In advance of a South Florida Water Management District board meeting scheduled for today, at least two environmentalist groups are raising concerns that the district will sell off too much public land in its Everglades restoration.
According to the Sun Sentinel, the groups, Audubon of Florida and the Sierra Club, are most concerned with the plan to sell about 1,000 acres of public land along Bird Road in Miami-Dade County. The district aims to sell the property and use the proceeds to build water storage and water treatment areas that are part of Everglades restoration.
The district said it is forced to sell off land because the Florida Legislature cut its budget by 30 percent and it needs to find money for flood control, conservation of water supply and restoration. It claims not to be responsible for preserving wetlands. [Sun Sentinel]