A winding white crushed-shell multipurpose trail curving alongside a rustic wooden rail fence and a lush green windbreak at The Celery Fields in Sarasota, Florida. This regional stormwater facility and conservation area is a key stop on the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail — Celery Fields in Sarasota, Florida. Credit: Ken Schulze / Shutterstock

The Florida legislature’s proposed budgets are set to severely restrict, or even defund, Florida Forever, one of the state’s land conservation programs.

The House’s proposed budget defunds the program entirely, and the Senate advocates allocating $35 million for easements only.

Instead of Florida Forever, lawmakers are proposing millions to go towards the Rural and Family Lands Protection program.

In that program, the state pays landowners to permanently preserve their agricultural land from development.

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But Craig Pittman, author and columnist, emphasises it’s not the same as Florida Forever.

“It’s a worthwhile program to preserve these farms from development, but the public doesn’t really get a benefit from it. They don’t get to go out there and hike and canoe and fish and bird watch and things that you normally do in state parks,” Pittman said.

Even the conservative group Florida Tax Watch raised concerns about the Rural and Family Lands Protection programs, saying an “escape clause” allows landowners to develop protected land.

Lawmakers passed bills that increased transparency for that program.

“You’ve got about a week, in other words, to call your legislator, call your state House member, your Florida senator and say, don’t you dare do this. Don’t you leave Florida hanging like this.”

The legislative session is supposed to end on March 13th, but lawmakers say the budget is likely not to be complete by then.