Sierra Club Congratulates Gov. Crist for Giant Leap in Everglades Restoration
MIAMI, FL — After court battles and repeated downsizing, the South Florida Water Management District will today acquire 26,800 acres of land strategically located south of Lake Okeechobee that is key to the restoration of the Everglades. The South Florida Water Management District will have an option to purchase additional land as necessary to help with the restoration plan.
Sierra Club Florida congratulates Governor Charlie Crist for foresight, leadership and willingness to fight against entrenched interests opposed to this important land purchase
The Water Management District, which is responsible for providing for sufficient water for drinking and other uses in South Florida, will use the land as part of the plan to return the historic flow of water from Lake Okeechobee through the Everglades and thereby replenish the aquifers that provide fresh water to the residents of South Florida and restore the natural habitat of the Everglades. It is expected that native birds and other wild life will return in numbers that were greatly diminished by draining and other now rejected practices.
The leadership provided by the Governor and the Governing Board of the South Florida Water Management District will give future generations of Floridians a chance to enjoy the Everglades as it was before the 20th Century.
Contact: Jonathan Ullman, South Florida Everglades Senior Organizer, (305) 860-9888