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In 2000, Congress passed the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, a $7.8 billion state and federal partnership. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and South Florida Water Management District initiated project planning and established interagency working relationships to support implementation of the plan. The South Florida Natural Resources Center coordinates National Park Service involvement in this interagency effort, and a number of additional scientists have been hired in response to the center’s new restoration responsibilities.
The plan comprises 68 project components that yield benefits for the natural ecosystem while providing for urban and agricultural uses. The components were described conceptually in the plan authorized by Congress, but each will undergo detailed assessments to select a refined combination of structural features and operations. In 2003, detailed planning started for several components near Everglades and Biscayne National Parks where teams of NPS scientists help evaluate alternatives and select environmentally preferred plans.
Final negotiations on the programmatic regulations, which provide detailed guidance on implementation, also took place in 2003. These regulations, authored by the Corps of Engineers, require Department of Interior and State of Florida concurrence. Environmental organizations pushed for a stronger role for the Department of the Interior in the interagency scientific coordinating body described in the regulations. They also lobbied to have interim ecosystem restoration goals included. National Park Service scientists and managers assisted policy makers in evaluating these controversial issues and will continue to work toward accomplishing restoration goals consistent with the mission of protecting national park resources.
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