Audubon Florida applauds today's filing of a bipartisan legislation aimed to authorize the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) and make it eligible for future federal funding. The final report from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was completed in late December. Congress now must act before the project can begin construction.

The bill is sponsored by Senators Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Representatives Patrick Murphy (FL-18), David Jolly (FL-13), Bill Posey (FL-08), Corrine Brown (FL-05), Curt Clawson (FL-19), Ted Deutch (FL-21), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Gwen Graham (FL-02), Alcee Hastings (FL-20), Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (FL-23), Ander Crenshaw (FL-4) and Thomas J. Rooney (FL-17). 

CEPP will have significant Everglades restoration benefits. 

"This important legislation responds to the need to move more water south from Lake Okeechobee. Reducing the amount of water releases to the coasts will help prevent the devastation we saw in the St. Lucie estuary and other natural areas during the summer of 2013," said Julie Hill-Gabriel, Audubon's Director of Everglades Policy. "The widespread support for this bill emphasizes that Everglades restoration is truly a bipartisan issue."