Some are
calling the US Army Corps of Engineers’ Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) the
last, best hope for restoring the Everglades.
It’s no hyperbole.
After a
century of ditching, diking and damming the Everglades, the Federal Government
and the State of Florida have in front of them a plan that could restore fresh
water flow to millions of acres.
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| Dredging an Everglades Canal State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/32148 |
The Central Everglades plan rips out more than 25 miles of canals and
levees. It eliminates much of the Miami Canal and creates a path of sheet flow
across the L-67 canals toward a 2.6 mile bridge over Tamiami Trail. It removes a massive clog in the River of
Grass. As the Everglades nears ecological collapse accelerated by climate
change, we have no other option.
But this
summer, the state and the federal government have been fighting over who pays
for water quality improvements in the plan, and it has already caused the Corps
to miss a key deadline. If this deadly game of chicken continues any longer,
restoration may be stalled for another decade or more.
Take Action!
Contact the
South Florida Water Management District Governing Board now and tell them to
CEPP it up!
Board members' emails: (copy and paste):
dokeefe@sfwmd.gov, kpowers@sfwmd.gov, fbarber@sfwmd.gov, sbatchel@sfwmd.gov,mhutchcraft@sfwmd.gov, jmoran@sfwmd.gov, jportuon@sfwmd.gov, tsargent@sfwmd.gov, gwaldman@sfwmd.gov, rwalker@sfwmd.gov, ebarnett@sfwmd.gov
Subject line (copy and paste):
We need to CEPP it up!
Message (copy and paste):
Dear
Governing Board member:
Time is
running out for the Everglades . Please vote to
approve the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) at your August meeting. We’ve already wasted too much time. Act now before it’s too late.
Sincerely,
[Your name here]
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| The Central Everglades Restoration Plan - Source: http://www.evergladesplan.org/pm/projects/proj_51_cepp.aspx |
Read more about CEPP: http://www.evergladesfoundation.org/what-we-do/projects/cepp/
http://www.evergladesplan.org/pm/projects/proj_51_cepp.aspx
http://www.evergladesplan.org/pm/projects/proj_51_cepp.aspx
-- Jonathan Ullman, South Florida/Everglades Senior Representative, Sierra Club
