“Should we create a new commission to take care of our natural resources and wildlife? The new commission would have more power to make rules for fishing and marine life, and we could keep using bonds to fund conservation efforts. We would also make it harder to sell state lands that are meant for conservation.” For the past 30 years, Florida has been talking about laws to protect the environment. The state constitution says it’s important to take care of natural resources and keep the state beautiful. People have voted for changes to the constitution to protect the environment, like banning certain types of fishing.
In 1997-1998, there were public meetings to talk about changing the constitution again. Some people wanted new rights to protect the environment, like more land conservation and a new wildlife commission. Eventually, these ideas were approved to go on the ballot in November as Revision 5. It’s the first one on the ballot because it got a lot of support from the public. The proposal to add a directive for the conservation and protection of natural resources into the state constitution has been changed from its original form, but it is still an improvement. Some people argue that it is not necessary and could cause legal disputes, but recent court decisions show that it is unlikely to cause problems. Adding this directive will make protecting the environment a required priority for the government, even when there is pressure from other interests. Over the past 20 years, Florida has had successful land acquisition programs, like Preservation 2000, which has bought nearly 1 million acres of land using $1.7 billion in bond funds. This was possible through a bonding provision in the Constitution, but that bonding authority is set to expire in 2013. Revision 5 would extend the legislatureâs authority to issue bonds for conservation and outdoor recreation indefinitely, so they can continue to protect the environment in the future. Revision 5 deals with how publicly owned conservation property is managed and sold. The Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund holds title to much of this property and can only sell it with the approval of at least five out of the seven trustees. However, this rule does not apply to conservation property owned by other entities. Before selling land acquired through the P-2000 program, the owner must determine that the land is no longer needed for conservation purposes. Lands not bought with P-2000 funds are not subject to this rule. This proposal argues for a standard rule to manage and protect conservation lands in the state. It suggests that all state-owned conservation lands should be managed for the benefit of the people and can only be sold if they are no longer needed for conservation. Some people think the legislature should have the final say on how to handle these lands, but others believe this rule will protect the lands and make sure they are not easily sold off in the future. The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was created to combine the Marine Fisheries Commission and the Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission. The Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission regulates wild animal and fresh water aquatic life, while the Marine Fisheries Commission regulates marine life. The new commission will now have the authority to regulate all types of wildlife, including marine life. This change was supported by a wide range of wildlife, conservation, environmental, hunting, and sport fishing groups. There’s a proposal to combine the agencies that regulate fish and wildlife into one commission to make things less confusing. This new commission would have more power and also have to follow certain rules to make sure people have a fair chance to speak up about decisions. This would make it easier for regular citizens to have a say in how fish and wildlife are managed. The government is thinking about combining two groups that handle marine life in Florida, but some people are worried about what might happen to other programs. The idea is to make sure that decisions about marine life are based on science and not politics. A lot of people in Florida think it’s important to protect the environment, and that’s why this proposal is being considered. Two proposed amendments to Florida’s Constitution aimed at protecting the environment were combined into one. The combined proposal states that every person has the right to live in a clean environment and that the state’s natural resources are the heritage of present and future generations. The proposal also requires the state to protect the environment. There were concerns about the proposal, but it was ultimately approved. It is now up to the legislature to take action to protect the environment. Wm. Clay Henderson is the President/CEO of the Florida Audubon Society and also serves on the Constitution Revision Commission and chairs the Florida Greenways Coordinating Council. Previously, he has served on the Volusia County Council and on various commissions related to property rights and administrative procedures.
Source: https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-journal/protecting-floridas-natural-resources/
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