U.S. Water News Online
NAPLES, Fla. -- President Bush toured an Everglades wildlife reserve recently to tout his commitment to conservation as environmentalists criticized him for a "swing state photo op" ahead of November's election.
Ending a two-day push to fight off attacks on his environmental record by Democratic challenger John Kerry, Bush visited the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, perched on 110,000 acres of Everglades forest and wetlands on the Gulf of Mexico.
"My administration is committed to conserving Florida's natural beauty," Bush told a crowd, standing on the shore of a brackish swamp patrolled by alligators, turtles and manatees. Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, the president's brother, looked on.
Florida was the battleground for the bitter recount vote in the 2000 election and could be a crucial state in this year's campaign.
Bush also attended Florida fund-raisers in Naples and Coral Gables that brought in $4.4 million for Republican candidates. After raising more than $180 million for his own campaign, Bush has turned his attention to raising money for the Republican party.
As his motorcade sped along the Gulf Coast, he passed hundreds of well-wishers as well as some protesters waving signs like "You're fired" and "Bush abuses our environment."
On his tour, Bush donned work gloves and red pruning shears to help volunteers hack away at Earleaf Acacia trees, an invasive species that is choking off native trees and plants.
"To the president the environment is nothing more than a swing state photo op," said Philip Clapp, president of the National Environmental Trust, an environmental group.
Kerry's campaign accused Bush of refusing to clean up dozens of Florida sites contaminated with toxic chemicals and pointed to mercury-contaminated Florida fish.
Bush said he supported a plan to restore water flows in the Everglades. The federal government would provide half of the $8 million project with the other half coming from state and local contributions. The president also supports a government effort to buy back oil and natural gas drilling leases off the state's coast.
Return to the U.S. Water News Archives page Or Return to the U.S. Water News Homepage
Editor@uswaternews.com
*Your Name:
*Your Email:
*Friend's Email:
Use a comma to separate e-mail addresses:
*Your Comments:
Hi, I thought you might like to read this article.
*Required Fields