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Legislative Update

Here is an update on what is happening in Tallahassee by our friends at the Audubon Society. Many of these bills have the potential to directly impact our ability to protect our lands and waters here in Northeast Florida, so I encourage you to read this and let your legislators know your thoughts. QM 3/31/08.

House Committee Considers Not Funding Florida Forever and Everglades



     The House Environment and Natural Resource Council considered a proposal this week to eliminate funds for Florida Forever and the Everglades. The proposed budget would save $16 million in general revenue this year, but setback state land conservation and Everglades restoration plans by $500 million this year and break a two decade commitment to land conservation and the Everglades. 
     The Senate General Government Appropriations Committee recommended funding Florida Forever at $300 million but cutting Everglades spending in half with only $100 million.

Act Now!  Write your House member and tell them that it is unacceptable to zero out Florida Forever and the Everglades! Tell your House member not to close the door on the Everglades and Florida Forever funding.

 

House and Senate Workshop Florida Forever Proposals – Developers and Marine Industry Use House Bill to Get at State Lands



     Against the budget cutting background, the House Conservation and State Lands Committee and the Senate Environmental Protection Committee workshopped bills to extend Florida Forever. Both bills proposed extending Florida Forever at its current amount of $300 million and encouraging process changes along with spending more on working and rural lands. However, the House proposal ENRC 08-9 opened Florida Forever and public lands to uses inconsistent with the very notion of conservation. The House proposal would turn lands intended for wildlife habitat into dumping grounds for gopher tortoises evicted from proposed developments. 

     While moving tortoises is humane, and way better than the developers’ former strategy of burying them alive, this new proposal would still result in a net loss of gopher tortoise habitat that sustains so many other upland species. This bad idea would save developers money but not save any more land through the mitigation process.

     The Marine Industry is also proposing to turn parks into public marinas wherever possible. The predatory boater lobby, which has never advocated for conservation lands, has no problem now asking the public to abandon the purpose for which the lands were protected. 

     Developers and water supply utilities are also pushing a proposal to allow wellfields and reservoirs to be located on conservation lands, including lands that were purchased to protect the very water resources that the utilities and developers propose to harm with wellfields and reservoirs.
     SB 474 by Sen. Burt Saunders is a more thoughtful bill that reforms the way the state buys land. Audubon is supporting the Saunders proposal.


Energy – House Supports Nukes and Powerlines on Public Lands, Senate Supports Conservation and Solar

     The House Environment and Natural Resources Council passed along its Energy Package – PCB ENRC 08-01. The bill makes it easier to locate powerlines on public lands (the Senate has the same provision) and promotes ratepayer subsidies for expensive new powerplants while telling local governments they have little say in zoning. Notably, the House bill does little to encourage energy conservation.   

     The Senate Energy bill SB 1544 by Senator Burt Saunders is a better environmental bill and reflects many of Governor Charlie Crist’s priorities. The bill will encourage utility sponsored energy efficiency programs and encourages renewable energy with a strong emphasis on solar. 
     Audubon is working with Allies to eliminate language that might grant ownership in public lands for powerlines and transmission lines.

 

Bills Limit Local Environmental Protection – Rock Miners, Fertilizer Companies, Power Companies, Developers Take Aim at Local Environmental Laws



ENCR 08-13 and SB 774 Rock Mining – The House is considering a version of the Senate bill, which stops short of preempting local government decisions. Audubon is advocating for tighter state rules.

 

HB 1267 and SB 2352 – The House and Senate bills are similar in making an insufficient model ordinance the ceiling for local fertilizer rules.  The fertilizer industry has pushed the bill hard and it may be hard to stop. If you care about this issue, contact members of the Senate Environmental Preservation Committee (insert link).

 

HB 761 and SB 2060 – Under the guise of farmland protection, these bills will eliminate local government wetlands protection on agricultural land.
 
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