Rick Scott say he's meeting Amendment 1 but full breakdown lacking

Gov. Rick Scott said Wednesday he is requesting $82 million next year in environmental spending above what is required by Amendment 1, the water and land conservation initiative approved by voters in November.

Scott on Wednesday issued his $77 billion budget request for fiscal year 2015-16 including an estimated $757 million towards a broad array of programs covered by Amendment 1, the water and land conservation initiative.

“I think we need to take care of our environment,” Scott told the AP Florida pre-session planning meeting. “We have done that the last four years.”

Scott’s office said the governor is meeting the requirements of Amendment 1 while requesting an $82 million in general revenue for those programs. But a breakdown of the governor’s request for Amendment 1 spending was not immediately available.

Meanwhile, House and Senate leaders said they will provide a full detailing of where money will be spent in the state budget under Amendment 1.

The governor’s budget request includes $100 million for the Florida Forever land-buying program along with $20 million for Kissimmee River restoration, $50 million for Florida Keys wastewater improvements, $50 million for water supply, $50 million for springs restoration and $25 million for beach renourishment. On Tuesday, he announced in Miami that his request includes $150 million for Everglades restoration.

Scott’s request comes up short of the $170 million requested by environmental groups for the Florida Forever land-buying program. The groups also want $44 million for payments to agricultural landowners to conserve but Scott’s request doesn’t appear to include those conservation easements.

Asked if  voters who supported Amendment 1 should expect more than 15 percent going toward the Florida Forever land acquisition program, Scott responded, “I don’t know what the voters had in mind. I know what I want to do as governor is do everything I can to improve the environment.”

Environmental groups on Wednesday offered support for elements of the governor’s budget, such as his request for Everglades restoration, but they are also hoping for more for land acquisition. Florida Forever had been receiving at least $300 million a year but has been slashed since 2009.

“When the voters looked at Amendment 1 … there was a reasonable expectation it would be land acquisition,” said Eric Draper, executive director of Audubon Florida.

But Draper and Frank Jackalone, Florida staff director for Sierra Club Florida, said they couldn’t comment on how the governor is spending Amendment 1 money because details were not available on Wednesday.

Some environmentalists oppose spending Amendment 1 money on what they call water infrastructure projects. Associated Industries of Florida, however, is leading a coalition of groups that wants more money spent on projects to capture and store water.

Senate President Andy Gardiner and House Speaker Steve Crisafulli on Wednesday announced a five-point joint “work plan” for the 2015 legislative session that includes developing a statewide policy strategy for water and natural resources.

“One of the guiding principles of doing this is it’s important that the taxpayers, voters and supporters of Amendment 1 can track every nickel for the next 20 years of where it goes and how it goes,” said Gardiner, R-Orlando.

He said one problem may be that some trust funds intermingle money that falls under Amendment 1 and some of those previously existing trust funds may need to be eliminated.

State Rep. Mark Pafford, D-West Palm Beach and House Democratic leader, said the Florida Forever program under Amendment 1 should receive $300 million, the amount it received prior to budget cuts in 2009.

“It wouldn’t be fair at all to supplant the activities that are ongoing (with Amendment 1 funding),” Pafford said. “We’ve got to be bold and robust and get out in front of issues that are important to Floridians. That is the leadership that you struggle to see.”

Bruce Ritchie (@bruceritchie) covers environment, energy and growth management issues in Tallahassee.