For Immediate Release October 17, 2018
Statement from CEO of The Everglades Foundation on the National Academy of Sciences Report on Everglades Restoration
Palmetto Bay, Fla.—Eric Eikenberg, CEO of The Everglades Foundation, has issued the following statement in response to the release of the new report to the U.S. Congress from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Progress Toward Restoring the Everglades: The Seventh Biennial Review, 2018.
“The National Academy is a welcome and an important voice in making sure that Everglades restoration is guided by science. Our scientists have also been at the forefront of these issues for decades.
“We agree with the National Academy’s recommendation of a ‘mid-course assessment’ to make sure CERP supports the 21st century economy by taking into account water quality as well as quantity, climate change and sea-level rise. This assessment will not interfere with the accelerated implementation of the approved projects and will reinforce the sense of urgency for implementation of Everglades restoration.
“The National Academy review highlights some of the very real effects of the ongoing budget cuts at the U.S. Department of the Interior, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and especially at the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD). Cutting the programs that provide the basic information we need to find solutions to the problems we face is no way to plan for the future. Investment in our water infrastructure, investment in planning, investment in science is the best way to assure fact-based decision-making and prepare for the 21st century. The SFWMD budget and the President’s budget need to reflect investment in infrastructure and science for Everglades restoration.
“We agree that state and federal funding cuts to restoration science are misguided. These cuts are part of the larger funding shortfalls that are slowing down restoration and need to be addressed, particularly construction funding at the federal level.”
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About The Everglades Foundation
The Everglades Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to leading efforts to restore and protect the greater Everglades ecosystem. Since its founding in 1993 by a group of local outdoor enthusiasts, the Foundation has become a respected and important advocate for the sustainability of one of the world’s most unique ecosystems.
For more information about The Everglades Foundation, please visit EvergladesFoundation.org.
F: @EvergladesFoundation | I: @EvergladesFoundation | T: @EverGFoundation
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