EVERGLADES RESTORATION HEARING
COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS
MAY 11, 2000
STATEMENT BY SENATOR WARNER

I join my colleagues in welcoming you to the Committee this morning. The restoration of the South Florida Ecosystem, and particularly the restoration of our national parks and wildlife refuges in the area, is an enormous job that will require a strong federal, state local Government and private sector partnership.

As I look at the magnitude of the federal commitment the Congress is being asked to approve, I the issues in this way.

First, we must be sure that the science fully supports the investment of federal dollars. We must know that projects we build will work.

Second, we must be sure that the Congress fully exercises its responsibilities to examine the technical, economic and environmental merits of each of the individual construction projects before they are authorized for construction.

Third, we must be sure that federal funds are used to restore the natural system, particularly our federal projects, and not use limited federal funds to accelerate growth and development in South Florida. Those are not federal responsibilities.

Fourth, we must develop a reasonable implementation schedule for the restoration plan, recognizing that there are many critical water resource needs across this nation ranging from navigation, lock and dam improvements which are critical to moving American's manufacturing goods and farm products to worldwide markets. The efficient transportation of these goods is essential if we are to compete in a one-world market.