Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Big Sugar's Exit Gives Hope to Everglades

Florida land deal boosts ecological preservation efforts

By Paul Stinson,  Newser User

Posted Jul 9, 2008 10:22 AM CDT
Email

(Newser) – Everglades restoration may finally be a reality, writes Michael Grunwald in Yale Environment 360 during his “vacation from defeatism.” Florida's tentative $1.75 billion land deal with US Sugar would halt sugar production (and pollution) on nearly 300 square miles, and have an ecological ripple-effect that extends beyond saving the Florida Panther or sparing nature from suburban development.

Should it go through, the deal could offer a blueprint for restoring the Great Lakes, Louisiana’s coastal wetlands, the Chesapeake Bay, and Iraq’s Garden of Eden marshes. “It could be a milestone in the history of sustainable development, ecological repair, and even human redemption,” writes Grunwald, letting water flow as nature intended, preserving 69 endangered species, and sidestepping "the water wars that will be a fixture of 21st-century geopolitics."

The stacks of the U.S. Sugar Mill in Clewiston, Fla., are shown here. Under terms of the agreement, the state of Florida will use U.S. Sugar Corporation's 187,000 acres of farmland for restoration.
The stacks of the U.S. Sugar Mill in Clewiston, Fla., are shown here. Under terms of the agreement, the state of Florida will use U.S. Sugar Corporation's 187,000 acres of farmland for restoration.   (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)
Sugar products on display at U.S. Sugar, Inc., are shown in Clewiston, Fla..
Sugar products on display at U.S. Sugar, Inc., are shown in Clewiston, Fla..   (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)
A sign is shown in Clewiston, Fla., Wednesday, June 25, 2008. U.S. Sugar has tentatively agreed to sell all its land, nearly 300 square miles, to the state of Florida for Everglades restoration. The $1.75 billion deal is set to be sealed by November. The company would then...
A sign is shown in Clewiston, Fla., Wednesday, June 25, 2008. U.S. Sugar has tentatively agreed to sell all its land, nearly 300 square miles, to the state of Florida for Everglades restoration. The $1.75...   (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)
Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., front row from left, takes a tour of the Florida Everglades with his wife Cindy, daughter Megan and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, who is credited for the proposed land deal with U.S Sugar Corporation that would eliminate sugar production on almost 300...
Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., front row from left, takes a tour of the Florida Everglades with his wife Cindy, daughter Megan and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, who is credited...   (AP Photo/LM Otero)
A Great Egret pauses in the wetlands of Everglades National Park in an official photo taken from the website. Grunwald's cynicism toward restoration has ebbed and even taken a turn for the optimistic under Florida's proposed settlement with U.S. Sugar.
A Great Egret pauses in the wetlands of Everglades National Park in an official photo taken from the website. Grunwald's cynicism toward restoration has ebbed and even taken a turn for the optimistic...   (National Park Service)
Puma concolor coryi, also known as the Florida Panther is shown here in an official photo taken from the National Park Service website.The cat is one of 69 endangered species who call the Everglades home.
Puma concolor coryi, also known as the Florida Panther is shown here in an official photo taken from the National Park Service website.The cat is one of 69 endangered species who call the Everglades...   (National Park Service)
The entrance of the town of Clewiston, Fla., is shown, June 2008. U.S. Sugar has tentatively agreed to sell all its land, nearly 300 square miles, to the state of Florida for Everglades restoration. The $1.75 billion deal is set to be sealed by November. The company would...
The entrance of the town of Clewiston, Fla., is shown, June 2008. U.S. Sugar has tentatively agreed to sell all its land, nearly 300 square miles, to the state of Florida for Everglades restoration. The...   (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Be the first to comment on this story.

Get out the 'gator repellant and take a trip through the Everglades
National Park Service

US • Green

 
Florida • endangered species • sustainable development • Charlie Crist • biodiversity • Everglades • U.S. Sugar Corporation

More Newser Stories

Pythons Squeezing Life Out of Everglades

Pocket of Asia Yields 208 New Species—in 1 Year

Florida Ranchers Give Returning Panthers a Break

Florida Leads Way in Education Equality

Charlie Crist to Pardon Jim Morrison?
NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne