June 2, 2017 9:30 a.m.
On May 30, 2017, the Florida Conservation Coalition, a coalition of 80 conservation-minded organizations, sent a letter to Governor Rick Scott, Speaker Richard Corcoran, and Senate President Joe Negron requesting that any proclamation convening a special session of the Florida Legislature include restoring funding to the Florida Forever program. The 2018 budget proposed by the Florida House and Senate zeroes out funding for Florida Forever priority projects and the Florida Communities Trust program.
The letter, signed by former Florida Governor Bob Graham, asks for the first $300 million vetoed from the budget by Governor Scott to be appropriated to fund land conservation through the Florida Forever priority acquisition list, the Florida Communities Trust program, and the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program.
“A special session would give the legislature an opportunity to redeem itself with Florida voters by restoring Florida Forever funding,” said Former Florida Governor and FCC Chairman Bob Graham. “Once again, the Legislature ignored the public and zeroed out Florida Forever funding, abandoning the 75% of voters in the 2014 election who voted to protect our endangered lands and waters from development and ruin. They should come back and finish the job Floridians sent them to Tallahassee to do.”
“Speaker Corcoran and President Negron have an opportunity to turn back the clock and undo what I called the ‘lost year for Floridians,’ by fully funding Florida Forever. This is a golden chance; they should make the most of it.” – FCC Vice Chairmen Nathaniel Reed