State lawmakers are set to vote Friday on a budget proposal that lacks new funding for Florida Forever, the state’s flagship conservation land acquisition program.
Florida Forever is the state’s primary mechanism for expanding public access to parks and outdoor recreational opportunities, usually by buying conservation land outright. A 2023 law promises $100 million annually for the program, but last year’s final state budget included just $18 million for it.
This year, lawmakers’ proposed budget lacks a dedicated line item for Florida Forever.
The proposal does include $425 million for the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program (RFLPP), Florida’s other key mechanism for protecting natural lands from future development. But both programs are necessary and should be adequately funded, according to environmental and community planning advocates.
Paul Owens is president of 1000 Friends of Florida, a community planning nonprofit that advocates for sustainable growth policy. He said shortchanging Florida Forever would hurt the “Florida Wildlife Corridor,” the state’s mission to protect 18 million acres of connected natural lands from future development. Right now, about 8 million of those acres aren’t protected.
Should Governor Ron DeSantis ultimately approve lawmakers’ pending budget proposal for the 2026-27 fiscal year, Owens said, “there’s certainly portions of the Florida Wildlife Corridor that won't be protected because the funding isn't available to protect them.”
Because much of the Corridor’s unprotected lands are agricultural, the state’s RFLPP should be able to help protect some of them. “But the best strategy for protecting as much of [the Corridor] as possible is to provide generous funding for both programs,” Owens said.
Although both programs are designed to protect Florida’s natural lands, Florida Forever and the RFLPP function differently.
While Florida Forever primarily buys conservation lands outright, the RFLPP uses easement agreements to purchase development rights from agricultural landowners. An easement is a voluntary, legally-binding agreement that protects a piece of land’s natural resources by restricting how the land is used.
Generally, land protected through the RFLPP remains in private hands and largely under private management. While the program is still an important piece in the puzzle of protecting natural lands in fast-growing Florida, Owens said, it doesn’t create more conservation land that members of the public can access, like parks and preserves.
As Florida’s population keeps growing, so should its public infrastructure, Owens said. That includes roads, water and sewer lines, police and fire protection — and public green spaces.
“Those green spaces are critical parts of our quality of life in Florida, and they're also important components of our economy,” Owens said.
Statewide, Florida’s state parks generate some $3.6 billion annually for local economies, including more than $1 billion in Central Florida, according to the latest economic impact report available from the state’s department of environmental protection.
“There appears to be a philosophical opposition to Florida taking title to land and removing it from the tax rolls, and shouldering the management burden for that land,” Owens said. “And the problem with that is, without Florida taking title to the land, it means that the public doesn't have access to that land. And that land can't become future state parks or wildlife management areas or state forests.”
RELATED: Florida Forever is on the verge of getting little funding this year
Although lawmakers’ proposed budget doesn’t specifically assign any new funding for Florida Forever, some money could still potentially be used for the program in the upcoming fiscal year.
Of the total $425 million lawmakers propose to allocate to the RFLPP, $225 million of it comes from a fund established in 2023 for protecting certain parts of the Florida Wildlife Corridor, including a 100-mile stretch of land connecting the Ocala and Osceola National Forests.
“Seventy-five million [dollars] of that, they have maintained with the Department of Environmental Protection for land conservation, which can include the original purpose [of the fund],” Owens said. “I suppose it's better than not making any of that money available.”
Still, Owens said, lawmakers’ current proposal falls far short of their commitment to dedicate $100 million of new funding annually to Florida Forever. In his budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year, DeSantis sought $115 million for the program.
Moving forward, Owens said, his group hopes to see lawmakers return to that $100 million annual commitment.
“We've seen this philosophical opposition to acquiring more public land take charge in these past couple of [legislative] sessions,” Owens said. “Things may change in the next session.”
