Gov. Scott to pledge millions for Everglades restoration

Gov. Rick Scott is promising to dedicate tens of millions of dollars to helping the Everglades.

Scott is scheduled on Tuesday to announce that he wants to create a source of money for Everglades restoration that would result in $5 billion going to help the famed River of Grass over the next 20 years.

Scott will include the proposal in his budget recommendations that he will submit this week to the Florida Legislature.

Those recommendations will also include a proposal to set aside $150 million to acquire environmentally sensitive lands, including land that would provide habitat for the Florida panther.

The money for Everglades restoration would include the state’s share of restoring the Kissimmee River and constructing two reservoirs. Those projects would help deal with discharges of polluted water from Lake Okeechobee.

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Republished with permission of The Associated Press.