Bipartisan Letter Requesting $250 Million for Critical Restoration Projects
WASHINGTON, D.C. –– Today, Congressmen Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25) and Alcee L. Hastings (FL-20), Co-Chairmen and Co-Founders of the Congressional Everglades Caucus, led Members of the Caucus in sending a bipartisan letter to President Trump requesting that he allocate $250 million for Everglades Restoration projects in his FY21 budget request to Congress.
Read the full letter here.
Dear President Trump:
We write as members of the Everglades Caucus to express our appreciation for your continued commitment to Everglades restoration. Thankfully, funding in recent years has allowed for expedited completion of critical restoration projects. To keep the momentum going, we respectfully request that in your upcoming budget you allocate $250 million under the Army Corps of Engineers construction account for South Florida Ecosystem Restoration.
The Everglades is a natural treasure, one of the true ecological wonders of the world, and further efforts to preserve this unique ecosystem will prove imperative to its long-term viability. The Everglades is central to Florida’s economy; its biodiversity an environmental marvel, indeed the Everglades National Park is home to one of the world’s largest wetlands. In addition, we cannot forget that eight million Floridians rely on the Everglades for their drinking water. Whether it be support for the expedited completion of the Herbert Hoover Dike or amending your request level to reflect the needs of our State, you have shown your strong commitment to these important issues. With this in mind, we ask that you join us in building upon these successes for the people of Florida.
We look forward to continuing to work with you to advance vital Everglades restoration projects. By allocating $250 million, you would ensure that the Army Corps of Engineers has the resources it needs to do just that.