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Senate committee passes bill restructuring public land acquisition and management

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A bill revamping the stateā€™s process of public land acquisition and management passed its first Senate committee Tuesday. LobbyTools reports that SB 1290, filed by Trilby RepublicanĀ Sen. Wilton Simpson is nearly identical to House equivalent,Ā HB 1075, filed byĀ Lehigh Acres Republican Rep. Matt Caldwell. Orlando Democratic Sen. Darren Soto submitted an amendment to strip language that would allow “an expansion of use of land acquisition dollars, Amendment 1 dollars, on water projects.” Although opposing a similar bill last year, Eric DraperĀ ofĀ Audubon…

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Senate recommends $3.6 billion for environmental agencies in 2016-17 budget

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Florida environmental agencies will have about $3.6 billion to spend in the 2016-2017 fiscal year, based on recommendations from the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government. Put together byĀ Umatilla Republican Sen. Alan Hays, the committee released itsĀ budget recommendationsĀ Thursday, reports LobbyTools. Among other things, Hays’ budget provides $1.5 billion to theĀ Department of Environmental Protection, $1.7 billion to theĀ Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service, $384.8 million to theĀ Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and $41.9 million to theĀ Department of Citrus. The Senateā€™s…

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Florida House votes 73-45 to approve fracking bill

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The state House voted 73-45 to approve a measure (HB 191) aimed at hydraulic fracturing. ā€ØThe decision came after more than an hour of debate, and now heads to the Senate. A companion measure (SB 318) has one more committee stop before it heads to the floor for a vote. ā€œThis process has taken four years. This topic has had 17 committee hearings here in the House, and three votes on the floor, after this vote today,ā€ said Rep. Ray…

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Environmentalists say water protection bill has loopholes

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A massive bill to protect Florida’s springs, waterways and groundwater appears headed for passage at the start of the coming Legislative Session, despite objections from environmentalists who say it’s been weakened by loopholes and the influence of industry and agriculture interests. Critics say they still hope floor amendments will close loopholes in Senate and House companion bills (SB 552 and HB 7005) and are trying to pressure legislators. Their legislative backers, including Orlando Democratic Sen. Darren Soto and House Minority…

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Email insights: DEP sets record straight on hunting, privatizing Florida State Parks

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Florida State Parks have come under fire recently, and the Department of Environmental Protection feels itā€™s time to ā€œset the record straight.ā€ A new DEP email takes exception with several recent media accounts, each inaccurately ā€œperpetuated misconceptionsā€ about the future of Florida State Parks. ā€œAs these stories are being driven by false allegations based on incomplete information that does not present a complete or accurate picture of the efforts of the Florida Department of Environmental Protectionā€™s Florida Park Service,ā€ the…

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Long-awaited water policy bill passes House committee

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A House budget panel on agriculture and the environment passed an expansive water policy bill byĀ Rep.Ā Matt CaldwellĀ Wednesday afternoon. The House Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations Committee approvedĀ HB 7005Ā by a vote of 11 to 1, with DemocraticĀ Rep.Ā JosĆ© Javier RodrĆ­guezĀ opposing. The state’s Department of Environmental Protection has signaled its approval for the bill, as did a number of business-backed groups such as Associated Industries of FloridaĀ andĀ Florida Chamber of Commerce, while some environmentalists stay on the fence. Stephanie Kunkel, a lobbyist with the…

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DEP Secretary Jon Steverson should be easily confirmed by Senate Enviro Committee

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Rumor has it that a bus load of activists are headed to Tallahassee Wednesday to oppose SecretaryĀ Jon Steversonā€™s confirmation in his first of three stops in the Senate for Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection. Their main reason? To stop Steverson from lifting the ban on hunting in state parks. A noble goal, if they were not dead wrong. The thing is that hunting on lands in the Florida state parks system has been ongoing and legal for 25…

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