WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- A congressionally mandated report says there's been little progress in restoring the Florida Everglades since a multi-billion-dollar plan was hatched in 2000.
The fourth biennial review of Everglades restoration efforts was released Thursday by the National Research Council.
It says though construction of Everglades projects has progressed since its last report, the initiatives still have done little to reverse generations of decline. The authors say the fragile ecosystem continues to be degraded as projects with the greatest potential benefit are put off.
Since development began on the vast Everglades in the late 19th century, damage has been rampant with the draining of swamp land, the erection of dikes, dams and canals, and the intrusion of farms and development that have polluted with fertilizers and runoff.