Statement of Mary Munson on Florida Bill That Threatens Everglades National Park
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PRESS RELEASE
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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | |
| Date: | April 17, 2003 |
| Contact: | Mary Munson, National Parks Conservation Association, 954-649-6327 (cell) |
Statement of Mary Munson on Florida Bill That Threatens Everglades National Park
- Florida cannot allow private industry to rewrite laws protecting the entire Everglades ecosystem. To do so would shatter the fragile consensus between the state and federal governments that is the best hope to save a national treasure. The polluters intend to wait more than a decade longer to slow the flow of pollution they pour into Everglades National Park and other Florida landmarks and force more of the cleanup cost on American taxpayers. And the Florida legislature is bowing to industry pressure, despite warnings that doing so could mean the end of vital federal funds to restore the Everglades.
The 1994 Everglades Forever Act was a compromise with the potential to be a model for conservation efforts around the world. We cannot allow industry interests to make that model a failure and destroy what remains of the Everglades in the process. Florida's lawmakers must recognize that the Everglades do not belong to private industry but must be restored for the enjoyment of Floridians and future generations of all Americans.
The 1994 Everglades Forever Act was a compromise with the potential to be a model for conservation efforts around the world. We cannot allow industry interests to make that model a failure and destroy what remains of the Everglades in the process. Florida's lawmakers must recognize that the Everglades do not belong to private industry but must be restored for the enjoyment of Floridians and future generations of all Americans.
