Statements from The Everglades Foundation Policy and Science Teams on the Tenth Biennial Review from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM).
Eric Eikenberg, Chief Executive Officer
“The Everglades Foundation is grateful to NASEM for its continued efforts in assessing the progress towards restoring America’s Everglades. This important evaluation showcases the full scope of momentum in Everglades restoration resulting from sustained funding from the federal and state governments.
In addition to important Everglades subjects such as: the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP), climate change, and adaptive management, the report notes that the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) is an important focus of restoration success. CEPP, which includes the EAA Reservoir Project, is at the heart of Everglades restoration since those restoration elements will reestablish the flow of clean freshwater through the River of Grass and into Florida Bay.
The Everglades Foundation Policy and Science teams will remain engaged with both the decision-makers and scientists with whom we work to restore and protect America’s Everglades.”
Bradley Watson, Vice President of Policy & Engagement
“The NASEM report clearly demonstrates the direct relationship of robust funding to ecological success in Everglades restoration. The ‘remarkable progress’ is evident, and The Everglades Foundation appreciates the continued bipartisan commitment to funding Everglades restoration which will yield tremendous environmental and economic benefits to the state of Florida. Increased tribal engagement and the importance of indigenous knowledge as part of the process was an important highlight of the report. We deeply value the collaborative approach to restoration alongside our partners at both the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians and the Seminole Tribe of Florida.”
Dr. Steve Davis, Chief Science Officer
“The Committee on Independent Scientific Review of Everglades Restoration Progress (CISRERP) is an esteemed independent scientific evaluator of Everglades restoration progress for the executive and legislative branches of our federal government.
In this Tenth Biennial Report to Congress, we were delighted to see CISRERP acknowledge the historic progress being made in Everglades restoration as well as the on-the-ground benefits that are being observed in places like Everglades National Park and Picayune Strand State Forest. This means restoration is working and that these benefits will continue to expand across South Florida over the next decade. The Everglades Foundation scientists always track these two-year studies, provide technical input as needed, and eagerly digest CISRERP’s findings and recommendations.”
Dr. Paul Julian, Biogeochemist
“A significant component of implementing WERP features depends on achieving water quality objectives laid down by the state-led non-WERP efforts and assumes Best Management Practices (BMP) implementation will accomplish the water quality goals. Our recent study (Julian and Davis 2024) was cited in the NASEM report and demonstrates the potential reductions in nutrient concentrations associated with BMP and stormwater treatment area (STA) implementation. However, as stated in our study, and by NASEM, effectiveness of BMP implementation can vary substantially, and it currently relies on a voluntary process.”
Dr. Khandker Ishtiaq, Hydrologist
“The Everglades Foundation is leading the way in developing climate change assessment tools to aid in restoration decision-making. Foundation scientists are spearheading efforts to enhance physical models for wetland salinity prediction with sea level rise, developing a dynamic model for wetland sediment accretion, and creating AI-based frameworks for generating data on future changes in rainfall and temperature.
The CISRERP report advises to holistically address climate change in CERP planning. It also emphasizes the importance of integrated hydrological and ecological modeling, the need for a dynamic sediment accretion model, and the adaption of the climate change feedback in operation planning for an improved assessment of restoration benefits that drives investment decisions. We were pleased to see this recommendation as The Everglades Foundation is currently working on these models and we will collaborate with our partners in the scientific community.”
Read the full NASEM Progress Towards Restoring the Everglades report here: https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/27875/progress-toward-restoring-the-everglades-the-tenth-biennial-review-2024
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