Everglades FIRST Act

Bill: 115-hr-2415
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Mast, Brian J. [R-FL-18]
Introduced: 2017-05-11
Policy area: Water Resources Development
Subjects: Everglades

Florida

Government information and archives

Hydrology and hydrography

Lakes and rivers

Water quality

Water storage

Watersheds
Latest action: action_date: 2017-05-11
text: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-05-11
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Everglades Flow Increases Rely on Storage and Treatment Act or the Everglades FIRST Act</strong></p> <p>This bill directs the Department of the Army to expedite completion of the reports for the following projects in Florida and to expedite completion of construction of the projects it determines are feasible:</p> <ul> <li> Everglades Agricultural Area Storage Reservoirs,</li> <li> Loxahatchee River Watershed Restoration Project,</li> <li> Lake Okeechobee Watershed Restoration Project, and</li> <li> Western Everglades Restoration Project.</li> </ul>

tv_txt: I 115th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2415 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 11, 2017 Mr. Mast (for himself, Mr. Francis Rooney of Florida , Mr. Curbelo of Florida , Mr. Posey , Ms. Ros-Lehtinen , Mr. Bilirakis , Ms. Tenney , Mr. Rutherford , and Mr. Rohrabacher ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure A BILL To direct the Secretary of the Army to expedite completion of the reports for certain projects included in the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, and for other purposes.

1. Short title; purposes (a) Short title This Act may be cited as the Everglades Flow Increases Rely on Storage and Treatment Act or the Everglades FIRST Act . (b) Purposes The purposes of this Act include— (1) improving surface water reservoir storage capacity in South Florida to meet the goals of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan; (2) achieving the full benefits of the Central Everglades Planning Project; and (3) producing environmentally beneficial changes in flow volumes in the Caloosahatchee River, St. Lucie River, Loxahatchee River, and Shark River Slough. 2. Expedited completion of reports and construction for certain projects included in Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, Florida The Secretary shall expedite completion of the reports for each of the following projects and, if the Secretary determines that a project is feasible in the completed report, expedite completion of construction of the project: (1) Everglades Agricultural Area Storage Reservoirs, Florida. (2) Loxahatchee River Watershed Restoration Project, Florida. (3) Lake Okeechobee Watershed Restoration Project, Florida. (4) Western Everglades Restoration Project, Florida.