Sen. Rick Scott visited the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Naples Monday to highlight his Fighting for Florida budget agenda, which includes a more than $200 million investment to protect Lake Okeechobee and the Florida Everglades.
Scott said he will work with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to secure a $200 million investment to continue work on restoring the Everglades and South Florida’s ecosystem. This funding will build on the more than $2 billion he invested as governor. Scott has pledged to keep working to make sure Florida’s natural resources are preserved so the state can remain a top destination for families, visitors and businesses.
Florida's junior senator emphasized that people from across the world come to Florida because of the state’s natural beauty. Over his eight years as governor, he championed record funding and investments in the Everglades, Florida’s springs, beaches and state parks.
As governor, Sen. Scott announced his goal of fixing the Herbert Hoover Dike by 2022 and secured $100 million in state funds to speed up repairs to the federally-operated dike. Fixing the dike is crucial for water quality in the Everglades and surrounding estuaries, and will help curb the algae blooms that have significantly impacted Florida’s waterways. In fact, last year he helped secure $514 million from the Trump Administration and Congress to fully fund those dike repairs by the target 2022 date.
He said these repairs are currently on schedule, but the funding must be protected to finish the project and provide real results for families and communities surrounding Lake Okeechobee.
Scott’s Fighting for Florida budget agenda details specific priorities the senator plans to fight for in this year’s Congressional budget and appropriations.
