Governor Ron DeSantis touted historic spending on Everglades restoration and water resource protection in the state鈥檚 coming fiscal year budget at a press conference at Doc Ford鈥檚 Rum Bar & Grille on Fort Myers Beach, Wednesday morning.
He also announced the veto of a controversial Lake Okeechobee water supply bill that environmental advocates strongly opposed.
DeSantis lauded a $1.2 billion investment in Everglades restoration and water resources in the state鈥檚 $109.9 billion 鈥溾�� budget he signed last week for the fiscal year that starts July 1.
鈥淭he four highest years of fundings for Everglades projects in the history of the state of Florida have been the four years that I have been in office,鈥� said DeSantis.
On his second day as governor in January 2019, DeSantis signed an that pledged an historic $2.5 billion investment in Everglades restoration and water resource protection over four years. The budget he signed last week surpasses that pledge for a total of $3.3 billion.
The coming fiscal year budget includes $558 million for targeted water quality improvements.
鈥淭hat includes $20 million for down in South Florida with Biscayne Bay. It鈥檚 $125 million for our wastewater grant program, which provides resources to local communities for wastewater treatment improvements as well as septic to sewer conversions,鈥� said DeSantis.
The funding also includes $500 million for Everglades restoration, $75 million for restoration of Florida鈥檚 springs, and $35 million to prevent and combat toxic red tide and blue-green algae blooms.
The state budget also includes $500 million for the , which provides funding for local municipalities to assess risks to critical infrastructure posed by flooding from sea level rise, storm surge or rain events. DeSantis made an about that program on Lovers Key State Park, also in Lee County, in May.
DeSantis also announced the veto of controversial , which environmental advocates argued would have prioritized sugar growers getting irrigation water from Lake Okeechobee over the water supply needs of the Everglades ecosystem.
In his veto letter to Secretary of State Cord Byrd, DeSantis wrote the measure would have created, 鈥渦nnecessary and redundant regulatory hurdles which may compromise the timely execution and implementation of Everglades restoration projects, water control plans and regulation schedules.鈥�
In a statement supporting the veto, Executive Director Julie Wraithmell said it would have undermined the state鈥檚 conservation land buying program 鈥�.鈥� The measure was sponsored by (R-Bartow), who鈥檚 in line to become Senate President in 2024 and was a priority of current Senate President (R-Spring Hill).
CEO Eric Eikenberg spoke at the press event packed with DeSantis supporters, in support of the budget and the veto.
鈥淭he whole effort here is to end discharges east and west, store, clean and send water south all the way down to Florida Bay,鈥� said Eikenberg.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the direction it needs to go. That鈥檚 the direction that this administration and this governor have set forth. There is no better friend of the Everglades than Ron DeSantis.鈥�
DeSantis also announced that the online portal to apply for many of the state鈥檚 environmental project grants like the aforementioned wastewater grant program opened June 8 at .
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