Legislature grants $625 million for Everglades
Florida’s Everglades is one of the rarest and most unique biodiversity hotspots on the planet. In addition to its abundant wildlife and plant habitat, the Everglades also provides storm protection from hurricane surge and flooding, as well as supports our economy through Florida’s $9.2 billion saltwater fishing industry.
Everglades restoration is a bipartisan issue and key component of dealing with nutrient pollution in the Caloosahatchee watershed that can result in toxic blue-green algae, red tides, seagrass die-offs, and other ecological disasters.
We noted in our legislative wrap-up that the final budget had $50 million set aside in the general fund. However, when added together, project and funding included in the 2023-24 state budget for Everglades restoration totals $625 million:
– $428 million from the Land Acquisition Trust Fund
– $50.8 million from the General Fund
– $76.2 million from the Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Fund
– $70 million for the C-51 Reservoir (an Everglades Restoration project through the South Florida Water Management District)
This legislative session also saw the removal of a harmful amendment to SB 540 — Local Government Comprehensive Plans — that would have given away important lands that are necessary for restoration. While the bill ultimately passed, the harmful amendment was removed. The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation still strongly opposes the bill, and if you haven’t already joined the effort to ask the governor for a veto, please do so by visiting https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Action-Alert-Ask-Governor-to-VETO-SB-540.html?soid=1129379829417&aid=PsejDNnBZGM.
We hope you will join SCCF next year during the legislative session as we reinstate our first post-pandemic “Everglades Action Days” in Tallahassee to promote the continued commitment and funding levels to fully restore our greatest resource, the Florida Everglades.
Thank you for your interest in the state legislative process. Your voices have made an impact with our lawmakers and in-turn made our community stronger.
Visit the 2023 SCCF Legislative Tracker at https://www.sccf.org/our-work/environmental-policy.
Founded in 1967, the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation’s mission is to protect and care for Southwest Florida’s coastal ecosystems. For more information, visit www.sccf.org.
To reach SANIBEL-CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION, please email