August 15, 2002

By Michael Grunwald

Washington Post Staff Writer

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The Army Corps of Engineers suspended work yesterday on a key component of the $7.8 billion effort to revive the Florida Everglades, the latest setback for the largest environmental project in U.S. history.

The component is designed to help reconnect the River of Grass by removing some man-made barriers to its original water flows. But Corps officials said they will have to delay the effort -- known as the "Decompartmentalization and Sheet Flow Enhancement" component of Everglades restoration, or "Decomp" -- by at least two years, unless Congress acts quickly to jump-start a stalled related Everglades project.

In a recent series of Washington Post articles, some public officials and environmental activists questioned whether Everglades restoration would actually restore the Everglades. They complained that the $7.8 billion plan focuses more on providing water for South Florida residents and agribusinesses, citing its 180,000 acres of new reservoirs and 333 new underground wells. But Decomp is one of its purest environmental elements, as it would fill in some of the canals and degrade some of the levees that block the world's most famous wetland.

"This is the project that would provide the greatest ecological benefits," said Elizabeth Crisfield, a hydrologist at Everglades National Park. "It's really disappointing. This has so much potential to make the Everglades a free-flowing ecosystem again."

Richard Bonner, deputy district engineer for the Corps in Jacksonville, Fla., said his public works agency strongly supports Decomp and is "sorry about the delay." The Corps had set up teams to develop computer models, performance goals and specific plans for the project, he said, and was even considering incorporating an expensive proposal by environmentalists to elevate an east-west highway that blocks southerly flows to Everglades National Park.

But Bonner said a 13-year-old property-rights fight over a separate Everglades restoration project called Modified Water Deliveries, or Mod Waters, has tied everyone's hands. He said the Corps does not want to start designing Decomp until it knows the outcome of Mod Waters, which is also supposed to boost flows to the park. In fact, the 2000 law approving Everglades restoration ordered the Corps to finish Mod Waters before it starts building Decomp.

"Until we know exactly what the plan is for Mod Waters, we don't want to waste time and money," Bonner said.

But Mod Waters is stalled, so the rest of the Everglades restoration is stalled with it. The stalemate stems from a fight over a small community -- inconveniently located on the inside of the Everglades levee, alongside Everglades National Park -- known as the 8.5 Square Mile Area.

Here's the condensed version of this battle: Environmentalists and park officials wanted to buy out the entire 8.5 area. Residents wanted a levee around their entire community. The Corps finally reached a compromise to buy about a third of the community, nearly 100 flood-prone homes and businesses, and build a levee around the rest. But several residents sued. Last month they won, when a federal judge ruled that the buyout was not authorized by Congress.

So the fight moved back to Capitol Hill. First, a House subcommittee approved language to authorize the buyout and revive Mod Waters. Then that language was blocked on property-rights grounds by House Resources Committee Chairman James V. Hansen (R-Utah) and House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Don Young (R-Alaska).

Now Sen. Bob Graham (D-Fla.) is considering a move to resurrect the language on the Senate floor. Meanwhile, national property-rights groups have launched a "Sawgrass Rebellion" in defense of the 8.5 Square Mile Area residents, creating a potential political headache for Gov. Jeb Bush (R) in an election year.

Yesterday, some supporters of the 8.5 Square Mile Area residents accused the Corps of suspending Decomp to ratchet up pressure on Congress to approve the buyout. And Bonner said if Congress acts soon, the Corps could "get geared up again right away."

"This is just a calculated ploy to force people out of their homes," said Joette Lorian, a spokeswoman for the Miccosukee Indian Tribe. "They're trying to create hysteria. There's no reason to suspend planning on this project unless you have an ulterior motive."

Environmentalists were just as upset about the shutdown of Decomp, but for different reasons. They have complained for decades that the Corps dislikes removing man-made structures -- they had even criticized Decomp as far too timid -- and some of them suggested that the Army engineers are simply reluctant to loosen their familiar grip on nature.

"This is one of the only Everglades projects focused on restoration, and it's on hold," said Jonathan Ullman, Everglades field representative for the Sierra Club. "This isn't a good sign for the future."

Copyright 2002, The Washington Post Company. 

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