Florida’s prime environmental teams are encouraging the Legislature to completely fund state parks this 12 months.
A complete of 32 organizations signed onto a letter to Senate President Ben Albritton and Home Speaker Daniel Perez, simply as legislative leaders made clear that funds talks will head into extra time.
“Florida’s beloved state parks are essential infrastructure supporting the state’s tourism economic system, ingesting water, storm safety, wildlife, and public well being, and but the present funds proposals fail to adequately meet the pressing restore wants inside our state parks,” the letter reads.
“Florida’s state parks for years ranked among the many greatest within the nation and are important financial engines for surrounding communities. However the system now faces a considerable upkeep backlog. Deferred upkeep doesn’t get monetary savings — it multiplies prices. Repairs turn into replacements, amenities shut, customer experiences decline, and native tourism economies endure.”
The teams advised the present Home and Senate budgets shorted the wants of state parks.
“On the present $25 million proposed within the Home and Senate budgets, it will take 30 years to perform the overall quantity of repairs beneficial within the Division of Environmental Safety (DEP) report ($759 million) that was launched final 12 months,” the letter states.
“At $50 million within the Governor’s funds, it will take 15 years to perform that complete quantity of repairs. Our state parks deserve higher.”
The Sierra Membership despatched the letter to press, and Sierra Membership Florida Chapter Director Susannah Randolph was amongst these signing.
A number of Audubon Society leaders in Florida additionally had their names on the letter, together with Southeast Volusia Audubon Society’s Marsha Cox; South Florida Audubon Society Chief Working Officer Doug Younger; Tropical Audubon Society Government Director Lauren Jonaitis; and West Volusia Audubon Society Vice President and Conservation Chair Stephen Kintner.
A number of different statewide organizations have been a part of the hassle as effectively.
Signers included: Surfrider Basis Florida Coverage Supervisor Katie Bauman; IDEAS For Us Chief Operations Officer Caroline Chomanics; The Downriver Venture Director Gil Damon; Sea Turtle Conservancy Coverage Coordinator Stacey Gallagher; Earth Ethics environmental scientist Mary Gutierrez; Pals of Wakulla Springs State Park President Julie Harrington; Florida Native Plant Society President Gene Kelly; VoteWater Government Director Gil Good; Maintain The Line Coalition Coverage Director Josh Sproat; Environmental Issues Contracting and Consulting President and CEO Pauline Irene Stacey; Florida Native Plant Society President Karen Walter; and Florida Middle for Fiscal and Financial Coverage Government Director Karen Woodall.
Signatories additionally included regional group leaders, together with: Kissimmee Waterkeeper John Capece; RURL Residents United for Rural Levy Government Director Laura Catlow; Florida Keys Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America President Michael F. Chenoweth; Pals of Biscayne Bay Government Coordinator Valeria Donets; Wakulla Springs Alliance Chair Chad Hanson; League of Ladies Voters of Citrus County 1st President Vicky Iozzia; Pals of Oleta River State Park Vice President Nina Jackson; Conservancy of Southwest Florida Environmental Coverage Director Nicole Johnson; Florida Native Plant Society Palm Seashore County Chapter President Rebekah Kaufman; Halifax River Audubon Co-conservation Chair Melissa Lammers; Our Santa Fe River President Rick Lanese; WWALS Watershed Coalition Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman; Florida Native Plant Society Sarracenia Chapter President Jack Richardson; Florida Native Plant Society Citrus Chapter President Pleasure Semelka; and Local weather Actuality Venture North Broward and Palm Seashore County co-Chair Susan Steinhauser.
The organizations stated sources exist to satisfy environmental wants within the state.
“There may be cash at hand to spend on state park facility and accessibility enhancements. The statutorily uncommitted funds within the Land Acquisition Belief Fund (LATF) are projected to be $824.7 million for the approaching fiscal 12 months (2026-27),” the letter reads.
“In actual fact, the uncommitted funding goes up by $30 million in comparison with the earlier fiscal 12 months. As such, budgeting a minimum of $100 million for state parks facility enhancements, and $20 million particularly for accessibility upgrades to adjust to the Individuals with Disabilities Act (ADA), is completely possible.”
