Photographer: Patty Metz, U.S. Geological Survey
(TALLAHASSEE/January 18, 2022) — Florida lawmakers could further carve up the use of voter-approved conservation money, after a Leon County circuit judge this month rejected a challenge by environmental groups to how money has been spent.
Tuesday’s Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee approved SB 1400, which would provide $20 million per year to protect the headwaters for several waterways in Central Florida.
The bill would enable the implementation of a 2017 law, the Heartland Headwaters Protection and Sustainability Act. It was designed to protect the headwaters from the Alafia and Hillsborough rivers in the Green Swamp and Polk County. The bill reflects, at the very least, concerns about future water supply in the region.
Critics claim that the bill could be used in a broad way, exceeding the intent of the 2014 voter-approved constitutional amendment which required the purchase and protection of sensitive lands.
Lindsay Cross, a lobbyist for Florida Conservation Voters, stated that there could be a preference under the bill for what we call gray infrastructure, pipes, pumps, and wastewater infrastructure.
Wauchula Republican Sen. Ben Albritton, who chairs Agriculture, Environment and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee, stated the proposal’s intent is to protect and enhance the environment.
Albritton stated that we should have a conversation about finding ways to provide additional water and potable water sources for the area. I would certainly be supportive of using part of this $20 million to do that, because if you can do that, then you’re drawing less on the aquifer and you’re protecting the aquifer in the future.
Natalie Fausel a Polk County lobbyist said that the money would provide stability for local governments in planning water projects.
It allows Polk County and these municipalities, with their comprehensive strategy that they’ve developed for the water resources in their region, to prioritize those projects, Fausel said.
The 2014 constitutional amendment provides that a portion from documentary-stamp taxes on real-estate purchases is transferred to the states Land Acquisition Trust Fund each fiscal year to help with conservation projects. August’s projections by state economists indicated that the fund would receive $1.26 trillion in the current fiscal. $136 Million is dedicated to debt payments.
In the past sessions, lawmakers allocated $200 million annually from the fund for Everglades protection. $64 million was used to build a reservoir in the Everglades Agricultural Area. $50 million was used for natural springs. Lake Apopka received $5 million.
Environmental groups filed a lawsuit against the legislature in 2015 claiming that lawmakers improperly spent money on issues like agency expenses. Layne Smith, a Leon County Circuit Judge, rejected the lawsuit on Jan. 3. He said that the funds had already been spent.
Last week, environmental groups filed motions for reconsideration.
David Cullen is a lobbyist for Sierra Club. He said Tuesday that the Heartland proposal in front of the Senate committee is an example why the lawsuit was filed.
Cullen stated that $20 million could be used annually to fund projects such as drinking water supply, stormwater and flooding control, environmental restoration and preservation, and Cullen pointed out that this amount is included in the Heartland Protection and Sustainability Act. The categories I listed for the first three, stormwater and flooding control, wastewater, are clearly not appropriate.
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
