The Integrated Schedule will advance south Florida restoration projects to a new phase of coordination; it will include Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) projects and the "Foundation Projects," those that precede CERP, such as Kissimmee River Restoration and Modified Water Deliveries to Everglades National Park. This new and integrated schedule will consider closely the progress made to date, the federal funding that has been made available and the federal funding stream needed to achieve milestones set when CERP was approved in 2000. Progress by the State of Florida as well as the state's accelerated funding contributions will be included in this process.
Since Congress approved CERP, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and its many partner agencies, including the South Florida Water Management District and the Department of the Interior, has received valuable feedback from the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).
Recommendations made by the National Academy of Sciences in 2006 in its first biennial review of progress toward restoring the Everglades, will be incorporated into the Integrated Schedule and will address efforts to achieve expedited restoration benefits through "Incremental Adaptive Restoration" (IAR). IAR promotes expedited implementation of those project segments that can provide significant, timely and measurable benefits.
Also, a report by the GAO recommended a review of the sequencing criteria, modifying the schedule for consistency and applying interim goals as needed for restoration success. These recommendations will also be addressed in the Integrated Schedule.
The Integrated Schedule will be developed over a period of several months, with an emphasis on public involvement - gathering public input on prioritizing and sequencing of projects. |
April 28-29, 2008 - Working Group/SCG Joint Meeting
