SCCF, partners advocate for Everglades restoration
For this year’s Everglades Day of Action, Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation Chief Executive Officer James Evans and Environmental Policy Director Matt DePaolis traveled to Washington, D.C., last week to urge federal leaders to fund the restoration of the Everglades.
The SCCF reported that it joined partners Captains for Clean Water, the Everglades Foundation, Everglades Trust and Orvis to advocate for urgent action to continue annual appropriations.
“Our ask is simple. We need $725 million in federal funding to match state funding to keep critical projects on schedule with the Army Corps’ Integrated Delivery Schedule,” Evans said. “Without this funding, projects like the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir — a project essential to reducing damaging discharges to the Caloosahatchee — will be delayed.”
They also reminded legislators that taxpayers receive a return of $4 for every $1 spent in the Everglades, benefiting the environment, drinking water, flood control, fisheries, rookeries, wetlands, and other natural resources.
“We are here to explain to our legislators and federal appropriators why restoring America’s Everglades is an excellent investment,” DePaolis said. “Last year saw a groundswell of support for Everglades projects, with the Army Corps breaking ground on key components, and it is imperative to maintain the momentum in order to get CERP (Comprehensive Everglades Recovery Plan) across the finish line.”
The SCCF reported that South Florida’s tourism-based economy relies on its unique natural resources, in a system that would not exist without the Everglades. From seagrass meadows and mangrove wetlands to the only barrier coral reef in the nation, South Florida’s ecosystems rely on clean water and interconnected natural spaces.
“The Everglades is more than an environment where we live, work, and play. It is the engine that drives our economy, cleans our water, and is a critical tool in the fight against climate change,” Evans said.
The SCCF added that Florida’s sport fishing industry brings anglers from all over the world to catch their trophies in legendary waters. With them comes an economy built around ensuring that tourists are able to continue to enjoy the natural resources. The Everglades is essential to ensuring that there are healthy waters and protected nurseries to keep sport fish populations healthy.
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