ENVIRONMENTALLY-AWARE LIVING IN FLORIDA: Re-Establishing Florida's River of Grass

It is my pleasure to share another exciting incentive enrolled by the governor’s office toward making Florida an environmentally sound and beautiful locale for living.

On June 24, 2008, the South Florida Water Management District began negotiating an agreement to acquire as much as 187,000 acres of agricultural land owned by the United States Sugar Corporation to reestablish a part of the historic connection between Lake Okeechobee and America's Everglades.

This enormous expanse of real estate will offer water managers the opportunity and flexibility to store and clean water on a scale never before contemplated to protect Florida's coastal estuaries and to better revive, restore and preserve the fabled River of Grass. Subject to independent appraisals and approval by the District's Governing Board, water managers will invest $1.75 billion in cash and certificates of participation to finance the acquisition of land and assets.

Benefits from the land acquisition would include:

• Increases in water storage to reduce harmful freshwater discharges from Lake Okeechobee to Florida's coastal rivers and estuaries.

• Improvements in the delivery of cleaner water to the Everglades.

• Preventing thousands of tons of phosphorus from entering the Everglades.

• Eliminating the need for "back-pumping" water into Lake Okeechobee.

• Sustainability of agriculture and green energy production.

Known as the River of Grass for the saw grass that flourished throughout the marsh, the Everglades is a mosaic of freshwater ponds, prairies and forested uplands that supports a rich plant and wildlife community. Recognized throughout the world for its wading birds and wildlife, the Everglades is home to dozens of federally threatened and endangered species, including the Florida panther, American crocodile, snail kite and wood stork. The mix of salt and freshwater makes it the only place on Earth where alligators and crocodiles exist side by side.

Knowing Florida’s officials are taking crucial steps to preserve and protect Florida’s beauty for future generations is more than ample encouragement for living in South Florida.