How WRDA 2007 passed
The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2007 provides for funding of many nationwide projects, including $1.8 billion for Everglades restoration. The President vetoed WRDA on Friday, Nov. 2, 2007. The House voted to override the veto on Nov. 6 and the Senate voted to override on Nov. 8.
Some of the Congressional response to the veto:
U.S. Representative Alcee Hastings Press ReleaseU.S. Representative Tim Mahoney Press ReleaseU.S. Representative Connie Mack Press ReleaseVeto Letter from President Bush, dated Nov. 2, 2007WRDA went to the White House, where President Bush has until Nov. 3 if he chooses to carry through on his threat to veto the bill.
Letter to the President from House leaders Letter to President Bush from SCCFAugust 2, 2007The House passed WRDA with a 381-to-40 vote. The bill is now in the Senate, and the President has threatened a veto. With a threatened veto, support is urgently needed for this crucial bill.
August 1, 2007 Final passage of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) is within our grasp, but we need one big push before the House votes on the bill today (with the Senate vote following the House vote). WRDA is the bill that provides the Federal funding match for projects outlined in the Central Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). The last WRDA bill was authorized in 2000 and has failed to be passed since. Without this Federal match the Water Management District has been funding projects such as reservoirs and Storage Treatment Areas with State money only and there is not enough to go around. The Federal match is needed for us to be able to address the problems with the water quality in the Caloosahatchee and greater region. News from the Hill is that today's vote in the House and Senate represents the best chance in years to pass this critical funding bill.
The text of the WRDA Conference Report can be found at:
http://www.rules.house.gov/110/text/110_hr1495cr.pdf
Tamiami Trail Modification Project
Important Water Issue Update: Obstacle to Southern Flow Removed
The Federal District Court has lifted the injunction against building the bridge on the Tamiami Trail. The Tamiami Trail project is one of the critical Everglades Modified Water Delivery projects that will elevate U.S. 41 where it crosses the Everglades so that water can once again flow south into Everglades National Park.
The road acts as a dam and must be elevated before water from Lake Okeechobee can be redirected to the south. Once the road is elevated and flow can be redirected south through the U.S. Sugar lands, the estuaries will finally begin to get relief from excess flows of unwanted water.
With this news there is hope that the project might break ground before the end of the fiscal year, September 30th. Attached is the Order to Dismiss the lawsuit by the Miccosukee Tribe.
Read the Order on Motion to Dismiss, issued 6/17/09
Letter sent by environmental groups including SCCF re Mod Waters, dated May 9, 2008The Corps of Engineers is accepting comments on the Tamiami Trail/Mod Waters project alternative
through May 9, 2008. In April 2008 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released a tentatively selected plan for the Tamiami Trail Modifications project. The plan consists of two key components: 1) a one-mile long bridge in the project area’s eastern segment, and 2) raising the level on the north side of the L-29 borrow canal by 1 foot to 8.5 feet; which will require road improvements on parts of U.S. 41 (Tamiami Trail).
This tentatively selected plan is called Alternative 3.2.2.a. This plan is included in the recently completed Limited Reevaluation Report. The draft Limited Reevaluation Report has been placed on the Web and a 30-day public comment period is open through May 9, 2008. Construction on the project could begin later this year. The report can be viewed at :
http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/dp/mwdenp-c111/index.htm#ttmBackgroundTamiami Trail Modifications are part of the Modified Water Deliveries to Everglades National Park project, originally authorized by Congress in 1989. The project will make improvements to this east-west road in Miami-Dade County to increase the water flow south to Everglades National Park. It will enhance the hydrology of the Everglades wetlands north of the road, as well.
The Everglades National Park Protection and Expansion Act of 1989, Public Law 101-229, (1989 Act), authorized:
- the expansion of Everglades National Park;
- a change to more natural water deliveries to the Park and;
- flood damage reduction measures for the area known as the eight and one-half square mile area.
Of the three activities, there still has been no change in water deliveries to the Park. Without a change in water delivery to the Park, restoration of the Everglades, and many of the projects authorized as components of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) in 2000, will not succeed.
To achieve more natural water deliveries to the Park, it is necessary to modify the way water crosses under the Tamiami Trail Highway (U.S. 41) through the Everglades. Nearly 18 years have passed since the 1989 Act, and the restoration of more natural water flows has not occurred. There is concern that continuing re-analysis of options for modifying water deliveries could cause loss of funding for the project.
Letter from Florida's U.S. Congressional Representatives to State Representatives re Everglades Funding, dated April 1, 2008