MIAMI – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference in Miami on Wednesday, where he highlighted the state’s efforts to restore the Florida Everglades.
Speaking at S-356 Pump Station, and joined by Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Alexis Lambert, DeSantis noted significant progress, including completion of the C-43 and C-44 reservoirs, which address harmful algae blooms by storing excess water from Lake Okeechobee.
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“With these reservoirs, if the lake gets too high, they’re able to store that excess water in the reservoirs, clean it, and then put it into the estuaries in a way that isn’t going to cause harm to the surrounding environment," said DeSantis
The news conference also focused on a new partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Florida negotiated an agreement to expedite permits and reduce red tape, allowing the state to take over management of key projects, including the Everglades Agricultural Area reservoir.
The event marked the groundbreaking of the Blue Shanty Flow Way project, a major component designed to increase water flow under bridges on Tamiami Trail, which had previously acted as a dam blocking water from reaching the Everglades.
“This project will help uncork water flows so they can move south and nourish the Everglades and Florida Bay,” DeSantis said.
Gov. DeSantis responds to the shooting of Charlie Kirk
At the start of Wednesday’s press conference, Gov. DeSantis spoke about the shooting of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk.
DeSantis’s remarks came before President Donald Trump announced Kirk’s passing.
Kirk was giving a speech to students at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, when he was shot, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press.
“Casey and I have gotten to know him for over a decade, and he’s somebody that a lot of people have a great regard for,” said DeSantis. “I think we also have to reflect on the fact that the way to resolve political disputes is not through violence. And we see increasing levels of political violence in this country.”