Audubon intervened in court proceedings last year to support the South Florida Water Management District’s (SFWMD) efforts to validate bonds needed to purchase 73,000 acres of land in the Everglades Agriculture Area to restore the River of Grass. Audubon and other Everglades advocates, working to see the purchase completed, received good news from the courtroom this week.  The Supreme Court of Florida ruled that it alone would decide the outcome on two separate cases regarding the River of Grass acquisition, rather than allowing the cases to proceed separately, under different timelines, and before different judicial bodies.  This decision eliminates a potentially significant delay in approving financing for the purchase.  The court is set to hear arguments on the case April 7th.  Meanwhile, the SFWMD Governing Board and US Sugar representatives likely will decide next month whether to approve an extension of the closing date to accommodate the court’s schedule.

The River of Grass purchase will help achieve ecological benefits of Everglades restoration decades earlier than previously thought possible, fulfilling the need to store and treat the massive quantities of fresh water necessary for true restoration.  Audubon will continue to support the purchase and participate in ongoing planning efforts to ensure that this monumental land purchase restores the systems ecological health to support abundant populations of birds and wildlife.