BRIAN J. MAST 2182 Hmraunm Hunsr Bunmmn WASHINGTON, DC 20515 18m DISTRICT, . {202: 225?30213 COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION 171 SW FLAGLEH AVENUE AND INFRASTRUCTURE @Dngreg?p at the mult?h ?tflteg FOREIGN AFFAIRS . 39111152 at iRepreSeutatrhes? Washington. 11365 20515-0918 January 29, 2020 The Honorable Donald J. Trump President of the United States The White House 1600 Avenue NW Washington, DC. 20500 Dear Mr. President: The 50/50 federal-state partnership to restore the Everglades is essential to Florida?s environment and economy. Over the last three years, working together, we have made substantial progress by authorizing the EAA Southern Storage Reservoir, expediting completion of Herbert Hoover Dike repairs and nearly tripling funding for Everglades restoration projects; however, there is much more work to be done. I am, therefore, writing to request that you include $250 million in construction funding for South Florida Ecosystem Restoration (SFER) in your upcoming budget. Under your leadership, and at my urging, the Environmental Protection Agency recently developed a standard which states that harmful algal blooms containing microsystin at a rate higher than 8 parts per billion are unsafe for human contact. Using this metric, the waterways in the community that I represent have at times been more than 60 times too toxic for human contact. I know from our previous conversations that you are committed to addressing this public health crisis, which is why it is critical that the US. Army Corps of Engineers works faster and harder to complete projects ahead of schedule. In addition to changing the way Lake Okeechobee is managed, accelerating completion of the EAA Southern Storage Reservoir is the best way to eliminate harmful discharges and send more clean water south into the Everglades. Funding SFER at $250 million this year will ensure that the Army Corps of Engineers is operating at nothing less than full capacity to accomplish this goal. With Governor Ron DeSantis?s budget request of $300 million for Everglades restoration and your strong continued support, this federal-state partnership can accomplish unparalleled progress to restore America?s Everglades and prevent harmful discharges. Thank you for your continued attention to this issue, and I look forward to continuing our work together to build this critical infrastructure. Sincerely, Brian Mast Member of Congress PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER