Brewster Bevis: Legislature shows leadership by ensuring Amendment 1 dollars benefit everyone

This year in Tallahassee, there has been no shortage of opinions on how to divide the dollars the Florida Legislature is constitutionally required to spend on natural resources through Amendment 1. Throughout the debate, some have tried to hold our lawmakers to an arbitrary standard, arguing for tens of millions of dollars to be spent fruitlessly on land-buying that the state doesn’t need and taxpayers simply cannot afford.

In their arguments, they ignore the simple fact that in advocating for Amendment 1 before the Florida Supreme Court in June 2013, the amendment’s backers provided for the Legislature to exercise “complete discretion” and fund projects other than land-buying including “beaches and shores, outdoor recreation lands, including recreational trails parks, and urban open space, rural landscapes, working farms and ranches, historic or geologic sites.” They also argue that despite the fact that Amendment 1 was supported by two-thirds of individuals from every region of the state, in large cities and small towns, and in coastal and rural regions, the amendment was only about rural land-buying all along.

Thankfully, cooler heads in our state’s representative branch of government have prevailed. This Special Session, the Legislature passed a budget that spends Amendment 1 dollars wisely and in a way that addresses Florida’s most critical environmental needs. The budget includes $55 million for land-buying, which is an appropriate amount when you consider that the state has been buying up land for years and is spending double that amount annually to manage existing land. This year, the budget provides for $168 million in land management, which is actually only a fraction of the cost needed to manage our existing property. On land-buying, the Legislature exercised a commendable amount of restraint, understanding that more land-buying only burdens the state further.

It’s also worth noting that thanks to Amendment 1, the state met the annual Conservation and Recreation Lands Program (CARL) funding level target for the first time in five years. This includes $10.8 million to the Division of Forestry, $37 million to the Department of Environmental Protection, $12.5 million to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and an increase of $10 million in new land management dollars.

In other areas, the Legislature continued to increase the state’s commitment to water management districts with $11 million of recurring dollars from the Land Acquisition Trust Fund for their land management needs. It also committed dollars to the Everglades in a big way: $82 million plus an additional $20 million for restoring the Kissimmee River. The Rural and Family Lands program received $15 million, which is three times greater than last year’s appropriation. This program is critical to the protection of some of Florida’s most important agricultural lands, balances agricultural needs with environmental concerns, while also staving off the incentives to development.

Finally, the Legislature continued to make historic investments in the restoration of our springs, increasing last year’s commitment of $30 million to $45 million. As a significant source of Florida’s drinking water, the health of our springs is tied to the future health of our state.

The Florida H2O Coalition, an advocacy organization started by Associated Industries of Florida, supported this natural resources budget because it boosts essential projects that promote sustainability and growth in our water supply. It also helps to responsibly restore our springs and provide the state with enough resources to better serve as stewards of our natural resources.  Most importantly, it includes limited land buying and ensures there’s enough Amendment 1 dollars for everyone.

The Florida Legislature managed Amendment 1 dollars carefully and with an eye to our economic future. House Speaker Steve Crisafulli and Senate President Andy Gardiner demonstrated leadership on the issue and a clear commitment to addressing Florida’s broad water needs. Putting the heated rhetoric aside, Floridians can be proud of the pledge they are making to conservation, land management, and projects that will help to protect and grow our water supply.

Brewster Bevis is senior vice president of State and Federal Affairs for Associated Industries of Florida and chairman of the Florida H2O Coalition. Column courtesy of Context Florida.