Gov. Ron DeSantis is calling for Florida to take direct control of federal funding for Everglades restoration projects, criticizing both federal delays and state budget cuts he claims could slow progress.
“When you are supporting Everglades restoration, that does have a positive impact on not only our way of life, but also Florida's economy. Over the next 50 years, we think that hundreds of thousands of jobs will be linked to these restoration efforts," said DeSantis during a stop at Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve on Tuesday morning.
Florida has already committed about $6.8 billion toward Everglades and water quality projects since DeSantis first took office in 2019. That investment has removed more than 750,000 pounds of nitrogen and 500,000 pounds of phosphorus from Florida’s waterways, according to the governor’s office, and launched 75 projects over the last five years, according to the governor. DeSantis told residents, business owners, and students that the state has proven it can complete Everglades work faster than the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and has asked for future federal money to go directly to Florida’s agencies.
“We're ahead of schedule. We work much quicker. Army Corps of Engineers, not so much. It's taken a little longer,” said DeSantis.
This year, for the 2025-2026 budget, Gov. DeSantis proposed $805 million to continue Everglades and water quality projects, with the Florida Senate largely backing the plan. On the other hand, the Florida House of Representatives' proposed budget slashes about $500 million from that request.
“Unfortunately, the Florida House of Representatives have proposed a budget that slashes Everglades funding and water quality efforts by almost half a billion dollars. The reason they're doing it is because the leadership in the House of Representatives has taken a position that if I'm for something, that it's their view to just oppose us in a knee-jerk fashion," said DeSantis.
Local businesses, many of which rely on a healthy Everglades ecosystem, are closely watching the legislature's next moves and the upcoming budget vote.
“We've been in Everglades City since 1979. Anything that they can do to clean the water up ... we need it," said Howie Grimm, the mayor of Everglades City and owner of Grimm’s Stone Crab.
For small communities dependent on ecotourism and seafood industries, Grimm said clean water isn't just a goal — it’s critical to survival. Everglades City annually sees anywhere from 500,000 to 750,000 tourists, primarily for water-related attractions like airboat tours, eco-tours, fishing charters, and seafood.
“It is in every business in town, whether it's a restaurant or what it is. It lives and thrives off of how clean the water is. Even I know that you need clean water for everything to work well. Absolutely," said Grimm.
The legislative session is still underway, with the final state budget yet to be finalized. About two weeks remain before a budget is expected to be approved at the end of May or the beginning of June.
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