PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis, alongside other local and state leaders, discussed the recent progress Florida has made in its Everglades restoration projects at a news conference in Palm Beach County Monday afternoon.
The governor was also joined by other leaders committed to cleaning water and eliminating discharges from estuaries at the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir, including Sen. Marco Rubio, Congressmen Brian Mast and Byron Donalds, Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Shawn Hamilton and South Florida Water Management District Chairman Chauncey Goss.
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DeSantis also expressed his disappointment over the lack of federal funding for the state-federal funded project.
“So today we’re all here united, calling on the Biden administration to include at least $725 million for Everglades restoration in the upcoming FY-23 budget request,” DeSantis said. “We’ve made this Everglades restoration project our top priority. Florida is responsible for the construction of the water quality component of the project through a new stormwater treatment area, while the federal government’s responsible for construction of the storage and conveyance components, including the reservoir itself.”
The project promises to invest $2.5 billion in Everglades restoration efforts to improve the health of crucial ecosystems. According to state leaders, Florida is about three-fourths of the way to reaching that $2 billion goal.
“This is not just a project for people in Central and South Florida. I mean, this is really a project for all of America,” DeSantis said.
Last week, DeSantis announced $79.8 million in infrastructure resiliency projects in South Florida.