U.S. Rep. Kendrick B. Meek (D-FL) to Tour Everglades National Park

Miami, FL – Congressman Kendrick B. Meek (D-FL) will tour Everglades National Park on Thursday along with Governor Charlie Crist and Senator Bill Nelson, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, and Assistant Secretary of Interior Tom Strickland.

The tour is being organized by Senator Bill Nelson.

Last year, the Appropriations Committee designated $195 million for Everglades restoration. Rep. Meek helped to get an additional $135 million in an energy-and-water bill. Recently, Congress and the Obama administration have provided $183 million in this year's appropriations, as well as $96 million of economic-stimulus money. The administration has proposed another $279 million for the Everglades for next fiscal year, most of it for restoration.

The tour will launch from Alligator Alley.  It will include a briefing on invasive species in parks and wildlife refuges, and the attempts to trap and track Burmese pythons.

U.S. Rep. Kendrick B. Meek represents the 17^th Congressional District of Florida which includes parts of Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. He serves as the lone Florida Democrat sitting on the House Committee on Ways and Means.

The $96 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds will go toward the following Everglades restoration projects:

Adaptive Assessment and Monitoring
$1,100,000

FL COMPREHENSIVE EVERGLADES RESTORATION PLAN
C&SF: CERP: Melaleuca eradication
$2,886,000

FL COMPREHENSIVE EVERGLADES RESTORATION PLAN
Reach L-31 Pilot
$5,668,000

FL COMPREHENSIVE EVERGLADES RESTORATION PLAN
Picayune Strand: Merritt PS
$40,771,000

FL COMPREHENSIVE EVERGLADES RESTORATION PLAN
Award and complete construction of the Site one reservoir and pump station.
$41,338,000

FL EVERGLADES AND SOUTH FLORIDA ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION
SBC Basins 2 & 3
$4,170,000

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