Florida Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R) has announced that she had secured $500,000 in funding for environmental efforts. Joined by other members of the South Florida delegation, Salazar noted that the money would go towards critical flooding studies in Miami-Dade County and the Village of Key Biscayne.
At the end of last year, Salazar requested funds for the US Army Corps of Engineers. This year, they received $7.5 million that will go towards conducting studies around the country. The Village of Key Biscayne secured a portion of this funding after an original request for the fiscal year 2023. The funding is part of the larger Miami-Dade Coastal Storm Risk Management Plan, which is designed to increase resilience to storms and protect Key Biscayne and Miami residents from flooding.
“I am thrilled to see Key Biscayne receive the funds it needs to improve our environmental resilience," said Salazar, explaining that the “funding is a critical step in the right direction to make sure District 27 is prepared for the environmental challenges we face in the 21st century.”
Key Biscayne Mayor Joe Rasco released a statement following the announcement, saying that the "years of hard work have paid off." "First, I want to thank Congresswoman Salazar for her support throughout this effort. We will now begin to work closely with our Army Corps and County partners to develop solutions that protect our beach and bayside shorelines," Rasco said, noting that "the study will find ways to protect our residents, their property, and our thriving economy."
The money will expedite a critical storm resilience project that addresses coastal erosion, fights sea-level rise, and protects Key Biscayne from future storms. It will also expand the current Dade County Coastal Storm Risk Management study to include other bayside concerns aside from the initial goal of studying Key Biscayne's oceanside shoreline. Thus, it will help protect over $9.5 billion of shoreline and property in the municipality.
