×
×
homepage logo
STORE

Officials push for Everglades plan speed up

By Staff | Apr 20, 2016

Bill Nelson

U.S. Senators Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio are on opposite sides of the aisle in the Congressional chambers.

Nelson is a Democrat and Rubio is a Republican and a former candidate for the Republican nominee for presidency.

They have come together and are urging the Army Corps of Engineers to move forward on three Everglades-restoration projects that Congress authorized nearly two years ago

In a letter to Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, Jo-Ellen Darcy, the lawmakers pressed the Corps to complete the Project partnership Agreements that must be finalized before the Corps can begin work on the projects lay out in detail how each project’s costs will be split between the state and federal governments, and the Corps cannot begin funding the construction of these Everglades projects until the partnership agreements are in place.

“Administrative delays like these are one reason Everglades projects have lagged for so long between authorization and completion,” the senators wrote. “It is important that the Army Corps quickly approve PPAs for these projects so that restoration efforts are not further delayed.”

Marco Rubio

Army Corps quickly approve PPAs for these projects so that restoration efforts are not further delayed.”

“The three projects the lawmakers are pressing the Corps to move forward on are the Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands project to reduce harmful discharges into Biscayne Bay, the Broward County Water Preserve Areas to reduce water loss from the central Everglades, and the Caloosahatchee River West Basin Storage Reservoir, or C-43, to improve the overall health of the Caloosahatchee Estuary.

The Nelson office said all three projects were authorized in the Water Resources Reform and Development Act signed into law in June of 2014.

The following are some pats of the letter from the lawmakers to Assistant Secretary Darcy, the assistant secretary of the Army – Civil Works, Dept. of the Army at the Pentagon:

“We write to urge you to execute projects partnership agreements (PPAs) for the three Everglades restoration projects authorized through Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 that still do not have final agreements in place: Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands, Froward County Water preserve Areas, and the Caloosahatchee River West Biassin Storage Reservoir.

“Administrative delays like these are on reason Everglades projects have lagged for so long between and completion. It is important that the Army Corps quickly approve PPAs for these projects so that restoration efforts are not further delayed.

“The Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands project will restore wetlands and reduce discharges to Biscayne Bay, improving the health of the bay and providing nursery habitat for wildlife and fish,. This project received $2.6 million in Fiscal Year 2016 funding for design.

The Broward County Water Preserve Areas project will reduce water loss from the central Everglades and must be completed before the Central Everglades Planning Project can be implemented. The Army Corps allocated $2.9 million in Fiscal Year 2016 funds for design of this project.

“Additionally, the Caloosahatchee River West Basin Storage Reservoir (C-43) will improve conditions to the Caloosahatchee Estuary. This project received approval to execute a PPA; however, it has yet to be finalized. We respectfully request that you provide funding to negotiate and execute project partnership agreements for these important projects.

“Signing PPAs for these projects is essential to maintaining t he 50-50 cost share balance between the non-federal sponsor and the Army Corps, as required under the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan.”

Officials push for Everglades plan speed up

By Staff | Apr 20, 2016

Bill Nelson

U.S. Senators Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio are on opposite sides of the aisle in the Congressional chambers.

Nelson is a Democrat and Rubio is a Republican and a former candidate for the Republican nominee for presidency.

They have come together and are urging the Army Corps of Engineers to move forward on three Everglades-restoration projects that Congress authorized nearly two years ago

In a letter to Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, Jo-Ellen Darcy, the lawmakers pressed the Corps to complete the Project partnership Agreements that must be finalized before the Corps can begin work on the projects lay out in detail how each project’s costs will be split between the state and federal governments, and the Corps cannot begin funding the construction of these Everglades projects until the partnership agreements are in place.

“Administrative delays like these are one reason Everglades projects have lagged for so long between authorization and completion,” the senators wrote. “It is important that the Army Corps quickly approve PPAs for these projects so that restoration efforts are not further delayed.”

Marco Rubio

Army Corps quickly approve PPAs for these projects so that restoration efforts are not further delayed.”

“The three projects the lawmakers are pressing the Corps to move forward on are the Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands project to reduce harmful discharges into Biscayne Bay, the Broward County Water Preserve Areas to reduce water loss from the central Everglades, and the Caloosahatchee River West Basin Storage Reservoir, or C-43, to improve the overall health of the Caloosahatchee Estuary.

The Nelson office said all three projects were authorized in the Water Resources Reform and Development Act signed into law in June of 2014.

The following are some pats of the letter from the lawmakers to Assistant Secretary Darcy, the assistant secretary of the Army – Civil Works, Dept. of the Army at the Pentagon:

“We write to urge you to execute projects partnership agreements (PPAs) for the three Everglades restoration projects authorized through Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 that still do not have final agreements in place: Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands, Froward County Water preserve Areas, and the Caloosahatchee River West Biassin Storage Reservoir.

“Administrative delays like these are on reason Everglades projects have lagged for so long between and completion. It is important that the Army Corps quickly approve PPAs for these projects so that restoration efforts are not further delayed.

“The Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands project will restore wetlands and reduce discharges to Biscayne Bay, improving the health of the bay and providing nursery habitat for wildlife and fish,. This project received $2.6 million in Fiscal Year 2016 funding for design.

The Broward County Water Preserve Areas project will reduce water loss from the central Everglades and must be completed before the Central Everglades Planning Project can be implemented. The Army Corps allocated $2.9 million in Fiscal Year 2016 funds for design of this project.

“Additionally, the Caloosahatchee River West Basin Storage Reservoir (C-43) will improve conditions to the Caloosahatchee Estuary. This project received approval to execute a PPA; however, it has yet to be finalized. We respectfully request that you provide funding to negotiate and execute project partnership agreements for these important projects.

“Signing PPAs for these projects is essential to maintaining t he 50-50 cost share balance between the non-federal sponsor and the Army Corps, as required under the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan.”