Hope was trampled as competing visions of the Everglades’ future fought for supremacy. Finally, with no one’s vision fully realized, stakeholders accepted that the deadlock itself was the greatest threat to the Glades’ survival. Eight years ago, hope revived as consensus formed around an effort to save the Everglades with the largest ecosystem restoration in history. The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2000 established the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), with an estimated $7.8-billion cost, to be shared equally between the federal government and Florida.
But hope flagged again as years passed with no new funding for the program. Its cost now is estimated at $10.9 billion and is rising, its completion optimistically set for some time in the 2030s or maybe 2040. Its breath-taking goal is to restore the natural hydrologic conditions and ecosystem of 18,000 sq miles of engineered landscape and seascape without harming the interests or infringing upon the rights of the 6.5 million people who depend on the artificial environment.