Completing their work on the FY 2010-11 budget late Monday, Senate and House budget negotiators have finalized consideration of $15 million for Florida Forever. This amount, and the entire budget, now receive three days of “cooling off” in both the Senate and the House before a final vote by each body on Friday.
Given the current economic and fiscal realities, this appropriation for Florida Forever represents an important statement of continuity for land protection by the state of Florida. We applaud all of you, Floridians who care deeply about the most important places in our state, for your long work. We also encourage you to thank Senator JD Alexander and Representative David Rivera, the budget conference chairs, for their support of Florida Forever.
While a small percentage of the $300 million for which Florida Forever is authorized annually, $15 million allows the program to continue and provides reason for optimism for the future. All of us – and many, many other Floridians – will continue to work to make Florida Forever a success and to build support for this critical program.