Tallahassee, Fla. — (From U S Sugar Corp.) Florida Crystals Corp., U.S. Sugar Corp., and Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida celebrate Governor Rick Scott’s signing of the Everglades restoration legislation put forward by Representative Matt Caldwell and Senator Wilton Simpson. This important change to Florida law reflects an agreement by farmers, policymakers, and environmental advocates. The measure enjoyed unanimous passage in both the Florida House and Senate.
The new law aligns Florida statute with the bipartisan Everglades plan that Governor Scott and the Obama administration agreed to last year. The agreement is providing a critical step forward by aiming to move past litigation and commit to finishing restoration.
There will now be a framework and necessary funding of ecosystem restoration project construction. The law calls for Florida’s sugar farmers to continue their successful on-farm Best Management Practices (BMPs), paid for entirely by farmers, and recognizes their success as has been demonstrated by a reduction of phosphorus of 55 percent over the past 17 years. It also extends the Agriculture Privilege tax, an additional payment made by Everglades Agriculture Area (EAA) farmers, until 2035.
“True Everglades champions stepped forward this year to pass a thoughtful, results-oriented plan to move Everglades restoration forward and get the job done. Governor Rick Scott’s signature on this great piece of legislation is the final act to remove the barriers that have bogged down true environmental solutions. Sugar farmers thank Governor Scott and the House and Senate leadership for the vision and great working relationship that resulted in accomplishing real restoration goals. Farmers will continue to do our part as 20-year partners in restoration, and we look forward to the bright road ahead forged through this year’s bipartisan effort,” said Pepe Fanjul, Jr., Executive Vice President of Florida Crystals
“This is a tremendous victory for the Everglades, and for Florida,” said Robert Coker, senior vice president of U.S. Sugar. “Collaboration and restoration have triumphed over endless and expensive litigation.”
“Florida’s ‘Big Three’ -Governor Scott, Senator Simpson, Representative Caldwell- and the state agencies all should be commended for their leadership in securing such unprecedented, unanimous Legislative and agricultural support and funding for the final phase of restoration,” Coker said. “We hope this compromise begins a brighter and more productive path going forward–where we all agree to work in good faith to meet the goals and the spirit of collaboration throughout this final phase of Everglades Restoration”
“As dedicated stewards of the environment, EAA farmers are proud to be part of the solution,” said Barbara Miedema, Vice President of Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida. “We applaud the bipartisan work of policymakers and stakeholders who put their differences aside in order to move on with the job of Everglades restoration.”