In 1975 The American Crocodile was placed on the federal endangered species list as the population of the crocodiles was reduced to a mere 200 with just 10 nesting females. Florida Bay and Biscayne Bay are the only North American range for the American Crocodile, which continues to be endangered.

The only Everglades legislation in 2003 was the "anti" Everglades Forever Act. Our selections for defender status are based on the votes made for this bill only. Some names listed below voted yes, however when they became aware of the fact that the Bush administration’s Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection had lied about the bill, some switched their votes.

The Florida and U.S. senators and representatives listed below spoke out on behalf of the Everglades during the passage and signing of this historical anti-Everglades legislation. They did the right thing. They are truly Defenders of America's Everglades.

• Walter “Skip” Campbell
• Debbie Wasserman Schultz
• Gwen Margolis
• Lisa Carlton

• Gus Bilirakis
• Susan Bucher
• Carassas
• Joyce Cusack
• Frank Farkas
• Anne Gannon
• Dan Gelber

• Charles Justice
• Nan Rich
• Kenneth Gottleib
• Arthenia Joyner
• Suzanne Kosmas
• Joe Negron

• Frank Peterman
• Timothy Ryan
• Irving Slosberg
• Eleanor Sobel
• Doug Wiles
• Roger Wishner

• Senator John Kerry
• Congressman E. Clay Shaw, Jr.
• Congressman David Hobson
• Congressman Ralph Regula
• Congressman Charles H. Taylor
• Congressman Porter Goss

As the 2003 Florida legislative session was nearing the end, an "anti" Everglades bill was being pushed through both houses by Florida lawmakers who had fallen victim to Big Sugar's money and big gun lobbyists. The legislation was drafted by Big Sugar and designed to permit the continued pollution of the Everglades and let the sugar industry avoid cleanup efforts.

While it sat on Governor Bush's desk awaiting his signature, state and national environmental groups and every major newspaper editorial board in the State, with the exception of one, came out against the legislation. They did not mince words. The bill would attempt to weaken water quality standards and otherwise undermine the restoration program and result in the continued destruction of the Everglades. It also could scuttle the state-federal agreement to restore the River of Grass, putting the federal share of funding in jeopardy.

Sadly, Governor Bush signed the original bill into law knowing it was flawed and called for a special session to try to fix the deficiencies of the flawed legislation with a ‘glitch' bill, despite all the lobbying against it. The subsequent special session did not adequately address the deficiencies. Then, Gov. Bush sent his then DEP secretary, David Struhs, to Washington to calm angry members of Congress with this message: sure, we are extending a deadline that is written into law, replacing the date 2006 with 2026, but we have no intention of delaying anything.

"GLITCH" BILL

1. The "Greatest Extent Practicable" and "Earliest Practicable Date" clauses have all been removed; these are the only change of potential merit made by SB 54-A to SB 626. However, “Earliest Practicable Date” was not replaced with any specific deadline and enforcement is still delayed until 2016.
2. The changes in SB 54-A do nothing to change the fact that SB 626 as signed by the governor still replaces EFA requirements that water quality standards be met by December 31, 2006 with a much weaker requirement that only obliges the department and district to comply by implementing the "Long-Term Plan," pre-2006 strategies.
3. The changes in SB 54-A do nothing to change the fact that SB 626 as signed by the governor still preclude "discharge limits in permits" from being required until 2016. These discharge limits (essential to complying with Judge Hoeveler's Amended Consent Decree) are replaced by the "BAPRT" technology-based approach in the "Long-Term Plan".
4. The changes in SB 54-A do nothing to change the fact that SB 626 as signed by the governor still would prohibit implementation of anything from "Phase 2" of the "Long-Term Plan" until after such projects are specifically authorized by the Legislature. Since Periphyton STAs (PSTA) and STA size expansion are among the advanced approaches discussed in "Phase 2" of the plan, these are now specifically ruled out until the Legislature authorizes them at some unknown future date.
5. The changes in SB 54-A make an attempt to deal with the provisions of SB 626 as signed by the governor which establish a new "balancing test" with regard to proposals to discharge polluted water to "un-impacted areas". The language in SB 54-A inserts into this "balancing test" the phrase "...and otherwise comply with anti-degradation requirements". This amendment also says that the moderating provisions authorized in the bill only extend to 2016, and thereafter, must be re-authorized by the Legislature. Because a "balancing test" and "anti-degradation requirements" are totally inconsistent concepts, it appears that AT BEST, this amendment makes the provisions of SB 626, as amended, internally inconsistent and subject to ultimate debate and resolution through litigation. This makes no real improvement. Likewise, sun-setting the moderating provisions in 2016 makes little improvement.
6. The changes in SB 54-A make a minor change regarding the highly flawed "Long-Term Plan.” This change specifies that "...revisions to the Long-Term Plan shall be approved by the department. In addition, the department may propose changes to the Long-Term Plan as science and environmental conditions warrant." This only adds slightly more specificity as to which agency might attempt to revise the plan. It does not repudiate the many flawed features of this plan, which by virtue of SB 626 as signed by the governor, appear to have been adopted by reference in its March 2003, version.
7. The changes in SB 54-A do nothing to change the fact that SB 626 as signed by the governor still attempts to integrate state water quality projects with the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan without a clear statement that the state is not seeking to offload state water quality funding responsibilities on the federal government.
8. The changes in SB 54-A do nothing to change the fact that SB 626 as signed by the governor still extends a tax on innocent property owners in 16 counties from Orlando to Key West in a manner that is inconsistent with Article II, Section 7(b) of the Florida Constitution.