FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis outlined his environmental protection plan on Tuesday during a visit to South Florida.
🌴 SPECIAL COVERAGE: Protecting Paradise 🌴
He revealed his proposed $625 environmental budget at Everglades Holiday Park in Fort Lauderdale.
The proposed budget includes:
- $360 million for Everglades restoration
- $150 million for targeted water quality improvements
- $50 million to restore Florida’s world-renowned springs
- $25 million to improve water quality and combat harmful algal blooms
- $10.8 million to increase water quality monitoring and support the blue-green algae task force
- $4.2 million to establish the Center for Red Tide Research
- $1 million to study long-term health impacts of red tide and blue-green algae
- $40 million for alternative water supply development
WATCH NEWS CONFERENCE:
"When people throughout the state of Florida see that we need to take these actions to support enhanced water quality and build the infrastructure we need, I think it's something that really resonates throughout the state," said Gov. DeSantis, who called this a historic commitment. "I'm hoping we get a groundswell of support in the Legislature to be able to push this through."
The Governor also nominated "Alligator" Ron Bergeron, a wildlife conservationist, to the South Florida Water Management District Board.
Earlier on Tuesday during a stop in Naples, he nominated Chauncey Goss to the board. Goss is a council member on Sanibel on Florida's Gulf Coast.
Earlier this month, Gov. DeSantis called for the South Florida Water Management District board to resign during a visit to Stuart.
When the Governor took office in early January, he said the environment was a top priority for him.
"We will fight for our beaches, we will fight discharges, we will fight red tide, we will fight toxic blue-green algae blooms," Gov. DeSantis at his inauguration. "If our environment is threatened, I will move to protect it."
Since he was sworn in on Jan. 8, Gov. DeSantis has made the following announcements: