HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution 2008-18 Florida ForeverRESOLUTION NUMBER 2008-18
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE
CITY OF WINTER SPRINGS, FLORIDA, SUPPORTING
FLORIDA FOREVER AND A SUCCESSOR PROGRAM;
AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, the Florida Forever program and its predecessor Preservation 2000 program
have immeasurably contributed to environmental health, quality of life, recreation, and
sustainability in Florida for this and future generations; and
WHEREAS, Florida Forever has acquired over one million acres throughout Florida
since 2000 and allocates $300 million annually to purchase environmentally sensitive and other
lands, and has done so through numerous successful partnerships with cities, counties, state
agencies, water managements districts, nonprofit organizations, private landowners, and others in
achieving its conservation purposes; and
WHEREAS, Florida Forever, through its partnerships with the Florida Department of
Environmental Protection, Water Management Districts, and others, produces benefits that
include clean air and water; healthy fisheries and wildlife habitat; improved water supply
protection; and protected open spaces including greenway corridors, park lands, forests, and
water bodies; and
WHEREAS, Florida Forever, through the Florida Communities Trust, has assisted
Florida's cities and counties in protecting their cultural and historical resources, meeting the
challenges of growth management, directing development away from coastal high hazard areas
and floodplains; fostering a healthier lifestyle for Floridians; and providing recreational outdoor
experiences in both urban and rural settings; and
WHEREAS, Florida Forever has helped to save many of Florida's beaches, rivers, bays,
forests, coral reefs and estuaries that provide the foundation for our $3 billion tourism industry
that attract more than 70 million visitors each year; and
WHEREAS, 50 Florida local governments have enacted land acquisition financing
programs in the past decades, and this conservation finance programs serve to leverage Florida
Forever funding and increase the impact of State land conservation funding; and
WHEREAS, Florida is experiencing rapid population growth, with approximately 1,100
new residents every day; and Floridians demand a high quality of life that includes green space,
access to water, pastoral settings and recreational opportunities; and
WHEREAS, Florida Forever and other land conservation programs must compete in
Florida's market of surging land and housing prices; and
WHEREAS, the effectiveness of Florida Forever has diminished because of escalating
land prices and the impacts of inflation; and
WHEREAS, the funding for the Florida Forever program will sunset in 2010; and
WHEREAS, research by the Florida Forever Coalition has found that over $20 billion is
currently needed to purchase parks and recreational facilities, wildlife and wilderness areas, and
open space for our state's increasing population; and
WHEREAS, a 2005 public opinion survey conducted by members of the Florida Forever
Coalition found that 78% of Florida's voters approve of the Florida Forever program; and
WHEREAS, the benefits of Florida Forever included a Preservation 2000 Grant totaling
approximately $675,000.00 in State funding which purchased 4.52 acres of conservation land
and 1.44 acres of Cross Seminole Trail land in the City of Winter Springs.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City of Winter Springs City
Commission, that we declare its support to the State of Florida Legislature for the creation and
funding of a successor program to the Florida Forever program and requests its legislative
delegation to advocate for the creation and funding of a successor program to Florida Forever.
ADOPTED by the City Commission of the City of Winter Springs, Florida, in a
Regular Meeting assembled on the 10th day of March, 2008.
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JO .BUSH, Mayor
ATTEST:
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A LORENZO-LUACES, City Clerk
Approved as to legal form and sufficiency for
the City of Winter Springs, Florida only:
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ANTHONY A. GARGANESE, City Attorney
City of Winter Springs, Florida
Resolution Number 2008-18
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