Record Federal Funding for Everglades Restoration

The 2023 Omnibus Appropriations bill allocates $447 million for CERP

CEO of the The Everglades Foundation, Eric Eikenberg, shares a statement on the 2023 Omnibus Appropriations bill, which allocates a record $447 million for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP):

“The fiscal year 2023 Omnibus Appropriations bill allocates record funding of $447 million for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, bolstering momentum to complete the world’s largest ecosystem restoration project. This funding recognizes that America’s Everglades is a global model for both clean water and climate resilience. The Foundation is grateful to Congress and the Biden administration and we applaud the continued bipartisan nature of Everglades restoration.”

What is the Impact of Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) Funding?

The Everglades Foundation CEO, Eric Eikenberg, stands in front of Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

CERP is the world's largest environmental restoration project, and was created in 2000 to address decades of degradation in the greater Everglades ecosystem. The plan is a 50/50 state and federal partnership to restore America’s Everglades made up of 68 projects, including the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir.

The EAA Reservoir will be located south of Lake Okeechobee and is designed to store excess Lake Okeechobee water so it can be cleaned and sent south to nurture the Everglades and Florida Bay. 

The Reservoir will also supply freshwater for the Biscayne Aquifer – the source of drinking water for millions in South Florida – and help to significantly reduce the harmful discharges of polluted Lake Okeechobee water to Florida’s east and west coasts.

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