Protecting Florida’s economy, environment and waterways is high on 1000 Friends’ wish list for 2023

According to 1,000 Friends of Florida, a smart growth advocacy group, Florida’s ongoing struggles with red tides, blue-green algae and rampant growth threaten the state’s future prosperity.

They have drawn up a list of issues that the legislature should address in the coming legislature. Executive Director Paul Owens spoke with WUSF’s Steve Newborn to discuss the group’s top priorities.

What are 1,000 Friends’ environmental and growth priorities from the Legislature?

One priority that we have and for which we see bipartisan support based on the past few years is investment in land conservation. A significant coalition has formed to protect Florida’s Wildlife Corridor. And we’re particularly keen that of course we support wildlife conservation, but much of the land in Florida’s Wildlife Corridor is unsuitable for development. Also for other reasons. It’s far from urban areas, it’s in areas that have no infrastructure and that would develop if it led to urban sprawl. I think there are executives in both parties who seem interested in maintaining this investment. So we’re looking forward to that.

In recent years, conservation of this land was not a major priority until the Florida Wildlife Corridor Expeditions took place. Does it surprise you how much of this has fused in the public domain?

Sure, I have to say I’m pleasantly surprised by it. Because as you know, several years ago this priority was neglected. But I think it makes sense. It’s a bipartisan priority. Because it does so many things.

“The reason a lot of people want to move here, why some top employers are moving here, is our environment. And it just makes good business sense that we continue to invest in protecting our environment.”

– Paul Owens, President of 1,000 Friends of Florida

It protects the environment, but it also protects our economy. Our Florida brand is our environment, the reason people come here, the reason why so many people want to move here, why some top employers want to move here is our environment. And it just makes good business sense that we continue to invest in protecting our environment.

What are some of the other priorities you are looking at for the upcoming session?

Well, one of our other funding priorities is an ongoing priority for us. And that’s a full affordable housing investment as required by Florida statutes. And we’ve had a good few years, too, after many lean years of affordable housing finance, but this is an issue that’s reached crisis point across Florida. It’s really important that we invest in it. And they’re obvious perks for Floridians who are struggling to find a place to live and work. But there are benefits for employers when they have a labor supply and the overall Florida economy is healthy.

As you know, the Sadowski Trust Fund (providing financing for affordable housing) has been pretty much wiped out repeatedly over the last few years. I think last year was the first year maybe in recent times that it wasn’t. Do you see that the legislature is finally coming to this?

Well, I think it’s noteworthy that the incoming Senate President, Senator Kathleen Passidomo, has said that affordable housing will be one of her top priorities for the session. I think this suggests quite well that the category is getting the funding it’s supposed to get in the upcoming session.

So tell us some of your other top priorities you have your eye on for the year ahead.

Well, we have some policy priorities that we think are particularly relevant after the two hurricanes that Florida suffered this year. And one is to have a higher standard of verification for development in vulnerable areas, high hazard coastal areas or in flood plains. One of the additional things that legislators can do, and there seems to be some momentum, is to strengthen our building code to take more account of the risks of storm surge and flooding.

You know, after Hurricane Andrew, the building codes for wind damage got tighter, but they still need to have stricter regulations for storm surge and flooding.

We think that’s a good possibility in the coming session. There are other things that could be done. For example, a requirement that a property’s flood history be disclosed when the property is sold. A few years ago, lawmakers passed legislation mandating sea-level rise impact studies for public investments in coastal areas, which could be expanded state-wide to include not only areas at risk from sea-level rise, but also those that are vulnerable are flood vulnerable. That would protect life and property, but also taxpayers who are expected to fund such investments. We would be happy if the legislature were to follow suit.

“If we can reduce blue-green algae, and if we can reduce red tide, then all the costs involved would be more than worth it…I think it would be worth whatever the costs involved in terms of benefit.” brings to the overall economy in Florida.

– Paul Owens, President of 1,000 Friends of Florida

Finally, on implementing the remaining recommendations of Governor DeSantis’ Blue Green Algae Task Force. You released a consensus report in 2019 with a whole range of recommendations, only a fraction of which have been implemented so far. We’d love to see lawmakers go the rest of the way. The legislator
has poured significant dollars into hardening coastal areas that could be vulnerable to sea level rise and flooding. We’d also like to see them work on the front end of the problem and start doing more to reduce our state’s greenhouse gas emissions.

There has been so much talk about Red Tide and Blue Green Algae. There has been pressure in the past, but not much seems to be happening. Why do you think this is? And do you think there might be a tipping point where some of these Task Force recommendations will actually be implemented?

I really hope that we are at this turning point. I think there’s a lot of resistance to this because every time you have tighter regulation there’s a cost. But I think the overall benefit to our state if we can reduce blue-green algae, and if we can reduce red tide, would be more than worth the cost involved. I can’t predict if we’ll make it in this upcoming session. But I think it would be worth the cost it imposes in terms of benefits to the overall Florida economy.