Audubon Florida applauds today's filing of a bipartisan legislation aimed to authorize the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) and make it eligible for future federal funding.
The bill is sponsored by Senators Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Representatives Patrick Murphy (FL-18), David Jolly (FL-13), Bill Posey (FL-08), Corrine Brown (FL-05), Ted Deutch (FL-21), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Joe Garcia (FL-26), Alcee Hastings (FL-20), and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (FL-23).
CEPP will have significant Everglades restoration benefits.
"This important legislation responds to the need to move more water south from Lake Okeechobee. Reducing the amount of water releases to the coasts will help prevent the devastation we saw last summer in the St. Lucie estuary and other natural areas," said Julie Hill-Gabriel, Audubon's Director of Everglades Policy. "The widespread support for this bill emphasizes that Everglades restoration is truly a bipartisan issue."