Sugar company buyout for Everglades restoration approved by board

The state of Florida's buyout of U.S. Sugar Corp. to restore the Everglades is a step closer to reality after the South Florida Water Management District approved of the deal last week, according to the Miami Herald and other sources.

The water district's governing board agreed to a scaled-back version of the original plan for the state to buy out the sugar company and take over the land. Florida lawmakers had threatened to disapprove of the deal back in December -- which still could happen -- and there is still the issue of funding. Previously, the state proposed to pay more than a billion dollars for 180,000 acres; last week, water managers approved of $536 million for 72,800 acres.

Florida lawmakers may cinch U.S. Sugar land buy

The state of Florida's plan to buy U.S. Sugar Corp. to restore the Everglades has been revamped and approved by the South Florida Water Management District. However, some state lawmakers are threatening to prevent the conservation land sale and end the Everglades restoration deal, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and other sources. Those lawmakers want to get the public's opinion and have a say in the deal. In any case, one official said the water district could proceed with the purchase even without state money. So the saga continues . . . .

Protecting wild Florida

For the first time, a comprehensive plan is in place to conserve Florida's most-threatened habitats -- and the nearly 1,000 species that depend on them to survive - Dec. 18, Orlando Sentinel

Paradise has a price tag

In the Southeast, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service cut 68 positions in the past three years; the agency is seeking authority to cut 87 more positions in the region in the next three years, including 21 in Florida - Dec. 3, Tallahassee Democrat