Díaz-Balart Secures $11.6M for Everglades Restoration, including $4M additional for Southern Florida Priorities, and Codification of Section 404 Permitting in FY 2027 Interior[...]

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26), Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Committee and co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional Everglades Caucus, issued the following statement after the House Appropriations Committee approved the Fiscal Year 2027 Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill.

Vice Chair Díaz-Balart said, "I commend full Committee Chairman Tom Cole and Subcommittee Chairman Mike Simpson for moving this effort forward. This measure champions key priorities such as American energy dominance and competitiveness and reduces burdensome-at times harmful-red tape, all while cutting wasteful spending.

Additionally, I am grateful for Chairman Simpson's leadership, which helped highlight important needs in Florida, such as Everglades restoration. This includes protecting our region's native tribes, such as the Miccosukee, so they continue to have vital protections against any federal proposed wilderness designation that could affect their free movement and precious access to sacred lands, such as the Big Cypress National Preserve.

As co-chair and co-founder of the Congressional Everglades Caucus, I am proud to continue supporting major Everglades preservation and restoration efforts through critical funding and through the codification of the Clean Water Act's Section 404 program to streamline processes so that important work can move faster and more effectively."

Díaz-Balart secured $11.6 million for Everglades Restoration and an additional $4 million for Southern Florida priorities:

• $11.6 million for Everglades Restoration through the National Park Service.
• $2.8 million for the City of Hialeah, Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Water Meter Modernization project.
• $1.2 million for the Town of Medley's Water Main Improvements project located in NW 78th St, NW 82nd Street and NW 84th Avenue
• $520,000 for the Town of Medley's Water Main Replacement project located in NW 68th Ct and NW 68th Place
• $75 million for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grant Program for the development and implementation of programs benefiting wildlife and their habitats.
• $4.75 million to address water qualityby providing funding for critical harmful algal bloom research.
• $1 million in direct funding for South Florida to expand water qualityand ecosystem health monitoring and prediction network.
• Report language supporting the Tribe's ongoing efforts with the Department of the Interior to review subsurface mineral rights on their land.
• Bill language ensuring that no part of Big Cypress National Preserve may be designated as wilderness, a longstanding priority of Congressman Díaz-Balart to protect access for the Tribes and broader public.
• Bill language codifying Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 404 programfor the State of Florida.

Fiscal Year 2027 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill Key Takeaways

The bill fully funds the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program, estimated at $650 million, and prioritizes funding for Tribes and wildland fire.

Bolsters U.S. national security and border protections by:

• Reducing our reliance on foreign countries for critical minerals by promoting access to resources here at home through blocking certain land withdrawals and reinstating mineral leases in the Superior National Forest.
• Promoting domestic mining by ensuring ancillary mining activities can be approved, fixing the Rosemont decision that created additional red tape and regulatory uncertainty for mining operations.
• Providing $774.84 million for Tribal Public Safety and Justice programs, which is a 36% increase over the FY26 enacted level, to combat drug trafficking while preventing and solving violent crimes.
• Providing the requested increase of $134 million for National Park Service Park Protection, which includes targeted funding for the U.S. Park Police to boost the force's capacity in the D.C. area consistent with Executive Order 14252, Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful.

Champions American energy dominance and reduces regulatory burdens by:

• Providing the requested increase for onshore oil and gas development at the Bureau of Land Management.
• Affirming efforts to responsibly develop Alaska's energy potential, reducing reliance on foreign oil and advancing Executive Order 14153, Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource Potential.
• Providing the requested increase for offshore critical mineral leasing to advance Executive Order 14285, Unleashing America's Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources.
• Prohibiting the use of the social cost of carbon, which has stymied new development.
• Prohibiting multiple U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rulings used to weaponize the Endangered Species Act against land users and energy producers.
• Addressing the harmful impacts of the Cottonwood decision to improve forest management.

Supports the Trump Administration and mandate of the American people by:

• Unifying firefighting activities across the Department of the Interior, implementing the Administration's proposal to create the U.S. Wildland Fire Service.
• Supporting the Administration's request to implement the Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act of 2024.
• Prohibiting the use of funds to promote or advance critical race theory.
• Prohibiting the use of funds for diversity, equity, and inclusion training or implementation.
• Prohibiting funds for moral conviction discriminatory action.

Safeguards American taxpayer dollars and preserves core functions by:

• Prohibiting funding for regulating emissions from manure management systems or livestock production.
• Blocking funding for the Presidio Trust.

Protects access to public lands by:

• Blocking restrictions on hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting on federal lands.
• Preventing additional regulations on ammunition, ammunition components, or fishing tackle under the Toxic Substances Control Act or any other law.
• Prohibiting restrictions on where standard lead ammunition and fishing tackle can be used on certain federal lands or waters unless conditions are met.

A summary of the bill is available here.

Bill text is available here.

A table of included Community Project Funding requests is available here.

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