"Both sides declared victory after Wednesday's ruling that the South Florida Water Management District can issue bonds to buy a large portion of U.S. Sugar's land.

One side is wrong. It's not the water district.

Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Donald Hafele's decision is a clear legal victory for the district. The judge found that the district has a public purpose in buying 73,000 acres from U.S. Sugar - the step the district is prepared to take immediately - but that the district did not prove a public purpose to buy the rest of the land, which amounts to 107,000 acres.

The Miccosukee Tribe and rival sugar grower Florida Crystals argued that the district is buying the land with no plan or money to do anything with it. Therefore, U.S. Sugar will keep farming the land, and the effect will be to slow ongoing efforts to restore the Everglades. The tribe claimed that it has saved taxpayers $1.5 billion because the judge limited the district to issuing $650 million in bonds, not the requested $2.2 billion."

Get the Story:
EDITORIAL: Victory for the Everglades (The Palm Beach Post 8/27)

Related Stories:
Judge allows bridge opposed by Miccosukee Tribe (6/18)
Fox News: Miccosukee Tribe on 'bridge to nowhere' (3/9)
Blog: Miccosukee Tribe battles Everglades bridge (3/6)
Miccosukee Tribe opposes Everglades provision (2/26)