Senate Passes H.R. 890 - Clawson Bill To Redirect 17,044 Acres in SWFL To The Coastal Barrier Resources System

The U.S. Senate today passed a bill authored by Congressman Curt Clawson (FL-19) to place 17,044 acres of land in Collier County - in perpetuity - to the Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS). Congress created the CBRS in 1982 with the Coastal Barrier Resources Act. H.R. 890 passed the U.S. House of Representatives on February 9 and will now be sent to the President's desk for signature.

Clawson's bill includes portions of Marco Island, Keewaydin Island, and Cape Romano -- part of a pristine, picturesque Ten Thousand Islands chain that begins 20 miles south of Naples.

H.R. 890 will also create the largest grouping of CBRS units nationwide -- protecting the Florida Everglades and ecosystem, aquatic plants and animals, other wildlife, and private properties from flood and storm damage. The new maps also correct errors in outdated 40-year-old maps that erroneously placed 99 acres of privately owned development in the area into the CBRS, affecting over 1,600 Southwest Floridians.

Following today's Senate action, Congressman Clawson thanked Senators Nelson and Rubio for their quick action in passing the bill through the U.S. Senate:

"Since my taking office in June 2014, Senator Bill Nelson has proved to be a great partner on issues related to the Everglades, the Gulf, and our ecosystem. Together with Senator Marco Rubio, the Senate today passed a bill I had worked on since taking office to place 17,044 acres of land in Collier County to the Coastal Barrier Resources System. I want to thank both of our U.S. Senators and their teams for acting so quickly and promptly for the residents of Collier County, following the bill's passage in the House.

"It was my life-long concern for the environment, and involvement in water quality issues in Southwest Florida, that led me into Congress, and I am very grateful today's passage in the U.S. Senate."

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