Everglades National Park Still Needs Help Despite Removal from Endangered List
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PRESS RELEASE
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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | |
| Date: | September 20, 2007 |
| Contact: | Sara Fain, Everglades Restoration Program Manager, National Parks Conservation Association, 305.546.6689 |
Everglades National Park Still Needs Help Despite Removal from Endangered List
Statement by Everglades Restoration Program Manager Sara Fain
“The removal of Everglades National Park from the World Heritage Site Endangered List seems to indicate that the historic River of Grass has been restored. Yet, as is underscored by the impacts of Florida’s continued drought, we still face serious environmental and economic problems stemming from a century of ecological destruction.
We applaud Senator Bill Nelson’s efforts to hold accountable those who tried to claim that the Everglades is restored, despite mounting scientific evidence to the contrary. Our River of Grass has been drained and diverted through such an extensive system of canals and levees that it no longer supports the web of life that depends upon it. Without such champions, the Everglades may never be given an opportunity to recover.
The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, passed by the U.S. Congress in 2000, was a groundbreaking law that aimed to restore America’s Everglades after decades of destruction. Yet in the last seven years, Everglades restoration continues to flounder with little benefit to national parks in south Florida.
Furthermore, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today released a report about the continued impairment of the Everglades, providing additional scientific information that restoration is not yet successful.
If we ever hope to restore America’s Everglades, we need leadership and continued commitment to protect our historic River of Grass. We need to leave a legacy for our children by saving one of the great special places in the world—Everglades National Park. We must make national parks a national priority.”
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