Florida Water and Land Legacy Campaign seeks amendment to protect Florida's natural resources

Florida Water and Land Legacy Campaign seeks amendment to protect Florida's natural resources http://www.facebook.com/pages/Florida-Proud-to-Call-it-Home/159078254229427

Summary: A proposed amendment to the Florida constitution could raise more than $5 billion for water and land conservation in Florida over the next ten years without any tax increase http://www.facebook.com/pages/Florida-Proud-to-Call-it-Home/159078254229427

(August 14, 2012) –. The newly-formed Florida Water and Land Legacy Campaign is proposing an amendment to the Florida constitution that would dedicate one-third of the income from the current excise tax on documents to Florida environmental and ecological programs. Comprised of the Trust for Public Land, Audubon Florida, the Florida Wildlife Federation, the Sierra Club, the Nature Conservancy, 1000 Friends of Florida, Defenders of Wildlife, and others, the Campaign is currently collecting signatures from at least 676,811 registered Florida voters to ensure that the proposed amendment will be included on the 2014 ballot. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Florida-Proud-to-Call-it-Home/159078254229427

In just the past 3 years, funding for the state's signature Florida Forever program has been cut by an astounding 97.5 percent. Financial support for the Land Acquisition Trust Fund has declined from $265 million in the 2006-2007 fiscal year to $85.4 million in fiscal year 2010-2011 And in 2012 only $8.5 million was approved for water protection and land conservation out of a total state budget of $60-billion – less than $1 for each Florida resident. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Florida-Proud-to-Call-it-Home/159078254229427

If approved, the amendment would take effect July 1, 2015.

For the next 20 years, one-third of the net revenues from the existing excise tax on documents would be taken out of the legislature's General Fund and specifically allocated to environmental project use. It is projected that this amendment will result in more than $5 billion in dedicated funding for water and land conservation in Florida over the next ten years, with a total $10 billion being raised over the 20-year life of the measure. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Florida-Proud-to-Call-it-Home/159078254229427

The latest official news and status updates about the Campaign can be found at http://www.FloridaWaterLandLegacy.org In addition to the main Florida Water and Land Legacy Campaign site, a number of other websites are helping spread awareness of the proposed Florida constitutional amendment both nationally and abroad. Among these is http://www.facebook.com/pages/Florida-Proud-to-Call-itHome/159078254229427,a Facebook fanpage that offers an online community where people can share their thoughts and comments about the latest Florida news and events. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Florida-Proud-to-Call-it-Home/159078254229427

"We feel it is very important to get the news out about how vital this amendment would be to the long-term survival of Florida's magnificent natural resources," notes page administrator S.S. Ober-Lehn. "And Facebook's international appeal makes the Florida Proud to Call It Home fanpage a natural place for anyone anywhere in the world who is concerned about protecting Florida's fragile ecosystems to come together to discuss this proposed amendment and help spread awareness about it."

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Florida-Proud-to-Call-it-Home/159078254229427

To find out more about current news and events in Florida, please visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/Florida-Proud-to-Call-itHome/159078254229427 http://www.facebook.com/pages/Florida-Proud-to-Call-it-Home/159078254229427