Protecting the Intent of Amendment 1

As a member of Nature's Watchdog Alliance of Florida, I have reprinted the group's letter to the Florida Senate.

Dear Senators,

Our organization's members supported Amendment 1, which passed with the votes of 75% of those voting.

The purpose of Amendment 1 was to renew state spending on existing water and land conservation programs. Amendment 1 was not intended to fund water supply development projects that further deplete our water resources or to bail out developments that have neglected their own wastewater infrastructure needs. Nor was it intended that these new funds would simply replace other existing funds so that no additional benefits would accrue to these programs. The voters do not deserve to have another Lotto-like shift occur when they knew what they were doing by approving this expanded funding.

Our existing conservation programs have a strong track record of ensuring that our rivers, lakes, streams and natural areas are protected for future generations of Floridians.

Please ensure that Amendment 1 funds go to restoring and protecting water resources, providing access to public lands, and keeping working lands, farms, and forests as part of Florida’s rural landscapes and not to projects that fuel irresponsible growth in Florida's vulnerable natural areas nor simply shift funds around and end up accomplishing nothing new.

Respectfully yours,

Nature's Watchdog Alliance of Florida
By John Hedrick