2005 South Florida Environmental Report: Executive Summary

South Florida Water Management District

Summarizes the two volume publication, South Florida Environmental Report, which provides information on the District's progress and projects that support prudent environmental management. The 2005 South Florida Environmental Report ushers in a new era of consolidated reporting for the South Florida Water Management District. This report is the result of a major consolidation effort, described in the following two pages. As the seventh comprehensive publication authored cooperatively by the South Florida Water Management District and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, it consists of two volumes, both consolidating multiple reports to provide the public and decision makers with diverse, up-to-date information on the unique South Florida environment. Volume I, "The South Florida Environment - Water Year 2004," builds upon the success of the former Everglades Consolidated Reports and continues to fulfill its objective of conveying relevant information from a year of scientific and engineering efforts by dozens of outstanding technical professionals. This first volume now brings together information from across the entire District. It satisfies various annual reporting requirements of the Everglades Forever Act, the Lake Okeechobee Protection Act, and other state and federal laws.Volume II, "Annual Plans and Reports," consolidates eight annual District plans and reports required by the Florida Legislature or the Florida Department of. Environmental Protection. The expanded consolidation reflected for the first time in this new product documents progress in plan implementation while it avoids the overlap and duplication of past years' reporting, and streamlines the District's publication process and legislative review. A database developed to support Volume II provides a single source of project-related information and allows for greater efficiency in project reporting, information retrievals, and compilations. In support of Florida's Government in the Sunshine law, the South Florida Water Management District posted the two-volume, draft 2005 report on the District's Website (www.sfwmd.gov/sfer/) and invited public comment via an interactive Web Board. A panel of eight independent experts also reviewed Volume I during a three-day public workshop. The final 2005 report, as well as the 2000-2004 Everglades Consolidated Reports, can be found on the Website and also on the compact disc inside the back cover of this booklet. The diverse information summarized in the 2005 South Florida Environmental Report continues to document the scientific soundness and track the strong performance of programs and projects supporting prudent environmental management and restoration of the region. The South Florida Water Management District, in partnership with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, remains fully committed to integrating the many research, planning, regulatory, and construction activities leading to sustainable ecosystems in South Florida. The annual publication of this expanded report is a big step forward on the path to sound management and restoration of the South Florida region.

2005 South Florida Environmental Report: Executive Summary

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