Everglades

Federal lawyers say any reimbursement — if it comes — would cover only operational costs.

At a press conference Tuesday, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava urged commissioners to uphold her veto rejecting a new heavy equipment headquarters on wetlands when they meet Wednesday.

The Everglades seldom benefit from invasive species. Burmese pythons have unraveled food webs for decades. Green iguanas damage landscapes and infrastructure. But now, as non-native species of apple snails disappear, the endangered Everglades bird, the snail kite, is paying the price.

Gov. DeSantis says the state can expedite the massive restoration effort. Some environmentalists wonder whether costs will climb and environmental regulations will be ignored.

The Picayune Strand Restoration Project repaired 85-square-miles of distorted and drained wetlands in western Collier County as 260 miles of crumbling roads were removed and 48 miles of canals were filled

State and federal officials who had been scheduled to attend the conference in Naples this week said Wednesday they would not attend, leaving organizers scrambling to replace speakers.

A proposal to build a sprawling heavy equipment depot on protected wetlands outside Miami-Dade County’s urban development boundary, and adjacent to some of its most flood-prone neighborhoods, is drawing opposition from county planners and environmentalists.

The president alleged the tribe had ‘sought to obstruct’ his immigration policies.

In a statement Wednesday, Tribe Chairman Talbert Cypress said the legislation Trump vetoed had widespread support and was crucial to safeguarding the environment.

U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams previously ordered the facility to wind down operations, but that injunction was put on hold by an appellate court panel.

The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) has called on the Interior Department to close national parks down until Congress agrees on a deal to fund the government. The advocacy group says that parks are being stretched thin by relying on a "skeleton crew" since more than 9,000 workers have been furloughed, and are losing up to $1 million a day due to a lack of visitor fees.

Last week his administration won an interim victory when an appellate court panel halted a lower court's order to shut down the facility known as "Alligator Alcatraz." Now Florida may be forced to choose between forgoing federal reimbursement for the detention center or accepting the money and facing an environmental review that would risk shutting down the facility.