A New Yellowstone in the Everglades

In an unprecedented buyout, Florida will buy out United States Sugar for $1.75 billion, setting the stage for a restoration of nearly 300 square miles of the Everglades.

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, a potential vice presidential candidate for Republican John McCain, compared the deal to the creation of Yellowstone National Park.

Indeed, while the deal may take years to complete, it will set the stage for reducing pollution and restoring the natural flow of water across a vast region that supports the unique and extraordinary wildlife in the Everglades.

Jobs at the largest U.S. sugar maker were already vulnerable because of the state of the world sugar industry.

Just last year Lake Okeechobee dried up to an extent never before documented. Protecting the natural water flow will help vulnerable portions of the region remain wet in drier conditions. The encroachment of development, both residential and agricultural, on the Everglades has been a long-term concern.

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