Source: evergladesplan.org
Top state and federal agencies signed off on Thursday on an interagency agreement that will jump start the stalled Everglades restoration projects.
Terrence (Rock) Salt, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works joined the district’s Board Chairman, Eric Buermann, to sign the agreement at the West Palm Beach headquarters of the South Florida Water Management District.
“This agreement paves the way for us to begin construction of important Everglades restoration projects. We’re at a transition point – going from projects described on paper to projects built on the ground,” Salt said. “We now have the agreements in place that will support Everglades’ projects that were – only a decade ago – little more than hopes and dreams.”
The Master Agreement, which applies to Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) projects, contains important provisions that determine how the Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water Management District will address key issues related to project construction including cost-sharing, operations, maintenance, repair and oversight by agency technical staff.
The technical and legal complexities associated with restoration of the Everglades ecosystem made completing the Master Agreement a challenging effort that required several years to complete. Negotiations required the direct engagement of myriad agency experts at all levels.
The signing of the CERP Master Agreement and the individual project partnership agreement for the Picayune Strand Restoration Project allows the Corps to move forward with construction of the Merritt Pump Station and restoration of thousands of acres of wetlands. The Corps plans to initiate construction on the pump station before the end of the year.
The Everglades restoration plan provides the framework for future restoration projects.
