“These bills reflect a piecemeal approach to environmental spending,” said Eric Draper, executive director of Audubon Florida. “Amendment 1 was an invitation to legislators to review and prioritize land and water conservation, Everglades restoration and coastal protection. But the big question of environmental infrastructure spending suffers from short-term thinking.”
The trust fund dollars are raised through real-estate documentary-stamp taxes, known as “doc stamps.” The voter-approved constitutional amendment directs 33 percent of the “doc stamp” tax revenue into the trust fund for 20 years.
Some key lawmakers have objected to using the money for land acquisition, contending the state already has more land in its inventory that it can manage. Meanwhile, they started to slice parts of the trust fund into long-term commitments last year.
A law titled “Legacy Florida” dedicates up to $200 million a year toward Everglades and Lake Okeechobee projects out of the money put into the trust fund annually. The law also directs $50 million a year for the state’s natural springs and $5 million each year for Lake Apopka.
