Congressman Adam Putnam (R-Fla.) today praised a major wetland restoration project that officials say will improve water quality and provide habitat for rare, endangered and threatened animals, birds and plants in the northern Everglades.  U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan made the announcement this afternoon at the USDA Service Center near Kissimmee.

“You can't fix the lower Everglades without addressing issues above Lake Okeechobee,” said Putnam, who also spoke at the announcement. “This project is a great example of partnerships that work, where productive agricultural lands are left in production and on the tax rolls while still accomplishing valuable environmental objectives.”

The project is located in a remote area of Highlands County, about 130 miles south of Orlando.

The project involves four landowners and five tracts of land encompassing approximately 25,000 acres.  The easement acquisition is estimated to cost $85.5 million and will connect several tracts of public land and help form a conservation corridor from Central Florida to Everglades National Park.

Since 2001, Putnam has represented Florida’s 12^th Congressional District, which includes most of Polk County and portions of Hillsborough and Osceola counties.