FINAL PASSAGE OF THE FLORIDA KEYS STEWARDSHIP ACT TODAY!

The Florida Keys Stewardship Act has been passed into law today. Enactment of this bill codifies into law the importance of the Florida Keys, and lays the foundation for future state investments. The bill represents a significant policy shift in state law towards protecting the Keys’ nearshore waters and lands and recognizes the importance of land acquisition, and canals and stormwater as critical needs.

This legislative session, the Florida Legislature has stood behind the Florida Keys, casting their vote in favor of the Florida Keys Stewardship Act. By voting in favor of the Florida Keys Stewardship Act, the Legislature has wholeheartedly agreed that the Florida Keys are greatly important to the State of Florida; thereby, signifying the need to ensure its protection and preservation by putting it into law.

The entire Keys’ legislative team led by Representative Raschein worked throughout the session to raise awareness of the environmental and economic significance of the Florida Keys, and we’ve successfully sparked a transparent and critical conversation on difficult topics, such as land acquisition and water quality.

With passage of the bill, the Florida Keys will receive $5M for critical water quality projects and a $5M for land acquisition in a recurring set-aside in Florida Forever. The passage of the Act ensures we have an avenue to pursue increased future funding for the Florida Keys. We have the “bucket” in place, and now each year we will lobby state lawmakers to fill it. The only member of the 120-member House of Representatives who received a larger allocation for water projects was the Speaker himself.

The $5M recurring set-aside in Florida Forever reinstates a historic set-aside once enjoyed by the Florida Keys. Last year when the Florida Forever program was rewritten, the Legislature removed all set-asides and told us that there would not be any set-asides for any programs in the state going forward The Stewardship bill not only reinstates the set-aside, but increases it from $3 million to $5 million

The bill also ushers in a host of statutory changes that will facilitate more aggressive land purchase by the County and the Land Authority and save costs; provide the local governments in the Keys a right of first refusal for lands surplused by the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and DEP; and require Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to consider the purchase of lands recommended by local governments in the Keys.

Building a legacy for the Florida Keys takes time and we are committed to continuing to advocate on behalf of the Keys as national treasure and statewide economic diver.

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