Action Alert! Help ensure the Florida legislature spends Amendment 1 money the right way

January 16, 2015

UPDATE! Join STC in Tallahassee on February 18, 2015 for a rally to show your support for Amendment 1 and what it means for protecting our treasured natural areas! Florida’s sea turtles need clean water and healthy beaches! Even if you are unable to attend the rally, you can still help by sending your comments to the senate.

Learn more here: http://org2.salsalabs.com/o/5215/p/salsa/web/common/public/content?content_item_KEY=11817

AMENDMENT 1 – Preserves and Parks, NOT Pipes!

Thanks to the support of voters like you, the Water and Land Conservation Amendment passed on Nov. 4, 2014 by an overwhelming 75 percent majority!

Amendment 1 is our best opportunity to keep drinking water clean, protect our rivers, lakes, and springs, restore natural treasures like the Everglades, and protect our beaches and shores—without any increase in new taxes. It is the largest state conservation funding measure in the history of the United States.

Photo by Alachua Conservation Trust

Amendment 1 calls for renewed state spending on water and land conservation including restoring and protecting water resources, preserving critical habitat, providing access to public lands and state parks, and keeping working lands, farms and forests as part of Florida’s rural landscapes. That means a better future for Florida, its citizens, and for Florida’s ecosystems and the wildlife that depend on them such as sea turtles.

Protecting and cleaning our rivers, springs and estuaries will result in healthier marine environments for sea turtles. Protecting beaches and adding to beachfront public parks through acquisition will improve nesting habitat.

So now what?

It’s now up to you, the voters, to tell the Florida legislature to implement Amendment 1 as the people intended; for water and land conservation. By speaking directly to our elected officials, we can help ensure that these funds are put toward the protection of Florida’s natural resources.

The Florida Senate is now seeking public input on how best to allocate the money approved through Amendment 1. You can click here to submit your comments and tell your elected officials how and why these funds should be used as they were intended. You can also click here to find out who your State Representative or Senator is. Below are some talking points to assist you:

TREMENDOUS POPULAR SUPPORT

Voters approved Amendment 1 by an overwhelming 75%.

CLEAR AND DIRECT LANGUAGE

The amendment language is clear and was drawn from existing statutes governing conservation.
It provides a straightforward set of priorities for spending existing documentary stamp taxes on water and land conservation, by specifically invoking statutory language relating to existing conservation programs like Florida Forever, Florida Communities Trust, and Everglades Restoration.
Throughout all stages of the campaign to pass Amendment 1, the Sponsor Committee’s voter education and outreach emphasized the need for Amendment 1 to renew funding to these existing programs.

PROTECTING WATER AT THE SOURCE

Photo by Florida’s Water Land Legacy

Protecting conservation lands is essential to protecting our water resources. We must protect our waters at the source.
Development is on the rise, and Amendment 1 is intended to strike the right balance between development and conservation. We must invest in our undeveloped natural areas before they are gone and should avoid allocating Amendment 1 funds towards projects that would promote imprudent development.
In addition to preserving natural areas that protect our water supply, Amendment 1 is also intended to fund ecosystem restoration projects.

ALTERNATIVE FUNDING SOURCES FOR WASTE WATER AND WATER SUPPLY NEEDS

Other, existing non-Amendment 1 sources of funding (such as the Clean Water State Revolving Fund) are available and should be utilized to address the significant and costly waste water infrastructure and water supply issues facing our state.
While waste water and water supply infrastructure are important, there are other sources of funding that would be more appropriate to meet those needs than Amendment 1. The voters did not intend for Amendment 1 funds to be used on large waste water infrastructure projects that are the responsibility of local governments.

NO IMPACT ON OTHER IMPORTANT SERVICES

Amendment 1 does not take away from other vital programs like housing and transportation, which are also partly funded through Documentary Stamps.
Documentary stamp tax revenues are projected to increase, so the overall “pie” available for conservation, housing, and transportation is growing.
Amendment 1 allocates less than 1% of the state’s total budget to fund existing conservation programs.

Photo by Courtney Huisman

Amendment 1 puts a lot at stake for Florida’s land, water, natural resources and wildlife. If we could join forces with the same passion we used to pass Amendment 1, we can help provide a better, more prosperous future for all of us.

To provide comments to the state senate committee about the Water and Land Conservation Amendment, visit http://www.flsenate.gov/media/topics/wl.

To learn more about Amendment 1 and where we go from here visit The Florida Water & Land Legacy website at http://yes1fl.org/tools15. Florida’s Water and Land Legacy is the sponsoring committee of Amendment 1, the Water and Land Conservation Amendment, which was approved by more than 4.2 million voters in the November 2014 election. It represents a coalition of more than 400 organizations (including the Sea turtle Conservancy) and businesses and more than 50,000 citizens from across the state.

Posted in Florida, General, Get Involved, Policy|