The CERP was authorized by Congress in 2000 as a plan to "restore, preserve, and protect the South Florida ecosystem while providing for other water-related needs of the region, including water supply and flood protection." At a cost of over $10.5 billion and with a 35+ year time-line, this is the largest hydrologic restoration project ever undertaken in the United States.
A unique federal - state partnership guides the interagency plan. The SFNRC has a critical role to play in this partnership - ensuring that the mission of the National Park Service, to protect park resources unimpaired for future generations, remains at the forefront of CERP decision-making. Center involvement in CERP supports Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades and Biscayne National Parks.
