Order Code RS22048
Updated August 23, 2005
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
Everglades Restoration:
The Federal Role in Funding
Pervaze A. Sheikh
Analyst in Environmental and Natural Resource Policy
Resources, Science, and Industry Division
Nicole T. Carter
Analyst in Environmental Policy
Resources, Science, and Industry Division
Summary
In 2000, Congress approved a 30-year, $7.8 billion restoration plan, termed the
Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), for the Everglades ecosystem in
southern Florida, and authorized an initial set of projects at a cost of $1.4 billion. The
federal government is expected to pay half the plan’s costs, and an array of state, tribal,
and local agencies the other half. In addition to the activities under CERP, other federal
and state efforts also are contributing to Everglades restoration. To date, all of these
efforts combined represent an investment of approximately $3.6 billion in state funds
and $2.3 billion in federal funds since FY1993. Everglades funding receives attention
not only from those interested in Everglades restoration, but also from stakeholders of
other restoration initiatives such as those in coastal Louisiana, the Great Lakes, and
Chesapeake Bay. The debate and resolution of issues surrounding the authorization and
appropriations for Everglades restoration projects could have implications for large-
scale restoration initiatives elsewhere. This report provides information on federal
appropriations for Everglades restoration, and discusses some issues related to the
authorization and appropriations for restoration projects. It will be updated biannually.
Introduction
The Florida Everglades are a unique network of subtropical wetlands that is now half
its original size. The federal government has had a long history of involvement in the
Everglades, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) constructing flood control
projects beginning in the 1940s that shunted water away from the Everglades. Many
factors, including these flood control projects and agricultural and urban development,
have contributed the shrinking and altering of the wetlands ecosystem. Federal agencies
began ecosystem restoration activities in the Everglades more than 15 years ago, but it
was not until 2000 that the majority of restoration activities became coordinated under an
Congressional Research Service { The Library of Congress

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integrated plan. With the Water Resources Development Act of 2000 (WRDA 2000; P.L.
106-541), Congress approved the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP)
as a framework for restoration of the Everglades and authorized $700 million for the
federal share of appropriations for initial projects. According to the process established
in WRDA 2000, additional Everglades projects are to be presented to Congress for
authorization as their planning is completed. Once authorized, the projects will be
eligible to receive appropriations from the federal government.
Restoring the Everglades is the largest financial investment in ecosystem restoration
authorized by Congress to date. Thus, stakeholders in other large-scale restoration
initiatives look to the Everglades as a model and a test case. Some believe the types of
activities funded and the level and conditions of funding for the Everglades may set a
precedent for other restoration initiatives. This report summarizes the process, history,
and current funding of Everglades restoration.
CERP Authorizations
CERP focuses on increasing storage of excess water in the rainy season to provide
more water during the dry season for the ecosystem, and for urban and agricultural users.
CERP will take an estimated 30 years and $7.8 billion ($3.9 billion in federal funds) to
complete. WRDA 2000 authorized initial projects, established cost-sharing ratios for
Everglades restoration, and created a process for additional projects to be authorized as
part of the CERP framework. The federal government is expected to pay half of CERP’s
costs, and an array of state, tribal, and local agencies (i.e., nonfederal sponsors) the other
half. This cost share also applies to all project operation and maintenance costs.
Construction authorization for the first two projects developed since CERP’s 2000 —
Indian River Lagoon-South (IRL-S) wetlands and estuarine restoration ($1.2 billion), and
the Picayune Strand ecosystem restoration ($363 million) — is included in pending
WRDA legislation.1
Restoration Appropriations
Although authorizations for CERP construction are expected to occur primarily
through WRDA, which is predominantly a legislative vehicle for Corps authorization,
federal appropriations for the activities coordinated under CERP and non-CERP2
programs are spread across several federal agencies. The South Florida Ecosystem
Restoration Task Force organizes information on past and current appropriations, and
requests for future Everglades appropriations, in an annual cross-cut budget.3 Federal
1 For information on the status of WRDA legislation, see CRS Issue Brief IB10133, Water
Resources Development Act (WRDA): Army Corps of Engineers Authorization Issues in the 109th
Congress
, coordinated by Nicole Carter.
2 Everglades restoration not conducted under the authority of CERP is referred to as non-CERP
activities or programs. For example, non-CERP activities would include the Everglades National
Park maintenance and critical ecosystem studies done by the National Park Service, among other
things.
3 See [http://www.sfrestore.org/documents/index.html], accessed August 23, 2005, for a list of
(continued...)

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funding for Everglades restoration is largely concentrated in two appropriations bills —
the Interior and Related Agencies appropriations bill and the Energy and Water
Development appropriations bill. The Interior and Related Agencies appropriations laws
have provided funds for restoration projects to several Department of the Interior (DOI)
agencies, including the National Park Service (NPS), Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS),
U.S. Geological Survey, and Bureau of Indian Affairs. Everglades restoration
appropriations in the Energy and Water Development appropriations bill are for the
Corps. Smaller amounts of restoration funding have been spread across other
appropriations bills for use by a diverse set of agencies, including the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and
Related Agencies appropriations), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (VA, HUD, and
Related Agencies appropriations), and U.S. Department of Agriculture (U.S. Department
of Agriculture and Related Agencies appropriations).
DOI Funding. Interior and Related Agencies appropriations laws and conference
reports typically do not specify the level of appropriations for many Everglades restoration
activities. Rather, the Administration’s budget request identifies restoration funding totals
for the previous year. For FY2006, the DOI was appropriated $84.0 million for CERP
and non-CERP restoration activities (P.L. 109-54), $0.5 million more than, and $18.5
million more than the FY2005 enacted level.4 The primary increase in funding from
FY2005 is approximately $17.0 million more for the construction of the Modified Water
Deliveries project (Mod Waters). Further, under P.L. 109-54, funds provided for the
construction of Mod Waters will not be available if matching funds appropriated to the
Corps become unavailable for implementing Mod Waters.
FY2006 appropriations law contains a provision that conditions funding for some
restoration activities on a report of phosphorus concentrations in waters entering the
Everglades.5 The provision states that funds appropriated in the FY2006 Interior
Appropriations Act and any prior acts for the Mod Waters will be provided unless
administrators of four federal departments/agencies (Secretary of the Interior, Secretary
of the Army, Administrator of the EPA, and the Attorney General) indicate in a joint
annual report that water entering the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife
Refuge and Everglades National Park does not meet state water quality standards, and the
House and Senate Committees on Appropriations respond in writing disapproving the
further expenditure of funds.6
3 (...continued)
Everglades crosscut budgets from FY1993 to FY2005.
4 For detailed program information under DOI appropriations for the Everglades, see CRS Report
RL32893, Appropriations for FY2006: Interior and Related Agencies, coordinated by Carol
Hardy-Vincent and Susan Boren.
5 This provision was initially enacted in the FY2004 Interior appropriations law (P.L. 108-108).
6 These provisions stem from concerns regarding a Florida state law, enacted on May 20, 2003,
that amended the Everglades Forever Act of 1994 (Florida Statutes §373.4592) that authorizes
a new plan to mitigate phosphorus pollution in the Everglades. High levels of phosphorus are
a primary cause of ecosystem alteration in the Everglades.

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Table 1. DOI Everglades Restoration Appropriations,
FY2004-FY2006
($ in thousands)
Agencies Requesting Funding for
FY2004
FY2005
FY2006
Everglades Restoration
Enacted
Enacted
Enacted
National Park Service
44,329
45,116
n/a
Fish and Wildlife Service
16,342
12,075
n/a
U.S. Geological Survey
7,847
7,738
n/a
Bureau of Indian Affairs
539
536
n/a
CERP Fundinga
[8,772]
[8,517]
n/a
Total Appropriations
69,057
65,465
84,000
Source: DOI, FY2006, The Interior Budget in Brief (Washington, Feb. 2005), P.L. 108-447, P.L. 109-54.
aThis CERP funding was appropriated to NPS and FWS, so it is only accounted for once in calculating the
total DOI Everglades appropriation. n/a = not available.
Corps Funding. The enacted Energy and Water Development Appropriations for
FY2005 (P.L. 108-447) included $115.3 million for Everglades restoration activities. This
was $22.2 million below the FY2004 level of $137.5 million. For FY2006, the President
requested $137 million for the Corps’ Everglades restoration activities (See Table 2.)
The $137 million would fund Everglades activities that were previously budgeted
separately — the Central and Southern Florida Project, the Kissimmee River Restoration
Project, and the Everglades and South Florida Restoration Projects; the $137 million also
would provide $35 million for Mod Waters.
Table 2. Corps Everglades Restoration Appropriations,
FY2004-FY2006
($ in thousands)
Activities for
FY2004
FY2005
FY2006
Everglades Restoration
Enacted
Enacted
Request
Central and South Florida Project
105,000
69,400
n/aa, b
Everglades and South Florida Ecosystem
14,800
25,792
n/ab
Restoration
Kissimmee River Restoration
17,700
17,856
n/ab
Florida Keys Water Quality Improvement
0
2,232
0
South Florida Everglades Ecosystem
137,000
Restoration
CERP funding c [39,063]
[67,000]
[68,000]
Total 137,500
115,280
137,000
Source: P.L. 108-137 (FY2004 Energy and Water Appropriations Act) and P.L. 108-447 (FY2005
Consolidated Appropriations Act). Civil Works Budget for the Army Corps of Engineers FY2006 accessed
on August 22, 2006, at [http://www.usace.army.mil/civilworks/cecwb/budget/budget.pdf ].
a There is $14,213,000 provided under this lineitem for flood control activities.
b The ecosystem restoration funding for this lineitem was combined with other Everglades ecosystem
restoration funds to form a new lineitem, South Florida Everglades Ecosystem Restoration.
c CERP funding is a subset of the funds that are used for Everglades restoration activities.
The President’s FY2006 request proposed changing appropriations for the Mod
Waters to no longer be paid solely through Department of Interior appropriations. The
request called for the Corps to broaden its role in the project, by having the agency jointly
fund it with the Department of the Interior. For detailed program information, see CRS

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Report RL32307, Appropriations for FY2005: Energy and Water Development, by Carl
Behrens.
Funding History: FY1993-FY2005. Federal and state funding for restoration
activities in the Everglades ecosystem was provided for several years before CERP’s
congressional approval. Funding (CERP and non-CERP activities) for Everglades
restoration activities by the state of Florida has exceeded federal funding every year since
1994. From FY1993 to FY2005, federal appropriations for restoration activities in the
Everglades ecosystem were about $2.3 billion dollars; state funding topped $3.6 billion.
Figure 1. Federal and State Funding for Everglades Restoration,
FY1993-FY2005 (CERP and Non-CERP Activities)
(in $ millions)
900
800
700
600
s
n
io

500
ill
m

400
$
300
200
100
0
19
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
94
95
96
97
98
99
00
01
02
03
04
05
Federal
State
Fiscal Ye ar
Source: Data from The South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Program, Fiscal Year 2000 and 2005
Crosscut Budget
(Miami, FL: 2000 and 2005). For FY1993 and FY2005, state funding is not available.
From FY1993 to FY2000, average federal funding for restoration activities was
about $159 million annually. After the enactment of WRDA 2000, both federal and state
funding increased, peaking in FY2002 at over $800 million. From FY2001 to FY2005,
average annual federal funding was about $258 million, an increase of approximately
$100 million from earlier funding levels.
As previously noted, CERP funding is a subset of all Everglades funding. Florida
has primarily invested its CERP funds to acquire land and to plan and design restoration
projects. Because the federal government is not responsible for land acquisition under
CERP, much of the federal funding appropriated under CERP has been for planning and
feasibility studies for restoration projects. From FY2001 to FY2004, Florida has provided
approximately $803 million for CERP activities, while the federal government has
provided about $155 million. Although some argue that this disparity in funding violates
the 50-50 cost share, the cost share agreement in WRDA 2000 is interpreted by others to

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apply to the overall CERP effort, not annually or for each project. This allows for
disparities among some projects and for a given project during its various phases.
Implementation Issues Related to Funding
Key Everglades funding issues during the 109th Congress include the level of funding
for restoration activities, the authorization of new CERP projects, and the role of the state
and federal government in setting restoration priorities. Funding issues in the Everglades
are of interest to stakeholders representing large-scale ecosystem restoration initiatives
throughout the country. The expense of other large-scale restoration initiatives, such as
in the Great Lakes (estimated $18.0 billion) and Chesapeake Bay (estimated $15.0
billion), is often compared to the cost of Everglades restoration. These comparisons,
however, often do not distinguish among the differences in federal roles, responsibilities,
and cost shares for each of these efforts.
A funding issue receiving broad attention is the level of commitment by the federal
government in the Everglades. Some observers measure commitment by the frequency
and number of projects authorized under CERP, and the appropriations they receive.
Because no restoration projects have been authorized since WRDA 2000, these observers
are concerned that federal commitment to CERP implementation is waning. Others are
waiting to gauge federal commitment by the provision of construction funding as the first
projects break ground in the next few years. Some state and federal officials argue that
federal funding will increase as CERP projects move beyond design, into construction.7
Another issue is the role of the state in prioritizing restoration projects. The current
dominance of state funds has generated some concern that the state of Florida is defining
which Everglades projects proceed.8 Some contend that state priorities may not be in the
federal interest; others argue that these concerns are unfounded because state funding is
a reflection of the state’s financial responsibility for acquiring land early in the restoration
process. This concern was heightened when the state announced a program, Acceler8,
that aims to accelerate the state’s portion of funding, design, and construction of eight
CERP projects.9 Most of the projects are for constructing reservoirs to collect excess
water and maintain flood control; others are for restoring habitat. By fast-tracking these
projects, the state contends that Everglades restoration benefits will be realized sooner and
flood control and water conservation will function better. These projects require
congressional authorization before they can receive federal construction funding.
Implementation of Everglades restoration continues to evolve as some of the initial
projects move into construction and a second set of projects seek congressional
authorization. Supporters of the Everglades restoration effort and of other large-scale
restoration efforts in other parts of the country are watching to see if the federal financial
commitment keeps pace with congressional authorization, the timeline outlined in CERP,
and the financial investments by the State of Florida.
7 Curtis Morgan, “Money Gap in Everglades Restoration Plan Raises Concerns,” Miami Herald,
Jan. 14, 2005.
8 Editorial, “Two Bushes and the Everglades,” New York Times, Nov. 10, 2004.
9 Ibid.