A Times Editorial

The Everglades bargain

It's up to Congress to take the next step to put in place a historic federal-state partnership to restore Florida's priceless "River of Grass.''

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 14, 2000

Florida has begun holding up its end of a historic deal with the federal government to restore the Everglades. And it is an expensive deal: Florida's Legislature, which otherwise showed little interest in environmental protection during this year's session, agreed to devote $2-billion to the project over the next decade. That legislation, which Gov. Jeb Bush will sign into law on Tuesday, represents a huge commitment to a plan crafted by the Clinton administration to restore the Everglades to something approximating its original glory.

So Bush had good reason to be disturbed last week when he went to Washington in support of the Everglades agreement and ran into ill-informed criticism -- most of it from fellow Republicans in the Senate. Any attempt by Congress to kill, delay or fundamentally alter the agreement between Florida and federal officials could destroy the last, best chance to save the Everglades and protect the surrounding Florida environment from further ruin.

Some concerns about the plan's details are valid. For example, some senators are hesitant to make a $7.8-billion commitment while questions remain about such basic issues as the priorities for use of the 1-billion gallons of water the restoration project is expected to produce each day. Most federal officials and environmental groups want most of the water to go back into the Everglades, while many state officials and South Florida business interests want a large share of the water diverted to serve the huge population of the surrounding region. That issue should be quickly resolved in a way that gives highest priority to sustaining the Everglades' natural system.

However, some senators seemed to question the very idea of making such a massive commitment to save the Everglades. Sen. John Warner, R-Va., for example, complained that the money to be set aside for the plan "is quite significant in contrast to what I've been able to achieve for the Chesapeake Bay."

Bush tried to give Warner and other senators a quick bit of remedial education. "This is a federally created problem," he reminded members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. "The mess . . . was created by well-intended engineers."

Bush also noted that Florida leaders, including Sens. Bob Graham and Connie Mack, have built a rare bipartisan consensus in support of Florida's share of the burden. "No other state has made such a substantial financial commitment to a project yet to be authorized by the federal government," Bush said.

Bush and Mack expressed confidence that Congress will soon approve the federal share of the Everglades agreement, despite the parochial concerns raised by some members. Every state has environmental priorities that deserve federal support, but the Everglades is a unique environmental asset, uniquely damaged by federal intrusion. It also is, as Bush said, the beneficiary of an unprecedented state commitment to its restoration.

Some details of the federal-state agreement are fair game for further debate, but, as committee Chairman Bob Smith, R-N.H., said: "We've studied these issues for a long, long time. We can't study them forever. It's time to take some action around this place."

Florida has stepped up and taken action on behalf of the Everglades. It's time for Washington to hold up its end of the bargain.

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