It was a big day for the Everglades and Florida’s waters. On his second day in office since being sworn in, Governor Ron DeSantis announced new water policies and took the first steps toward what promises to be huge progress for Everglades restoration.
Gov. DeSantis started the day at Florida Gulf Coast University’s Vester Marine and Environmental Science Research Field Station in Bonita Springs where he toured the local waterways and later signed an executive order committing $2.5 billion toward Everglades restoration—a $1 billion spending increase from the past four years and the most restoration funding in Florida’s history. The order also calls for the creation of a Blue-Green Algae Task Force, an Office of Environmental Accountability and Transparency and enacts several other water policy changes that will help expedite Everglades restoration projects.
The governor also called for the immediate resignations of every South Florida Water Management District Governing Board member, a welcome move following the board’s recent unanimous approval of a land lease extension with Florida Crystals.
“We are extremely optimistic about the new policy and bold moves that Governor DeSantis has made out of the gate,” says our Executive Director, Daniel Andrews, “We are committed to continuing to work closely with Gov. DeSantis to fix Florida’s waters. We’ve made it clear to the Governor that the coastal communities and anglers need a seat at the table. Our voices have been ignored for far too long.”
Want to read more? Here are a few related articles.
- NBC2: DeSantis calls for resignations of South Florida Water Management District board members
- FOX4 SWFL: Gov. DeSantis makes water policy announcement in Bonita Springs
- Wink News: Gov. DeSantis demands SFWMD board members resign
- TCPalm: SFWMD: Brian Mast blasts board members who won’t resign as Gov. Ron DeSantis asked