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Advocates Planning Florida Forever Rescue In 2018

Jason Dearen
/
AP

Advocates are developing a Florida Forever rescue strategy for next year, even before Governor Rick Scott weighs in on the Legislature’s $82.4 billion spending plan.

The iconic land preservation fund received zero dollars, despite Amendment 1’s overwhelming mandate.

1000 Friends of Florida’s Ryan Smart is organizing a strategy session for environmentalists next month.

“Land conservation, Florida Forever, has not been the most salient issue that legislators have been dealing with. So that’s why we need to make this the most important issue, make it the most critical issue, and have a session dedicated to really doing what Amendment 1 was intended to do, which was restoring Florida Forever funding.”

Environmentalists are also upset that a statewide ban on hydraulic fracturing failed to pass, despite widespread bi-partisan support in both chambers.

Some environmental groups are challenging legislative appropriations in court.

A Miami native, former WFSU reporter Jim Ash is an award-winning journalist with more than 20 years of experience, most of it in print. He has been a member of the Florida Capital Press Corps since 1992.