Most Floridians who live north of the town of Kissimmee
consider the massively complex and perennial problems of The Everglades not of
their making and therefore none of their concern.
If this is how you feel, you’re way wrong
and you need to know why.
Jane Graham, Everglades Policy Associate
for Florida Audubon, has written an enlightening opinion piece for the Huffington
Post. You should read it. If you are already informed about what’s
going on regarding the nation’s largest natural wetland being systematically destroyed
by political paralysis and national neglect but know others who are not, send
this to them. If you know newcomers who
are oblivious to what the Everglades stand for, do them a favor and send this
to them as well. It’s important to all
of Florida, to all of us, and to our future.
In her editorial, she gives a smattering of
history and some eye-popping numbers that make an economic case the governor
and legislature have lost sight of over the last few years and only just now,
as re-election time nears, are starting to appreciate anew.
To hope it is not too late is like hoping
for an improbable miracle, but to simply accept the alternative would be devastating
(a proposed 700,000 new minimum-wage jobs at Wal-Mart, McDonalds and Burger King notwithstanding).
- Sandspur
Why
You Should Care About Everglades Restoration
Published here with the
permission of the author.
___________________________________
This week, the U.S House of
Representatives passed a bill to move forward several Everglades
restoration projects. According to Audubon Florida's Director of Everglades
Policy Julie Hill-Gabriel, if the water resources bill becomes law, four
Everglades restoration projects will be eligible for federal funding for the
first time.
Okay, I get it. The only
alligator you like is the one on your Lacoste polo shirt. Your favorite bird is
either barbequed or fried. And you utterly despise mosquitos.
Why
then, you ask, should you care about Everglades restoration?
Your
water. The Everglades is the primary source of drinking water for more than 7
million Americans -- more than a
third of Florida's population.
And the economy. The
Everglades cornerstone of
the regional economy,
supporting the state's estimated $67 billion tourism industry, a $13 billion
outdoor recreation economy, and $100 billion agriculture sector.
These sound like talking
points, you say? Let's take a quick look at the history to understand how and
why it matters.
Almost everywhere you go in
South Florida used to be part of the Everglades. Miami International Airport? A
wetland. South Beach? Mangroves. Weston? Well, take a look at what is just
little west of there. When we talk about the "Greater Everglades," it
refers to the ecosystem from the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes (close to Disney
World), all the way south to Florida Bay by the Keys. Not just Everglades
National Park in Miami Dade County.
Last century, conveniently
after the invention of air conditioning and mosquito control, people started to
settle in South Florida. After a few rainier than usual wet seasons and
particularly nasty hurricanes in the 1940's, the Florida government asked the
federal government for help to drain excess water off the landscape.
On this particular task,
the federal government was quite effective. The project, known as the Central
and South Florida Flood Control Project, transformed miles of wetlands into a regional
water management system with thousands of miles of canals, thousands of levees
and berms, dozens of pump stations and hundreds of water control structures and
culverts. A gargantuan feat in human engineering.
The new water management
system was so efficient that it drained too much water from the region -- water
that otherwise would have gradually seeped into our aquifer to recharge public
water supply and give life to the region's abundant ecosystems.
The severely altered
ecosystem/man-made infrastructure remains today. During rainy periods, water is
quickly flushed to tide. Approximately 1.7 billion gallons of water from the Everglades drains to the
coasts each day. Conversely, this water is not available for use during dry
periods.
This has some serious
consequences for the region's ecosystem and
economy. This summer, the St.
Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries were hammered by large releases of water
from Lake Okeechobee, leading to widespread devastation of these ecosystems.
Prior to human alterations to the ecosystem, this water would have naturally
flowed south. Sadly and ironically, in one or two years from now, the same
estuaries may need water from Lake Okeechobee to help sustain their ecosystems
during the dry season, likely at the same time agriculture and public water
supply users will compete for water allocations.
Fortunately, at the turn of
the new millennium, a new plan emerged. Encouraged by the unusual coalition of
environmentalists, agricultural interests, and public water utilities, the
Federal and State Governments embarked on a groundbreaking plan, known as the
Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), or just "Everglades
restoration" for short. This effort is known as one of the largest ecosystem restoration projects in the
world.
The plan sets forth more than 60 different
projects to store water, clean water, and flow water through the system. It is
projected to take several decades to complete. The plan aims to restore
ecosystems, provide flood protection for residents, and ensure clean and
abundant water supplies for South Florida's residents.
Thirteen years into the
plan, we are slowly trudging along. There are a few Everglades restoration projects
that are nearing completion. The Picayune Strand
project, which restores wetlands
on drained and on Florida's southwest region is nearly complete. This past March,
the 1st mile of Tamiami Trail Bridge opened.
Where do we go from here?
Finish projects. Get new ones authorized. And keep an eye toward adaptive
management. No one said this was easy. Or cheap. Or that we would get it right
all the time. But for our water, for our economy, and for our future, we must
keep going.
_________________________________________________
JANE GRAHAM is Everglades Policy Associate at Audubon
Florida. At Audubon, Jane advocates for Everglades restoration at the
South Florida Water Management District, the Water Resources Advisory
Commission, county commissions in South Florida , and various state and federal
agencies. Jane focuses on Florida water policy and law, wildlife protection,
and Everglades funding issues. Jane enjoys giving presentations to
schools, universities, and community groups about her work with Audubon. Prior
to joining Audubon Florida in 2010, Jane clerked at the National Wildlife
Federation Northeast Regional Office in Montpelier, Vermont, where she worked
on cases related to the endangered species act and wetlands jurisdiction.
Jane is a licensed attorney in
Florida and the U.S District Court, Southern District of Florida. She is a
double Hurricane- receiving a J.D. in 2009 and a B.A. in History and Political
Science in 2006 from the University of Miami. After law school, Jane
traveled to Vermont to receive an LL.M in Environmental Law from Vermont Law
School, where she focused on endangered species and climate change. Several of
Jane’s articles have been published in journals, including her LL.M thesis on
invasive species, “Snakes on a Plane, or in a Wetland: Fighting Back Invasive
Non-Native Animals” the Tulane Environmental Law Journal.
Jane’s passion for Everglades
restoration comes from her love of wildlife. In her spare time, Jane
enjoys spending time wildlife-watching with her husband Jon, and drawing
(mostly birds!). Everglades Coalition
