DeSantis announces major investment in environmental protections on Earth Day
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - On Earth Day, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced $1.5 billion in funding towards environmental protection projects around the state.
The funding is in the 2024-2025 fiscal budget that was approved by the state legislature.
"I have approved another $1.5 billion for Everglades restoration and water quality improvements," DeSantis said. "So that’s going to be really, really meaningful."
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DeSantis was joined by environmental leaders from around the state Monday.
He says this $1.5 billion in funding brings the total of money spent on Everglades restoration and water quality improvement since 2019 to $6.5 billion.
"Investments in water quality benefit our entire state," Department of Environmental Protections Secretary Shawn Hamilton said. "It is the lifeblood of our economy, our tourism and everything we hold dear in Florida."
DeSantis says this is the highest single-year investment in the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Program (CERP) since it was founded in 2000.
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"It’s estuaries, it’s bays, it’s rivers," South Florida Water Management District Executive Director Drew Bartlett said. "It is our communities, it’s our livelihoods, it’s businesses."
More than $500 million will be allocated towards water quality improvement projects across the state and the Water Quality Improvement Grant Program.
"Whether those are creating more wastewater capacity at higher treatment regimes, converting thousands of septic tanks, getting nutrient pollution out of our stormwater," Hamilton said. "Those are projects in your local communities that are matched by local dollars, and you’re talking about setting a foundation for problems we have today, but also setting the framework to continue the amazing growth in our economy that we see in our state."
DeSantis says since 2019, the state has finished, reached a major milestone or broken ground on 70 environmental protection projects, including ventures like the Tamiami Trail project.
Earlier this month, the Governor signed Senate Bill 1638, which allocates revenue from the Seminole Gaming Compact to fund water quality improvement, infrastructure and land conservation.
"I want us to use it," DeSantis said. "I want us to really enjoy it. But what we don’t want to do is, we don’t want to waste resources. We don’t want to rob future generations of that same enjoyment that we’re having."
The 2024-2025 fiscal budget begins July 1.
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