DeSantis Calls for Biden Administration to Prioritize Everglades Restoration Funding
January 31, 2022 Updated 6:33 P.M. ET
WELLINGTON (FCV) – Monday, Governor Ron DeSantis (R) called on the Biden Administration to allocate necessary funds to advance the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir project.
DeSantis was accompanied by Marco Rubio, Brian Mast, Byron Donalds, Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Shawn Hamilton, Chief Resilience Officer Wes Brooks, the South Florida Water Management District, and others in his efforts.
Governor DeSantis also requested that the Biden Administration should include at least $725 million for Everglades restoration in the upcoming fiscal year budget request.
“The EAA Reservoir project is the crown jewel of Everglades restoration, providing relief from harmful discharges to the estuaries and sending more clean water south to the Everglades,” DeSantis said.
“Advancing the state’s portion of this project is our number one priority, but the federal government has stalled, most recently failing to dedicate a single cent from its infrastructure package to its portion of this project. The Biden Administration must reverse course and dedicate the funds necessary to timely advance their portion of this important project. Florida is doing its part and the Biden administration needs to follow the path blazed by the Trump administration and provide the promised federal support.”
The restoration of the Everglades is a partnership between the state and federal government, but the federal government has been behind on the state’s investment projects. One of the most important Everglades restoration projects for reducing harmful discharges to the estuaries and sending more clean water south to the Everglades has been The EAA Reservoir Project.
Recently, the Biden Administration announced a $1.1 billion one-time investment for Everglades restoration, but the investment will likely not help to meaningfully reduce harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee.
The EAA Reservoir Project is an Everglades restoration project between the South Florida Water Management District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. DeSantis continues to take the lead in Everglades restoration. The South Florida Water Management District began building the water-cleansing marsh, the Stormwater Treatment Area, in 2020.
