Garden Club Members Making A Difference
We're so pleased to have played a small role in the efforts to help preserve Florida's natural habitats. CGC members played an active role in helping FFGC to obtain the required number of signatures necessary to get the Florida's Water and Land Legacy Amendment on the ballot as Amendment 1. On November 4th, 2014, Florida voters overwhelmingly approved the Florida Land and Water Legacy Amendment which designates billions of dollars to conservation efforts over the next 20 years. It needed 60% of the vote to pass, and 75% of voters approved.
This amendment seeks to “acquire, restore, improve, and manage conservation lands including wetlands and forests; fish and wildlife habitat; lands protecting water resources and drinking water sources, including the Everglades, and the water quality of rivers, lakes, and streams; beaches and shores; outdoor recreational lands; working farms and ranches; and historic or geologic sites.”
The goals and objectives outlined in Amendment 1 will be funded by an existing real estate tax, and will dedicate 33% of it annually to conservation. That would be about a billion a year. About half of the money will fund Florida Forever, a conservation land purchasing program.