32
Returning to the philosophy of restoration, it is perhaps worth the effort to consider what the word restoration means when it comes to the environment. The general meaning refers to the act or process of returning something to its original
condition by repairing it, cleaning it, etc. That is, a restoring to an unimpaired or
improved condition relative to the present (damaged or impaired) status. This broad
scale definition mostly refers to physical objects, although the term has many other
meanings with political, socioeconomic, or religious overtones (Baker and Eckerberg
2013). In reference to the Everglades, the focus of the context is environmental or
more specifically, ecological. As defined by the National Research Council (NRC
1992), restoration of aquatic ecosystems is the “return of an ecosystem to a close
approximation of its condition prior to disturbance.” The concept of restoration may
be further clarified by defining many types of restoration-related activities.
The Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) defines ecological restoration as
“the process of assisting the recovery and management of ecological integrity where
ecological integrity includes a critical range of variability in biodiversity, ecological
processes and structures, regional and historical context, and sustainable cultural
practices” (Lewis 1989). And, as pointed out by Sklar et al. (2005) there are societal
underpinnings to ecological restoration. That is ecological restoration, at least in
concept, is not only a scientific endeavor but one that must per force draw in aspects
of the political spectrum which is part and parcel of socioeconomics. Balance
between competing forces is thus an essential component of restoration efforts.
The holistic nature of restoration, including the reintroduction of animals, is
important. The objective is to emulate a natural, self-regulating system that is integrated ecologically with the landscape in which it occurs. Often, restoration requires
one or more of the following processes: reconstruction of antecedent physical conditions; chemical adjustment of the soil and water; and biological manipulation,
including the reintroduction of absent native flora and fauna.
1.4.2 The Everglades Restoration Project: An Opus Magnum
or Mors Spiralis (Death Spiral)?
Most restoration efforts, no matter where they are located, face many problems not
the least of which is the politicization of original good intentions (see Finkl and
Kruempel 2005, for example). But, after time true intentions are difficult to discern
because visions or ideals of restoration become blurred by positionalities of those
who are in the game to make money, achieve political gain, acquire gratuitous accolades from the general public, and who are not really concerned with putting things
as right as they can be for the environment (e.g., Finkl and Kruempel 2005, 2006).
When big government gets involved, which after all is a political instrument, project
goals become the mantra without much thought or planning that integrates research
efforts in widely disparate fields of research. The result, as seen in the Everglades
Restoration Project, is the proliferation of myriad multifaceted projects that are
C.W. Finkl and C. Makowski
Returning to the philosophy of restoration, it is perhaps worth the effort to consider what the word restoration means when it comes to the environment. The general meaning refers to the act or process of returning something to its original
condition by repairing it, cleaning it, etc. That is, a restoring to an unimpaired or
improved condition relative to the present (damaged or impaired) status. This broad
scale definition mostly refers to physical objects, although the term has many other
meanings with political, socioeconomic, or religious overtones (Baker and Eckerberg
2013). In reference to the Everglades, the focus of the context is environmental or
more specifically, ecological. As defined by the National Research Council (NRC
1992), restoration of aquatic ecosystems is the “return of an ecosystem to a close
approximation of its condition prior to disturbance.” The concept of restoration may
be further clarified by defining many types of restoration-related activities.
The Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) defines ecological restoration as
“the process of assisting the recovery and management of ecological integrity where
ecological integrity includes a critical range of variability in biodiversity, ecological
processes and structures, regional and historical context, and sustainable cultural
practices” (Lewis 1989). And, as pointed out by Sklar et al. (2005) there are societal
underpinnings to ecological restoration. That is ecological restoration, at least in
concept, is not only a scientific endeavor but one that must per force draw in aspects
of the political spectrum which is part and parcel of socioeconomics. Balance
between competing forces is thus an essential component of restoration efforts.
The holistic nature of restoration, including the reintroduction of animals, is
important. The objective is to emulate a natural, self-regulating system that is integrated ecologically with the landscape in which it occurs. Often, restoration requires
one or more of the following processes: reconstruction of antecedent physical conditions; chemical adjustment of the soil and water; and biological manipulation,
including the reintroduction of absent native flora and fauna.
1.4.2 The Everglades Restoration Project: An Opus Magnum
or Mors Spiralis (Death Spiral)?
Most restoration efforts, no matter where they are located, face many problems not
the least of which is the politicization of original good intentions (see Finkl and
Kruempel 2005, for example). But, after time true intentions are difficult to discern
because visions or ideals of restoration become blurred by positionalities of those
who are in the game to make money, achieve political gain, acquire gratuitous accolades from the general public, and who are not really concerned with putting things
as right as they can be for the environment (e.g., Finkl and Kruempel 2005, 2006).
When big government gets involved, which after all is a political instrument, project
goals become the mantra without much thought or planning that integrates research
efforts in widely disparate fields of research. The result, as seen in the Everglades
Restoration Project, is the proliferation of myriad multifaceted projects that are
C.W. Finkl and C. Makowski