So Close to (but not quite) a Good Law for Water Conservation in Florida 

So Close to (but not quite) a Good Law for Water Conservation in Florida 

Florida’s legislature passed Senate Bill 2080 (SB 2080) on April 30, 2009, and it is currently before Governor Charlie Crist for ratification or veto.  If Governor Crist does not veto SB 2080, its effective date will be July 1, 2009.

The Good: The bill contains some great water conservation measures through promotion of “Florida Friendly” landscaping.  SB 2080 is the legislature’s endorsement of a University of Florida-designed system called “Florida-friendly landscaping.”  Florida-friendly landscaping outlines landscape design principles for private and public lands aimed at promoting efficient irrigation, minimizing the application of pesticides and fertilizers, and promoting wildlife habitat. 

If SB 2080 becomes law, a homeowner anywhere in the state could convert or maintain his or her land as a “Florida-friendly” yard without fear of violating homeowners’ association rules or even a local ordinance requiring landowners to keep their yards covered with bright green (meaning unnatural and heavily watered!) grass. 

The Bad:Traditionally, the Board of Governors, whose members are appointed by Florida’s Governor, hold public hearings on water policy that allow the citizens of Florida to express their views on these vital and sometimes controversial issues.  However, Florida’s legislature amended SB 2080 during the last days of the legislative session to eliminate this public access.  Therefore, SB 2080 will reduce public participation in the creation of Florida’s water policy and will vest the power to make sweeping decisions in the hands of a single Water Management District administrator.  This will inevitably foster bias, favoritism, and a high potential for abuse and squelching of opposing opinions by vesting too much power in one individual. 

Take Action:These misguided provisions of SB 2080 run counter to Florida’s tradition of encouraging public participation and open government.  As Florida’s water supply problems become more challenging, it is critical that our water management districts have the opportunity to hear from citizens with diverse points of view in the context of public forums.  After all, our state’s precious water resources belong to the people.

Therefore, I urge you to ask Governor Crist to veto this bill and to send the legislature the message that public policies in Florida are best when the public is allowed to participate in their creation.

You can mail a letter or send Governor Crist an email at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .  In addition, you can sign an online petition at Change.org, using the following link: http://www.change.org/actions/view/urge_floridas_governor_crist_to_veto_sb_2080

            Sean McDermott
            Public Trust Environmental Legal Institute of Florida, Extern