The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District has finalized two critical agreements for ecosystem restoration projects in the Florida Everglades.
The project partnership agreements (PPAs) cover the Broward County Water Preserve Areas and Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands projects, two Everglades restoration projects that were authorized in the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014.
The Corps and its cost-share partner, the South Florida Water Management District, signed the agreements on Wednesday (Aug. 24). Project Partnership Agreements are needed for the implementation of Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) projects. CERP projects are implemented in a 50/50 cost-share partnership between the Corps and the water management district.
The completed PPAs allow the Corps to move forward with construction contracts for the Broward County Water Preserve Areas and Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands projects. The PPAs also allow the South Florida Water Management District to receive CERP cost-share credits.
The next step is to award construction contracts for the projects. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is scheduled to award a construction contract by the end of September for the Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands project. A construction contract for the Broward County Water Preserve Areas project is scheduled for award in early Fiscal Year 2017, which begins in October.
Additional information on the Corps’ Everglades restoration efforts available at:
http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/Missions/Environmental/Ecosystem-Restoration/