Clawson Co-Sponsors Bipartisan Bill To Expedite Everglades Restoration

WASHINGTON – February 3, 2016 – (RealEstateRama) — Lawmakers from Florida in both the U.S. House and Senate today introduced legislation, co-sponsored by Congressman Curt Clawson (FL-19), to expedite all Everglades-restoration projects that the Army Corps of Engineers deems ready to begin. The leaders of the Everglades Caucus took the Everglades for the Next Generation Act to the floors of both Congressional chambers.

In recent days, necessitated by the record rainfalls in January, the Army Corps of Engineers began releasing water from Lake Okeechobee to the Caloosahatchee River. Southwest Florida, and its tourism economy, have been greatly affected in recent years by the release of harmful discharges into the waters off Ft. Myers and Sanibel Island.

Congressman Clawson stated:

“While we have seen recent, positive actions on the building of the C-43 Reservoir and related projects, the long-term solution for Southwest Florida is getting the water to flow south from Lake Okeechobee into the Everglades, after natural filtration. The ecosystem of the Everglades is in itself a river, which has been disrupted by water diversions into the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie Rivers, starving both the Everglades and the Florida Bay. With wet years, such as the one we find ourselves in now, the discharges will only get worse unless actions are taken to restore the natural flow of water into the southern Everglades.”

David James (202-225-2536)