South Florida Ecosystem: Some Restoration Progress Has Been Made, but the Effort Faces Significant Delays, Implementation Challenges, and Rising Costs
Published: 2007-09-19T00:00:00

Fast Facts:

Highlights:
section_title: Why GAO Did This Study
paragraphs: The South Florida ecosystem covers about 18,000 square miles, and is home to the Everglades, one of the world's unique environmental resources. Historic efforts to redirect the flow of water through the ecosystem have jeopardized its health and reduced the Everglades to about half of its original size. In 1993, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization's World Heritage Committee (WHC) added Everglades National Park (Park) to its List of World Heritage in Danger sites. In 2000, a strategy to restore the ecosystem was set; the effort was expected to take at least 40 years and cost $15.4 billion. It comprises 222 projects, including 60 key projects known as the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), to be undertaken by a multiagency partnership. This testimony is based on GAO's May 2007 report, South Florida Ecosystem: Restoration Is Moving Forward, but Is Facing Significant Delays, Implementation Challenges, and Rising Costs, and a review of WHC decision documents relating to the Park's listing. This statement addresses the (1) status of projects implemented (2) status of projects key to improving the health of the Park, (3) project sequencing factors, and (4) funding provided for the effort and extent to which costs have increased.
section_title: What GAO Found
paragraphs: Of the restoration effort's 222 projects, 43 have been completed, 107 are being implemented, and 72 are in design, in planning, or are not yet started. The completed and ongoing projects will provide improved water quality and water flow within the ecosystem and additional habitat for wildlife. According to restoration officials, significant progress has been made in acquiring land, constructing water quality projects, and restoring a natural water flow to the Kissimmee River--the headwater of the ecosystem. Many of the policies, strategies, and agreements required to guide the restoration in the future are also now in place. However, the 60 CERP projects, which are the most critical to the restoration's overall success, are among those that are currently being designed, planned, or have not yet started. Some of these projects are behind schedule by up to 6 years. Florida recently began expediting the design and construction of eight key projects, with the hope that they would immediately benefit the environment, enhance flood control, and increase water supply, thus providing further momentum to the restoration. In 2006, the WHC adopted several key benchmarks that if met would facilitate removal of the Everglades National Park from its List of World Heritage in Danger sites. As noted by WHC, achievement of these benchmarks was linked to the implementation of nine key restoration projects. However, only one of these projects has been completed, four are currently being implemented and four are currently being designed. Moreover, the benefits of these projects will not be available for many years because most of the projects are scheduled for completion between 2011 and 2035. There are no overarching sequencing criteria that restoration officials use when making implementation decisions for all 222 projects that make up the restoration effort. Instead, decisions for 162 projects are driven largely by the availability of funds. There are regulatory criteria to ensure that the goals and purposes of the 60 CERP projects are achieved in a cost effective manner. However, the 2005 sequencing plan developed for these projects is not consistent with the criteria because some of the data needed to fully apply these criteria were not available. Therefore, there is little assurance that the plan will be effective. GAO recommended that the agencies obtain the needed data and then comprehensively reassess the sequencing ofthe CERP projects. From fiscal years 1999 through 2006, the federal government contributed $2.3 billion and Florida contributed $4.8 billion, for a total of about $7.1 billion for the restoration. However, federal funding was about $1.4 billion short of the funds originally projected for this period. In addition, the total estimated costs for the restoration have increased by 28 percent--from $15.4 billion in 2000 to $19.7 billion in 2006 because of project scope changes, increased construction costs, and higher land costs. More importantly, these cost estimates do not represent the true costs for the overall restoration effort because they do not include all cost components for a number of projects.

section_title: Letter
paragraphs: We are pleased to be here today to participate in your hearing on  protecting the Everglades. As you know, restoring the South Florida  ecosystem is a complex, long-term effort. This vast region, which is home  to a rapidly growing population of more than 6 million people and  supports a large agriculture-, tourism-, and recreation-based economy, also  encompasses one of the world’s unique environmental resources—the  Everglades. Recognizing the importance of the Everglades, in 1979, the  World Heritage Committee (WHC) of the United Nations Educational,  Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) included Everglades  National Park (Park) on its list of world cultural and natural heritage sites  of importance. However, over the past 100 years, engineering projects  designed to control floods and supply water to the residents of South  Florida have diverted water from the Everglades. This alteration of water  flow, coupled with agricultural and industrial activities and urbanization,  has jeopardized the ecosystem’s health and reduced the Everglades to  about half of its original size. In light of the Everglades deteriorating  condition, in 1993 the WHC added the Park to its List of World Heritage in  Danger sites. These sites are determined to be facing serious and specific  threats and require major conservation efforts.
In 1996, through the Water Resources Development Act of 1996, the  Congress formalized the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force,  an effort established by federal agencies in 1993 to stem the deterioration  of the ecosystem and restore the Everglades to a more natural state. The  Task Force was expanded to include state, local, and tribal representatives  and was charged with coordinating and facilitating efforts to restore the  ecosystem.  The restoration effort currently consists of 222 projects, which  include 60 key projects that comprise the Comprehensive Everglades  Restoration Plan (CERP), 28 projects that lay the foundation for the CERP  projects (that we refer to as CERP-related projects); and 134 projects that  are not directly related to CERP (that we refer to as non-CERP projects).  According to WHC and Park documents, nine of the 222 projects are key  to achieving a set of benchmarks adopted by the WHC in 2006 that, when  met, would lead to the removal of the Park from its list of sites in danger.
Our testimony today focuses on the (1) status of restoration projects and  their expected benefits, (2) status of projects that are key to restoring the  health of Everglades National Park, (3) factors that influence the  sequencing of project implementation, and (4) amount of funding provided  to the restoration effort since 1999 and the extent to which costs have  increased. Our testimony is based primarily on our May 2007 report on the  status of the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Initiative.  In addition,  at the request of the subcommittee, we reviewed publicly available WHC  decision documents regarding Everglades National Park’s inclusion on the  List of World Heritage in Danger.  We conducted our work in accordance  with generally accepted government auditing standards.
In summary, we found the following:    Forty-three of the 222 projects that constitute the South Florida  ecosystem restoration effort have been completed, while the remaining  projects are currently being implemented or are in design, being  planned, or have not yet started. Many of the completed projects are  intended primarily to improve water quality in natural areas or to  acquire or improve tracts of land in order to preserve wildlife habitat.  The projects now being implemented also emphasize the restoration of  wildlife habitat by acquiring or improving land, as well as the  construction of key CERP-related projects that will improve water flow  to natural areas. The projects not yet implemented are largely CERP  projects that are crucial to realizing the restoration’s overall goals, but  these projects are progressing slowly. Despite the slow progress,  agency officials report a number of achievements, such as finalizing  key CERP agreements and restoring a more natural water flow to the  Kissimmee River which is the headwater of the ecosystem. In addition,  because of the continuing delays in implementing critical CERP  projects, the state has begun expediting the design and construction of  some of these projects with its own resources. The state hopes that its  efforts will provide some immediate environmental, flood control and  water supply benefits and will help provide some impetus to the larger  CERP effort.
Most of the nine projects that were identified by the WHC as being  critical to removing Everglades National Park from the list of world  heritage sites in danger have not yet been completed. Specifically, only  one project has been completed, four are currently being implemented,  and four are currently in the planning and design phase. Moreover, the  benefits from these projects may not be apparent for many more years.  For example, five of the projects have scheduled completion dates  from 2012 to 2035.
There are no overarching criteria to ensure that the 222 projects that  make up the restoration effort are implemented in a sequence that  would ensure the achievement of environmental benefits as early as  possible and in the most cost effective manner. Instead,  implementation decisions for the 162 CERP-related and non-CERP  projects are largely driven by available funding. The 60 CERP  projects—which are critical to successfully achieving the restoration— have sequencing criteria; however, when the agencies developed their  sequencing plan for CERP projects in 2005, they did not have key data  and other information to fully apply these criteria. Recently, the  agencies began revising the CERP project schedules and sequencing  plan, but they still do not have the key information needed to fully  apply the established criteria. As a result, there is little assurance that  the revised sequencing plan, when it is final, will lead to a CERP  project implementation plan that will provide restoration benefits as  early as possible and in the most cost-effective manner. We  recommended that the agencies obtain the information needed to fully  apply the required criteria and then comprehensively reassess its  sequencing decisions to ensure that the CERP projects have been  appropriately sequenced.
Participating federal and state agencies provided a total of $7.1 billion  for the restoration effort from fiscal years 1999 through 2006. During  this period, the federal government contributed about $2.3 billion to the  restoration effort and Florida contributed about $4.8 billion. However,  the federal contribution to the effort has been about $1.4 billion less  than agencies expected during this period. Because the state has  contributed more than its share the overall shortfall for the restoration  effort has been about $1.2 billion. At the same time, the total projected  cost of the restoration effort has increased by 28 percent—from $15.4  billion in 2000 to $19.7 billion in 2006. According to agency officials, the  overall cost increases are due to project scope changes, increased  construction costs, and higher land costs. Moreover, these cost  estimates do not reflect the true cost of the restoration effort, which  could be significantly higher because most CERP projects are still in  the conceptual phase and their full cost is not yet known.
subsections: section_title: Background
paragraphs: The South Florida ecosystem covers about 18,000 square miles in 16  counties.  It extends from the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes south of Orlando  to Lake Okeechobee, and continues south past the Florida Bay to the reefs  southwest of the Florida Keys. The ecosystem is in jeopardy today because  of past efforts that diverted water from the Everglades to control flooding  and to supply water for urban and agricultural development. The Central  and Southern Florida project, a large-scale water control project begun in  the late 1940s, constructed more than 1,700 miles of canals and levees and  over 200 water control structures that drain an average of 1.7 billion  gallons of water per day into the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.  This construction resulted in insufficient water for the natural system and  for the growing population, along with degraded water quality. Today, the  Everglades has been reduced to half its original size and the ecosystem  continues to deteriorate because of the alteration of the water flow,  impacts of agricultural and industrial activities, and increasing  urbanization.
In response to growing signs of ecosystem deterioration, federal agencies  established the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force in 1993  to coordinate ongoing federal restoration activities. The Water Resources  Development Act of 1996 formalized the Task Force and expanded its  membership to include state, local, and tribal representatives, and charged  it with coordinating and facilitating efforts to restore the ecosystem.  The  Task Force, which is chaired by the Secretary of the Department of the  Interior, consists of 14 members representing 7 federal agencies, 2  American Indian tribes, and 5 state or local governments.
To accomplish the restoration, the Task Force established the following  three goals:    Get the water right. The purpose of this goal is to deliver the right  amount of water, of the right quality, to the right places, at the right  times. However, restoring a more natural water flow to the ecosystem  while providing adequate water supplies and controlling floods will  require efforts to expand the ecosystem’s freshwater supply and  improve the delivery of water to natural areas. Natural areas of the  ecosystem are made up of federal and state lands, and coastal waters,  estuaries, bays, and islands.
Restore, preserve, and protect natural habitats and species. To restore  lost and altered habitats and recover the endangered or threatened  species native to these habitats, the federal and state governments will  have to acquire lands and reconnect natural habitats that have become  disconnected through growth and development, and halt the spread of  invasive species.
Foster compatibility of the built and natural systems. To achieve the  long-term sustainability of the ecosystem, the restoration effort has the  goal of maintaining the quality of life in urban areas while ensuring that  (1) development practices limit habitat fragmentation and support  conservation and (2) traditional industries, such as agriculture, fishing,  and manufacturing, continue to be supported and do not damage the  ecosystem.
The centerpiece for achieving the goal to get the water right is the  Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), approved by the  Congress in the Water Resources Development Act of 2000 (WRDA 2000).  CERP is one of the most ambitious restoration efforts the federal  government has ever undertaken. It currently encompasses 60 individual  projects that will be designed and implemented over approximately 40  years. These projects are intended to increase the water available for the  natural areas by capturing much of the water that is currently being  diverted, storing the water in many different reservoirs and storage wells,  and releasing it when it is needed. The cost of implementing CERP will be  shared equally between the federal government and the state of Florida  and will be carried out primarily by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the  Corps) and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD),  which is the state authority that manages water resources for South  Florida. After the Corps and SFWMD complete the initial planning and  design for individual CERP projects, they must submit the proposed  projects to the Congress to obtain authorization and funding for  construction.
In addition to the CERP projects, another 162 projects are also part of the  overall restoration effort. Twenty-eight of these projects, when completed,  will serve as the foundation for many of the CERP projects and are  intended to restore a more natural water flow to Everglades National Park  and improve water quality in the ecosystem. Nearly all of these “CERP- related” projects were already being designed or implemented by federal  and state agencies, such as the Department of the Interior and SFWMD, in  2000 when the Congress approved CERP. The remaining 134 projects  include a variety of efforts that will, among other things, expand wildlife  refuges, eradicate invasive species, and restore wildlife habitat, and are  being implemented by a number of federal, state, and tribal agencies, such  as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Florida Department of  Environmental Protection (FDEP), and the Seminole Tribe of Florida.  Because these projects were not authorized as part of CERP and do not  serve as CERP’s foundation, we refer to them as “non-CERP” projects.
Success in completing the restoration effort and achieving the expected  benefits for the ecosystem as quickly as possible and in the most cost- effective manner depends on the order, or sequencing, in which many of  the 222 projects will be designed and completed. Appropriate sequencing  is also important to ensure that interdependencies among restoration  projects are not ignored. For example, projects that will construct water  storage facilities and stormwater treatment areas need to be completed  before undertaking projects that remove levees and restore a more natural  water flow to the ecosystem.
Recognizing the threats that Everglades National Park was facing, in 1993,  UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee (WHC) included the Park on its List  of World Heritage in Danger. This list includes cultural or natural  properties that are facing serious and specific threats such as those caused  by large-scale public or private projects or rapid urbanization; the  outbreak or the threat of an armed conflict; calamities and cataclysms; and  changes in water levels, floods, and tidal waves. The Park’s inclusion on  the list resulted from five specific threats: (1) urban encroachment; (2)  agricultural fertilizer pollution; (3) mercury contamination of fish and  wildlife; (4) lowered water levels due to flood control measures; and (5)  damage from Hurricane Andrew, which struck the south Florida peninsula  in 1992 with winds exceeding 164 miles per hour. In 2006, WHC adopted a  set of benchmarks that, when met, would lead to the Park’s removal from  the list. According to Park and WHC documents, nine projects that are  part of the overall restoration effort will contribute to the achievement of  these benchmarks.
section_title: Although Many Restoration Projects Have Been Completed or Are Ongoing, Key Restoration Benefits Are Expected to Come From Projects Not Yet Implemented
paragraphs: Forty-three of the 222 projects that constitute the South Florida ecosystem  restoration effort have been completed, while the remaining projects are  currently being implemented or are either in design, being planned, or  have not yet started. Table 1 shows the status of the 222 restoration  projects.
Completed Restoration Projects — Although 43 of the 222 projects have  been completed since the beginning of the restoration effort, this total is  far short of the 91 projects that the agencies reported would be completed  by 2006.  Nine projects were completed before 2000 when the strategy to  restore the ecosystem was set.  These projects are expected to provide  benefits primarily in the area of habitat acquisition and improvement.  Thirty-four projects were completed between 2000 and 2006.  The primary  purposes of these projects range from the construction of stormwater  treatment areas, to the acquisition or improvement of land for habitat, to  the drafting of water supply plans.
Ongoing Restoration Projects — Of the 107 projects currently being  implemented, 7 are CERP projects, 10 are CERP-related projects, and 90  are non-CERP projects. Five of the seven CERP projects are being built by  the state in advance of the Corps’ completion of the necessary project  implementation reports and submission of them to the Congress for  authorization and appropriations. Nonetheless, some of the CERP projects  currently in implementation are significantly behind schedule. For  example, four of the seven CERP projects in implementation were  originally scheduled for completion between November 2002 and  September 2006, but instead will be completed up to 6 years behind their  original schedule because it has taken the Corps longer than originally  anticipated to design and obtain approval for these projects. Overall, 19 of  the 107 projects currently being implemented have expected completion  dates by 2010. Most of the remaining 88 projects are non-CERP habitat  acquisition and improvement projects that have no firm end date because  the land will be acquired from willing sellers as it becomes available.
Projects Not Yet Implemented — Of the 72 restoration projects not yet  implemented—in design, in planning, or not yet started—53 are CERP  projects that are expected to be completed over the next 30 years and will  provide important benefits such as improved water flow, additional water  for restoration as well as other water-related needs. In contrast, the other  19 projects include 3 CERP-related and 16 non-CERP projects, which are  expected to be completed by or before 2013. Consequently, the full  environmental benefits for the South Florida ecosystem restoration that  the CERP projects were intended to provide will not be realized for  several decades. Several of the CERP projects in design, in planning, or  not yet begun, were originally planned for completion between December  2001 and December 2005, but instead will be completed from 2 to 6 years  behind their original schedule. According to agency officials CERP project  delays have occurred for the following reasons:  It took longer than expected to develop the appropriate policy,  guidance, and regulations that WRDA 2000 requires for the CERP  effort.
Some delays were caused by the need to modify the conceptual design  of some projects to comply with the requirements of WRDA 2000’s  savings clause. According to this clause, CERP projects cannot transfer  or eliminate existing sources of water unless an alternate source of  comparable quantity and quality is provided, and they cannot reduce  existing levels of flood protection.
Progress was limited by the availability of less federal funding than   expected and a lack of congressional authorization for some of the  projects.
The extensive modeling that accompanies the design and  implementation of each project in addition to the “cumbersome”  project review process may have also contributed to delays, as well as  stakeholder comment, dispute resolution, and consensus-building that  occurs at each stage of a project.
Delays have occurred in completing the CERP-related Modified Water  Deliveries to Everglades National Park (Mod Waters) project, which is  a major building block for CERP. These delays, in turn, have delayed  CERP implementation.
Given the continuing delays in implementing critical CERP projects, the  state has begun expediting the design and construction of some of these  projects with its own resources. The state’s effort, known as Acceler8,  includes most of the CERP projects that were among WRDA 2000’s 10  initially authorized projects, whose costs were to be shared by the federal  government and the state. According to Florida officials, by advancing the  design and construction of these projects with its own funds, the state  hopes to more quickly realize restoration benefits for both the natural and  human environments and to jump-start the overall CERP effort once the  Congress begins to authorize individual projects. The Acceler8 projects  include seven that are affiliated with CERP and an eighth that expands  existing stormwater treatment areas. The state expects to spend more  than $1.5 billion to design and construct these projects by 2011.
section_title: Restoration Projects That Would Help Achieve the World Heritage Committee’s Benchmarks Will Not Be Completed for Many Years
paragraphs: Most of the restoration projects that would help Everglades National Park  achieve the WHC’s benchmarks for removing the Park from its list of  world heritage sites in danger have not been completed.  According to  Park and WHC documents, nine restoration projects were key to meeting  these benchmarks. Table 2 lists the nine projects, the type of project,  implementation status, and expected completion date.
As table 2 shows, only one of the nine projects has been completed; four  projects are ongoing and will not be completed until at least  2012; and  four projects are still in planning and design and are not expected to be  completed until some time between 2015 and 2035.
In February 2007, the United States prepared a status report for the WHC  on the progress made in achieving the benchmarks that the committee had  established for the Park in 2006. Based on its review of this progress  report, at a benchmarks meeting on April 2-3, 2007, the WHC’s draft  decision was to retain Everglades National Park on the list of world  heritage sites in danger; to recommend that the United States continue its  commitment to the restoration and conservation of the Park and provide  the required financial resources for the full implementation of the  activities associated with CERP. WHC’s draft decision also requested that  the United States provide an updated report by February 1, 2008 on the  progress made towards implementation of the corrective measures.  However, at the WHC session held between June 23 and July 2, 2007, the  WHC decided to remove the Park from the list of world heritage sites in  danger and commended the United States for the progress made in  implementing corrective measures. In its final decision, the WHC  encouraged the United States to continue its commitment to the  restoration and provide the required financial resources for the full  implementation of the activities associated with CERP. It is unclear from  the WHC final decision document whether any additional or new  information was provided to the committee that led to its final decision.
section_title: The Overall Restoration Effort Has No Sequencing Criteria and Criteria Established For CERP Projects Have Not Been Fully Applied
paragraphs: No overall sequencing criteria guide the implementation of the 222  projects that comprise the South Florida ecosystem restoration effort. For  the 60 CERP projects there are clearly defined criteria to be considered in  determining the scheduling and sequencing of projects.  However, the  Corps has not fully applied these criteria when making CERP project  sequencing decisions, because it lacked key data such as updated  environmental benefits data and interim goals.  As a result the Corps  primarily relied on technical interdependencies and availability of funding  as the criteria for making sequencing decisions. The Corps has recently  started to revisit priorities for CERP projects’ and alter project schedules  that were established in 2005 (this process is referred to as CERP-reset).  However, because the Corps continues to lack certain key data for making  sequencing decisions, the revised plan, when completed, will also not fully  adhere to the criteria.
Although CERP-related projects provide the foundation for many CERP  projects, there are no established criteria for determining their  implementation schedule and their estimated start and completion dates  largely depend upon when and if the implementing agency will have  sufficient funding to implement the project. For example, the construction  of the Mod Waters project has been delayed several times since 1997  because, among other things, Interior did not receive enough funding to  complete the construction of this project. This project is expected to  restore natural hydrologic conditions across 190,000 acres of habitat in  Everglades National Park and assist in the recovery of threatened and  endangered plants and wildlife.  The completion date for the Mod Waters  Project has slipped again and it is now not expected to be completed until  2011. Because completion of this project is critical to the implementation  of other CERP projects such as the Water Conservation Area 3  Decompartmentalization and Sheetflow Enhancement (Decomp) project— a project that many agency officials consider key to restoring the natural  system—these delays will have a ripple effect on the completion date of  this project as well.
Similarly, for non-CERP projects, agencies reported that they do not have  any sequencing criteria; instead, they decide on the scheduling and timing  of these projects primarily if and when funding becomes available. For  example, Florida has a land acquisition program to acquire lands for  conservation and habitat preservation throughout the state, including for  some non-CERP projects that are part of the South Florida ecosystem  restoration effort. State officials have identified lands and added them to a  list of priority projects proposed for acquisition throughout the state.  However, whether or not these lands will be acquired for non-CERP  projects depends on whether there is available funding in the annual  budget, there are willing sellers, and the land is affordable based on the  available funding.
Because of the correct sequencing of CERP projects is essential to the  overall success of the restoration effort, we recommended that the Corps  obtain the data that it needs to ensure that all required sequencing criteria  are considered and then comprehensively reassess its sequencing  decisions to ensure that CERP projects have been appropriately  sequenced to maximize the achievement of restoration goals.  The agency  agreed with our recommendation.
section_title: Federal Agencies and Florida Have Provided More Than $7 Billion for Restoration Activities Since 1999, But Estimated Costs Have Increased and Are Likely to Rise
paragraphs: From fiscal year 1999 through fiscal year 2006, federal and state agencies  participating in the restoration of the South Florida ecosystem provided  $7.1 billion for the effort. Of this total, federal agencies provided $2.3  billion and Florida provided $4.8 billion. Two agencies—the Corps and  Interior—provided over 80 percent of the federal contribution. As figure 1  shows, federal and state agencies allocated the largest portion of the $7.1  billion to non-CERP projects for fiscal years 1999 through 2006.
While federal agencies and Florida provided about $2.3 billion during fiscal  years 1999 through 2006 for CERP projects, this amount was about $1.2  billion less than they had estimated needing for these projects over this  period. This was because the federal contribution was $1.4 billion less  than expected. This shortfall occurred primarily because CERP projects  did not receive the congressional authorization and appropriations that the  agencies had expected. In contrast, Florida provided a total of $2 billion  over the period, exceeding its expected contribution to CERP by $250  million, and therefore making up some of the federal funding shortfall.
Additionally, between July 31, 2000, and June 30, 2006, the total estimated  cost for the South Florida ecosystem restoration grew from $15.4 billion to  $19.7 billion, or by 28 percent. A significant part of this increase can be  attributed to CERP projects; for these projects costs increased from $8.8  billion to $10.1 billion. This increase represents nearly 31 percent of the  increase in the total estimated cost for the restoration. Agency officials  reported that costs have increased for the restoration effort primarily  because of inflation, increased land and construction costs, and changes in  the scope of work. Furthermore, the costs of restoring the South Florida  ecosystem are likely to continue to increase for the following reasons:     Estimated costs for some of the projects are not known or fully known  because they are still in the design and planning stage. For example,  the total costs for one project that we examined—the Site 1  Impoundment project—grew by almost $36 million; from about $46  million to about $81 million after the design phase was completed. If  other CERP projects, for which initial planning and design have not yet  been completed, also experience similar increases in project costs,  then the estimated total costs of not only CERP but the overall  restoration effort will grow significantly.
The full cost of acquiring land for the restoration effort is not known.
Land costs for 56 non-CERP land projects, expected to total 862,796  acres, have not yet been reported. According to state officials, Florida  land prices are escalating rapidly, owing primarily to development  pressures. Consequently, future project costs are likely to rise with  higher land costs. Similarly, while land acquisition costs for CERP  projects are included as part of the total estimated project costs, thus  far, the state has acquired only 54 percent of the land needed for CERP  projects, at a cost of $1.4 billion. An additional 178,000 acres have yet  to be acquired; the cost of these purchases is not yet known and is  therefore not fully reflected in the cost of CERP and overall restoration  costs.
The cost of using new technologies for the restoration effort is  unknown. The Congress authorized pilot projects in 1999 and 2000 to  determine the feasibility of applying certain new technologies for  storing water, managing seepage, and reusing treated wastewater.  While the pilot projects have been authorized, the cost to construct or  implement projects based on the results of the pilot projects is not yet  known.
In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, our review of the South Florida Ecosystem  restoration effort shows that the some progress has been made in moving  the restoration forward. However, the achievement of the overall goals of  the restoration and ultimately improvements in the ecological condition of  Everglades National Park depends on the effective implementation of key  projects that have not progressed as quickly as was expected. Moreover,  the shortfall in federal funding has contributed to some of these delays  and at the same time the costs of the restoration continues to increase and  we believe could rise significantly higher than the current estimate of  almost $20 billion. In light of these concerns, we believe that restoring the  South Florida Ecosystem and Everglades National Park, will continue to  be a significant challenge for the foreseeable future. This concludes our  prepared statement. We would be happy to respond to any questions you  may have.
section_title: GAO Contacts
paragraphs: If you have any questions about this statement, please contact Anu K.  Mittal @ 202-512-3841 or mittala@gao.gov. Other contributors to this  statement include Sherry McDonald (Assistant Director) and Kevin Bray.
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