Fed money to come for Everglades work
WEST PALM BEACH (AP) – Everglades restoration will get a boost with the $410 billion spending package signed by President Barack Obama.
The president signed the bill on Wednesday, clearing the way for nearly $200 million to be spent largely on projects aimed at helping heal the dying ecosystem. The vast wetlands and marshes have long suffered from encroaching development and agriculture that contributes fertilizers and pollutants to the ecosystem.
Efforts to restore more natural water flow in the Everglades have been ongoing for decades.
The not-for-profit Everglades Foundation says federal money in the spending bill will go toward several projects, including Kissimmee River restoration, Tamiami Trail work and reinforcing the aging Herbert Hoover Dike around Lake Okeechobee.