Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, 2006--Continued

ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2006--Continued

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Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. President I rise today with my colleague from Florida, Senator MEL MARTINEZ, to talk about the biggest ecosystem restoration project in our country's history, the restoration of America's Everglades. The chairman and ranking member of the Energy and Water Subcommittee have supported the Everglades, and I appreciate their dedication to this worthwhile endeavor.

Mr. MARTINEZ. Mr. President, Senator NELSON and I stand united to continue the bipartisan tradition of support for this project. I, too, commend the chairman and ranking member for their support of Everglades restoration.

Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. President, even before the Congress passed the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, CERP, in 2000, the country had begun some important projects that set the stage for CERP. One of those projects is the Modified Waters Delivery Project. The goal of the Modified Waters Delivery Project, authorized by the Everglades National Park Protection and Expansion Act of 1989, is to increase water deliveries to Everglades National Park, to improve the natural habitat and, to the extent possible, restore the natural hydrological conditions within the park. To do this, however, we must undo the work of the Army Corps of Engineers in the 1940s and 1950s which resulted in the Central and Southern Florida Project, C&SF Project. The C&SF Project created 1,000 miles of canals, 720 miles of levees, and more than 200 water control structures to alter water flow in the Everglades, control flooding, open land for agriculture and provide water supplies to urban areas.

Mr. MARTINEZ. Mr. President, CERP provides that the Modified Waters Delivery Project must be completed before several CERP projects involving waters flows on the east side of the Everglades National Park can receive appropriations. For that reason, it is imperative that we continue to receive funding for the Modified Waters Delivery Project and that the project be completed as soon as possible.

Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. President we realize that for the first time the administration's budget included funding for the Modified Waters Delivery Project in the Energy and Water Appropriations bill. Prior to this year, it had been funded solely through the Interior Appropriations bill. The House Energy and Water Subcommittee included funding for the Modified Waters Delivery Project. No matter which bill it receives funding through, it is imperative that it receive the funding needed to complete it.

Mr. REID. Mr. President I say to my colleagues from Florida, I know how important restoring America's Everglades is to the United States and to the State of Florida, and I appreciate the efforts of Senator NELSON and Senator MARTINEZ to keep this project on track. I agree that funding for the Modified Waters Delivery Project is essential to restoring the Everglades and I know that it is the administration and not the elected representatives of the State of Florida that have changed how funding for this project has been allocated. With this in mind, I continue to believe this project should be funded through the Interior Committee, but I will work to ensure that all facets of the Everglades Project receives appropriate funding when our bill goes to conference.

Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. President I wholeheartedly thank Senator REID for his work on behalf of the Everglades and look forward to working with him and Chairman DOMENICI on Everglades restoration in the future.

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