At the start of the 2015 Florida Legislative Session, the Florida House developed comprehensive water legislation that addressed issues – such as water supply plans, water quality, the Central Florida Water Initiative, Northern Everglades impacts and springs restoration. With guidance from the Florida Chamber, and the leadership of Speaker Steve Crisafulli (R-Merritt Island) and Rep. Matt Caldwell (R-Lehigh Acres), this legislation – HB 7003 – passed the House overwhelmingly on March 5th.
“To ignore the growing demand for, and the quality of,
our water supply leaves our state incredibly vulnerable.”
– Speaker Steve Crisafulli,
Florida House of Representatives
HB 7003 is now being vetted in the Senate, a discussion that began earlier this week.
The Florida Chamber supports securing Florida’s water future by developing science-based water solutions that encourage the use of alternative water supplies to help promote sustainable economic growth.
As lawmakers continue to discuss solutions to Florida’s long-term water future and Amendment 1, the Florida Chamber believes:
- A majority of funding investment be used for water supply and infrastructure to meet current and future need,
- Florida should receive a better return on investment for land purchases, and can achieve this through conservation easements, which allow the landowner to manage the land,
- Florida should consider investing in land and water that’s available for public access like hiking and bike trails, and
- Land buffers around military bases are essential to ensuring Florida remains a military and veteran friendly state, and as such should be protected.
Watch and Share This Short Water Video:
Water is an important issue throughout Florida for different reasons. Watch and share this short video that explains why so much importance is being placed on securing Florida’s water future.