Conservationists wonder where Amendment 1 funds will go

Published: Saturday, December 13, 2014 at 11:12 p.m. Last Modified: Saturday, December 13, 2014 at 11:12 p.m.

Advocates for the referendum say the strong Election Day showing 75 percent support is a statement that voters want officials in Tallahassee to reinstate money for conservation programs that had proven track records for decades before they were largely defunded in the wake of the recession.

Those initiatives include Florida Forever, which once received $300 million annually, the Florida Communities Trust land acquisition fund for local governments and environmental nonprofits, Save Our Rivers and the Surface Water Improvement and Management Program for impaired water bodies.

Will Abberger, the campaign manager of the political committee that launched the voter petition drive to get the referendum on the ballot, said Amendment 1 is intended to put additional wildlife habitat and land near water resources into protection and to meet unfunded needs to manage conservation land through ecological restoration, the removal of invasive plant species and the provision of public access, including trail systems. The cleanup of Indian River Lagoon and the restoration of the Everglades are specific large projects in the mix, he said.

Skeptical conservation advocates, the Alachua County Commission and the Florida Association of Counties have all come out in opposition to the possibility of the Legislature and governor using money set aside by the amendment at least 33 percent of the revenues raised from the state document stamp tax on real estate transactions and loan documents to replace any of what the state currently spends on beach re-nourishment, springs protection or other environmental programs.

Some of the driving forces behind Amendment 1, including Abberger and Alachua County Commissioner Robert Hutch Hutchinson, also do not want to see millions of dollars set aside by the amendment put toward the construction or expansion of sewer systems on the rationale that they protect the springs by taking out nitrate-seeping septic tanks.

It remains to be seen what will happen with Amendment 1 funds next session or over the next 20 years, when projections have the measure generating anywhere from $10 billion to $18 billion.

Two lawmakers representing Alachua County, state Rep. Keith Perry, R-Gainesville, and state Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Orange Park, said they want robust discussion and public input before making a decision.

I think it is way too premature for any of us in the Legislature to make judgments until we hear from our colleagues and from the citizens of the state of Florida on what is the appropriate use of these funds, Bradley said.

At this point, there are several indications that some of the money could indeed end up going toward sewer projects or other areas that amendment proponents feel have questionable conservation value.

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Conservationists wonder where Amendment 1 funds will go