Modern Everglades.

In 1947, the Everglades National Park was officially stablished in order to conserve the natural beauty of the Everglades and prevent anymore destruction to its wildlife. More than 230,000 acres of the Everglades is now protected by the Water Resources Development Act and put this land in state ownership. The preservation of the Everglades has been increasing over time. No other government has spent and invested this much time and money into improving and restoring one single body of water or natural system. By doing so, this will not only provide water and food for the local region of Southern Florida, but also a natural flood control for the region. Also, over 60 threatened and endangered species are protected along with protecting the natural plant life in the Everglades. Florida itself has invested $2.4 billion to the overall $13.5 billion state-federal Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) after the Water Resources Development Act passed in 2000. In terms of water, Florida has spent $1.8 billion in water quality improvements. There is also 45,000 acres of Stormwater Treatment Areas, where man-made wetlands filter out phosphorus from polluted water before it enters the Everglades.

Citation:
Conservation, Central Figures to. National Parks Service. National Parks Service, 10 Oct. 2012. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.nps.gov/ever/historyculture/preservation.htm>.
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