Environmentalists and some high-profile supporters of President Donald Trump are criticizing his proposed budget for not including enough money for Everglades restoration. U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., U.S. Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., and U.S. Rep. Francis Rooney, R-Fla., issued a news release Wednesday saying the White House budget request “failed to include sufficient funding for …
Former SFWMD Governing Board Member Notes Ag’s New Absence
Family farmer Sam Accursio from Homestead was among the last four remaining South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Governing Board members who spoke their minds bluntly during their final board meeting last month. Accursio’s family has been farming vegetables in Homestead for generations. He says recent actions and operational decisions could indicate a change of direction for the regional flood …
South Florida’s Water Politics Raising Questions
By Gary Cooper One of several bombshells dropping at last week’s South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) governing board meeting was the resignation of district executive director Ernie Marks. In the audio clip below, Governing Board Member and Vice Chair Brandon Tucker echoed the feelings of several other board members about Marks’ resignation: There was no quorum at last week’s …
Executive Resigns, Politics Exposed at SFWMD Board Meeting
Soon-to-exit South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) governing board members offered parting comments at the SFWMD governing board meeting in West Palm Beach. The entire board was asked to resign and put under pressure to do so by Gov. Ron DeSantis and South Florida Congressman Brian Mast, who is advising the governor on agricultural and environmental issues. The resignations were …
Glades Residents, Businesses, Rise Up Against Water Issues Misinformation
by Gary Cooper With reference to the growing brouhaha, and continuing conflicting and heated rhetoric and misinformation swirling about south Florida algae and other related Lake Okeechobee water issues, the following letter was sent today to Congressman Brian Mast (R-FL 18th District). Mast has been extremely vocal and incendiary in his rhetoric and stated opinions on these issues, and is …
Putnam Banks on ‘Florida First’ in Governor’s Race
Source: News Service of Florida Clad in jeans and a blue-checkered shirt with rolled-up sleeves, Adam Putnam easily blended into the rural North Florida residents attending the annual Wausau Possum Festival in early August. “I’m a farmer, a business owner,” the boyish-looking, 44-year-old Republican candidate for governor told the crowd in a brief speech. “The foundation of my campaign is …
Commissioner Wilton Simpson Announces the Protection of 13,371 Acres of Ranchland through the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program
Commissioner Wilton Simpson announced the protection of 13,371 acres of Florida ranchlands through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. With approval by the Governor and Cabinet, approximately 13,371 acres of working agricultural lands will be preserved through cost-effective agricultural conservation easements totaling $36,754,000. Agricultural conservation easements prevent future development of the land …
Favorable Outcome for UF/IFAS
The 2021 Florida legislative session will be described in the history books as unique. COVID-19 protocols resulted in empty and eerily quiet hallways in the Capitol. Masks and regular COVID-19 tests were required, and citizens and lobbyists made public comments virtually from a building blocks away from the Capitol. The beginning and end of the session were polar opposites. Based …
UF/IFAS sees success
By Mary Ann Hooks After several disappointing budget years, the 2020 legislative session will go on record as one of the most successful for the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). The UF/IFAS priority this year was to increase our base budget. We submitted an appropriation request for a workload increase to make up for losses …
Florida: Funding and policy progress
By Adam Basford On March 19, the Florida Legislature wrapped up the 2020 legislative session after a six-day extension caused by a delay in budget negotiations. Clearly, the COVID-19 outbreak has created significant uncertainty about Florida’s economy and there may be a need for the Legislature to meet again to revise the budget based on updated revenue forecasts. However, for …