Governor Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet on Tuesday agreed to spend $6.4 million to purchase what is known as a “conservation easement” on nearly 20,000 acres of timber land near the Suwannee River and Gulf of Mexico in Dixie County. According to a story from the News Service of Florida, under a conservation easement, the land would be protected …
Scott Seeks Red Tide Research, Draws Criticism
Gov. Rick Scott wants state wildlife commissioners to seek funding for a red-tide research center and to restart a long-dormant task force, as waters along Florida’s Gulf Coast continue to face an expanding red-tide outbreak that began last year. Environmentalists said Scott’s latest proposals won’t cure the ongoing problems and criticized the funding proposal as a campaign stunt. In a …
Scott: Expedited Water Project Will Help Reduce Harmful Lake Okeechobee Discharges
Governor Rick Scott announced that, under his direction, another key Everglades restoration project is moving forward ahead of schedule. This year, Governor Scott included funding to expedite this project in his recommended budget and then signed into law this investment of $6 million to begin construction on the S-333 expansion project by the end of the year. This expansion project …
White House Backs Everglades Reservoir
The White House on Tuesday backed Florida’s effort to secure federal funding for a reservoir intended to move water away from Lake Okeechobee and reduce discharges that residents blame for repeated toxic algae outbreaks spreading on both coasts. The request by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to include funding for the roughly $1.6 billion Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir, approved …
Trump Immigration Furor Underscored in Florida
Amid escalating bipartisan demands for President Donald Trump to stop separating undocumented immigrant children from their families at the southern U.S. border, two high-ranking Florida Democrats were denied access Tuesday to a federal detention facility in Homestead housing an estimated 1,000 minors. The Trump administration family-separation policy — which has resulted in more than 2,000 children being warehoused throughout the …
Governor and Cabinet Surpass 50K Florida Acres Preserved Through RFLPP
The Governor and Cabinet approved the preservation of more than 8,300 acres through four cost-effective conservation easements, which prevent future development of the land and allow agricultural operations to continue to contribute to Florida’s economy. The purchases are part of the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program (RFLPP), where the state partners with Florida’s farmers and ranchers to preserve active …
Scott Signs Tax Cuts
Governor Rick Scott signed 74 bills into law last Friday including the tax-cut package, HB 7087, which totals about $171 million in tax and fee cuts. The package authorizes many things, including tax breaks for farmers and ranchers who suffered damage in Hurricane Irma. It offers tax breaks on agricultural fencing materials purchased for repairs after the hurricane and includes …
Scott, Cabinet Approve Conserving Former Mission Site
Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet agreed Wednesday to spend $660,060 to conserve 772 acres of ranchland in Madison County that four centuries ago included a Spanish mission. The Cabinet vote came without comment. The deal, which involves purchasing a “conservation easement,” would allow the Koblegard family to continue operating a cow and calf ranch on land it has …
Scott, Cabinet to Consider Conservation Deal
Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet this week will consider a proposed deal that would help preserve more than 400 acres of rural land in Marion County and fill a gap in a greenway across part of the state. The deal would involve the state paying $742,424 for a 412-acre conservation easement on land within what is known as …
Scott Declares Emergency as Hurricane Threatens
Gov. Rick Scott on Monday placed all of Florida under a state of emergency as the projected path of Hurricane Irma could take the powerful storm toward the southern tip of the state by the end of the week. The declaration is intended to give local governments in all 67 counties time to prepare, the governor’s office said. “Hurricane Irma …
- Page 1 of 2
- 1
- 2