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Last week, NMMA put out a call to members asking for them to add their company name to a letter to Congress in support of Everglades restoration. The letter was drafted in partnership with the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP). More than two dozen NMMA members signed onto the letter, which was sent on April 23.

"We thank our members who stepped up to lend their voice and help make an impact. Our members' voices drive our advocacy success, which is why it's so critical each and every member be engaged in what we're doing in Washington, as well as their home states, said NMMA Vice President of Federal and Legal Affairs, Nicole Vasilaros. "We may sound like a broken record, but it's because it's true! That's also why we encourage all our members to have at least one representative at ABC."

The broader intent of the letter is to show a strong base of business support from outdoor recreation companies and associations about why everglades restoration should be prioritized.

The letter asks for an authorization of the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir in the upcoming 2018 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). The EAA Reservoir plan was recently submitted to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for their review. However, before the project can begin it must be reviewed by the Corps, approved, and then submitted to Congress for authorization.  In order to avoid a 2-year or more bureaucratic delay, Congress needs to conditionally authorize the project as part of WRDA 2018.

The EAA Reservoir would increase water storage south of Lake Okeechobee as part of an effort to reduce harmful lake discharges from Lake Okeechobee to the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries.  These ongoing discharges are destroying vital habitat and sea life.  The reservoir is an important step forward to ensure that the ecosystem in south Florida is preserved.