Florida Budget Deal Angers Environmentalists
Posted June 17, 2015 06:45 am
The lower Santa Fe River, Columbia County. (Photo:SRWMD)
TALLAHASSEE,
FL - Environmental groups are reacting angrily to
Tuesday's news of a budget deal
in Tallahassee that spends far
less on conservation than voters
expected.
Seventy-five percent of Florida
voters approved Amendment One
last November, setting aside
about $750 million this year to
buy and protect environmentally
sensitive land.
Aliki
Moncreif, executive director of
Florida's Water and Land Legacy,
says the deal goes against the
will of the voters.
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"They are proposing to spend it
on day-to-day operations of our
existing agencies," she says.
"It's a matter of, 'Hey, last
year we used to pay for this
from our general revenue, but
this year let's pay for it from
Amendment One.' We don't think
that's acceptable."
A spokesman for Florida House
Speaker Steve Crisafulli
(R-Merritt Island) notes the
legislative body did allocate
$55 million for land purchases,
but added they are more
interested in protecting land
the state already owns.
Moncrief
complains that Florida Forever,
the agency charged with
acquiring land for conservation,
is being shortchanged.
"Florida Forever used to get at
least $300 million a year for
two decades, and what they
agreed to was $17.4 million,"
she says.
Activist groups are considering
a lawsuit. The deadline to pass
the budget is Friday.
Photos/graphics; links: added/updated by the Observer
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