$100M Florida Forever plan ready for full House vote

Legislators are a step closer toward securing a dedicated revenue stream for Florida Forever, aiming to commit $100 million annually to the Land Acquisition Trust Fund through a bill that cleared its final House committee.

In addition, HB 7047 would increase the contract price requiring approval from the Internal Improvement Trust Fund Board from $1 million to $5 million.

“As we’re all aware, the state plays an important role in protecting our natural resources and the environment,” Osprey Republican Rep. James Buchanan said to the House Infrastructure Strategies Committee.

“In the past few years, we’ve worked to better protect those resources by passing important legislation codifying (the) Florida Wildlife Corridor and giving record funding for acquiring lands under the Florida Forever program. This bill will be building on those efforts to make sure we are able to efficiently acquire lands to protect and preserve nature’s beauty (in) our state.”

Increased priority would go to projects within the Florida Wildlife Corridor, and those in “imminent danger of development, loss of significant natural attributes or recreational open space, or subdivision,” according to a House staff analysis.

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) would also have to disclose appraisals to private landowners, or their representatives, during negotiations. The bill clarifies as well that the Board or DEP can acquire land for the full value of the highest approved appraisal.

“This is the product of a committee bill of which there is a lot of input from different members from within our committee,” Buchanan said.

“But also, when you look at the leadership within the Florida House, Speaker (Paul) Renner has really been laser-focused on making sure we’re streamlining some of these transactions as it relates to conservation, and making sure that we’re addressing one of (the) key issues, which is making sure funding is there consistently.”

Regarding the Rural Family Lands Protection Program, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services would have to update the lands program’s priority list by December, give priority to lands in the Corridor along with those “in imminent danger of development or degradation,” and provide for the disclosure of appraisal reports to private landowners during negotiations for acquisition.

Buchanan filed an amendment, which the committee approved, that takes out of the bill a provision moving the review of state-owned lands from every 10 years to every five years to determine if those lands should remain in public hands or be disposed of.