Florida Forever is the state’s land acquisition and management program. It has enjoyed bipartisan support for many years, going through several iterations – as Preservation 2000, and now Florida Forever.
Over 10-million acres of conservation lands are managed by Florida, and 2.5-million of those were purchased by either Preservation 2000 or Florida Forever.
Historically, these programs enjoyed substantial funding from the Florida legislature, averaging $300-million a year in appropriations. Unfortunately, since 2009, that appropriation has dropped to between $8-million and $17-million per year.
Due to the lack of funding, a coalition of conservation groups, including the Conservancy, ran a petition drive and garnered support for passing an historic amendment to Florida’s constitution which dedicates one-third of the existing documentary stamp tax specifically for Florida Forever, and other conservation initiatives.
The Florida Water and Land Legacy Amendment passed in 2014 with an overwhelming 75% of the vote.
The Conservancy and other conservation groups are now challenged with ensuring that the funding designated by Amendment 1 is distributed by the legislature according to the letter and spirit of the amendment language.