The proposed $500 million purchase U.S. Sugar corporation land continues to heat up in Florida, as groups supporting their respected sides push to make their case heard by legislators during the current 2015 legislative session in Tallahassee.
Florida’s sugar farmers and Everglades restoration groups have taken to social media and mounted enormous campaigns to make their water restoration cases heard. While groups like the Everglades Trust and Foundation are pushing for the land deal to executed, sugar farmer-friendly organizations like Florida Citizens Against Waste, have sprouted up to voice opposition to what they call is simply unnecessary “land grab” by the state of Florida.FCAW contends that after 20 years, the restoration of the Everglades has been on budget, and is successfully in its last phase of completion. FCAW also says that because continued efforts to clean up the Everglades, which have led to drastic reduction of phosphorus levels in the water, “95% of the water in the Everglades is cleaner than Evian.”
Just recently, Florida Governor Rick Scott signed a bill into law that would provide an additional $900 million to the already $10 billion spent by sugar farmers and the state for funding for Everglades restoration.
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Completing this poll grants you access to Shark Tank updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to this site's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.“Everglades restoration and protection are high priorities for all Floridians. Taxpayers, farmers, businesses and water managers have devoted more than two decades and $10 billion in a cooperative and massive effort to restore a precious resource, and that effort is working. Court mandated Everglades water quality tests today surpasses federal standards, and the experts have a science-based plan to complete the restoration project. Governor Rick Scott recently provided $900 million to more finish the effort.”
“Unfortunately, environmental and political special interests are now trying to convince the legislature to divert $500 million to purchase land south of Lake Okeechobee — a land grab that is not part of the restoration plan, has no science behind it, and that will only add to the government’s already ample real estate portfolio. This land would have little or no impact on Everglades Restoration”
“We all want Everglades restoration to succeed, and we have all contributed to the effort. Disrupting the restoration project at this late stage with an extremely costly and counterproductive land grab simply doesn’t make sense, and will leave Florida taxpayers holding the bag for a reservoir we don’t need and potentially billions in future costs.“Floridians deserve to know the truth about this land grab, and once they do know the truth, we are confident they will let their legislators know that the state needs to spend our tax dollars finishing the real work of Everglades restoration — not buying more real estate.” FCAW press release
Everglades restoration groups have been countering this message with their own push to get the land deal done, and have also enlisted the help of Margaritaville man Jimmy buffet to headline their upcoming Everglades Day Rally, which is hosted by the Everglades Coalition at the Old state Capitol building on April7, 2015.
According to the group, the effort is “part of the Everglades Coalition’s third annual Everglades Action Day, which brings Floridians from across the state together in Tallahassee to meet with decision makers about the importance of America’s Everglades, which supplies 8 million Floridians with drinking water.”
But the question still remains, is the proposed land buy from U.S. Sugar really necessary, considering that the ongoing Everglades water restoration efforts have been proven to be working, including Governor Rick Scott’s additional conservation efforts, which includes his signing into law an additional $32 million to “improve water quality and water flow” to clean up Florida’s water is being praised by both sides of the water clean up debate?
Even Everglades Foundation CEO, and former Charlie Crist ally, Erik Eikenberg, applauds Governor Scott’s efforts to restore the Everglades.“This is another historic moment in Everglades restoration. Over the last three years, Governor Scott has tackled critical Everglades issues. From the $880 million Restoration Strategies plan, to the $90 million for the next 2.6 miles of Tamiami Trail to Florida’s endorsement of the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP), Governor Scott has led one of the largest restoration plans in the world.
“Now, at the midway point of the 30-year Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), we applaud Governor Scott for his commitment to robust Everglades funding using Amendment 1 and his acknowledgement for additional water storage, as authorized in the Central Everglades Restoration Plan. Both of these actions will enable a restored Everglades in our lifetime.”
Eric Draper, Executive Director for Audobon Florida, also agreed with Eikenberg.
“We commend the Governor’s leadership on the Everglades Water Quality Plan and getting the legislature to ratify the plan through House Bill 7065 endorses a good standard for Everglades water quality, provides the basis for funding the plan and will, in a short period of time, produce cleaner water going into the Everglades.”