The commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, briefed the media today on his support of Everglades restoration and the timeline of projects known as the Integrated Delivery Schedule (IDS). Below is a portion of the Corps' statement and a supporting response from the South Florida Water Management District Governing Board Chairman:
"We have a strong partnership with the South Florida Water Management District and the state of Florida. The IDS was developed through public dialogue and discussion between the partners in the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Program. It is the optimal sequence of restoration activities." – USACE Col. Jason Kirk
Click here to read the full Corps' statement
"Heard. Understood. Acknowledged. And Appreciated. The South Florida Water Management District Governing Board is extremely grateful for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' reiteration today of its commitment to the Everglades restoration partnership and schedule of projects known as the Integrated Delivery Schedule (IDS). The Corps' approach is the logical way to restore the Everglades. Attempting to allocate billions of dollars to a single project, outside of the publicly vetted and approved IDS sequence, would set restoration efforts back and provide more uncertainty for currently requested funding. The Corps and SFWMD Governing Board are maintaining their commitment to begin the study of an Everglades Agricultural Area reservoir in 2021, the timeframe set by the IDS. Built on science, the Everglades restoration plan and its timeline to complete projects is the right strategy to get the job done." – SFWMD Chairman Dan O'Keefe