Bruce Ritchie
Environmental groups praised a Senate move on Wednesday to add $35 million in the state budget toward land acquisition but said the amount falls short of what voters wanted.
Amendment 1, approved by 75 percent of voters in November, is now estimated to provide nearly $742 million for water and land conservation programs. Environmental groups sought $170 million for the Florida Forever land-buying program and said the proposed House and Senate budgets ignore voter intent.
The Senate version of the 2015-16 state budget had included $2 million in documentary stamp tax revenue for the Florida Forever.
The Senate on Wednesday approved an amendment by Sen. Rob Bradley, a Republican from Fleming Island, to shift $15 million from invasive species control to the Florida Forever program. Another $20 million of $50 million in springs restoration is earmarked to go toward land acquisition.
“I think it was movement in the right direction,” said Will Abberger, chairman of a coalition supporting Amendment 1. “It’s certainly not the level of funding we’d like to see for Florida Forever.”
Abberger credited telephone calls from land-buying supporters with helping sway senators.
“They are starting to hear from their constituents how important protecting wildlife habitat and parks is for Florida voters,” he said.
In the House, Democrats questioned Rep. Ben Albritton, chairman of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee, about Amendment 1 spending. A House vote on the chamber’s $76.2 million spending plan is expected Thursday.
Albritton told House members $205 million from bonds is directed toward Florida Forever, including $100 million for water resources development projects, $50 million for springs restoration, $20 million for Kissimmee River restoration, $25 million for payments to rural landowners, and $10 million toward other purchases.
“That’s a pretty strong pot of money to go to land acquisition,” House Speaker Steve Crisafulli told reporters after the House adjourned.
But Abberger said that the $100 million for water resources development projects shouldn’t count as land-buying and that only $10.5 million of the $205 million actually is going toward Florida Forever.
Rep. Mark Pafford of West Palm Beach, the House Democratic leader, said, “I don’t know if the House is really anywhere” on Florida Forever, pointing out that Florida Forever had received $300 million prior to 2009.
“Clearly nobody is where they need to be, in my estimation,” Pafford said.
“At the beginning of this process I was concerned that we would supplant the GR (general revenue) and the normal funding that’s been occurring over the last number years that I’ve been here,” he said. “And I think that’s what we’ve seen occur.”
Bruce Ritchie (@bruceritchie) covers environment, energy and growth management in Tallahassee.
