Obama Pumps $80m Into Everglades
Senior loyalists in the Obama administration seized a valuable election-year opportunity to talk up the president’s environmental credentials today as they announced an increase in funding to restore the Florida Everglades.
Tom Vilsack, the secretary of agriculture, was one of several top officials chosen to front a press conference in Kissimmee trumpeting a further $80m investment in a project supporting farmers and ranchers who preserve land for agriculture and wildlife.
Claiming that President Barack Obama has made the restoration of Florida’s troubled 2.4m-acre ecosystem “a national priority” with more than $1.5bn of government money since 2009, Vilsack said the project would revitalise more than 23,000 further acres of wetlands.
“Restoring these wetlands demonstrates a strong commitment to partnerships with ranchers and farmers to improve water quality and habitat protection while supporting Florida’s strong agricultural economy and ranching heritage,” he said.
“These investments are paying off, creating nearly 7,000 jobs in Florida’s economy and preserving thousands of acres of precious wetlands for future generations to enjoy.”