National Academy Of Sciences Will Review Everglades Restoration Plan

[hatrack]

JACKSONVILLE, Florida, June 16, 2004 (ENS) - "The federal government and the state of Florida have agreed to allow an independent scientific panel to review the massive $8 billion, 30 year Everglades restoration plan.

The review of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) will be accomplished by the National Academy of Sciences and will produce biennial reports to Congress on the progress of the restoration. The agreement to set up the review, announced Tuesday, was signed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Interior Department and the South Florida Water Management District.

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The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan is a daunting effort by any measure. It covers 16 counties across more than 18,000 square miles and centers on revamping the Central & Southern Florida Project, which includes 1,000 miles of canals, 720 miles of levees, and hundreds of water control structures.

This enormous water control project has provided south Florida with a reliable water supply and flood protection, but it has contributed to the widespread degradation of the Everglades ecosystem, which is dependent upon a natural, slow, steady flow of clean water. The Everglades has been ravaged by agricultural pollution, invasive species and inhibited natural water flows caused by Army Corps projects and subsequent development."

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http://forests.org/articles/reader.asp?linkid=32693

[WilliamPitt]

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