In a 4-1 vote, Lee County commissioners endorsed the Florida Water and Land Legacy constitutional amendment this week.
If it passes this November, the constitutional amendment would place one third of the money the state collects from real estate transactions into a trust fund dedicated to preserving sensitive lands across the Sunshine State.
Will Abberger, who manages a campaign supporting the ballot measure, said there’s a lot of important land in Southwest Florida that’s been on the state’s list for future preservation.
However, because state lawmakers have not been funding land conservation like they used to, those lands are not being protected.
Abberger said the endorsement from Lee County officials makes sense.
“Counties like Lee County that have important water resources and important natural areas of wildlife habitat that need to be protected, recognize that Amendment One will provide the funding to do just that,” he said.
Abberger said although the amendment has not been endorsed by other counties in Southwest Florida, it has been endorsed by many other local governments in the state. He said that’s because it will restore revenue that should have been going to the environment these past few years—without raising taxes.
