More than five years in the making, the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which contains billions in funding to restore ecosystems became law after Congress overrode President Bush's veto by a staggering margin. Two-thirds of the House and Senate must vote to override a veto and WRDA drew a bipartisan vote of 361-54 in the House and 79-14 in the Senate. A longtime Audubon priority, the bill provides unprecedented ecosystem restoration funding authority in areas like the Everglades, the Great Lakes, coastal Louisiana, and the Mississippi River. Audubon activists from around the country have been aggressively lobbying in favor of the bill, particularly in recent months. In total, the $23 billion piece of legislation authorizes funding for navigation, flood protection, and $6 billion in ecosystem restoration. This is the first veto override of the Bush presidency. The law authorizes funding for the projects, and the funding must be approved in the 2009 appropriations process.

Click here to read the details in Audubon's press release.