1 of 3 | Florida officials in January opened the floodgates to fill the first cell of a 6,500-acre Everglades Agricultural Area storm water treatment system to help protect the Everglades and nearby communities, while improving local water quality. Photo by Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich/EPA-EFE
April 30 (UPI) — A potential crisis in Florida should ease after state lawmakers this month allocated $2.25 billion to improve water quality and restore the state’s imperiled biodiversity.
Gov. Ron DeSantis last week announced the allocation of $1.5 billion to restore the Everglades and improve water quality during the next fiscal year.
The funding comes in addition to DeSantis signing into law April 4 a measure that allocates the state’s share of profits from Seminole gaming revenue toward protecting the state’s natural resources and wildlife. Those comes to some$750 million annually, according to state officials.
“I made a promise to Floridians that we would leave this state better to God than we found it,” DeSantis said in the April 22 announcement. “We are doing that for out future and our children’s future.”
The $1.5 billion allocation provides $850 million for Everglades restoration projects, which includes $614 million to support the state’s Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan and the Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir.
Some $530 million is allocated to support water improvement in the state, including $100 million toward completing a reservoir to provide better quality water for residents in Palm Beach and Broward counties and reduce the amount of freshwater discharged into the Lake Worth Lagoon.
Another $135 million funds a grant program that covers the costs of local projects that remove harmful nutrients from the state’s waterways. Such projects include wastewater treatment and septic-to-sewer improvements.
Indian River Lagoon projects will receive $100 million, and $45 million will go to water-quality improvements in Biscayne Bay and the Caloosahatchee Estuary.
Largest single investment
The allocation of $1.5 billion is the largest single-year investment Florida officials ever made to protect and improve the state’s natural resources.
The new funding will help counteract what environmentalists and others call one of the nation’s worst biodiversity crises.
Biodiversity refers to the many living species of animals, plants, fungi and bacteria on Earth and in local ecosystems, according to National Geographic.
Florida is one of the nation’s most biodiverse states and one of the most imperiled.
“Florida leads states in drivers of biodiversity loss,” Lindsay Rosa, vice president of conservation research and innovation at the Washington, D.C.-based Defenders of Wildlife, said during the organization’s April 12 webinar series called “Drivers of the Biodiversity Crisis: America at a Crossroads.”
“Humans are the driving force” of most of the biodiversity loss and potential species extinction in Florida and throughout the United States, Rosa said.
More than a million species globally are identified as at-risk of extinction, including about 40% of species that are native to Florida, according to Defenders of Wildlife.
Many of those species are found only in Florida, which makes them especially rare and vulnerable to changes in climate and habitat.
Florida has more than 4,000 species of animals, including many that are native only to the Sunshine State, according to the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension office.
Potential extinction
Without significant changes to the state’s natural resources, many of those species might become extinct.
Rosa and the Defenders of Wildlife identified five general threats to biodiversity that negatively impact Florida, the rest of the nation and the world.
Those are:
Rosa said habitat loss is a significant driver of biodiversity loss in Florida and the rest of the world.
Florida’s endemic species adapted to a particular type of habitat over several centuries. When habitat loss occurs due to development and changing climatic conditions, an equal percentage of native species also disappear, according to the IFAS Extension office.
Sometimes, the habitat loss might seem negligible, like the extending in 1950 of U.S. 41, which cuts through the Everglades while connecting Miami and Naples.
U.S. 41 is designated a National Scenic Byway, but the aboriginal Miccosukee Tribe has a different perspective.
Plumbing needs fixing
“U.S. 41 is a giant earthen dam,” Curtis Osceola, chief of staff for the Miccosukee Tribe, said during the Defenders of Wildlife webinar. “We need to fix the plumbing of the western Everglades.”
The western and central Everglades are experiencing water quality issues and losses of local tree-island habitats due to changing water and drainage conditions that endanger native animals, like the Florida panther, black bears and white tail deer, Osceola said.
Enrique Montes, an assistant scientist as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, agreed.
During the webinar, Montes said drastic changes to Florida’s population and resulting development over the past several decades have changed how the Everglades discharges water.
“It’s very important that we understand how the habitats respond to environmental change and human activities to be able to preserve the services that these ecosystems provide,” Montes said.
The wetlands initially discharged water on a north-to-south route toward the Florida Bay and the Keys.
Development largely disrupted that flow, which Montes said now splits into three directions, while greatly reducing the amount of water discharged at the state’s southern tip.
A water-seepage barrier wall project that is underway helps to restore natural water flow from north to south through the Everglades and into Florida Bay. It also protects local communities against potential flooding during tropical storms.
Climate change is another daunting threat that is especially dangerous for Florida, where 1.86 million properties have a 25% chance of being flooded over the next three decades, according to researchers at the Florida Atlantic University’s Archbold Biological Station.
The biological station on April 16 published a report titled, “The Florida Wildlife Corridor and Climate Change,” noting that flooding dangers are especially threatening as tropical storms become stronger and more frequent over time and rising sea levels inundate near-shore properties and freshwater supplies with saltwater.
The recent actions by state officials with support from environmentalists and stakeholders seek to mitigate the effects of climate change and other threats that are endangering Florida’s biodiversity and natural resources.
00:34
Now Playing
00:44
UP NEXT
02:20
01:33
02:18
00:55
02:07
02:11
04:49
22:06
01:53
02:56
02:01
01:36
00:29
02:06
02:17
03:31
02:09
08:30
00:34
Now Playing
00:44
UP NEXT
02:20
01:33
02:18
00:55
Myron Medcalf
Myron Medcalf
ESPN Staff Writer
Multiple Authors
The opening weekend of the 2026 men’s NCAA tournament featured its fair share of heartbreaking losses.
Among them? Reigning national champion and No. 1 seed Florida dropped a close battle with scrappy 9-seed Iowa. Kansas was eliminated on a buzzer-beating layup by St. John’s. Kentucky suffered its worst NCAA tournament loss since 1972. And North Carolina surrendered a 19-point lead to fall to VCU in overtime.
With some of the most storied college basketball programs ending their seasons earlier than expected, ESPN’s Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf detail what’s next for each. Here’s your guide to their expected departures, returnees, top incoming recruits and where that leaves their personnel priorities for when the transfer portal opens April 7.
Record: 27-8 (16-2 in SEC)
How their season ended: Lost to Iowa in second round
Expected departures
Thomas Haugh (17.0 PPG)
Xaivian Lee (11.4 PPG)
Micah Handlogten (4.2 PPG)
Players with remaining eligibility
Alex Condon (14.9 PPG)
Boogie Fland (11.7 PPG)
Rueben Chinyelu (11.2 PPG)
Urban Klavzar (9.7 PPG)
Isaiah Brown (5.6 PPG)
CJ Ingram (2.2 PPG)
Viktor Mikic (1.3 PPG)
Alex Lloyd (1.2 PPG)
Alex Kovatchev (0.5 PPG)
AJ Brown (redshirt)
Top incoming recruit: Jones Lay (three-star)
Florida has essentially eschewed immediate impact freshmen under Todd Golden, landing only two top-100 recruits in the past four recruiting classes combined. The incoming class is no different, with only the unranked Lay in the fold. He will very likely be a depth player early in his career, then his future will depend on development. The Gators did take a couple of swings at recruiting top-50 prospects, but will instead go to the portal or overseas for the rest of their newcomers.
Portal priorities: Before Florida fully goes into the portal, the Gators will need to figure out which of their starters are returning to Gainesville. Haugh has played himself into a potential NBA draft lottery pick, so we can project him to leave for the NBA. But both Condon and Chinyelu were projected second-round picks in ESPN’s most recent mock draft, leaving their short-term futures more uncertain. Condon was a borderline first-round pick in 2025 and opted to return to school. It probably would cost at least $3 million to retain each, but they’ve been anchors for back-to-back No. 1 seeds, and Golden could see value in building around them again. Fland should return to school after also withdrawing from the NBA draft last spring.
If Condon, Chinyelu and Fland all return, Golden would need a Haugh replacement and additional shooting on the perimeter. Klavzar could move into the starting lineup with Lee gone, but he proved to be incredibly useful as a sixth man. Could any of the seldom-used roster players make a sizable jump and move into a consistent rotation role the way Isaiah Brown did from 2024-25 to 2025-26? It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Florida go into the portal or look at international players to bring in at least two or three more perimeter players. — Borzello
Record: 24-11 (12-6 in Big 12)
How their season ended: Lost to St. John’s in second round
Expected departures
Darryn Peterson (20.1 PPG)
Tre White (13.8 PPG)
Melvin Council Jr. (12.6 PPG)
Jayden Dawson (2.1 PPG)
Players with remaining eligibility
Flory Bidunga (13.3 PPG)
Bryson Tiller (8.1 PPG)
Elmarko Jackson (4.8 PPG)
Jamari McDowell (3.4 PPG)
Kohl Rosario (3.3 PPG)
Paul Mbiya (1.1 PPG)
Samis Calderon (0.4 PPG)
Top incoming recruit: Taylen Kinney (No. 19)
Kinney is one of the best point guards in the 2026 class, and will step in immediately as the playmaking focal point of the offense with Peterson’s departure. He’s better as a scorer at this point in his development, especially when taking his defender off the dribble and attacking the rim. Kinney has improved as a passer and creator over the past year, so the next step on offense is becoming more consistent from the perimeter. His length should help him early as a defender.
Portal priorities: The frontcourt should be in good shape if Bidunga and Tiller both return; it would make sense for both to be retention priorities. Bidunga developed into one of the best defensive players in the country this season while also proving to be a capable scorer in the post. And Tiller showed very impressive flashes despite struggling down the stretch.
With Kinney coming in to run the show at point guard, that leaves the wings as areas to improve for Kansas. It’s worth keeping in mind that the Jayhawks are considered the frontrunner to sign SC Next 100’s top overall recruit Tyran Stokes. If they do land him, that could change the calculus for their offseason roster construction. But with or without Stokes, they will need an immediate impact player on the perimeter — Rosario showed promise early in the season, and though he could take a step forward, Kansas would benefit from more proven production.
There’s also the elephant in the room: Bill Self’s status. Self said after the loss to St. John’s that he hasn’t decided on whether he will return next season. If he doesn’t come back, it’s entirely unclear how the Kansas roster will look. — Borzello
Record: 22-14 (10-8 in SEC)
How their season ended: Lost to Iowa State in second round
Expected departures
Denzel Aberdeen (13.5 PPG)
Otega Oweh (18.6 PPG)
Jayden Quaintance (5.0 PPG)
Players with remaining eligibility
Jaland Lowe (8.0 PPG)
Collin Chandler (9.7 PPG)
Mouhamed Dioubate (8.8 PPG)
Brandon Garrison (4.7 PPG)
Kam Williams (6.0 PPG)
Malachi Moreno (7.8 PPG)
Jasper Johnson (4.9 PPG)
Andrija Jelavic (5.5 PPG)
Trent Noah (3.0 PPG)
Top incoming recruit: None
You’re reading that right: Kentucky does not have a single commitment from the 2026 class as of Tuesday. The Wildcats pursued Tyran Stokes, but as Jeff detailed above, it seems the No. 1 recruit is leaning toward Kansas. It appears that coach Mark Pope will again construct a roster comprising returnees and transfers — but as he learned this season, that’s a risk. The Wildcats reportedly spent more than $20 million on their 2025-26 roster yet finished only two games above .500 in SEC play and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament only because of a miracle buzzer-beater.
Portal priorities: This season’s roster never jelled the way Pope anticipated, which means he might end up building another from scratch, depending on who stays or goes.
The backcourt has to be his top priority. Aberdeen and Oweh are out of eligibility, which means that not only will Pope need elite guards who are capable playmakers and scorers, but he’ll also need depth — especially at point guard. The latter has been a problem throughout his tenure. Even if Lowe returns, Pope will need multiple players at both guard positions to anchor next season’s roster.
The next priority: a big man. Though Moreno could take the next step as a sophomore, and Dioubate has been solid for stretches, the Wildcats didn’t have a dominant big with Quaintance contending with knee injuries. The teams still competing for this year’s national championship — Michigan, UConn, St. John’s and Duke — have imposing big men. Kentucky can’t enter another season without a strong inside presence.
Finally, with Chandler the only reliable 3-point shooter on this season’s squad, Kentucky also needs more support on the perimeter. — Medcalf
Record: 24-9 (12-6 in ACC)
How their season ended: Lost to VCU in first round
Expected departures
Caleb Wilson (19.8 PPG)
Seth Trimble (14.0 PPG)
Players with remaining eligibility
Henri Veesaar (17.0 PPG)
Luka Bogavac (9.8 PPG)
Jarin Stevenson (8.1 PPG)
Derek Dixon (6.5 PPG)
Jonathan Powell (4.8 PPG)
Kyan Evans (4.0 PPG)
Zayden High (3.4 PPG)
Isaiah Denis (1.9 PPG)
Jaydon Young (1.8 PPG)
Top incoming recruit: Dylan Mingo (No. 9)
Mingo is one of the elite guards in the 2026 class, despite being hampered by injuries for most of the high school season. He has great positional size and length, and projects to make an impact at both ends of the court. With Evans potentially leaving for the portal after struggling this season, Dixon and Mingo could share playmaking duties in the backcourt — if Mingo opts to keep his commitment, should Hubert Davis depart. Mingo didn’t pick Carolina until mid-February.
Portal priorities: Though Wilson is probably off to the NBA and Trimble is out of eligibility, Davis or his potential replacement will have to make Veesaar the priority. He had an early second-round projection in ESPN’s most recent mock draft, but he could opt to return to Chapel Hill for a substantial amount of money. If Veesaar is back at UNC, he and Stevenson should form one of the better frontcourt duos in the ACC. If Veesaar leaves, the Tar Heels will need to target a high-level big man in the portal.
In addition to a potential Veesaar replacement, the Tar Heels also probably will need an upgrade when it comes to perimeter shotmaking and explosiveness. None of Bogavac, Powell or Young were overly consistent as scorers. And though Mingo is a terrific addition — as is four-star forward Maximo Adams — neither is a knockdown shooter. If the roster falls apart following Davis’ potential departure, Veesaar, Stevenson and Dixon should be the retention priorities for a new coach. — Borzello
Drummer Brian Pastoria, longtime Detroit music advocate, dies at 68
How ICE plans for a detention warehouse pushed a Georgia town to fight back | CNN Politics
‘Youth’ Twitter review: Ken Karunaas impresses audiences; Suraj Venjaramoodu adds charm; music wins praise | – The Times of India
Industrial chemicals have reached the middle of the oceans, new study shows
IOC addresses execution of 19-year-old Iranian wrestler Saleh Mohammadi
How a Melting Glacier in Antarctica Could Affect Tens of Millions Around the Globe
Test Your Memory of Great Lines From Classic Irish Poems
Clovis shooting leaves one dead, four injured
