When Congress authorized billions of federal money to match Florida's own bucks and restore the Everglades in 2000, the idea of a similar federal commitment to the Great Lakes was born. Last week Great Lakes members of Congress introduced bills calling for billions in federal aid to restore the Great Lakes.
Meanwhile, how's the Everglades recovery going? Today's Miami Herald offers a mixed answer:
Just as progress is being realized, federal funds could now be in jeopardy. Gov. Jeb Bush, who leaves office early next year, is lobbying to cease federal court oversight that came from a 1992 settlement reached after the federal government sued the state for not abiding by its own clean water standards.
The deal produced a consent decree under which a federal judge in Miami oversees Everglades cleanup.
Many say a move away from the court would take the teeth out of the plan and could frighten away congressional funding for the cleanup.
''If there's a perception that [the state is] trying to bypass the consent decree there will be a direct impact on federal funding,'' said John Scofield, a spokesman for the House Appropriations Committee. ``We're not exactly flush with cash. We don't need a lot of excuses to cut funding, even from something as important as the Everglades.''
The 30-year, $10.5 billion federal-state partnership is the largest wetland restoration effort in the world.
Posted by Dave at April 9, 2006 09:01 PM