Floridians support preserving the state’s wild and open spaces. It’s not just talk, either. They have voted to allocate their tax dollars on buying and protecting land in sensitive areas.
They understand that as the population grows, they risk getting overrun by the four horsemen of Florida’s population boom — McMansions, “mixed-used’’ retail complexes, six-lane roads and sprawl.
They understand the link between the outdoors and quality of life. They want places to play, places to canoe and spot a manatee, places to hunt and catch a largemouth bass. They like the idea of wildlife having enough room to roam and flourish. They also understand that there aren’t many do-overs when it comes to the environment. Protect it now or spend a fortune fixing it later.
In 2014, for instance, voters overwhelmingly passed an amendment to allocate $300 million annually to buy and protect land. Lawmakers largely ignored the voters’ wishes and even spent taxpayer dollars to fight in court. After years, they finally relented.
This year, they went back to their short-sighted ways and allocated only $18 million for the Florida Forever preservation program. “Forever” in Florida costs a lot more than that.
The Florida Wildlife Corridor is one of those arduous projects that will pay longterm dividends. Preserving land in this fashion bolsters our quality of life. Our children’s children will be thankful the state had the foresight to protect our shared lands. But it won’t happen if the state fails to provide consistent leadership and funding. Land is unlikely to be cheaper in the future. Now is not the time to let up.
“We have a beautiful state — obviously a lot of people want to be here,” DeSantis said in a budget signing ceremony. “But you got to balance that with making sure the state doesn’t end up just concrete, right?”
Yes, that’s right. And lawmakers should keep that in mind next time they try to divert money intended for the wildlife corridor.
