Harrell and the Florida House Urge Congress to Fund the Indian River Lagoon South Restoration Project

April 28th, 2008 at 10:41am Anthony Bonna

The Florida House of Representatives unanimously passed House Memorial 1131, sponsored by Rep. Gayle Harrell, (R) Port St. Lucie.   By doing so, the House sent a strong message to the Congress of the United States, urging Congress to fully fund the implementation of the Indian River Lagoon South Restoration Project, the first phase of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), as authorized in the Water Resources Development Act of 2007.
The Indian River Lagoon is the most biologically diverse and unique estuary in the world as stated by the Smithsonian Institute.  The southern lagoon and its watershed have been negatively affected over the past 100 years by the construction of canals discharging directly into the lagoon, changed water flow patterns, and storm water runoff.

The Memorial urges Congress to provide its share of the funds to restore the southern Indian River Lagoon and St. Lucie Estuary. Since the passage of the Water Resources Development Act of 2000 which established the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, the State of Florida and South Florida Water Management District have invested over $2.3 billion dollars.  The federal government has provided only $365 million.  The Federal government needs to be a full partner in the restoration.

Martin County has also demonstrated its support, when local voters approved a special sales tax referendum which raised more than $50 million to assist in the purchase of the land necessary to implement the Indian River Lagoon Restoration Project.
“It is time that our Federal partners step up to the plate and fund their share of cleaning up the Indian River Lagoon and the Everglades.  The State of Florida continues to do its share,” said Rep. Gayle Harrell,  “we must have funding for this important project.”

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