The Sierra Club losing the PR battle—not looking good for Everglades land buy

If you've been following this story you know the Sierra Club, to name one environmentalist group, has spent an enormous amount of money and time trying to convince the SFWMD and the legislature to buy land south of Lake Okeechobee. Resources, no doubt, that will leave other efforts wanting.

Christine Stapleton's sobering article in the Palm Beach Post gives 10 reasons, all of them strong, for the land buy not happening. Now Andy Reid from the Sun Sentinel has this article titled, "Water district balks at Everglades land deal":

Buying more Big Sugar land for Everglades restoration could cost taxpayers up to $700 million and slow other efforts to save Florida's River of Grass [emphasis added], South Florida water managers warned Thursday.
     Environmental groups for months have been calling for state leaders to buy 46,800 acres of U.S. Sugar Corp. land south of Lake Okeechobee and use it to restore water flows needed to replenish the Everglades.
     But the South Florida Water Management District, which leads Everglades restoration, estimates that the cost of buying the land could be nearly twice as much as once projected.

And don't forget the little matter of the Cape Sabal seaside sparrow:

Cape Sabal Seaside Sparrow, Sourse U.S. FWS.