On May 12, 2016, environmental renewal projects in south Florida got a significant boost from the U.S. Senate, which voted to approve over $100 million for Everglades restoration along with additional recovery money for the Indian River Lagoon and other distressed estuaries.
Lawmakers voted 90-8 to pass the $37.5 billion Energy and Water Appropriations bill that includes roughly $6 billion for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. A similar bill is expected to reach the House floor in the coming weeks.
Congress can’t explicitly tell the agency where to spend the money. It would be up to the Corps to allocate the money to individual projects after Congress approves the spending.
But the Corps lists Everglades restoration among its top priorities for fiscal 2017, which begins Oct. 1, 2016.