2006 is proving to be a very good year for Everglades Restoration. From the halls of Congress to the chambers of county commissions, Everglades projects continue to get the green light. Last week's Senate passage of the Water Resources Development Act is, for me, icing on the cake of a very productive year. And it's only July.

Here in South Florida, we have already started digging, literally. Four groundbreakings in the past six months launched construction on critical reservoirs and treatment wetlands that will improve the Everglades ecosystem, our coastal estuaries and Lake Okeechobee. These projects are part of the state's Acceler8 initiative, an action-oriented plan for stepping up the pace on eight key restoration projects.

Construction of the largest Acceler8 project begins in a few days when we turn dirt on a giant water storage reservoir in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA), south of Lake Okeechobee. At 25 square miles, it will be the size of the city of Boca Raton and the largest constructed water body in the state. Fittingly called Acceler8's flagship, the EAA Reservoir A-1 will hold 62 billion gallons of water-the volume of 100,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools-capturing regulatory releases from Lake Okeechobee as well as stormwater runoff in the region. However, the reservoir's full impact will be felt throughout South Florida, reducing freshwater flows to the coastal estuaries, lowering water levels in Lake Okeechobee and improving the timing and flow of water into the Everglades. That may sound like a tall order, but that's what a 16,000-acre reservoir can do.

This kind of progress, on this scale, is never possible by a single agency working alone. Local support at the city and county level has been unprecedented for Everglades Restoration. Martin County, for example, contributed $27.4 million to help buy land for an Acceler8 reservoir and treatment wetland now being built near the east coast. Hendry County is partnering in workforce development for construction of an Acceler8 reservoir near the west coast, ensuring that people and local businesses thrive at the same time we invest in the environment.

In Tallahassee, Governor Jeb Bush guided the efforts to accelerate these key Everglades projects with specialized funding, ensuring that our momentum would not be slowed. Under his vision and leadership, Florida has committed $3.2 billion through the end of the decade to clean up and restore the famed River of Grass. State legislators have supported these initiatives, this year alone budgeting more than $160 million for continued restoration of the Everglades and Lake Okeechobee.

In the U.S. Congress, the long-awaited Water Resources Development Act was approved by the Senate last week, underscoring the commitment of our federal partners. WRDA's passage moves construction of the $1.2 billion Indian River Lagoon South restoration project and Acceler8's $342 million Picayune Strand restoration project an important step closer to implementation.

Of course, there is still much work to do. Appropriation of federal funds is still needed; land for projects must still be purchased; engineering designs need public input and approval for construction. All of this is a big order, but "thinking big" is what Everglades Restoration is all about. No single effort alone will achieve restoration goals, but people and agencies and projects working together will. The year 2006 is demonstrating what a powerful formula that is for success.

Executive Director