The Water and Land Conservation Amendment passed by Florida voters in 2014 directs 33% of documentary stamp tax revenues to the Land Acquisition Trust Fund “to acquire, restore, improve, and manage conservation lands.”
To help you see how the Florida Legislature has allocated those funds, we combed every line item of the 2017 appropriations bill to provide the following summary.
The summary table below reflects only spending from the Land Acquisition Trust Fund (LATF), and does not include spending from other sources of revenue such as General Revenue and trust funds other than the LATF.
If you would like to see every line item that spends Land Acquisition Trust Fund money, check out our full tracker page.
| Short Description | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beach Projects | $25,000,000 | $21,159,924 | $29,493,889 | |
| DACS Land Management | $11,474,921 | $13,785,338 | $8,470,893 | In past years' budgets, approximately half of these funds were appropriated from General Revenue or other sources. Beginning with the 2015 budget, the Legislature has shifted these existing land management expenses to the LATF. |
| Debt Service | $191,064,305 | $175,706,545 | $170,320,973 | The state is obligated to pay off debt previously incurred by Preservation2000 and Florida Forever bond revenues generated prior to 2009. This amount reflects the remaining debt "balance." |
| DEP Land Management | $27,105,923 | $33,156,281 | $15,007,444 | Management activities range from direct resource management (prescribed burning, control of invasive exotic species, hydrological management, etc.) to land management planning, research, visitor services and education programs, and oversight of private sector management of conservation easements. |
| DEP/State Parks Land Management and Improvements | $27,533,312 | $18,833,312 | $3,833,312 | In past years' budgets, nearly half of these funds were appropriated from General Revenue or other sources. Beginning with the 2015 budget, the Legislature has shifted these existing land management expenses to the LATF. |
| Everglades Restoration | $79,237,820 | $215,181,903 | $155,424,462 | This includes funding for CERP and the Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program. It also includes funds for land acquisition relating to water storage/attenuation and wetlands restoration projects, which are important but distinct from acquiring conservation lands for preservation or recreation. |
| Florida Communities Trust and Local Parks | $0 | $10,400,000 | $0 | |
| Florida Forever Priority List: Land Acquisition and Conservation Easements | $15,156,206 | $15,156,206 | $0 | The 2015 budget and current budget proposal allocate these funds to the Florida Forever priority list. |
| FWCC Land Management | $58,876,051 | $73,867,155 | $68,740,052 | In past years' budgets, most of these funds were already being appropriated from General Revenue or other sources. Beginning with the 2015 budget, the Legislature has shifted these existing land management expenses to the LATF. |
| Greenways and Trails | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| Historic Preservation | $5,695,753 | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | |
| Rural and Family Lands Conservation Easements | $15,000,000 | $35,000,000 | $0 | Conservation and rural land protection easements and agreements. The 2017 budget appropriates $10 million for this program from General Revenue (not LATF). |
| Springs restoration | $38,575,538 | $50,000,000 | $50,000,000 | |
| Salaries and Related Expenses | $156,369,016 | $162,702,370 | $164,943,891 | Salaries and benefits for agency employees, including Other Personnel Services (OPS)(temporary employment for short term or intermittent tasks), Overtime, and Salary Incentive Payments. |
| Operations | $40,392,208 | $25,804,919 | $28,675,602 | Day to day agency operating expenses (IT services, buildings maintenance, office furniture, motor vehicles, vehicle and equipment maintenance, etc.) |
| Regulatory/Pollution Control | $34,867,567 | $46,907,449 | $33,353,449 | Includes regulatory activities relating to Nonpoint Source Pollution Management, Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs), Agricultural Nonpoint Sources BMP Implementation, Basin Management Action Plans, and Dispersed Water Storage/Nutrient Reduction Projects. |
| Water Supply/Wastewater Projects | $0 | $0 | $295,000 |
