Environmental groups have pushed for Everglades restoration for decades, but they urged a Miami federal judge yesterday not to force the state to resume a stalled restoration project, fearing that it would threaten a bigger restoration deal.

Lawyers for several of Florida's biggest conservation groups asked chief U.S. District Judge Federico Moreno not to force the state to resume work on a $700 million reservoir, a project supported by the Miccosukee Tribe. The environmental groups fear the deal could threaten financing of a deal they consider more important -- the proposed $1.75 billion buyout of U.S. Sugar.

"This is an opportunity to do some serious restoration," said Thom Rumberger, an attorney for Audubon of Florida. "For that not to happen would really be a crime."

But Dexter Lehtinen, the tribe's attorney, said the land buy was the state's latest excuse for delaying deadlines for cleaning up water pollution in the Everglades. He said the deal could push the reservoir project and other clean water restoration projects back 15 years or more. "Delay is the enemy of the Everglades," he said (Curtis Morgan, Miami Herald, Aug. 13). -- RB