Florida Forever is the state’s land acquisition and management program. It is a willing-seller program providing landowners the choice to conserve their environmentally sensitive land and gift the benefits of the land to all Floridians. Priority properties for purchase under this program are determined through a rigorous, scientific process by the Acquisition and Restoration Council, which includes representatives from the Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Forest Service, and the public. The program has enjoyed bipartisan support for many years, going through several iterations – as Preservation 2000 for example, and now Florida Forever.
Historically, these programs enjoyed substantial funding from the Florida legislature, averaging $300-million a year in appropriations. During the recent economic recession, however, funding plummeted. When rapid growth returned to Florida, but funding for land conservation programs did not, a coalition of conservation groups, including the Conservancy, ran a petition drive and garnered support for passing an historic amendment to Florida’s constitution with the primary purpose of restoring funding for conservation land acquisition.
The Florida Water and Land Conservation Amendment dedicates one-third of the existing documentary stamp taxes on real estate transactions specifically for Florida Forever, and other conservation initiatives, thus allowing growth to help pay for conservation. The Amendment, also known as Amendment 1, passed in 2014 with an overwhelming 75% of the vote. Proceeds from the Amendment are distributed to the Land Acquisition Trust Fund every year throughout the life of the Amendment, which expires in 2035.
Unfortunately, land conservation allocations since passage of the Amendment, from the Land Acquisition Trust Fund, have consistently failed to live up to the will of Florida’s voters. 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.
The Conservancy supports the immediate passage of legislation to annually dedicate the largest percentage of funds in the Land Acquisition Trust Fund to Florida’s conservation land acquisition programs. Allocations to these programs, including the Florida Forever Priority List, should begin in 2019.