Palmetto Bay, Fla. April 20th, 2020 – Eric Eikenberg, CEO of The Everglades Foundation, today issued the following statement in response to the announcement by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has issued a federal permit allowing construction to begin on the 6,500-acre stormwater treatment area component of the Everglades Reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee.
“This is welcome news both for our environment and our economy, and we are especially grateful to Governor DeSantis for his persistent leadership on this project. Thanks to his unyielding support, we will be able to break ground at least a year sooner than expected – and it could not happen at a better time.
“Construction of the Everglades Reservoir will mean thousands of jobs for people who desperately need them now. Its completion, together with other projects already underway, will reduce algae-causing discharges by more than half, helping save many more Florida jobs in tourism, hospitality, real estate and recreational fishing in the long run.
“For America’s Everglades and Florida Bay, this announcement is a welcome lifeline. After more than 20 years, we are finally moving forward with a project that will deliver massive amounts of clean, fresh water south to the Everglades, under the bridges of Tamiami Trail, and ultimately to Florida Bay.”