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1 1 (September 17, 2020)

handle is hein.crs/govdbvh0001 and id is 1 raw text is: 0S;0 Updated September 17, 2020 Recent Developments in Everglades Restoration What Is the Everglades? The Everglades is a unique network of subtropical wetlands in South Florida. Due in part to federal water supply and flood control projects (as well as agricultural and urban runoff), the ecosystem was degraded and was approximately half its historical size by the end of the 20th century. The ecosystem is home to a number of unique species, including 67 species listed under the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. §§1531 et. seq.). What Is CERP? The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) was approved by Congress in the Water Resources Development Act of 2000 (WRDA 2000; P.L. 106-541). It is a framework under which the federal government, with the State of Florida, is attempting to restore the Everglades and improve the timing, distribution, and quality of the water flowing south from Lake Okeechobee to the Everglades. Under CERP, the federal government, through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Department of the Interior (DOI), is required to fund half the costs of restoration, with the State of Florida contributing the other half. Several tribal and local agencies also are involved in restoration. Originally, CERP was to include 60 projects that would be completed over 30 years at a cost of $8.2 billion (in 2000 dollars). A 2015 report to Congress increased this estimate; the report projected that CERP will take approximately 50 years to implement at a total cost of $16.4 billion (in FY2015 dollars). As of FY2020, the federal government has spent more than $1.7 billion and the State of Florida has spent an estimated $4.5 billion on CERP in nominal dollars (although much of this state funding is not yet officially credited for Florida's share of the cost). Everglades restoration under CERP was authorized in 2000 and is expected to take 50 years to complete. Outside of CERP, complementary efforts to restore the Everglades (most of which predate CERP) are ongoing. The federal government has spent more than $3.5 billion on these efforts, collectively referred to as non-CERP projects. WRDA 2000 approved CERP and the process for its implementation. The law also authorized several pilot projects. Subsequent projects require study by USACE and congressional authorization before they can receive federal appropriations, including credit or reimbursement for nonfederal work undertaken in advance. Several laws subsequent to WRDA 2000 authorized projects contemplated under CERP. Some projects received appropriations and are under construction. Studies for other CERP projects are in progress (see Table 1). Projects with completed studies and signed reports from the Chief of Engineers (e.g., Loxahatchee River Watershed Project) are awaiting potential authorization in legislation in the 116th Congress (see S. 3591 and H.R. 7575). Table I. Status of Recent CERP USACE Projects Construction Project Name Authorization Status Site I Impoundment WRDA 2007 Phase I completed Phase II on hold Picayune Strand WRDA 2007 Under construction Indian River WRDA 2007 Under construction Lagoon-South C-43 West Storage WRRDA 2014 Under construction Basin C- II Spreader WRRDA 2014 Complete Canal Broward County WRRDA 2014 Under construction Water Preserve Areas Biscayne Bay WRRDA 2014 Under construction Coastal Wetlands Central Everglades WRDA 2016 Under construction Planning Project (CEPP) Everglades WRDA 2018 Awaiting construction Agricultural Area Reservoir Storage Loxahatchee River Awaiting Study completed Watershed Project authorization Lake Okeechobee n/a Study in progress Watershed Project Western Everglades n/a Study in progress Restoration Project Source: Congressional Research Service based on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) information and enacted legislation. Note: n/a = not applicable. WRDA = Water Resources and Development Act; WRDA 2007, WRDA 2016, and WRDA 2018 are P.L. I 10- 114, P.L. 114-322, and P.L. 115-270, respectively. WRRDA 2014 = Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-121). Central Everglades Planning Project. The Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) is a CERP restoration project that Congress authorized in the Water Resources Development Act of 2016 (P.L. 114-322). CEPP prioritizes

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