Rick Scott Invites Obama to Tour Areas Impacted by Corps’ Lake Okeechobee Discharges

In a letter released Wednesday, Gov. Rick Scott invited President Barack Obama to tour South Florida communities that have been impacted by the Army Corps of Engineers' discharges of fresh water from Lake Okeechobee into area estuaries.

"Our state has seen investments in the Lake Okeechobee dike system decrease under your watch," wrote the governor. "In 2013, you funded maintenance at$130 million, but your 2014 budget proposes a reduction to $86 million. This funding reduction is astonishing considering the federal government has yet to deliver on its responsibility of supporting a dike system that can keep families safe while mitigating environmental impacts.

"While your administrations proposed budget does not properly prioritize these projects, we will move forward on the state level and engage Congress regarding the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2013 (WRRDA). Through the WRRDA bill we will ask Congress to authorize important water restoration projects outlined in the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), including the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP). These projects will help move more water south through the Everglades ecosystem."

Scott also said Florida would need the president's help in getting the federal government to step up and fulfill its funding obligation to critical water projects that had already been authorized.

"We cannot wait for federal funding to speed restoration in this watershed," wrote Scott. "Floridas investment is advancing by two years the completion date for the C-44 project, delivering its much-needed benefits to Florida families and the environment."