A water resources bill in front of Florida lawmakers is proposing the State of Florida buy roughly 60,000 acres of land Lake Okeechobee to store excess water and avoid water discharges into the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers. The plan could cost billions of dollars and require purchases of land from private and corporate landowners.
Questions remain about the proposal. Proponents say it's an important step towards larger efforts related to Everglades Restoration, but others bout whether the land buy will solve the problem of water discharges and water quality, and question whether landowners are willing to sell.
Wednesday at 1 p.m. on Gulf Coast Live, Michael Swindle, the Chairman of Hendry County Board of County Commissioners, explains why Hendry County leadership has come out against the proposal.
Also joining the conversation is Rae Ann Wessel, the natural resource policy director for Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation.