STUART — Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke in Stuart on Oct. 21 about Florida’s ongoing efforts to restore the Everglades and combat the spread of Burmese pythons.
“We place an enormous amount of emphasis on Florida Everglades restoration — it's the biggest environmental restoration project in the history of the country,” DeSantis said. “We know that the Everglades is important, part of the backbone of the state of Florida.”
The governor began his remarks by outlining several recent environmental successes, including the construction of new reservoirs designed to reduce nutrient pollution in local waterways. He emphasized the importance of protecting the Everglades’ unique ecosystem.
“Some of these species can't be found anywhere else in the world; they can only live in Florida's Everglades,” he said.
DeSantis said that while the administration’s projects improving water flow and reducing pollution have helped protect native wildlife, invasive species such as Burmese pythons remain a major threat.
“These are giant snakes that are not native to here,” he said. “It threatens the survival of many endangered species.”
Burmese pythons were introduced to Florida through the exotic pet trade, as owners released the snakes when they grew too large to manage. Their population has since expanded dramatically.
“A single female python can lay up to 100 eggs at a time,” DeSantis said. “They have no natural predators in the Florida Everglades.”
A wide range of animals are at risk from the snakes, including raccoons, deer and ground-nesting birds. Pythons also compete with other native predators.
“Even larger animals like the panther, one of Florida's most iconic native species, now has to compete with these pythons for food,” DeSantis said.
Because of their threat, the administration launched an initiative in 2019 to remove pythons from the Everglades.
“Under my direction, FWC and DEP have allowed for the removal of invasive Burmese pythons from all Florida state parks,” DeSantis said.
The state also secured access to federal lands such as Big Cypress National Preserve for python removal and increased funding for the program this year.
DeSantis said that while progress has been steady, the administration plans to expand its efforts.
“Last year we worked with FWC to make a bold decision,” he said. “To engage with a private sector partner to strengthen this program.”
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) partnered with the Miami-based company Inversa on the program, which DeSantis said has exceeded expectations.
“They delivered on their objective one and a half years ahead of schedule,” he said. “FWC and Inversa have tripled the number of python removals.”
In July 2025, 748 pythons were removed compared to 235 in July 2024. FWC’s workload has also dropped 89%, allowing the agency to redirect resources elsewhere.
“I think the results speak for themselves,” DeSantis said. “I am requesting we keep this momentum going. We want to work with the Florida Legislature to make sure this funding stays in place.”
Roger Young, FWC executive director, thanked the governor and Inversa for their partnership.
“That's what it's all about — restoring our natural environment and restoring the native wildlife that belongs on that landscape,” he said.
Inversa and FWC said they plan to continue removing pythons from the Everglades using ethical methods, with Inversa aiming to increase removals further through new technology, including AI predictive models.