Committee chair outlines budget highlights: conservation, Everglades, water quality and citrus recovery funded

The Appropriations Committee reviewed a high-level overview of the proposed budget, with the committee presenter listing major environmental and agricultural investments and answering senators’ detailed questions.

The presenter said the package includes over $350,000,000 for Florida Forever programs that cover land acquisitions, DEP land purchases and working waterfront projects; $738,000,000 for Everglades restoration; more than $500,000,000 for water-quality improvements outside the Everglades; $60,000,000 for the Farmers Feeding Florida program; and over $250,000,000 for citrus recovery efforts.

Vice chair Berman and other senators asked whether reductions to school-lunch authority would affect students; the presenter said the program remains fully funded despite a reduction in excess authority, and the committee clarified that some funding appears in summary spreadsheets while other items are detailed in bill back matter. Senators also pressed for the location of a newly referenced state forest, and the presenter said the land is in the Panhandle adjacent to an existing forest. On State Parks, the presenter said $25,000,000 is allocated for operations and that additional fixed-capital outlay funds are available for facility improvements.

On water-quality programs, the committee noted that some projects receive funding through water management district grant programs rather than specific enumerated line items. Senators raised staffing and resource questions for PERC; the presenter said the committee funded two of six requested FTE based on an assessment of need and would revisit the request next year if necessary.

The committee left the budget open for fuller probes later in the day and scheduled more detailed discussion in a later session.