Commissioners in Collier County are discussing raising taxes this year to revive its local conservation land preservation program called Conservation Collier, the Naples Daily News reports.
The move comes at a time when the public is still waiting for the Florida Legislature to implement the voters’ intent in a 2014 constitutional amendment to restart the Florida Forever program to acquire and protect land for conservation to finish the job begun in the 1980s.
The lack of state conservation land funding affects local conservation land programs because it can provide matching funds for land purchases.
Polk’s conservation land funding was diverted to road expansion and parks funding , which suffered from the five-year impact fee moratorium.
There has been no talk of restoring funding.
Activists are working on a campaign to persuade legislators to approve funding for the program rather diverting the money to cover routine operating expenses or projects unrelated to conservation preservation.
The plan will be discussed in a webinar Wednesday organized by 1000 Friends of Florida, featuring former Gov. Bob Graham.
Go to 1000 Friends’ website for details.