Florida's governor has proposed a $3.5 billion investment in Everglades restoration. The project is intended to more closely return the flow of water from Lake Okeechobee south to Florida Bay to its historic flows (far left). The middle graphic depicts current flows, the graphic on the right the intended solution/South Florida Restoration Task Force

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' proposal to commit $3.5 billion over the next four years towards restoration of the Everglades ecosystem drew praise from The Everglades Foundation as well as the Everglades Trust.

“Four years ago, I promised to pursue a bold agenda and to commit to lead Florida into a new era of stewardship for Florida’s natural resources, and we delivered,” DeSantis said Tuesday. “Today, I am proud to announce the next step in this administration’s continued dedication to Florida’s treasured environment. This order directs funding and strategic action that will continue our momentum and enhance our ongoing efforts to expedite critical Everglades restoration projects, employ sound science to protect and restore our waterways, and fund infrastructure projects to improve water quality and safeguard Florida’s water supply.”

It’s been more than two decades since Congress passed the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, which has been viewed as a groundbreaking law aimed at restoring America’s Everglades after decades of destruction. That project was seen as a way to restore, preserve, and protect the South Florida ecosystem while providing for other water-related needs of the region, including water supply and flood control. In 2009, then-Interior Secretary Ken Salazar called the restoration project a national priority.

The Everglades wetlands span nearly 3 million acres, and within that are the 1.5 million acres of Everglades National Park and its 1.3-million-acre Marjory Stoneman Douglas Wilderness, the largest wilderness area east of the Rockies. But the landscape has been under siege almost since the first developers and large-scale farm operations reached South Florida, and brought with them plans to divert or dam the water that flows south from Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay. All those efforts down through the decades altered the Everglades by changing its natural processes.

Under the multi-billion-dollar restoration plan that involves federal, state, tribal, and local stakeholders, sections of the Tamiami Trail have been raised to allow flows of water to continue south through the national park and into Florida Bay, and there have been other projects to better improve water flows south from Lake Okeechobee and to conserve water.

“The Everglades Foundation applauds Governor DeSantis’ four-year record commitment of $3.5 billion for the Everglades," said Eric Eikenberg, CEO of The Everglades Foundation. "The governor’s bold agenda will undoubtedly lead to more progress in Everglades restoration and in addressing Florida’s water quality challenges. The restoration of America’s Everglades is paramount to Florida’s clean water-based economy, and the governor has made a concerted effort to ensure Florida significantly invests in its future. A reliable source of clean freshwater for 9 million residents and countless tourists is at stake and today’s announcement demonstrates that Everglades restoration and Florida’s resilience remains a top priority for the second term of his administration.”

At the Everglades Trust, CEO Anna Upton said "the commitment he has made to the Everglades and the environment in the newly signed executive order is unquestionably historic. Time and time again, Gov. DeSantis makes promises, and he delivers on those promises. If his first term is any indication of what he can accomplish, Floridians and the great state of Florida will see a historic commitment become a reality."