Jacob Ogles
Gov. Ron DeSantis publicly asked President Donald Trump if Florida can take over construction of the Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir.
The topic arose at the opening of the so-called “Alligator Alcatraz” detention center in South Florida, where officials converted the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport from an airstrip to a detention camp within a few weeks.
In South Florida, Trump mentioned the nearby reservoir planned for overflow from Lake Okeechobee, which could potentially end discharges into the St. Lucie River and the Caloosahatchee River.
“That was a lot of money spent. I hope it was well spent,” Trump said. “We did a Rolls Royce job, but it’s a lot of money that we spent out there together.”
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for building that project, but DeSantis suggested the money would be better spent if Florida’s state government was in charge.
“You can delegate that to us, because we move faster than the Army Corps,” DeSantis said. “So we will finish that reservoir. If you delegate it to us, I’ll get it done, and much quicker.”
Trump signaled a willingness to make that happen.
“I would do that. Let me ask myself permission. Permission granted,” Trump said. “Go ahead, get the thing. Get it complete.”
Trump at the press conference stressed the support that his administrations have provided for the Everglades and restoration projects in the area.
“One thing I’ll say about this land, we’ll be gone a million years, and this land is still going to be here. It’s not going to be much different,” Trump said.
The President sounded optimistic bureacracy could be cut through quickly.
“I also like what he’s doing in Okeechobee. He has my approval for that. I don’t know how we work that out, but we’ll work it out.” DeSantis said, “We’ll follow up.”
