Florida Forever Funds Redirected
Florida Legislature Redirects $425M Florida Forever Funds, Violating Conservation Law
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Florida's Legislature has zeroed out new funding for the state's flagship land-buying program and redirected $425 million to a rural conservation effort instead. The move effectively kills new land purchases through Florida Forever, a 25-year-old program that has protected millions of acres of public wilderness, WUSF reported.
The shift breaks a 2023 state law that required $100 million per year for Florida Forever land acquisitions. Environmental groups are now urging Governor Ron DeSantis to use his veto pen to undo the damage before the $114.5 billion budget takes effect.
How $425 Million Got Steered Away From Public Land
The final 2026-27 budget, approved May 29, sends $425 million to the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. That program pays private ranchers and farmers to keep their land as-is — but the land stays private and mostly closed to the public. Florida Forever, which buys land outright for public parks and wildlife preserves, received zero new dollars, according to WUSF.
Sen. Jason Brodeur, a Lake Mary Republican, defended the decision. He said the $112 million still sitting in Florida Forever accounts is "leftover money" from prior budget cycles. He argued it makes no sense to add new money before that is spent, Tampa Bay Times reported.
Environmentalists Call It a Broken Promise and a Public Loss
Critics say the "leftover" argument is misleading. Funds parked in Florida Forever are usually tied to pending land deals that take years to close. Sweeping them effectively kills that pipeline. Gil Smart of Friends of the Everglades said: "There seems to be this idea that it's a burden to the taxpayers... The appetite for actually acquiring these environmentally sensitive lands seems to be diminishing," according to WUSF.
Paul Owens of 1000 Friends of Florida warned that nearly 8 million of the 18 million acres in the Florida Wildlife Corridor have no protection at all, according to 1000 Friends of Florida. Without fee-simple purchases — meaning the state actually owns the land — critical wildlife pathways could be lost to development. Florida is already losing roughly 160 acres of natural land every day, per the Florida Policy Institute.
This Has Happened Before — After the 2008 Recession
This is not the first time Florida Forever has been raided. The Legislature slashed the program after the 2008 financial crisis and swept all new land-buying money in 2011 and 2012. The program has never fully recovered its funding levels from its early 2000s peak, when it routinely received $300 million or more per year.
Voters tried to lock in future funding by passing the 2014 Water and Land Conservation Amendment. That measure was supposed to guarantee dedicated dollars for land acquisition. But the Legislature has repeatedly found ways around it. The 2023 law promising $100 million a year was seen as a fresh commitment — one that lasted just three budget cycles before being bypassed again.
What Comes Next: Veto Campaign and a Crowded Corridor
Environmental groups launched a public campaign on June 5, pressing DeSantis to veto the Florida Forever provision and restore acquisition funding, according to Audubon Florida. DeSantis had originally proposed $115 million for the program in his own budget. He has not yet signed the final spending plan.
Mallory Lykes Dimmitt of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation called the budget a "setback" and a "call to action," according to WUSF. With 1,000 people moving to Florida every day, advocates argue the state needs more public land — not fewer. Easements protect land from development, but they do not create new parks or trails for a growing population.
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