In 2021, $400 million was approved by lawmakers for land conservation projects. Most of that money came from the federal American Rescue Plan money. Florida Forever, the state’s main land-buying program, was also approved with $100 million.
Next year, Gov. Ron DeSantis has requested $600million for Everglades projects, $300million for water projects and $100 million for land conservation.
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Paul Owens, president of smart-growth advocacy group 1,000 Friends of Florida, said that even this is only a small part of the overall picture.
He said that millions of acres worth billions of dollars have been identified by state agencies and water management district to be conserved and protected.
The state’s chief economist predicted last year that it would take 370+ years to preserve all land in Florida.
The landmark Florida 2070 study by the group looked at land use projections. It found that within 50 years, one third of the state would have been paved over.
Florida Matters Tuesday night at 6:30 pm will provide more information about some of the most pressing issues that lawmakers are expected to address.
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