In a popular move, the The Florida House of Representatives voted on a bill past by the Florida State Senate on April 23, 2008 regarding the future of the Florida Forever Coalition. The bill passed, unanimously, in both the House and the Senate and will guarantee that the Coalition survives for another ten years and receive $300 million dollars in funding per year. The Governor is expected to sign the bill without incident.
The Florida Forever Coalition is a landmark land conservation program consisting of over 160 different member organizations. The bill not only extended the existence of the coalition for another decade but also “adds funding for the protection of working ranch and timber lands and of working waterfronts.”
Many in the coalition praised the decision and gave special recognition to Senate President Ken Pruitt, Senator Burt Saunders, Representative Stan Mayfield, Representative Will Kendrick, Senator Lisa Carlton, Senator JD Alexander, House Speaker Marco Rubio, and Representative Ray Sansom for the dedication and leadership concerning the Florida Forever project.
Many in the coalition agree that with the rising prices of land in Florida where some land values have sored, doubling, even tripling ins some areas, additional funding will be needed to keep the important conservation efforts of the coalition going into the next decade; however insuring the continued funding is a step in the right direction.
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