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 Competition for water and flood control measures led to the decline of the Everglades ecosystem over the past several decades. Recent legislation commits the federal government and the State of Florida to a series of projects over the next 36 years to restore seasonal variations in water flow through the vast and once vibrant marsh system.  An indicator of Everglades health, the endangered snail kite relies on a steady diet of apple snails from the Everglades marsh. In January 2002, the president and Florida Governor agreed to joint funding of the planned restoration and ensured adequate water availability to restore the natural system. Courtesy of Jeff Selleck Thomas Van Lent |
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 By Thomas Van Lent With the passage of the Water Resources Development Act in December 2000, restoration of the Florida Everglades moved from concept to implementation. Incorporated within this legislation was the “Restoring the Everglades: An American Legacy Act” that envisions the largest ecosystem restoration program ever undertaken in the world. This conceptual plan is estimated to cost $7.8 billion and require 36 years to complete. One half of the funds are to come from the federal government, the other half from the State of Florida. The plan is authorized in its conceptual form as “a framework for modifications and operational changes to the Central and Southern Florida Project that are needed to restore, preserve, and protect the South Florida ecosystem while providing for other water-related needs of the region, including water supply and flood protection.” The legislation authorizes the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, which is conceived as perhaps our last best chance to save what is left of the Everglades and to restore it to a healthier, naturally functioning system. Congress accorded the Department of the Interior a significant role in the implementation of the plan. Interior manages more than 3.5 million acres of wetlands and submerged lands and resources. According to the senate report accompanying the bill, the protection and restoration of these departmental lands and waters is the primary federal interest in the plan. The secretary of the interior was given a concurrence role on the regulations that guide implementation, and along with the secretary of the army, is charged with reporting to Congress at least every five years on progress toward restoration. Three units of the National Park System are directly affected by the restoration effort: Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, and Biscayne National Park. All three units were active participants in the development of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. Maureen Finnerty, Superintendent of Everglades National Park, sees a critical role for the National Park Service: “The National Park Service will continue to be an advocate for environmental restoration, not just for the parks, but for the entire ecosystem.” The South Florida Natural Resources Center at Everglades National Park has received a $5.5 million funding increase to support its participation. The National Park Service will focus its efforts on those projects that most directly affect its lands and waters in south Florida. The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan relies heavily on “adaptive management.” The historical characteristics and operation of the Everglades are not completely known to science. Adaptive management will provide necessary flexibility so that if restoration actions do not achieve the desired or highest levels of natural system recovery, projects can be refined to try a different approach or technology. This process is also continuously monitored by an independent scientific peer review process established in the legislation. Robert Johnson, director of the South Florida Natural Resources Center, envisions the National Park Service bringing its considerable scientific expertise into the implementation process to guide restoration. According to Johnson, “success will require an interdisciplinary effort among ecologists, hydrologists, researchers, engineers, and planners. The Park Service’s long experience with interdisciplinary teams, in monitoring ecosystems, and scientific investigations of trends will prove invaluable in the adaptive management process.” The National Park Service is currently working with its sister Interior bureaus, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey, on a coordinated effort to evaluate and improve the components of the plan, as well as to guide scientific investigations to ensure the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan is based on sound science. The individual bureaus will work in the implementation process, which is led by the Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water Management District, to make the Everglades restoration a reality. |
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This material is from Natural Resource Year in Review--2001, published by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, in May 2001 (publication D-2255) /YearInReview/yir/yir2001/06_restoration/06_3_van_lent_EVER.html Last Updated: |