**GAO-07-520**                      Published: May 31, 2007. Publicly Released: Jul 02, 2007.                  

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## Highlights

The South Florida ecosystem covers about 18,000 square miles and is home to the Everglades, a national resource. Over the past 100 years, efforts to manage the flow of water through the ecosystem have jeopardized its health. In 2000, a strategy to restore the ecosystem was set; restoration was expected to take at least 40 years and cost $15.4 billion. The restoration comprises hundreds of projects, including 60 key projects known as the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), to be undertaken by a partnership of federal, state, local, and tribal governments. Given the size and complexity of the restoration, GAO was asked to report on the (1) status of project implementation and expected benefits, (2) factors that determine project sequencing, (3) amount of funding provided for the effort and extent that costs have increased, and (4) primary mathematical models that guide the restoration.

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## Topics

National Defense

Cost analysisCost overrunsEcosystem managementEcosystemsFederal legislationProgram evaluationSchedule slippagesWildlifeWildlife conservationCost estimatesProgram implementation