The TaxWatch Research Blog

The TaxWatch Research Blog is a forum where our research staff can address topics and issues in a short format. Keep an eye on this space during Legislative Session for frequent posts making sense of the activity at the Capitol. 

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Testing 2

Where Does the $634 Million Go? 

These are the appropriations in the 2019-20 General Appropriations Act that most closely align with the Governor’s recommendations.

Everglades Restoration -- $413 million

  • $145.5 million goes to the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) for the planning, design, engineering, and construction of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP).[1]
  • $64 million in recurring funds is dedicated to the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) project. Remaining money in any fiscal year must go to Phase II of the C-51 reservoir project.  An additional non-recurring $43.8 million was appropriated this year for EEA and related projects that move water south.
  • $32 million in recurring funds (through FY 2025-26) goes to SFWMD’s Restoration Strategies Regional Water Quality Plan.
  • $32.9 million is directed towards implementing the Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program to restore and protect the Lake Okeechobee, Caloosahatchee River, and St. Lucie River watersheds.
  • $50 million is for specific projects designed to achieve the greatest reduction in harmful discharges into the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie Estuaries.
  • $40 million was funded in the Department of Transportation Work Program to elevate 5.45 miles of the Tamiami Trail which has been blocking the natural flow of water through the Everglades.
  • $4.0 million was appropriated in the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service’s budget for agricultural nutrient reduction and water retention projects in the Lake Okeechobee Watershed.
 

[1]  In 2000, Congress approved the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), a $10.5 billion, 35-plus year project, designed to restore natural sheetflow, rehydrate marshes, and provide freshwater flows to protect our estuaries.

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