TIDBITS
DESANTIS BACKS $ 1.5B IN FUNDING FOR EVERGLADES , WATER QUALITY
Gov . Ron DeSantis pledged to approve $ 1.5 billion included in the upcoming state budget ( HB 5001 ) passed by lawmakers earlier this year for Everglades restoration and water quality improvements . Of the $ 1.5 billion in funding , about $ 850 million will go towards Everglades restoration projects , including $ 614 million to support the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan , or CERP , and the Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir – making it the largest state investment in a single year since CERP was established in 2000 . The funding also includes $ 100 million for the second phase of the C-51 Reservoir , which will support the water needs of Palm Beach and Broward counties while also reducing freshwater discharges to the Lake Worth Lagoon . DeSantis made the announcement on Monday – which was Earth Day . The investment also provides roughly $ 530 million for water quality improvement projects , including $ 135 million for the Water Quality Improvement Grant Program , which funds efforts to reduce harmful nutrients in waterways such as septic-to-sewer projects and wastewater treatment upgrades . Additionally , $ 100 million will support the
Indian River Lagoon , with the governor expressing his commitment to also approve $ 45 million for water quality improvements in Biscayne Bay and the Caloosahatchee Estuary . “ I am proud to continue making these investments in Everglades restoration and water quality that will benefit our state for decades to come ,” said DeSantis in a statement . The $ 1.5 billion is on top of environmental funding allocated in SB 1638 , which the governor signed into law earlier this month . The new law designates revenue from a gambling agreement between the state of Florida and the Seminole Tribe in 2021 , with 96 % of it directed toward enhancing water quality , infrastructure and land conservation efforts . Estimates as of February 2024 suggest an annual revenue share of around $ 750 million . According to the governor , Florida ’ s total investment in Everglades restoration and water quality improvements is now at a record-breaking $ 6.5 billion since DeSantis took office in 2019 . The state spending plan for fiscal year 2024-25 , poised to take effect July 1 , has not yet been formally presented to the governor , who has line-item veto power .
16 DITCHMEN • APRIL 2024