Wednesday, January 9, 2002

President Bush Takes Action to Help Restore Everglades

   President Bush and Florida Governor Jeb Bush Wednesday took action to
   help the effort to restore the Everglades. The President and the Governor
   signed an agreement that ensures adequate water supplies are available to
   support the 30-year Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan.

      The White House
      For Immediate Release
      Office of the Press Secretary
      Wednesday, January 9, 2002

Statement by the President

On June 4, 2001, I joined the Governor of Florida in visiting the
Everglades.  The Everglades and the entire south Florida ecosystem are a
unique national treasure.  The restoration of this ecosystem is a priority
for my Administration, as well as for Governor Bush.  Today we are very
pleased to solidify our commitment and full partnership in this
unprecedented endeavor by signing a joint agreement to ensure that adequate
water supplies will be available to benefit State and federally owned
natural resources.

The Water Resources Development Act of 2000 authorized the Comprehensive
Everglades Restoration Plan.  The Plan has a projected cost of $7.8
billion over 30 years, the largest ecosystem restoration project ever
undertaken. The Plan establishes a unique 50/50 cost-sharing partnership
between the State of Florida and the Federal Government.

A critical component of the Plan relates to the supply and management of
water for multiple uses in South Florida -- restoration, municipal,
agricultural, and flood control.  The Congress determined that the
overarching objective of the Plan is the restoration, preservation, and
protection of the South Florida ecosystem, while providing for other
water-related needs of the region, including water supply and flood
protection.

Because the Federal Government's primary interest is in restoration and
protection of the federally owned natural resources in the State, the
Congress called for the President and the Governor to agree formally that
the State would reserve under State law for each restoration project
water sufficient to meet the needs of the South Florida ecosystem, including
Everglades National Park, the Big Cypress National Preserve, and other
natural areas owned by the State and Federal Government.  The reservation of
water under State law will be included in the Project Implementation
Report for each project and will be consistent with the Plan.

My Administration is deeply committed to the Federal/State Everglades
partnership, and the Department of the Interior and the Army Corps of
Engineers will have important roles in this effort.  On January 16, 2002,
Secretary of the Interior Norton will convene a meeting in Plantation,
Florida, of the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force comprised of
representatives of Federal, State, regional, local, and tribal governments
to discuss issues involving Everglades restoration including the recently
released draft programmatic regulations by the Army Corps of Engineers.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/