WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Congressman Brian Mast (FL-18) today led 12 of his Florida colleagues in calling on President Joe Biden to fund the EAA Reservoir, which is the most important Everglades restoration project because it will allow more water to flow south and drastically reduce toxic discharges to the estuaries.  President Biden has touted his infrastructure bill as “once-in-a-generation,” but the bill failed to provide even one dollar of funding for the EAA Reservoir, leaving the future of this project’s funding in doubt. 

“We were greatly disappointed by the exclusion in funding for the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir in that bill. This project is the most critical component of CERP because it will allow more water to be sent south into the Everglades and drastically reduce toxic discharges to Florida’s east and west coasts.” the Members wrote in the letter. “In fact, the EAA Reservoir’s completion date has now been pushed back from 2028 to 2030, and without IIJA funding or ample FY23 funding, it will certainly slip farther behind schedule.  Your FY23 budget request is, therefore, an opportunity to right this wrong by requesting robust overall funding for Everglades restoration, including sufficient funding to restore the EAA reservoir to its original completion date.”

The letter was also signed by Representatives Mario Diaz Balart (FL-25), Scott Franklin (FL-15), Bill Posey (FL-8), Maria Elvira Salazar (FL-27), John Rutherford (FL-4), Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Carlos Gimenez (FL-26), Byron Donalds (FL-19), Dan Webster (FL-11), Neal Dunn (FL-2), Greg Steube (FL-17) and Michael Waltz (FL-6).  

Full text of the letter is attached and available here.

BACKGROUND

Rep. Mast has been advocating for the inclusion of EAA Reservoir funding in the infrastructure bill since President Biden took office:

• On March 4, 2021, Rep. Mast sent a letter to President Biden to include $725 million for Everglades restoration in the budget.
• On March 26, 2021, Rep. Mast questioned the Biden Administration during the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing about its commitment to putting Everglades restoration in the infrastructure package.
• On March 29, 2021, Rep. Mast led a bipartisan letter calling on President Biden and congressional leadership to fully fund Everglades Restoration in the infrastructure package.
• On June 10, 2021, Rep. Mast spoke to the House Appropriations Committee urging them to fully fund the Everglades restoration.
• On November 05, 2021, Rep. Mast voted against the infrastructure bill, citing its lack of direct funding for Everglades restoration.  
• On November 18, 2021, Rep. Mast led his Florida colleagues in calling on the Army Corps to fully fund Everglades restoration projects after direct funding was left out of the infrastructure bill.

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