South Florida Water Management District Board Votes to Keep the River of Grass Acquisition Alive

Audubon applauds the unanimous decision reached today by the Governing Board of the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) to extend the contract deadline until September 30, 2010 to purchase almost 73,000 acres of land from U.S. Sugar Corporation. Proceedings currently before the Florida Supreme Court will determine the SFWMD's authority to issue Certificate of Participation bonds for the purchase, and today’s decision will allow these proceedings to come to a close.

Your support, letters and participation helped achieve this victory for the Everglades. Numerous Audubon members, staff and Chapter leaders attended the meeting and proclaimed the importance of the River of Grass purchase to achieve successful restoration of the Everglades, protect south Florida's estuaries and heal habitat so important to struggling bird and wildlife populations. This land acquisition opens the way to store, treat, and flow more needed water south—instead of east and west through the estuaries—in a manner that more closely mimics nature.