February 22, 2017

Tallahassee, Fla.—Associated Industries of Florida’s Senior Vice President of State and Federal Affairs Brewster Bevis released the following statement in support of focusing on the completion of projects in the Integrated Delivery Schedule to achieve results in Everglades restoration, as 60 scientists and water quality experts recently urged the Governor and Legislature to do:

“The importance of restoring America’s ‘River of Grass’ cannot be overstated. Over the past 16 years, whether Republican or Democrat, our local, state, and federal partners have made Everglades restoration a top priority by committing significant resources toward the completion of a suite of projects scientifically-designed to store, treat, and move water to the east, west, north and south of Lake Okeechobee.

“Despite the undeniable progress we are making, including the most clean water flowing to the Everglades in generations, there are efforts underway in Tallahassee that threaten to undermine what has occurred since the start of the century. To put it bluntly, you simply cannot equate buying land south of Lake Okeechobee with progress in restoration. Government has purchased all of the land it needs and science shows that the completion of the projects in the proper sequence around Lake Okeechobee will bring the maximum benefits to the entire system.

“Make no mistake: Florida businesses have a vested interest in clean water. Without it, many businesses would cease to exist. AIF stands with the community of more than 60 scientists and water quality experts urging the Governor and the Legislature to continue supporting the Integrated Delivery Schedule, which includes the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) that was first launched under President Bill Clinton and Florida Governor Jeb Bush.

“We owe it to future generations of Floridians to remain focused on Florida’s water roadmap if we are going to fully restore the Everglades and fix water issues stemming from the Lake Okeechobee discharges.”

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