It Gets Better - Rousing Debate on Senate Floor Shows Your Calls Were Heard

Reprinted from the Audubon Advocate Budget Bills Update – Senate Improves, House Numbers are Better  The House and Senate voted out appropriations bills this week. The Senate had a rousing debate on a proposed amendment by Senator Thad Altman (R-Cape Canaveral) to use proceeds from Amendment 1 to bond $335 million for Florida Forever. The amendment was opposed by Senate leaders but Senator Rob Bradley (R-Orange Park) offered an alternative that was approved on voice vote. We hope Senator Altman and Senator Bradley continue advancing the Senate’s position. The House bill is much more generous to land acquisition.     HB 5001 House Appropriations Bill The House uses Florida Forever bonding authority to generate $205 million for water resource development (may include purchase of land), easements on agricultural lands, springs land acquisition and restoration projects, water quality projects of Kissimmee River restoration. Of the funds, the House budget announcement suggested that $10 million could be used for projects on the Florida Forever list. The House water bill specifically appropriates the $205 million for: $100 million – Water Management Districts – half must be spent to buy land $50 million – Springs land acquisition and capital projects $25 million – Easements on rural and family lands $20 million – Land Kissimmee River $10 million – Land acquisition less than fee or military base buffer land  Florida House Speaker Steve Crisafulli has said that at least $105 million and potentially $205 million from the House budget could be spent on land acquisition. Audubon accepts that as a credible statement.  SB 2500 Improved But Still Falls Short   The Senate does not use bonding and as a result of the Altman/Bradley amendments now provides $37 million for land acquisition plus the $20 million for Kissimmee River. Your calls to Senators Urging More Amendment 1 Funds for Florida Forever did make a difference.  Thank you Senators Thad Altman, Rob Bradely, Arthenia Joyner, Darren Soto and Oscar Braynon for standing up for Amendment 1 and Florida Forever   If you have not yet called your State Senator, please click here to find his or her contact information. Then call their Tallahassee office and say: “I am one of 4.2 million voters who voted yes for Amendment 1. I believed when voting for the amendment that it would increase funding for Florida Forever, land conservation, springs, and the Everglades. Please support amendments on the Senate floor to use Amendment 1 funds for land conservation.”   Below is a list of some of the Florida Forever projects that could be completed with Amendment 1 dollars. If a project is in your Senator's district, please mention the project by name and tell the person on the phone that you want to see this land protected. Florida Forever Project Name Districts Bombing Range Ridge Grimsley Wekiva - Ocala Greenway Hays, Hukill Lake Wales Ridge Ecosystem Galvano, Grimsley, Hays, Stargel Florida's First Magnitude Springs Dean, Hays, Montford, Simpson Northeast Fla Timberlands & Watershed Reserve Bean, Bradley, Gibson Indian River Lagoon Blueway Altman, Gardiner, Negron Adams Ranch Grimsley Fisheating Creek Galvano Lower Suwannee River and Gulf Watershed Dean Myakka Ranchlands Detert, Galvano St. Joe Timberland Gaetz, Montford Terra Ceia Galvano, Joyner Charlotte Harbor Estuary OR Benaquisto Estero Bay Benaquisto Green Swamp  Latvala, Lee, Stargel Dade County Archipelago Florida Forever BOT Project - Tropical Hammocks of the Redlands - Maddens Hammock Garcia, Braynon, de la Portilla Annutteliga Hammock Dean, Simpson Brevard Coastal Scrub Ecosystem Altman, Gardiner Florida Keys Ecosystem Bullard Northeast Florida Blueway Bean, Gibson Apalachicola River Montford Wakulla Springs Protection Zone Montford Tiger Cattle Company Ranch Grimsley Escribano Point Evers

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