In October 2011, the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force endorsed a state-federal initiative to speed up planning for key restoration projects in the heart of the Everglades. With full public involvement, the Central Everglades Planning Project is now under way. The goal is to deliver within two years a finalized plan — known as a Project Implementation Report — for a suite of restoration projects in the central Everglades to prepare for congressional authorization as part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP).

The Central Everglades Planning Project will identify and plan for projects on land already in public ownership to allow more water to be directed south to the central Everglades, Everglades National Park and Florida Bay while protecting coastal estuaries.

The Central Everglades Planning Project will incorporate updated science and technical information gained over the last decade to prepare the recommended plan for congressional authorization of the next generation of CERP components. The planning project will use clearly defined decision points to make the process more predictable, more efficient and reduce the current federal CERP planning process timeline. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is leading this planning effort in partnership with the South Florida Water Management District, who is fully integrated in the technical planning process.

Central Everglades Planning Project Public Workshops

Public participation is a major component of the Central Everglades Planning Project. The Task Force’s Working Group is sponsoring a number of public workshops to receive input from the public and keep them informed and engaged as active participants.

As the principal Federal and Non-Federal sponsors of CERP, the Corps and the District are also holding Project Delivery Team (PDT) meetings in parallel with the Working Group-sponsored public workshops. PDT meetings enable federal, state and local agencies and tribal governments to provide their input into the Central Everglades Planning Project.

This website will be updated frequently during the Central Everglades Planning Project with information on upcoming public workshops and documents related to the process.

Related Materials

• Enhanced Public and Stakeholder Engagement Protocol [PDF]
• Integrated Calendar [PDF]
• 2012 Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) Fact Sheet [PDF]
• 2011 Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) Fact Sheet [PDF]