Bill Nelson: “I wish to speak about one of the world's great natural treasures, the Florida Everglades. Eighteen years ago, there was…”

“I wish to speak about one of the world's great natural treasures, the Florida Everglades. Eighteen years ago, there was an anniversary; as a matter of fact, it was in December of 2000. One of the major water bills that Congress passes, usually about every 5 to 7 years, was enacted, and they typically contain Army Corps of Engineers' projects for water handling, water channeling the great rivers and lakes of America. All of these water projects are so vital to the economic functioning of this country. This water bill was passed back in December of 2000 to provide funding for projects on ports, dams, and beach renourishment projects all across the country. It also authorized for the first time the comprehensive restoration plan for America's Florida Everglades. It was a 30-year, multibillion dollar effort to restore the Everglades. What had happened, ever since the beginning of the previous century-- in the early 1900s--as Florida started to be discovered and as people increasingly had come, the way it was paved in the late 1800s, with Henry Flagler building his railroad, the railroad went down the east coast of Florida. He would build it as far as he could get, first to St. Augustine, where there was built a big hotel. That hotel today is the administrative building of Flagler College in downtown St. Augustine. Then Flagler extended it further to the Daytona-Ormond Beach location, where another big hotel was built.…”