Save the Real Florida: Fully Fund Florida Forever!
Five years after the overwhelming passage of the Water and Land Conservation constitutional amendment, 123 organizations and businesses, representing Floridians across the state, sent a letter to Governor Ron DeSantis, Senate President Bill Galvano, Speaker Jose Oliva, Senator Rob Bradley and Representative Travis Cummings urging legislative action to restore full funding for the Florida Forever land conservation program annually.
Read the letter here
Days of Action
You are invited to attend statewide days of action on December 13 & 14 in support of full funding for the Florida Forever program, which provides money to several different State agencies for land acquisition. Diverse organizations representing concerned Floridians all over the state will gather to demand increased conservation funding levels from our state legislators. For more information about an event near you, visit the following event pages here:
Join the Campaign
Tell a friend!
Talk to your loved ones about the importance of land conservation and encourage them to learn more about protected lands near you. You can use the images above to share on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more.
#FullyFundFloridaForever #FFDaysOfAction #RealFlorida #Florida Forever
2. Add this Facebook Frame to your Profile Picture
To add a frame, click here: Facebook Profile Pic Frames
- Search for 'Florida Forever.' The first option to appear, by Florida Conservation Coalition, is the correct frame.
-There will be an option to switch back to your previous profile picture. Please either select a custom date for AFTER the Florida Forever Days of Action on December 13 & 14, or click ‘Never’ to disable the automatic switch back setting.
-If adding the frame to a page you manage, look for a toggle option in the lower lefthand corner of the screen where you will be able to switch between your personal profile and the page profile.
3. Contact Your Legislators
Find our who your State Senator & Representative(s) are here.
You can download the contact information for your State Senator and Representative by clicking here.
If you call your Senator or Representative’s office, a staff member is likely to answer the phone. Treat staff members with the utmost respect. Ask to speak with your Senator or Representative. If they are unavailable, leave a message with the staff person or the office’s answering machine.
Briefly explain why land conservation is important to you. Follow up with your legislators’ office at least once a month to see if there has been any progress on this issue and remind them how important it is to you.
Send your legislator newspaper articles and opinion pieces that echo the importance of land conservation and the need to dedicate funding annually to land conservation programs. Share these articles on social media as well.
4. Write an Opinion Piece
Write an opinion piece for your local newspaper in support of annually fully funding the Florida Forever program. The Talking Points (below) can provide inspiration. If you’d like assistance with editing or submitting the opinion piece, contact the FCC.
For inspiration, check out a few articles by FCC members:
To protect Florida’s environment, fully fund Florida Forever by Estus Whitfield
Why won’t the Florida Legislature fund land conservation by Will Abberger
Florida, allocate enough funds to land conservation to make a difference by Gladys Delgadillo
Protect Florida’s legacy - it’s lands and waters by Senator Bob Graham (April 2017)
Restore Florida Forever Funds, fellow Republicans by Commissioner Lee Constantine (April 2017)
Talking Points
To download the following talking points on the importance of land conservation and the Florida Forever program, click here
Land Conservation is in the Constitution
· It’s been FIVE years since over 75% of Florida voters approved the Water and Land Conservation Amendment with the primary purpose of restoring land conservation funding. Each year their calls for protecting rural and natural lands have been woefully shortchanged.
FWC Photo
FWC photo by Rebekah Nelson at Falling waters state park
Conservation Expenditures Have Not Kept Up with Population Growth/Development
· At current expenditure rates, the Office of Economic and Demographic Research (EDR) estimates that acquiring the conservation lands identified in State priority lists (including the Florida Forever, Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, and Water Management District priority lists) would require nearly $12.3 billion and take about 172 years. Florida does not have 172 years to acquire priority lands. Natural and working lands are being developed at a rate equivalent to 10 acres an hour.
Voters Consistently Support Land Conservation Funding
· 1998 – 2019: 93 of the 113 (82%) state or local land conservation ballot measures that have been placed on the ballot have been approved by the voters.[1]
FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
FWC photo by Karen Parker of Manatee Springs
Benefits of Land Conservation
Protected lands provide important services:
· Water Supply: Natural lands allow rainwater to percolate into our underground aquifers. 90% of Floridians obtain their drinking water from Florida’s aquifers and these aquifers also feed Florida’s world-class springs.
· Air & Water Quality: Conserved lands naturally filter out pollutants in our air and water. Plants can remove excess nutrients in stormwater before it reaches our surface waters or aquifers. Excess nutrients are responsible for toxic algae blooms like those in Lake Okeechobee, the Indian River Lagoon, the St. Johns River and numerous springs.
· Climate Change: Conserved lands mitigate the effects of climate change by absorbing carbon and acting as a buffer during extreme weather events. One acre of wetland can store 1 – 1.5 million gallons of floodwater! Mangroves reduce wind speed and wave damage during storms and can allow soil to build up over time, which will be critical as sea levels rise.
· Wildlife: We are currently in the midst of the world’s 6th mass extinction event.[2] Protected lands provide vital habitat for wildlife, including Florida’s many imperiled species. Native wildlife, including black bears and Florida panthers, are threatened by increasing habitat fragmentation. It is necessary to connect protected lands statewide in order to provide migration pathways for wildlife and ensure the genetic viability of Florida’s wildlife populations. Dr. E. O. Wilson, professor emeritus at Harvard University, recommends that humans conserve 50% of the earth’s land and waters to protect biodiversity.
· Agriculture: Conserving working agricultural lands helps ranchers and farmers sustain their way of life and provide locally produced food for our citizens. It also protects ecosystem services on these lands from being lost to development.
· Tourism and Recreation: Natural lands offer residents and visitors of Florida countless recreational opportunities including fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing, hiking, horseback riding, kayaking, and swimming. In Florida, outdoor recreation generates $58.6 billion in consumer spending and $3.5 billion in state and local tax revenue.[3] Wildlife viewing contributes $4.9 billion annually to Florida’s economy.[4] Florida’s state parks had a direct economic impact of $2.4 billion in 2018.[5] Fishing in Florida has an economic impact of over $8 billion annually.[6]
· Quality of Life: Protected lands provide opportunities for exercise, recreation, and meditative experiences. Several scientific studies have concluded that spending time in nature is beneficial for people’s health and well-being.[7],[8],[9],[10]
· Cost Savings: Conserving land is less expensive and more effective than providing the ecosystem services that natural lands provide through artificial means, by imposing regulations, or attempting complex restoration and infrastructure projects.
· Defense: The military needs natural lands to buffer their bases in order to run simulations and test equipment without interfering with civilian life.
Florida Natural Areas Inventory: Florida Conservation Lands interactive web map. Click to explore.
Florida Forever Projects
Florida Forever funds helped permanently protect natural lands across the state. To view conservation lands near you, check out the Florida Natural Inventory web map tool here.
The Florida Forever Priority List details the projects that need funding. To view, visit the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Florida Forever Five-Year Plan (link here, page 58, large file-loads slowly).
[1] The Trust for Public Land. LandVote: Measures> History – Florida. Accessed at https://tpl.quickbase.com/db/bbqna2qct?a=dbpage&pageID=8 on April 2, 2019.
[2]http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/biodiversity/elements_of_biodiversity/extinction_crisis/
[3] https://outdoorindustry.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/OIA_RecEcoState_FL.pdf
[4] http://myfwc.com/about/overview/
[5]https://floridastateparksfoundation.org/Impact
[6] http://myfwc.com/about/overview/
[7] http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0272494495900012
[8] http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02225.x
[9] http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0269215511412800
[10]https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/enhance-your-wellbeing/environment/nature-and-us/how-does-nature-impact-our-wellbeing