This CRS InFocus 2-pager by Pervaze A. Sheikh and Anna E. Normand, 'Recent Developments in Everglades Restoration' (17 September 2020) should be of interest to many readers, not just those in South Florida.
Download CRS_InFocus_Rec_Devel_Everglades_Rest_17Sepe2020
Overview
What Is the Everglades? The Everglades is a unique network of subtropicalwetlands in South Florida. Due in part to federal water supply and flood control projects (as well as agricultural and urban runoff), the ecosystem was degraded and was approximately half its historical size by the end of the 20th century. The ecosystem is home to a number of unique species, including 67 species listed under the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. §§1531 et. seq.). [The map is from Wikipedia.]
What Is CERP? The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) was approved by Congress in the Water Resources Development Act of 2000 (WRDA 2000; P.L. 106-541). It is a framework under which the federal government, with the State of Florida, is attempting to restore the Everglades and improve the timing, distribution, and quality of the water flowing south from Lake Okeechobee to the Everglades. Under CERP, the federal government, through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Department of the Interior (DOI), is required to fund half the costs of restoration, with the State of Florida contributing the other half. Several tribal and local agencies also are involved in restoration. Originally, CERP was to include 60 projects that would be completed over 30 years at a cost of $8.2 billion (in 2000 dollars). A 2015 report to Congress increased this estimate; the report projected that CERP will take approximately 50 years to implement at a total cost of $16.4 billion (in FY2015 dollars). As of FY2020, the federal government has spent more than $1.7 billion and the State of Florida has spent an estimated $4.5 billion on CERP in nominal dollars (although much of this state funding is not yet officially credited for Florida’s share of the cost).
Everglades restoration under CERP was authorized in 2000 and is expected to take 50 years to complete.
Outside of CERP, complementary efforts to restore the Everglades (most of which predate CERP) are ongoing. The federal government has spent more than $3.5 billion on these efforts, collectively referred to as non-CERP projects.
Everglades Restoration Projects Must Be Authorized by Congress
WRDA 2000 approved CERP and the process for its implementation. The law also authorized several pilot projects. Subsequent projects require study by USACE and congressional authorization before they can receive federal appropriations, including credit or reimbursement for nonfederal work undertaken in advance. Several laws subsequent to WRDA 2000 authorized projects contemplated under CERP. Some projects received appropriations and are under construction. Studies for other CERP projects are in progress (see Table 1). Projects with completed studies and signed reports from the Chief of Engineers (e.g., Loxahatchee River Watershed Project) are awaiting potential authorization in legislation in the 116th Congress (see S. 3591 and H.R. 7575).
Read on - more information on Congressional interest in CERP and other initiatives.
When this restoration is finished in 2050, I'll be 102. But I suspect I will have to live even longer to see this work done.
I am not sure I would use the word 'restoration'. I prefer 'renaturalization'. My friend and colleague Bill Woessner explained that to me years ago.
Enjoy!
"There is nobody more dangerous than one who has been humiliated." - Nelson Mandela
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