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1.3.8 Florida Everglades Forever Act (FEFA)
The Florida Everglades Forever Act (FEFA), which was passed in 1994, outlines the
state government’s commitment to restoring the Everglades ecosystem in cooperation with the federal government’s Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Program
(CERP) (Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan 2000; Perry 2004). The primary goals of FEFA are to improve water quality by reducing the level of phosphorus that enters the Everglades ecosystem, to increase the quantity of water in the
Everglades by restoring the hydrology of the ecosystem, and to restore and protect
the native plants and animals of the Everglades by controlling the invasion of exotic
species of plants and animals into the ecosystem (D’Antonio and Meyerson 2002;
Gunderson and Light 2006). The secondary goals of FEFA include water resource
development and supply, better public land management and maintenance, and
acquisition of conservation easements. Under FEFA, both the Florida Department
of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and the SFWMD are given enforcement power
to oversee and evaluate various restoration efforts, including the Everglades
Construction Project, water supply improvement and restoration, and the Everglades
Nutrient Removal Project (ENRP) (Perry 2004; Walters et al. 1992). A major goal
is to decrease the levels of phosphorus in the Everglades to acceptable levels that
will improve the overall health of the Everglades Ecosystem and surrounding vicinities. Nonpoint source pollution, especially from Everglades Agricultural Area
(EAA) sources, is a major contributor of the phosphorus contamination of the
Everglades, and is addressed by FEFA through Best Management Practices (BMP)
and stormwater treatment areas (STA) (Payne et al. 2000; Perry 2008; Sklar et al.
2005). In addition to water quality, the monitoring and controlling of exotic species
is the exclusive duty of the SFWMD. FEFA requires that the SFWMD establish a
biological monitoring network throughout the Everglades and perform a survey of
exotic species at least every 2 years. SFWMD is also required to coordinate with
federal, state, and/or other governmental entities the control of exotic species in the
Everglades and EAA (D’Antonio and Meyerson 2002).
1.4 Discussion
The Florida Everglades is a compromised coastal wetland that has been abused
since flood control efforts were initiated in the mid 1800s and when urbanization
expanded after World War II (e.g., Douglas 1947; Finkl 1994, 1995). Initial insults
to this unique environment took the form of ditch-and-drain engineering to make
way for housing and commerce, after disastrous floods more than a century ago
(Fig. 1.9). As development increased and moved inland from the coast per se to the
higher Atlantic Coastal Ridge and thence into Everglades wetlands, its area was
reduced until now only about one-third to one half of the original extent remains.
C.W. Finkl and C. Makowski
1.3.8 Florida Everglades Forever Act (FEFA)
The Florida Everglades Forever Act (FEFA), which was passed in 1994, outlines the
state government’s commitment to restoring the Everglades ecosystem in cooperation with the federal government’s Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Program
(CERP) (Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan 2000; Perry 2004). The primary goals of FEFA are to improve water quality by reducing the level of phosphorus that enters the Everglades ecosystem, to increase the quantity of water in the
Everglades by restoring the hydrology of the ecosystem, and to restore and protect
the native plants and animals of the Everglades by controlling the invasion of exotic
species of plants and animals into the ecosystem (D’Antonio and Meyerson 2002;
Gunderson and Light 2006). The secondary goals of FEFA include water resource
development and supply, better public land management and maintenance, and
acquisition of conservation easements. Under FEFA, both the Florida Department
of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and the SFWMD are given enforcement power
to oversee and evaluate various restoration efforts, including the Everglades
Construction Project, water supply improvement and restoration, and the Everglades
Nutrient Removal Project (ENRP) (Perry 2004; Walters et al. 1992). A major goal
is to decrease the levels of phosphorus in the Everglades to acceptable levels that
will improve the overall health of the Everglades Ecosystem and surrounding vicinities. Nonpoint source pollution, especially from Everglades Agricultural Area
(EAA) sources, is a major contributor of the phosphorus contamination of the
Everglades, and is addressed by FEFA through Best Management Practices (BMP)
and stormwater treatment areas (STA) (Payne et al. 2000; Perry 2008; Sklar et al.
2005). In addition to water quality, the monitoring and controlling of exotic species
is the exclusive duty of the SFWMD. FEFA requires that the SFWMD establish a
biological monitoring network throughout the Everglades and perform a survey of
exotic species at least every 2 years. SFWMD is also required to coordinate with
federal, state, and/or other governmental entities the control of exotic species in the
Everglades and EAA (D’Antonio and Meyerson 2002).
1.4 Discussion
The Florida Everglades is a compromised coastal wetland that has been abused
since flood control efforts were initiated in the mid 1800s and when urbanization
expanded after World War II (e.g., Douglas 1947; Finkl 1994, 1995). Initial insults
to this unique environment took the form of ditch-and-drain engineering to make
way for housing and commerce, after disastrous floods more than a century ago
(Fig. 1.9). As development increased and moved inland from the coast per se to the
higher Atlantic Coastal Ridge and thence into Everglades wetlands, its area was
reduced until now only about one-third to one half of the original extent remains.
C.W. Finkl and C. Makowski