Topic: State lands

Springs supporters were stymied in efforts to get more money to protect north Florida springs but a powerful ally in the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee secured funding for the Everglades and Indian River Lagoon during the 2014 Legislative Session.

The Senate includes no new money for conservation land buying. Appropriations Chairman Joe Negron said he's hoping to spend more to protect the Indian River Lagoon. "There's a delicate balance between Lagoon funding and the overall Florida Forever funding," said Negron.

HB 1153 and SB 1194 would establish standard reporting requirements for citizen support organizations and direct support organizations and a process for sunset review by the Legislature every five years. Friends of Florida State Parks is concerned the sunset review could discourage donors from giving money for state park projects.

HB 493 provides for appeals to the governor and Cabinet for decisions involving state park historical monuments. The measure was offered in response to a request to erect a memorial to fallen Union solders at the site of the Olustee Battlefield. Rep. Elizabeth Porter, R-Lake City, voted against the bill and called it a "knee-jerk reaction" to a single incident.

Sen. Alan Hays, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government, said Wednesday that 47 percent of Florida is government conservation land. But he later added some parcels were counted twice and that he also relied on other figures that were inflated. Hays' subcommittee recommended no new revenue for the state land buying program.

The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government recommended a budget that includes $40 million for land-buying with revenue coming from the sale of conservation lands. That's less than the $70 million requested by Gov. Rick Scott and recommended by a House budget subcommittee chairman.

The amendment by Rep. Carey Pigman, R-Sebring, would increase the number of balloons that can be released under state law from 10 to 100 but only for funerals, memorials and church events. "If we object to 100 balloons, then why do we allow a lot of what else happens?" Pigman said.

A critic of the land review process says the effort has helped silence legislators and others who said Florida had bought vast amounts of land that was not needed for conservation.

Some legislative leaders and pundits say there will be a focus on water in the 2014 legislative session but it looks increasingly like the focus will be on money -- for environmental protection and restoration.

Democrats including Rep. Mark Pafford, D-West Palm Beach, chided Scott proposals, saying more money should be put into education, health care services and environmental programs.

In his FY 2013-14 budget request, Gov. Rick Scott requests $30 million in new revenue for the Florida Forever land-buying program plus $40 million from the sale of nonconservation lands. Laurie Macdonald of the Florida Forever Coalition says money from land sales is a good source but also is uncertain. ... Related Research: Jan. 29, 2014 Florida DEP press release on Gov. Rick Scott's 2014-15 budget request.

The amendment proposed by environmental groups for the 2014 general election ballot would provide one-third of the state documentary stamp tax revenue for conservation spending, or nearly $1 billion a year over 20 years. "I'm troubled by writing into the constitution elements of the budget," Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said. ... Related Research: Nov. 19, 2013 Florida's Water and Land Legacy announcement of signatures gathered.

No reason for the increase was given but Gov. Rick Scott said efforts to enhance parks are working. Park attendance was 21.6 million, breaking the previous record set in 2008-09 by 164,431.

The 2013-14 state budget allowed DEP to sell up to $50 million worth of land no longer needed for conservation and use it to buy more conservation land. "Any criticism you incurred for working with that number I think is unjust and unfair," said Sen. Alan Hays, R-Umatilla and chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government. ... Related Research: Nov. 6, 2013 DEP Division of State Lands presentation to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government.